When it comes to bikepacking, we all have unique setups. There are so many different bikes, bags, and kits to combine to tailor to the adventure you’re doing. A question that has often come up for me from readers is, “Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders For Bikepacking?”

As a user of both, I want to tell you everything you need to know when it comes to staying hydrated and ensuring you can safely carry lots of clean water, especially when going off onto remote trails. We are going to be discussing:

• Understanding Cycling Water Bottles
• Understanding Hydration Bladders
• Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders For Bikepacking
• Which Is For You Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders?

Understanding Cycling Water Bottles

Let’s get straight into it by speaking about cycling water bottles. It’s important to understand they are slightly different from your typical sports bottles. Firstly, they are made in a certain size and shaped to fit on your bike via a bottle cage. 

Cycling water bottles are also made to be easy to drink from just using one hand and also must be made of a flexible material, meaning the water is much easier to squeeze out of having to pour it straight into your mouth. They come in many sizes, typically 500 milliliters to 1 liter. 

Understanding Hydration Bladders

Hydration bladders have become very popular in hiking, running, and mountain biking. In the past decade, we have seen a huge increase in people using them for bikepacking and ultra cycling. They are airtight bags where you store water and drink from a tube. 

They are often kept in the frame bag or on a small rucksack. They have a very large capacity of 1 liter to 3 liters, and for drinking while riding, they are very convenient. I currently am using the Apidura frame bag and hydration bladder.

Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders For Bikepacking

Now, for the exciting part, let’s start by comparing water bottles and hydration bladders. Here’s where I feel they hugely differ from one another.

Carrying Capacity

When it comes to carrying capacity out of 2 large bottles on your bikepacking bike, you will probably get a maximum of 2 liters. You can also add a bottle to the underside of the bike for a possible carrying capacity of 2.5 liters. 

When it comes to a hydration bladder, you can go for a small option, which will give you a liter, or a larger option, which could give you 3 liters. In our opinion, you can get a similar capacity from bottles to a bladder. 

Space Saving

Regarding space saving, there’s no denying that a hydration bladder is the better option. Bottles need to be mounted in cages on the bike, and not only are you limited to where you can put bottles, but they can take away from space where you could be using larger bags.

Hydration bladders are very convenient. You can have them in a rucksack or easily go into your frame bag. They mold well to lots of different spaces, and the more you drink, the smaller they get, which is a huge advantage. It’s a win for the bladder here.

Hygiene

Now, there are two ways of looking at this. I personally think there’s a lot to be said for both when it comes to hygiene. Firstly, bottles are easy to clean if you’re using carbohydrate power and can be replaced when they get old easily. However, without caps, it’s easy for the drinking spout to become contaminated. 

A bladder can be much harder to clean on an adventure, but if you are only using water inside, they are much more hygienic. All you have to do is ensure the drinking spout stays clean and everything else is hidden away. I prefer this over a bottle, as it all just feels cleaner. 

Drinking

When it comes to drinking with water bottles, they are easy when you are still and can be challenging when ridng. A hydration bladder is easy to use when you are riding because you do not need to hold it. 

Although hydration bladders work well for me, I appreciate they are not for everyone. Some people much prefer using a bottle, and it makes it so much easier if you have carbohydrate powder to add to your water.

Refilling

Water bottles are very easy to refill. You can literally just take the lids off, and you are good to fill them up. When it comes to bikepacking, this is a big bonus, especially when it comes to ultra racing, as every second counts. 

A hydration bladder normally isn’t too bad, but the majority can be a bit of a pain to fill when you’re in a rush and sitting outside of a shop in the middle of nowhere. I have found it takes a little practice to get it right. 

Weight

When it comes to weight, I feel there’s nothing in it. Yes, bottles and cages are going to be slightly heavier than a bladder, but if the bladder is in the rucksack or a larger frame, then it’s about the same. 

There is a lot to be said about capacity and weight. It’s good to remember that for every extra liter of water you carry, that’s another kilo onto the overall weight. It’s important to only take what you need or a little more in case of detours or problems. 

Sun Exposure

Sun exposure can have a big impact on a lot of your cycling kit. That’s why bike shops don’t leave certain products in the windows, such as helmets, as it can break them down. Bottles are also affected by the sun. Dark-colored bottles warm up, and they can taste awful because of this.

With a bladder, there’s much less exposure to the sun. Your water stays closer for longer, and the bottle doesn’t tend to start to smell funny after really long days out in the sunshine. 

Stability

Hydration bladders are very good at staying really stable. When attached to your back or hidden inside the frame, there’s very little chance of them coming off and falling into a bush. When it comes to bottles for off-road riding, they are not the most stable.

Which Is For You Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders?

When it comes to choosing between water bottles and hydration bladders for bikepacking, it can be challenging. It really comes down to what you enjoy drinking from and the adventure you’re on. Personally, I think it really comes down to the cycling I am doing. Here are my thoughts.

Off-Road Bikepacking

Going off-road requires you to be alert and always on the bars. Loose, uneven ground can be a nightmare when trying to get your bottle out for a drink. A hydration bladder is much better, in my opinion, as you can just use the hose. 

Another factor is mountain bikes generally have less bottle space, and with all the mud and dirt, the bottles become very unhygienic. You also don’t find that hydration bladders fall out like bottles might on a trail.

Road Bikepacking

Then we have road bikepacking, and I have always found bottles to be much better. Generally, they stay much cleaner, it’s easier to use bottles on the road, and you don’t often wear a rucksack or have frame bags on a road bike. 

With a much larger frame space, you can get away with using larger bottles, and getting them in and out of the bottle cages is much easier. 

The Perfect Solution

The perfect solution for me, who uses a gravel bike often and mainly rides the road but is open to the odd trail, comes in the form of a strange setup. I like to have a hydration bladder on either the frame or back and also carry one single 500ml bottle.

This means not only do I have a bottle I can use carbohydrate powder inside but I have a large capacity bladder. It gives me 3.5 liters of capacity for off-road riding and takes up very little space in my bikepacking bags. 

A Final Note: Water Bottles Vs Hydration Bladders For Bikepacking

Carrying water when bikepacking is so important, and one of the biggest mistakes I see in other people’s bikepacking setups are needing to carry more. I highly recommend trying a hydration bladder and water bottle setup to see what works for you. 

Thanks for taking the time to read my article. If you enjoyed this, you might like The Ultimate Bikepacking Kit List, How To Lighten Your Bikepacking Setup, or How To Cycle At Night.