Platypus Platy Flexible Water Tank

I had bought a Coghlans collapsible 5 gallon water container for when we take the camper out. I would fill it with the water from our house (well water with a filter on the house) for our dogs water bowl and general use. It was quite difficult to use and took up a lot of space. You had to press down on it while having the spout open to get the water out, otherwise it was beyond slow. We like having the water jug around for use because sometimes water hookup isn't available or the idea that strange water can upset your dogs tummy. My husband agreed with me that though we loved having the extra jug of water, we needed something different.I saw the our spout jugs on a couple of web sites and was thinking this was the way to go. We were over at our Cabella's and they had a 4 liter Platypus water tank for +$30. Thankfully I checked Amazon and saw the one I had put into my cart for later as the 6 liter one for under $28. We put in the order. It got shipped super fast. the Amazon packaging was excessive to say the least. But it was here!This water tank is a nice large size. The handles make it easy to lift up and place it out of your way. The 6 liters seems like so much more. It can be a little tricky at first learning to pour from this jug, but once you've got your groove on, it all good. I think that this was an excellent purchase and the only thing that I could think that would be better would be to have the water filter for it. My husband was uber impressed with the price on the purchase and I think that the quality of the product is worth more than I paid.

This bag is tough. Unlikely you will damage it with normal use unless you are really careless. I bought it for backcountry hunting. Started with a waterbrick but it is just a bit too bulky to pack in. This unit seemed like a good alternate choice. I liked the zip top concept to help ease filling in certain circumstances and allow for easier interior drying when done. While I was concerned by the negative reviews which complained that the zip did not stay shut, I decided to take a chance.So, no way around the fact the zip does not want to stay closed when the unit is full. The slightest outwards pressure on the carry handles causes the zipper to pop open. But this issue is fairly easily remedied.When I first received it, I used some paracord type material run thru the handle grommets with one knot and the use of a cordloc to secure the center of the zip. This works pretty well and may be satisfactory for most people, particularly if you aren't trying to pack it while full in a backpack. If you really want to make it secure, go to the hardware store and get two sets of 1/4 inch aluminum screw posts. These fit the grommet holes perfectly and you almost certainly will not get the unit open without first removing the screw posts. Bit of a pain, but not too bad and basically bomber then.Definitely loses a star because I had to engineer a fix myself. For its cost, this thing should have come with some way to securely close it. It works for my purposes, however, and I will keep it, but I probably would rate it 3.5 stars due to expense and design issue. There probably are cheaper alternatives for many users. The waterbrick is an interesting concept (I have one) and, if space is not a constraint, you might want to look at it.After buying this, I also bought the SE - Emergency Water Bag - 5 Liter Capacity, 180 Micron - EWB5L for less than $5 on Amazon. It's 3 days after I filled it up with water to check for leaks and its still not completely dry inside (mostly dry but can still see water droplets). So, the Platypus design makes a huge difference to drying time. This one also feels more "brittle" than the Platypus and the handle clearly will not last as long. To be fair, it is touted for "emergency" use where the Platypus clearly is designed for real world regular use. The SE water bag may well work for many people who aren't going to be overly rough or accessing difficult water sources. I just wish the Platypus was a bit cheaper and they should have included something to secure closure at the price charged.UPDATE 10/15Just got back from a 7 day trip. We were filling our water bags from the fresh water output at a cattle tank. The first time I filled, I put this bag in my pack. By the time I got back to camp, half the water had leaked out. Even with the fix I noted in place, the water pressure still forced the zip open between the handles. At the second fill up, the handles had to be interlaced to create cross tension and we had to hand carry this bag--a real PITA in the terrain we were in. That at least stopped the leak which occurred between my added screws. My buddy was using an MSR bladder and we had zero issues with it. I packed it in my pack and put serious pressure on it with my tension straps with no issues. I'll be switching to the MSR. Unless you just want to buy something that really doesn't work for its intended purpose, I would look for other options. Barely functional if your going to fill it in your kitchen sink and put it on the counter.

So light and pack-able. Does not leak a drop. Great for around camp for wash water. Because of the common thread of the cap, I was able to thread on the top to a bottle of Dawn dish washing liquid. Now I can quickly open and close the valve. When opened the Dawn cap shoots out a nice modest stream of water to wash hands or fill a glass of water (without the Dawn cap it would just dump tons of water). The material is thicker and has a rubberized feel when compared to the smaller platypus bottles I'm used to so it should be durable too.

What's good about this product:1. Folds flat when not in use, so good for travelling.2. Wide opening for easy fill for water/ice cubes.3. Sits up nicely when full.What's not good:1. See those nylon black holders? When I opened the packaging, to my horror some black fibres were dangling from the handles INTO the water tank. Had to thouroughly flush it out. Doubtful on the build quality already.2. The ziploc like seal requires some energy and force to close- not ideal when you've got the tank full. And no "sure" feel if it's close properly- you've got to test it by inverting tank to see if water leaks.3. Does not stand on it's own when empty/semi full, so delicate balancing act when filling it up.

Do not like the "new" profile of these. If you had one from 10+ years ago you might be disappointed. Older style was taller and made for a much more balanced and easy to carry load. Have been using Platypus for well over 20 years and I love their products for what they are. Yes they are flimsy and if you drop one full of water you better expect it to burst or at least get a pinhole from a rock or stick. I use the 2 liter "bottles" on every hike and if I am careful I usually have them last 2-3 years. The old style haul bag I have has been in use for over 15 years as it is only used for shuttling water back to camp and I pump filter right out of the bag. Eventually the material begins to stiffen and break down and often de laminates on the bottom or fold areas leading to pin hole sized leaks. On hikes where water is scarce and storage critical I always pack at least two in case I burst one of them.

I use this every time I camp . It is strong , versatile and packs away easily in my ruck sack .

Material hochwertig, öffnung zu unsicher, lässt sich leicht mit zwei fingern öffnen. Das Risiko will ich nicht eingehen alles nass zu haben und kein wasser zu haben. Hätte mir noch einen zusätzlichen verschluss gewünscht, denn sobald die hänkel auseinander gehen ist es offen. An den zwei löchern könnte man es binden, denke aber für den preis sollte das doch safe sein. Geht deswegen leider zurück. Die Qualität wär super. Er lässt sich sehr gut reinigen und trocknen durch die große öffnung.

Very good

Pour faire une bonne réserve

Bien pratique car très facile à remplir et ne prend pas de place, pas de goût comme sa petite sœur pour camel pack