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Description

Easy to remove, clean, and use.

A quick-disconnect fit on the end of the Platypus Big Zip SL Hydration Bladder's drink tube means you can easily remove the water reservoir from your pack without re-routing the drink tube, while the SlideLock closure prevents the wrist-tweaking that usually accompanies threaded closures. Platypus made this bladder with BPA-free material and added a SlimeGuard antimicrobial treatment to the inside. An angled shutoff valve helps prevent leaking after you take a swig.

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Platypus Big Zip SL Hydration Bladder

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Here's what others have to say...

I have this backpack -- http://www.sears...

S Goldmeer

Member since 
Posted on

I have this backpack -- http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM6968111513P?ci_src=184425893&ci_sku=SPM6968111513&sid=IDx20130125xMPALLx028 but would like a 3L bladder. would this one work?

Matt Towner

Member since 
Responded on

If you plan to use the built in bladder pouch, the 3L bladder is going to be too large. If you want to keep it in the large compartment and aren't concerned with it moving around a bit, it would fit. I think you'll likely have a bit of trouble fitting a 3L in the designated pouch no matter which bladder you go with.

Can I use the new magnetic bite valve from...

njg

Member since 
Posted on

Can I use the new magnetic bite valve from my Osprey bladder with the Platypus Big Zip SL. Love the Osprey pack - don't like the bladder expect for the value. If I could make this switch this would make for hydration heaven... Thanks

Arthur Debowski

Member since 
Groups:
Responded on

Yes, that would be an easy modification. The hydration bladders all use a standard diameter tubing so you can just pull out the valve and sternum strap magnet assemble and pop it in this bladder.

4 5

collegeskier

Member since 
  • Gender: Male

I have had Camelbak bladders for a years now and got this one for my wife. I like the quick release tube and the wide opening at the top. Easier to clean, but filling takes a little bit more effort but only minimal. It is also easier to dry with the wide opening. Just got another one as a gift for my brother in law so clearly I would recommend it to others.

4 5

Simon Brewer

Member since 
Groups:

Although cannot comment on longevity, so far this thing is working well. No leaking, and the bite is a bit less comfortable for me than camelbak, but not at all distracting.

3 5

Joey Sweeney

Member since 
Groups:

This bladder is simple and easy enough to use. I took it on a hike/climb and it performed just as I thought it would. I was a little nervous taking it out anywhere near some of the sharp granite we were hiking on as it seemed pretty thin. Another concern was the opening at the top. It was locked down with a clam that seemed to slip off with the bounce of my pack. Overall I think it's great but may look into something with a tougher skin in the future.

5 5

Joe

Member since 

I have used this Platypus Hydration Bladder for over 3 years, I have it hanging in my office on the wall next to my desk and I am very happy with it for the following reason. Its like having a water fountain at my desk - I stopped buying bottled water and the money I saved I bought another one for my home office - All the components of this system is superior in design over the competition - After reading the comment made about the blue slider cutting into the bag I inspected my bags and found no damage but as a preventative measure I did file down the sharp corners on the front of the slider guide because they were sharp.

4 5

Laurel

Member since 
Groups:

I have had a Camelback bladder for years and switched over to a Platypus bladder when my backcountry pack was stolen. So far, I love it. I always had issues opening my Camelback bladder as the grooves on the lid were angled the wrong direction for opening the lid. The zip top is super easy to open or close and it is great to be able to dry out the reservoir to prevent any odd tastes or smells.

5 5

Joseph Antos

Member since 

I try not to write reviews unless I've tested gear at least 3-6 months with consistent abuse and I'm at the 5 month mark with no problems. I can't comment on durability yet, as I need to test it for at least another 6 months before I'm completely sold. Over the last 10 years or so I've had several brands, especially Camelbak, and all of my previous bladders have failed me in too short a time period. I'm not a fan of the design in which you screw the cap down as I always seem to have leaks. The Platypus design intrigued me so I made the switch and I'm glad I did. I've taken my 3L on dayhikes, overnights, trail runs, road runs, and I'm planning on using it for a Ragnar relay I'm doing next month in Southern California. However, I've not used it in temps below 20 degrees and I don't ski or snowboard, so I can't say if it's useful for those particular pursuits, though other reviewers have commented upon using it for snow sports. It fits my Marmot Ultra Kompressor, Osprey Stratos 36, Osprey Aether 85, and Mountain Hardwear Truckee 35 with no problems. The hose is easily detachable from the bladder, which makes the bladder easy to refill. Overall, it seems every bladder brand has its own drawbacks, but I definitely recommend the Platypus for all active pursuits. Oh, and it has no plastic taste!

4 5

David Ashe

Member since 

I just got the 1.8L bladder to use with my North Face Chugach 16 pack. The bladder fits well in the hydration sleeve. The bite valve is a little large for the insulated sleeve in the shoulder sleeve though. I can get it zipped, but I can see it being a little difficult to do out on the hill, especially with gloves. Not a huge deal though. Other than that, the system functions as advertised. I like the large zip opening, and the bite valve delivers a strong stream. Overall a great product.

5 5

Chaz Micheal Micheals

Member since 

I got the "bro code" discount after I bought Marmot Drakon 35 backpack and it arrived without a reservoir. An error was made in the product description, but backcountry of course hooked it up after ten mins of negotiations. I took the advice of others and took off the blue zipper and it really works greatly! no leaks, great flow, zero plastic taste. I even filled it up with fat tire beer and with a thorough wash their are no lingering flavors...I have never owned a reservoir before but will certainly stick with Platypus in the future. Good Job Goats and Platypus!!!!

3 5

c2summit

Member since 

After using Camelbak's for years and not being happy with how leaky the new Antidote version is, I tried the Platypus. I was happy that it didn't leak under pressure, however getting a good flow of water from the bite valve is a difficult task. Compared to Camelbak's, it's downright difficult. The other issue I find is that it's not nearly as easy to fill in a faucet (pre-hike). This wouldn't be a problem while on the trail, but completely filling it in a faucet is pretty much impossible. I can't speak to the issue about the slide-lock in the other reviews as I haven't put enough miles on it yet (nor doubt I ever will due to bite valve issue). If any of you water reservoir companies need a new design engineer (the 2 mentioned apparently do), I'm available for hire!

3 5

ogp5087102

Member since 

A MUST!!!! take off the plastic slider and throw it away. It wears the bladder extremely fast and leads to leakage. ( just close the bag by hand and problem solved ) also carefully remove the metal rivet ring. As far as over priced its worth it for being BPA free but if it wasn't for that fact its just a heavy duty zip lock bag.

2 5

Jerry Lewis

Member since 

I used this bladder for several hikes over the last year and a half. I really liked it for several reasons - the ease of use, the good quality plastic, the large opening, etc. and, until the last trip, I was hoping that it would be the last bag I would ever need. Unfortunately the blue plastic slide lock at the top of the bag has a fatal flaw that really messed up a cold weather trip for me. The slot in the slide lock, where the zip portion of the bag rides, has a sharp edge that occasionally makes contact with the bag itself. So after opening and closing the bag over 3-4 trips it finally cut through the bag. This cut was approximately 2 inches long. It went unnoticed by me until I saw water pouring out of the bottom of my pack. Since the cut was at the top of the reservoir I only had about 1.5 liters of water pour into my pack, instead of the entire 3.0 liters. But when the weather is 25 deg F it really doesn't matter how wet your clothes are. Fortunately I had my spare socks and shirts in a waterproof bag, but my spare pants got wet. In any case I wasn't able to carry more than two Nalgene bottles of water for the rest of the hike. What a pain that was. This was a catastrophic failure that, because of the remote area and freezing conditions, resulted in a potentially dangerous situation because of the wet pack and no easy way to dry out.

So I contacted Cascade Designs and they said to return it to the dealer for replacement. If the dealer won't replace it then to contact them again and they would honor the warranty. However, I just can't trust this bag again. It was the last thing I expected to happen. I am including a photo of the cut in the bag. If you already have one of these bags I would suggest that you check the area where the slide lock rides against the bag for scoring, or a partial thickness incision. If you find the problem please get the bag replaced before you end up miles from anywhere with a wet pack.

After looking at how this works I think that a possible solution would be to trim or sand down the sharp edge to prevent the edge from scoring the bag. It's a possible solution worth looking into anyway.

ADDENDUM: I was able to return the Big Zip to the store where I had originally purchased it with zero issues. The manager just handed me a new one off the shelf and told me that Cascade Design is so easy to work with that they have no problem at all with returns like this. My plan is to modify the slide lock as I previously mentioned and keep this as a loaner.

Fatally Flawed
ltdinh

Member since 
Responded on

Hmm.. This is really a reference for those that may be thinking about buying this. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like you have an older version. Mine is actually 1 thick layer (i.e. melted) where your cut is, as opposed to your 2 layers (1 thin, 1 thick). Meaning, it would be EXTREMELY difficult for me to wear it out so much that a cut would occur and even if it did occur, it would be thick plastic, not the thin plastic like the majority of the bag. Most probable reason for the differences, like I said is that you have an older version. They probably saw it happening commonly enough that they redesigned it to be 1 complete melted portion.

Jerry Lewis

Member since 
Responded on

Your comment made me go look closely at the replacement reservoir. You are correct. The area that was cut on my old reservoir was double layered with the two layers not evenly glued together. I remember when I was looking at this it seemed that the two layers were not "welded" together consistently. At this point I believe that what I had was a manufacturing flaw, and not really a design flaw.

So my advice to anyone purchasing this is to examine this area closely and be sure that the layers are glued together completely. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go ahead and soften the edge of the slide-lock device where it makes contact with the bag. I went ahead and did this already. That modification should make this into a very reliable reservoir.

Ed Carley

Member since 
Responded on

I've had this reservoir since 2009 or so and never had a problem. I use it nearly every weekend, either mountain biking or splitboarding in sometimes FRIGID temps, never had an issue. The only thing I don't like is the 90 degree bite valve attachment. It always freezes up, even if I use warm water or blow the H20 back into the res and use the insulated sleeve.

3 5

Catherine

Member since 
Groups:

This bladder seems to work well, and I certainly can't argue with how easy the wide opening makes filling and cleaning, but I did have issues on a recent race that was a 7-mile MTB climb. I nearly passed out trying to suck the water out of the bladder--the choice was either to stop and hold it overhead, or go without. I don't know if I did something wrong, or was just sucking too much wind to be able to pull the water, but it was disappointing. I'm going to give it another try to see if I can figure it out.

5 5

Thomas Jones

Member since 

Love Platypus and will never buy a different brand of bladder again for these reasons:
Indestructible-I have had one for more than 10 years now and is still going strong
Zip top: never leaks, easy to to mix drinks in and put ice in.
Valve: doesn't need a shutoff valve like other brands because the nipple never leaks.
Buy this brand and you will never go back.

5 5

Laura Burt

Member since 

I finally converted over to the 3L Bigzip Platypus bladder after always using the Camelback brand bladders that came with my packs and would never go back. The difference between the water flavor (or lack there of in Platypus) is like night and day. The BPA free bladders by Platypus are easy to use, well made, and leave your water tasting like water instead of plastic! What an amazing upgrade!

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