Camelbak in the park

KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Has anyone used a water hiking backpack in the parks before. I used one for the first time this past weekend, and it worked really well. I am wondering if I should use it at the park in a few weeks as well? I was planning on using my loungefly bag as my small park bag, but having someone else carry the water backpack is doable.

Is it to much work? We will be there at the end of June
 

networkpro

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Ymmv, imho a Camelback is overkill. I dont think a tepid mouthful of water would be enjoyable or refreshing. I wore one for two years almost daily but it was necessary in the climate..drink or die even if you were acclimated.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
My go to park setup for water is an empty water bottle and powdered Gatorade packets. It's hot and you need the electrolytes anyway, but this allows us to refill with cold water at any quick service or water fountain. Nice refreshing cold water, that we don't have to pay for or taste.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
My go to park setup for water is an empty water bottle and powdered Gatorade packets. It's hot and you need the electrolytes anyway, but this allows us to refill with cold water at any quick service or water fountain. Nice refreshing cold water, that we don't have to pay for or taste.
Carrying a water bottle around is pretty much a nonstarter for me 😔. The loungefly Mini backpacks just aren't large enough to really hold 1 and I refuse to carry one around all day. I have also found unless you get one of the insulated steel ones, they get warm anyway 😭. At least with the camelback over the weekend, it stayed cold the whole day because we packed it with ice 1st.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
Carrying a water bottle around is pretty much a nonstarter for me 😔. The loungefly Mini backpacks just aren't large enough to really hold 1 and I refuse to carry one around all day. I have also found unless you get one of the insulated steel ones, they get **** warm anyway 😭. At least with the camelback over the weekend, it stayed cold the whole day because we packed it with ice 1st.

Well, then,... Do what makes you happy.

I've seen people take camelbacks to the parks before. So it works for some people. It could definitely work for you. I hate the things, but I had to use them in the Army 😂
 
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Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
Well, then,... Do what makes you happy.

I've seen people take camelbacks to the parks before. So it works for some people. It could definitely work for you. I hate the things, but I had to use them in the Army 😂
I agree with you they're hard to keep clean and honestly they're for places where there's not a lot of potable water where is that Disney world there's literally water fountains everywhere
 
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Grumpy4196

Well-Known Member
I have taken an insulated backpack with chilled water bottles and a couple of frozen water bottles (to use as ice packs) when traveling with all our kids and grandkids. By the end of the day the frozen ones had melted but were still cold. This worked pretty well for us.
 
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Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
If it worked for you a few weeks ago then I guess use it again...?

To me its a bit much.
I've been enough that I've really figured out what my actual essentials are.
I now just bring a disposable water bottle from the resort and once its gone I either refill at a water fountain or just buy another and so on.
I now carry a small bag and no not small as in a mini backpack... small as in a belt bag size whether its actually a belt bag, a crossbody, or a running belt.
Then I put a water bottle clip on a belt loop and I may even have another clip to hook my hat on during attractions it could fall off.
Going with the least amount of items is freeing because you start realizing how many things you don't need.
I'd never go bagless or shove everythi8ng in my nonexistent women pockets but never again will I take a backpack.
 
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JIMINYCR

Well-Known Member
I use mine on day long hikes into the woods because its convenient to use there for a variety of reasons. I have seen them in the parks and I just wasnt finding enough reasons where it would be a better choice for me. Again, as has been stated before, if you find it convenient and worth taking along then go with it. Seems by your reaction to those advising against it, you already convinced yourself to use it.
 
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Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
You can ask for free iced water at any CS location. They'll put it on a cup for you and everything - no need to sip it from a trough, scoop it in your hands, or bring your own bottle.

Seriously though, water is an awfully heavy and bulky thing to schlep around with if you don't have to. We've always gotten by without it, even in late August when the parks resembled the surface of the sun. It's the approach I'd most recommend.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I use mine on day long hikes into the woods because its convenient to use there for a variety of reasons. I have seen them in the parks and I just wasnt finding enough reasons where it would be a better choice for me. Again, as has been stated before, if you find it convenient and worth taking along then go with it. Seems by your reaction to those advising against it, you already convinced yourself to use it.
No, I really don't mind not taking the waterpack, I just don't use water bottles. The hippie in me really really really hates buying plastic bottles, especially since I tend to be the family pack mule. However, I don't want to waste valuable luggage space (were flying) on our metal water bottles. They are huge anyway. So with avoiding plastic bottles and not wanting to carry around annoying reusable bottles, I wasn't sure what my options really were at that point.

I heard that getting water at a QS location can be a problem due to the long lines, but if that isn't as big of a problem anymore, we'll probably stick with that.
 
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Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
No, I really don't mind not taking the waterpack, I just don't use water bottles. The hippie in me really really really hates buying plastic bottles, especially since I tend to be the family pack mule. However, I don't want to waste valuable luggage space (were flying) on our metal water bottles. They are huge anyway. So with avoiding plastic bottles and not wanting to carry around annoying reusable bottles, I wasn't sure what my options really were at that point.

I heard that getting water at a QS location can be a problem due to the long lines, but if that isn't as big of a problem anymore, we'll probably stick with that.

Even if I was a hippie I would break my own rules for convenience... its a few days... not like a lifetime of using disposable bottles on a daily basis...
I'd think that getting cups of water would be anti hippie as well wouldn't it?
You could also purchase the silicone reusable bottles so they wouldn't be heavy or take up space.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Even if I was a hippie I would break my own rules for convenience... its a few days... not like a lifetime of using disposable bottles on a daily basis...
I'd think that getting cups of water would be anti hippie as well wouldn't it?
You could also purchase the silicone reusable bottles so they wouldn't be heavy or take up space.
The problem is still having to carry around the bottles 🤣. I really hate carrying them. And I can't trust my children to help, because they become weapons 🤦‍♀️. Most of the time we go into the parks now with no bag at all, so I don't even always have that to put it in. I have looked into the silicone reusable bottles, but I haven't found one that didn't make the water taste like silicone, so I normally pawn them off on someone else pretty quickly.

I think we'll just stick to free water at the locations, or buying drinks that aren't water. My husband's whole goal is to eat his way around Disney anyway, so buying drinks at various locations shouldn't be a problem anyway. :D
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
The problem is still having to carry around the bottles 🤣. I really hate carrying them. And I can't trust my children to help, because they become weapons 🤦‍♀️. Most of the time we go into the parks now with no bag at all, so I don't even always have that to put it in. I have looked into the silicone reusable bottles, but I haven't found one that didn't make the water taste like silicone, so I normally pawn them off on someone else pretty quickly.

I think we'll just stick to free water at the locations, or buying drinks that aren't water. My husband's whole goal is to eat his way around Disney anyway, so buying drinks at various locations shouldn't be a problem anyway. :D

Camelbaks are just giant silicone water bottles. They always make the water taste like silicone to me but to each their own.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
The problem is still having to carry around the bottles 🤣. I really hate carrying them. And I can't trust my children to help, because they become weapons 🤦‍♀️. Most of the time we go into the parks now with no bag at all, so I don't even always have that to put it in. I have looked into the silicone reusable bottles, but I haven't found one that didn't make the water taste like silicone, so I normally pawn them off on someone else pretty quickly.

I think we'll just stick to free water at the locations, or buying drinks that aren't water. My husband's whole goal is to eat his way around Disney anyway, so buying drinks at various locations shouldn't be a problem anyway. :D

Please please please please please do not go in with the game plan of not drinking water or primarily drinking something other than water. It’s summer in Florida and Disney has almost no shade. You’ll need water and/or Gatorade to avoid heat stroke or heat injury. I’m sure you’re being cheeky, but just in case you aren’t, please please please please plan on water. Lots of water.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Please please please please please do not go in with the game plan of not drinking water or primarily drinking something other than water. It’s summer in Florida and Disney has almost no shade. You’ll need water and/or Gatorade to avoid heat stroke or heat injury. I’m sure you’re being cheeky, but just in case you aren’t, please please please please plan on water. Lots of water.
I live in an area that is very much Orlando's cousin, so we are used to the drill. We have also been there plenty of times and survived without carrying water bottles, so we have done it in the past. I was mostly curious if this would be a decent comprimise between my hatred of carrying water bottles, and relying on QS locations, but I can see it probably isn't. We normally just make sure to drink plenty at our breaks. And we take breaks often. The benefit to taking a 14 day trip is that we aren't in any rush, so we tend to go about things a bit slower.

When I used the Camelbak the last time we were up in the mountains visiting friends. So it stayed cool all day due to the cooler weather and LOTS of ice. That is why it didn't taste like rancid silcone water. I concede that it would be different if I did the same here at home, or Orlando, so I don't think it will work the same.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
I live in an area that is very much Orlando's cousin, so we are used to the drill. We have also been there plenty of times and survived without carrying water bottles, so we have done it in the past. I was mostly curious if this would be a decent comprimise between my hatred of carrying water bottles, and relying on QS locations, but I can see it probably isn't. We normally just make sure to drink plenty at our breaks. And we take breaks often. The benefit to taking a 14 day trip is that we aren't in any rush, so we tend to go about things a bit slower.

When I used the Camelbak the last time we were up in the mountains visiting friends. So it stayed cool all day due to the cooler weather and LOTS of ice. That is why it didn't taste like rancid silcone water. I concede that it would be different if I did the same here at home, or Orlando, so I don't think it will work the same.

As someone who’s worn one in Iraq (but It’s a DRY HEAT 😂) I can tell you with absolute certainty it tastes like rancid silicone water unless it’s really icy cold.

Or unless you’re like our First Sergeant and it’s really filled with vodka and juice 😂😂 guarantee he didn’t taste silicone 😂😂 but also never left the AC.
 
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KrzyKtty

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
As someone who’s worn one in Iraq (but It’s a DRY HEAT 😂) I can tell you with absolute certainty it tastes like rancid silicone water unless it’s really icy cold.

Or unless you’re like our First Sergeant and it’s really filled with vodka and juice 😂😂 guarantee he didn’t taste silicone 😂😂 but also never left the AC.
I hear you there. I don't know. We are supposed to use the Tiffany Towncar service and they have a grocery stop. Maybe I'll add a pack of small water bottles that can fit inside a loungefly bag. At least that way we have something just in case, and I'm not stuck carrying the thing around all day. If the bag is cute enough, maybe I can convince my 8 year old to wear it as a fashion accessory 🤣.
 
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DryerLintFan

Premium Member
I hear you there. I don't know. We are supposed to use the Tiffany Towncar service and they have a grocery stop. Maybe I'll add a pack of small water bottles that can fit inside a loungefly bag. At least that way we have something just in case, and I'm not stuck carrying the thing around all day. If the bag is cute enough, maybe I can convince my 8 year old to wear it as a fashion accessory 🤣.
If she’s anything like mine, no dice. She’ll wear the bag but fill it with so much other crap there will be “no room” and you’ll still have to carry it.
 
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