Keeping your reservoir clean is key to prolonging its life and keeping your water tasting fresh. HydraPak reservoirs are top-shelf dishwasher safe and most are fully reversible, which makes cleaning and drying a breeze.

ELITE

Reverse by placing your hand in the reservoir, grab the bottom, and pull it back through the top opening, just like turning a sock inside-out. The molded opening can also be flipped after the reservoir body has been reversed. Then, throw it in the dishwasher or rinse with mild soap and water. Make sure to let the reservoir dry out completely while reversed.

SHAPE-SHIFT

The Shape-Shift features a removable baffle which locks for a slim profile and increased stabilization. When unlocked it reverses for easy cleaning - place it on the top-shelf of your dishwasher or rinse with mild soap and water. Make sure to let the reservoir dry out completely while reversed.

SHAPE-LOC

Many of our brand partners use a fixed baffle reservoir called the Shape-Loc. It can only be reversed up until the baffle is exposed but is still simple to clean. We recommend either using a bottle brush or Bottle Bright.

Method One - Fill your reservoir with warm water and use a bottle brush along with mild soap to scrub it clean. Rinse well and hang it upside down to dry.

Method Two - Fill your reservoir with warm water and drop in one or two Bottle Bright tablets, slide the top close and let sit for fifteen to thirty minutes (depending on the amount of residue). Rinse and hang upside down to dry.

TUBE & BITE VALVE CLEANING

 All of our components are removable for easy cleaning:

1. Disconnect the drink tube from the reservoir
2. Grasp the bite valve in one hand and tube in the other then pull the valve firmly to remove the bite valve from the tube
3. Gently remove the silicone sheath from the valve and clean with Bottle Bright or mild soap and water
4. Clean the inside of the tube by inserting the Hydrapak Tube Brush in the open end of the tube and scrub
5. After drying the components, carefully reattach the sheath to the valve and re-install

The Plug-N-Play™ system allows a user to quickly connect and disconnect the hose from the reservoir.  This allows a user to easily remove the reservoir from the backpack, which is very handy, especially when filling the reservoir with water.  

 

The system requires a little bit of care to keep your adventure going.  To keep the Plug N Play working smoothly, the o-ring attached to the hose fitting must be periodically lubricated with an approved lubricant. 

 

Hydrapak Plug N Play: Terms Explained

All of our reservoirs that are sold at a retail store include a lubrication packet.  However, if your reservoir was purchased as part of a backpack, a lubrication packet was not included.  Luckily, the approved lubricants can normally be sourced from your local pharmacy or hardware store. Please see below for the list of approved lubricants.  

 

How to Apply the Lubricant

Apply a small dot of lubricant on the o-ring.  You only need enough to lightly coat the o-ring.  Too much lubricant can have a counter-productive effect, so go lightly with the application. 

Now you can simply plug your hose into the valve and enjoy the convenience of being able to quickly connect and disconnect the hose. 

 

How Often Should The O-ring Be Lubricated?

Luckily, the system does not need to be lubricated very often.  The lubricant can last many months.  The small packet that we provide is enough for several applications.  Store it in a cool dark place and have it handy if you need to administer another application. 

 

Which Lubricants are Recommended?

If your reservoir did not come with a lubricant packet or if you wish to purchase more, we recommend the following three types of lubricant:

Glycerin - Glycerin can be found at most pharmacies and it is very economical.  A 100g bottle can be purchased for $10.00 . 

Silicone Lubricant (Food Safe) - Silicone is perhaps the best type of lubricant, although it is important to verify that the product is "Food Grade" as there are a large varieties of types of silicone lubricant on the market.  This one can be purchased at hardware stores.  Cost for a 75ml bottle is $19.99.

Bees Wax makes a great, all-natural lubricant although it is may be more difficult to find and apply to the o-ring.  These are typically sold at hardware or craft stores.  The 250g portion is $10.00. 

 

What About Other Types of Oils?

We strongly recommend against using any type of cooking oils including olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, etc.  Our experience has taught us that the use of these types of natural oils will cause the o-ring to swell.  They also get can get sticky.  The result is that the hose will become difficult to engage or disengage and it may cause damage the o-ring or fitting. 

 

What if the O-Ring becomes Damaged?

If the o-ring is properly lubricated, it will provide many years of faithful service. If the o-ring becomes warped or damaged, it will not allow the system to function correctly and the o-ring must be replaced. Your options are to purchase one of the following:

Plug N Play Kit - This kit is sold primarily as an upgrade kit to reservoirs that are lacking the Plug N Play connection.  However, you can also use the o-ring or the hose fitting to repair a damaged o-ring.  We do not recommend replacing the valve, however, as it is very difficult to remove and almost never necessary because failures are normally due to an o-ring problem.  This kit is only sold through HydraPak.com and the cost is USD$6.00.

Hydrafusion Tube Kit - This is our premium insulated Plug N Play tube and it comes with a new bite valve with a dust cover.  The insulation keeps the water temperature cooler in summer and will help prevent water from freezing in the winter.

Warranty

If you feel the o-ring wore out prematurely, or if your hose fitting cracks or chips,  you may file a warranty claim though our web site.  We will be happy to provide you with a replacement.

There are two methods for improving the operation of the slider top for your HydraPak reservoir: 

1. Avoid filling the reservoir above the maximum fill line. If you over-fill the reservoir, it will create pressure on it, making the top harder to operate. If you leave some room, the pressure is reduced making the slider operate more easily. 
2. Apply some food-safe lubricant to the tracks of the reservoir. We recommend silicone, glycerin, or beeswax. Don’t use oil-based lubricants, as they can make your system sticky, which makes the slider more difficult to operate. Smear a small amount on the tracks and it will make the slider action much smoother. 

Regarding the plastic header cards and how to recycle them - the material is PolyPropylene.  It is typically considered #5 for recycling purposes.

1. Rinse with warm water and a small amount of mild soap. Run warm water through the bulb until the flow runs clear and has no traces of soap inside of it.

2. If soap and water is not enough, we recommend filling the nozzle with Bottle Bright dissolved in water, letting it soak for 15 minutes or more, then rinsing again with warm water until all of the cleaning tablet and water mix has been expelled. This should give your squeeze bulb the deepest clean possible  without causing any damage to the materials.

*Note: Completely disassembly of the squeeze bulb is not required for cleaning. The assembly has some tight fitting parts that may break with improper removal. If you do choose to take the product apart for a deep clean, you will need to do so with great care as the product has a number of important seals and one way valves that can be compromised with incomplete or inaccurate assembly. When resembling, it is crucial to take great care to install one way valves so that they activate in the direction of the flow (see arrows on product) and that the silicone o-rings are placed on top of that valve are carefully installed so that they are fit snug between the valve cage and the inner wall of the thread on the bulb.