Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The Playtypus Big Zip LP Reservoir, 3-Liter is about as close to perfect as a hydration system can get--and yes, I've used them all. Here's what makes it stand out as a top-notch hydration bladder: - Robust drink tube and bite valve: The tubing is high quality and the bite valve seals perfectly until you bite down on it to drink. No drips, it just works. - Shut off valve on the bite valve: If you're not going to be drinking for awhile, the bite valve also rotates to shut off the flow entirely. So if you want to slip the drink tube inside of your pack for some reason, you don't have to worry about gear pressing against the bite valve and allowing it to leak. Awesome. - Quick disconnect at the base of the bladder: If you want to remove the drink tube, such as to pass it through a hydration port on your pack or to dip the bag in a stream for water you plan to treat (without contaminating the hose end), just press a button and it pops right off. With the drink tube removed, the quick disconnect also seals securely--no drips or leaks! When you're ready to reattach the drink tube, just press it into place. It clicks in easily. - Articulated connection at the base of the bladder: the quick disconnect fitting also pivots up/down 180 degrees so that the tube can run up along the bladder or can hang down from it. This is much better than a fixed attachment point since it means less strain on the hose, and thus, less wear and tear or less chance of a kinked hose that cuts off the drinking flow. Nice to see Platypus attending to these little details. And if you hang this bag high enough and pinch the bite valve with your fingers, you can let the water drizzle down for a makeshift shower or for filling pots, pans, or dog dishes in an easy, sanitary way. - Wide zip opening for filling/cleaning: This is one of the standout features of this product's already great feature set. You slide off the hard plastic cover (which also serves as a convenient carry handle) and then unzip the top of the bag (which is like a Ziploc bag zipper on steroids). This gives you plenty of room to add water from a faucet, hose, or stream, but also makes it possible to add larger items like ice cubes, or to slide in a scrub brush in order to clean the inside of the bladder, if desired. Zip it up, slide the plastic cover back on, and it's sealed--no leaks. Admittedly, it's not quite as convenient as the Geigerrig bags, which can be completely turned inside out and put in the dishwasher (the Platypus can't do that), but it's still the second most convenient hydration bladder to clean I've used. - Durable, clear plastic construction: I've always been a little skeptical of Platypus bags compared with their more durable-looking counterparts, like the MSR Dromedary bags. After using this one for awhile, however, I'm absolutely certain you can trust it to hold up. Just handling it, you can tell it is a very high quality plastic, and since it is transparent, you can also see the water inside both to check how much water remains (there are markings at 1, 2, and 3 liters), and to make certain there isn't filth or some contaminant inside from stagnant water. There is also a baffle welded in the middle of the bag so that when you fill the bladder full, it holds a flatter profile and doesn't "balloon" outward in the middle as it otherwise would. And when the bladder is empty, it's obvious that this plastic weighs less (178g) than other brands of bladders (yet no less tough!). If need be, it folds/rolls up more compactly, too. As you can tell, I'm thoroughly impressed with the Platypus Big Zip LP Reservoir. I also love that it fits PERFECTLY in my Kelty Redwing 50 pack. It fills up the pack's water bladder compartment, and the little plastic clips on the Kelty pack are perfectly positioned to snap onto the carry handle to prevent the bladder from sagging if you're not carrying other gear in the pack to help hold it up. Awesome! To sum up, this is as good as it gets folks. You can find "cooler" looking bladders, and "tougher" looking bladders, and more "tactical" looking bladders. But you won't find a better bladder. It seems like every other brand of bladder on the market has a weak spot: sloppy bite valve, leaky screw-top closures, shoddy drink tubing that tends to kink or collapse, unnecessarily weighty materials, or worst of all, leaky hose fittings. This one gets ALL the details right, and has the added benefit of being transparent, compact, and lightweight. Highly recommended!