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MSR DromLite Bags

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: MSR DromLite Bags hydration reservoir

A tough utilitarian bladder that is lightweight and folds up small when not in use. This bag works great for transporting and storing water for use in camp or along the trail.

Pros

  • Durable
  • Collapsible
  • Lightweight
  • Wide mouth opening
  • Handle for easy filling
  • Grommet for hanging
  • BPA free

Cons

  • 3-in-1 cap is mostly useless

The bag itself is made of 200 denier Cordura that is coated with food grade polyurethane. The Cordura provides a durable outer surface that so far has been puncture resistant and shows little signs of wear. From the manufacturer the polyurethane coating is BPA free and does not taint the taste of water and from my experience, doesn’t.

The bladder I have is the four liter model which weighs 5.1 ounces, which is less weight than a one liter Nalgene bottle (6.5 ozs.) and four times the capacity. It also folds down to a just  bigger than my hand and takes up little space in my pack.

The bag is fitted with a wide mouth that is easy to fill from a tap and screws directly onto a compatible wide mouth filter adapter. It also comes with a convenient handle around the opening to ease filling. On the other end of the bag is a grommet that allows it to be tied up for convenient use. 

The only real complaint I have with the bladder is the 3 in 1 cap. It seals fine and have not had any leaks and the smaller cap does allow quick filling of a pot or cup but you can’t quickly shut it off, spilling water.  The even smaller spout does provide quick shut off when pouring. However, it is like a weak pee stream and takes a long time to fill anything.  As a remedy and ten dollars extra, MSR makes a nice spigot the replaces the cap. The spigot provides one-handed use and does allow quick filling.

Bladder standard 3 in 1 cap showing pee stream:
peestrm.jpg

Bladder with added spigot showing good flow and easy shut off:
gdflow.jpg

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $28.95

Great, lightweight yet durable and very versatile water bag.

Pros

  • Strong
  • Durable
  • Versatile

Cons

  • Cap can be cross threaded
  • Mini-jet almost pointless

I now own three of the six liter bags, so far they have held up very well. The cap can be easy to cross thread and leak in your pack, this hasn't ruined the threads, just leads to an annoying loss of water. 

I will agree that the mini-jet may be totally useless, except for one thing. I camp with my five and eight year old sons. They like to lay it on a picnic bench, flip up the jet, and press down on the bag. Instant water fountain, they love it.

Also, the bag works very well as a hot water bag, and I've also frozen water in them to use as cooler blocks.  Cleans easily and dries out fast.

Just a very versatile and useful product.

Source: bought it new

Version reviewed: 6L

Light and effective water supply bag for backpacking.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Folds empty to small size
  • Versatile and tight cap(s)

Cons

  • Only has one grommet for strap or loop, but not a deal breaker

I've used the 6L sized bag for many years. I carry it empty until near camp and then fill it as a water supply for around camp.

These DromLite bags are a little lighter than the black MSR Dromedary bags. They are sufficiently durable for backpacking. I've never had any leakage issues, and the contents have never had a bad taste.

I once had to replace a bag that was punctured by a pair of teeth from a pesky rodent wandering around camp at night looking for salty things, but that's the only "failure" (I doubt the more durable Dromedary bag would have withstood that either), if you can call it that.

Recommended.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: about $30

Good light water bag. Cap is a simpler design than Ortlieb and so better, but it did break a little at the thread, possibly due to over-tightening, so be careful. The flip up mini jet sub-cap is almost useless and this usually ends up being unscrewed to get a decent flow.

I can't remember if it came with a line/rope to hang it or I put it on myself. Anyway you will need to put something through the grommet hole because it will slip out of your hand easily once you've wet it in a stream and it is now heavy.

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Specs

2L 4L 6L
Price MSRP: $26.95
Current Retail: $27.69-$46.95
Historic Range: $5.38-$113.99
Reviewers Paid: $28.95-$30.00
Weight 4.6 oz / 0.13 kg 5.1 oz / 0.15 kg 5.7 oz / 0.16 kg
Width 8.5 in / 21.6 cm 10 in / 25.4 cm 11.3 in / 28.7 cm
Length 15.6 in / 39.6 cm 18.3 in / 46.5 cm 20.6 in / 52.3 cm
Product Details from MSR »

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