Water storage in drawer wings!

[Kurosawa]

I've been looking for a bladder-type solution for quietly carrying water inside the vehicle and trying to do so in a space efficient way that also is easy to access. Especially for those of you with drawer systems, I have found a low-tech solution that is brand new to the market. These were developed for motorcycles and are super rugged, check out the videos on YouTube of guys running them over with big dual-sports bikes.

Cactus Canteen

Ultra-lightweight, rugged, collapsible container for transporting drinking water. The Cactus Canteen™ integrates with Giant Loop’s adventure proof packing system and comes equipped with a versatile dispensing system, high visibility daisy chains, and a universal wide mouth cap. Available in...

www.giantloopmoto.com

I have always struggled to get the best utility out of the wheel well wings but now with the driver side holding my aux battery and now the passenger side carrying two 3gal water bladders in a great location for accessing the water I feel like I'm really dialing things in.

The perfect solution for me meets these criteria:
Lightweight
HD construction
No noise of sloshing
Not mounted on the outside
Perfectly fits existing storage
Portable btwn vehicles
Keeps the weight low
Can dispense easily
Light enough for the wife to carry
Takes up little space when empty

Some practical ideas that this setup allows that only came to me after purchasing:

Smaller multiple jugs mean you will have an empty one regularly enough that you don't have to lug a half-full jug to a location to fill.
Multiple jugs also give you the ability to use these as containers for a gravity filtration system.
They roll up so discretely that you could take them into any establishment and fill them in the restroom sink.

I will admit the cost is on the high side for sure but I just haven't found any other solution that works as well as this for this use case so I thought I'd share.

 

[muzzleflip]

That’s a brilliant solution. Thanks for sharing

 

[kcjaz]

I've been looking for a bladder-type solution for quietly carrying water inside the vehicle and trying to do so in a space efficient way that also is easy to access. Especially for those of you with drawer systems, I have found a low-tech solution that is brand new to the market. These were developed for motorcycles and are super rugged, check out the videos on YouTube of guys running them over with big dual-sports bikes.

Cactus Canteen

Ultra-lightweight, rugged, collapsible container for transporting drinking water. The Cactus Canteen™ integrates with Giant Loop’s adventure proof packing system and comes equipped with a versatile dispensing system, high visibility daisy chains, and a universal wide mouth cap. Available in...

www.giantloopmoto.com

I have always struggled to get the best utility out of the wheel well wings but now with the driver side holding my aux battery and now the passenger side carrying two 3gal water bladders in a great location for accessing the water I feel like I'm really dialing things in.

The perfect solution for me meets these criteria:
Lightweight
HD construction
No noise of sloshing
Not mounted on the outside
Perfectly fits existing storage
Portable btwn vehicles
Keeps the weight low
Can dispense easily
Light enough for the wife to carry
Takes up little space when empty

Some practical ideas that this setup allows that only came to me after purchasing:

Smaller multiple jugs mean you will have an empty one regularly enough that you don't have to lug a half-full jug to a location to fill.
Multiple jugs also give you the ability to use these as containers for a gravity filtration system.
They roll up so discretely that you could take them into any establishment and fill them in the restroom sink.

I will admit the cost is on the high side for sure but I just haven't found any other solution that works as well as this for this use case so I thought I'd share.


View attachment 3638983View attachment 3638985View attachment 3638986

I love the idea but I always worry about water and cooler spills and leaks. I don’t have any better idea expect to store water outside of the vehicle which comes with its own issues. I’ve just had stupid happen too many times (though I’m usually the root cause of the stupid) and had to take every out of the truck and dry it out.

 

[isthatalexus]

I'm totally on board with the bladder option. I use a six-liter MSR that I used to tie onto the luggage rack of my R1200 GSA, and that thing has take incredible amounts of abuse over the years. I do need to look into one of those handy valve bits.

 

[Kurosawa]

Here is the video (go to 2:49) of the abuse they put these through, the video is of the fuel bag but they do the same with these water bags too.

I hear you @kcjaz that is definitely a consideration, there is always a risk of self sabotage but for those of us trying to avoid the weight and expense of a rear bumper (and don't have space or want it on the roof) I'm hopeful it will prove dependable. As further proof perhaps of my flirting with disaster I did get a fuel bag too although I have no intention of it being used regularly I thought it would be a small insurance policy when range is in question. I'd only fill it just before heading on the trail and as soon as the main tank was down 3 gal empty it.

 

[OSS]

Be prepared for a leak. Because (in my experience) flexible tanks inevitably will.

 

[gasman4u]

This is a cool solution. As @OSS alluded to, I would also be worried about insidious leaks after x amount of thermal cycles if stored full or empty for whatever amount of time it’d take to leak. Bad time to discover the root cause of your trailer harness not working due to your 3 gallon bladder leaking. But this is pretty sweet nonetheless!

 

[RET2]

Be prepared for a leak. Because (in my experience) flexible tanks inevitably will.

I concur but that being said virtually everything fails or wears out so routine inspection is paramount. But there are those that refuse to replace batteries or tires till they completely fail so.....

 

[wiseinvestor]

Nice solution. Water is the most difficult problem.

 

[Kurosawa]

This is a cool solution. As @OSS alluded to, I would also be worried about insidious leaks after x amount of thermal cycles if stored full or empty for whatever amount of time it’d take to leak. Bad time to discover the root cause of your trailer harness not working due to your 3 gallon bladder leaking. But this is pretty sweet nonetheless!

You make a great point here that I think deserves highlighting when you mention the thermal cycles. This is another reason I like a super light packable solution, it is easy to store inside with the rest of our camping gear when not using the vehicle to camp out of. I've had a lot of things suffer from UV and or just heat cycles down here in Texas that would have been fine had they spent most of their lives in a climate controlled closet in my house. Lessons learned.

 

[Kurosawa]

Update:
I thought it would be good to provide some feedback now that these have been through a bunch of use.

1 1/2 years in and these things have gone on many trips and are everything I'd hoped they would be including not a drop spilled inside. I still can't speak for other bladders out there but Giant Loop make a very tough one indeed. I don't particularly baby them anymore either, they are tough as nails. Something I just love is how lightweight and how compact they are when empty, I can roll them up and take them for my water solution in a rig in another country even. Great gear that lasts and performs perfectly is such a treat.

 

[quickdraw]

Went down a pretty deep rabbit hole on this exact thing on my trekboxx setup in my 80. My plan was to fix a pump, faucet and tank. Ultimately, I didn't do it because the tank sizing option for the space in the 80/trekboxx wing ended up being pretty small.

But... Here's 320 options for various size tanks

RV Water Tanks

Plastic Mart

www.plastic-mart.com

For those interested in a fixed, non-bladder solution, perhaps you'll find one that works here.

 

[Kurosawa]

Went down a pretty deep rabbit hole on this exact thing on my trekboxx setup in my 80. Ultimately, I didn't do it because the tank sizing option for the space in the 80/trekboxx wing ended up being pretty small.

But... Here's 320 options for various size tanks

RV Water Tanks

Plastic Mart

www.plastic-mart.com

Perhaps you'll find one that works for what you're doing

Yeah, I initially investigated tanks as well but as mentioned in my first post noise from a half full tank inside the truck turned me off. I had a five gallon front runner tank mounted on the roof years ago and the water slapping on trail was annoying enough to definitely not want it inside with me. I was hoping to find tank baffle balls to stop the slapping and reduce to a slosh but the ones I found were too large to fit in drinking water tanks and I'm not sure were safe plastic for that use. The bladders win out on a number of different levels like weight, fit to awkward spaces, collapse when not in use, portable and zero noise.

For now at least I'm glad I didn't go the tank route but my priorities may differ from others as I put a heavy emphasis on light weight and compact form factors in the camping gear I pack.

 

[quickdraw]

Yeah, I initially investigated tanks as well but as mentioned in my first post noise from a half full tank inside the truck turned me off. I had a five gallon front runner tank mounted on the roof years ago and the water slapping on trail was annoying enough to definitely not want it inside with me. I was hoping to find tank baffle balls to stop the slapping and reduce to a slosh but the ones I found were too large to fit in drinking water tanks and I'm not sure were safe plastic for that use. The bladders win out on a number of different levels like weight, fit to awkward spaces, collapse when not in use, portable and zero noise.

For now at least I'm glad I didn't go the tank route but my priorities may differ from others as I put a heavy emphasis on light weight and compact form factors in the camping gear I pack.

It's a great idea. I never thought about using a bladder. I wonder if they would allow for the use of a pump?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

It's a great idea. I never thought about using a bladder. I wonder if they would allow for the use of a pump?

Sure, why wouldn't it? Hook up the hoses, pump away, just be mindful of the pressure you're putting into the bag.

I use an older & smaller version of this bag, and pump into it regularly.

 

[quickdraw]

Sure, why wouldn't it? Hook up the hoses, pump away, just be mindful of the pressure you're putting into the bag.

I use an older & smaller version of this bag, and pump into it regularly.

Fantastic. Wish I had thought of this a couple years back!

 

[Kurosawa]

It's a great idea. I never thought about using a bladder. I wonder if they would allow for the use of a pump?

Yes, that would work well as @eatSleepWoof mentioned. One way it works a bit better than a tank in that respect is a flexible bladder doesn't require a vent because the bag collapses as the water is used rather than needing to be replaced by air because the tank is rigid. I just use the manual tap provided with the bladder but someone looking for an upgrade could use the Dometic tap and have a pretty slick setup.

edit-the collapsing bag aspect of the bladder is also why it's so quiet.

 

[sdnative]

I have had water stored in some surplus Swiss military water carrying bags for well over 15 years (emptied, cleaned and refilled periodically). I figured I would have a leak by now, but they have been solid.

I forget where I got them, but they were very inexpensive (at the time).

That said, I still prefer the Scepter or LCI water cans. They do slosh a little, but I don't find it unbearable.

 

[Artie]

I have had water stored in some surplus Swiss military water carrying bags for well over 15 years (emptied, cleaned and refilled periodically). I figured I would have a leak by now, but they have been solid.

I forget where I got them, but they were very inexpensive (at the time).

View attachment 4037400 View attachment 4037401

That said, I still prefer the Scepter or LCI water cans. They do slosh a little, but I don't find it unbearable.

What does the water taste like in those bladders? They look like inner tubes.

 

[Godwin]

I have had water stored in some surplus Swiss military water carrying bags for well over 15 years (emptied, cleaned and refilled periodically). I figured I would have a leak by now, but they have been solid.

I forget where I got them, but they were very inexpensive (at the time).

View attachment 4037400 View attachment 4037401

That said, I still prefer the Scepter or LCI water cans. They do slosh a little, but I don't find it unbearable.

I have one of these that was given to me and it lives in a military surplus bag on the rear of my FJ60. I use it for rinsing dishes, hands, wet rag to wipe dust off the rear window, things like that. Having the spigot just outside the bottom of the bag makes it easy to push the plunger for water. Drinking water is inside the Cruiser in Scepter 5 gallon cans.