Why Tube Hydration Fails Near the Mount Everest summit
Many trekkers love hydration bladders, but on a Mount Everest expedition, they can be a liability. The thin tube is the first thing to freeze, cutting off your water supply on the way to the Mount Everest summit.
Water in a tube has a high surface area to volume ratio, causing it to lose heat rapidly. Even with an insulated sleeve, the bite valve will freeze solid in the sub-zero air of an Everest trekking journey.
If you must use a bladder during your Mount Everest expedition, always blow air back into the tube after drinking. This clears the water into the insulated reservoir, buying you more time before the freeze.
Professional Mount Everest summit teams rely on insulated Nalgene bottles. They are easy to open with mitts and won't leak inside your pack. For high-altitude Everest trekking, simple is usually safer.
Don't let a frozen tube end your expedition. Understand the physics of the freeze and choose the hydration system that guarantees you water at the Mount Everest summit.
