Platypus Water Tank

I've been a fan of Platypus products since my son gifted me a 1-Liter bag years ago. Consequently, I have since acquired a few other Platypus bags due to their durability, convenience, and collapsibility. Then I bought the 6 Liter Water Tank. It misses the mark big time and almost ruined a camping trip.

My son and I were planning a multiple day outing to a BLM location where we knew they had no potable water, as we had been there before. We planned for four days and at the suggested 1-gallon-per-day-per-person, knew we had to carry in a fair amount (6-8 gallons) of water. I had previously bought several HD nylon water storage bags, but wanted a table top container for daily use. So I purchased this item (Platypus 6-liter Water Tank) and made ready for the trip.

When, the next day, I went to fill the Platypus, and try as I may I could not effect a good seal on the top of the water tank. Even when not completely full, every time I went to pick up the tank with the handles, it came open. I tried putting slightly less water in the tank... it still failed. I got a pair of pliers to get a really tight seal on the bag... it failed again.

Luckily, the Reliance storage bags I bought had pour spouts on them, but the flow rate was pretty low so a fair amount of time was spent filling containers at the storage bags. Had I followed my initial plan to take a Reliance Products 7-gallon Aqua-Tainer, the trip would have been much different and filling our individual containers would have been very difficult.

I still have faith in Platypus and will buy/use their products in the future, but this one failed so spectacularly it has given me pause to reconsider my options on subsequent outings. Look elsewhere for large capacity water storage.

Background

Used it once...or should I say TRIED to use it once...$40 down the tube.

Years ago, I can't remember how long ago it was, I purchased a Platypus that held 4 liters and had a full zip closure on the top. It served me well for at least six years but slowly over that time it became increasingly hard to close the zip as it seems the plastic became stiff. But I like the product enough to buy the new one.

It seems to be made of a softer and more flexible type of material. I take the 4-liter size as it allows me to go further and longer between fill-ups and I converted it to a hydration bladder. I can also hang it from a tree or lay it on a big rock and take a shower with it.

I do like Platypus products for durability and low weight and if the new one lasts at least as long as my old one it's worth the current retail price of $27.