Any hints on getting a 1L Platy to dry out completely?

I suspend mine from a towel rack for several days and turn it over when I get up and when I go to bed. It helps to have it in a warm room. Pain in the butt to get small mouthed containers to dry out fully.

In my gear room I have some of those little backpacker’s clothespins attached to the edge of a shelf. I blow the Platy up to keep the sides from touching then clip it by the bottom edge with the spout hanging down. We keep a 4 ft fluorescing light burning full time to discourage Black Widow spiders and it provides enough warmth from the ballasts to keep it fairly dry in there which helps too.

I just set mine outside for 30 minutes. But it's a dry heat.

Oh wait, I got one of those special camelback hangers in a box of stuff I bought from Boozer. Works pretty good.

Edited by skinewmexico on 10/15/2009 22:58:55 MDT.

I use an aquarium air pump and run a hose into it to blow air in it. This dries it out in a couple hours. I usually leave it overnight.

Tony

If you have a plastic hanger, just break it at one of the corners, cut some off and push the bottom part of the hanger into the platy so that it keeps it open, then just hang in closet, works on all bladders

I just shake out as much water as I can and then leave mine sitting out for a few days on the counter while the rest evaporates. If you are in a hurry, you could somehow secure a small towel to a stick to dry most of the inside.

if the opening is wide enough you can bend a wire coathanger to form a frame to hold it open - then place it somehwere with air circulation to dry.

My faverite form of short term storrage though is freezing. Empty, freeze, then just remove for use - they quikly warm up.

Cut it in to many small pieces and blow dry each piece 2 times thoroughly.

I like to cut mine in to octagons with the surface area of 2.3354 cm if that helps you any.
Good luck!

I have a bent metal hanger that i use for the purpose. But if I'm using it every week or so, it also keep it in the freezer.

I stuff a new Handi Wipe in it, use part of a wire coat hanger to move it around, and pull it out. I leave it open until I feel like it's time to pack it away.

I'm also a fan of the coat hanger approach I use the arms of the hanger to keep the bladder expanded and then hang it from a ceiling vent. Dries overnight no problem.

Jason Klass had a nice idea on his website awhile back (video included). Essentially the idea is to buy an inexpensive aquarium pump and some tubing, shove the tubing down inside the platy, and turn on the pump. It dries quick and effectively.

http://www.geartalkwithjasonklass.com/2009/07/drying-hydration-systems-quickly.html

Edited by regultr on 10/16/2009 08:32:33 MDT.

just stick it in a plastic ziploc and then put it in the freezer. i don't even dry it out. whenever you get back, empty it and stick it in the freezer

I got a $10 aquarium air pump and some "T" connectors so I can dry out several containers at once.

Other than air drying as others have previously mentioned, I often will toss mine into my car, which is parked outside in the sun to dry mine out.

Only thing that you need to be careful of is how hot of a day it is.

Don't want to fry the plastic and make it brittle.

-Tony

Thanks for all the tips.......