DIY

DIY Hydration Bottle System

I’ve used the Moto Jug system for a long time and it is wonderful for long haul paved trips. However it’s not really safe to have a large jug strapped to your passenger peg on off-road rides and increases your risk of getting a leg trapped in certain situations. I personally really don’t enjoy wearing a hydration backpack on multi-day trips. I know there are other Bottle Hydration systems that are slowing appearing for backpackers but the hoses aren’t long enough to be realistically mounted to the motorcycle. SO ! I came up with the above solution that marries some of my favorite features of the Moto Jug and meets some of my current needs.

pieces of gear I used to make this

  • Bottle Pouch (I use a Wolfman Bottle Holster, but this one on Amazon works.)

  • Any 32oz Wide Mouth Nalgene Bottle of your Choice

  • Replacement Lid for Nalgene with Free Spout Lid (This one has just the right size opening to snugly tuck the quick connection into the mouth of the bottle.)

  • Food Grade PVC Tubing 1/4”ID x 3/8”OD Flexible Clear 10ft (You don’t need a whole 10ft, but you want enough length to run from wherever you mount the bottle holster to your handlebars, and then cut a length from it for the height of your bottle.)

  • Hose Protector Sleeve (This is much longer than you need it to be, just cut it to size.)

  • Quick Connect (make sure you get one that fits 1/4” inner dimension tubing. Having the quick connection between the hose in your bottle and the long hose. This makes it easy to unhook from the long hose so you can fill your water bottle.)

  • Bite Valve (I really like this one from Osprey, but any mouthpiece will do)

  • Retractable Badge Reel (Attach this to the end near the mouth piece, and connect the other part to you handlebars. This way when you need a drink you just grab the end and pull to your mouth. After you take a drink you just let go and it snaps back to your handlebars.)

All together this adds up to about $85 and will leave you with a few spare parts you could use to make one for someone else, or keep to replace any parts in the future.