So this is the SOURCE tactical WLPS low-profile 3 liter 100 ounce water bladder.
SOURCE tactical makes a few different models but my preference was to go for this model
which simply has a wide access for water at the top. There are other models which have a wide
access at the top, & also a cap access on the side. This bladder has the Widepac technology
which allows very wide opening. You flick it open. So essentially, there's 1 layer, 2 layers,
& the third layer reinforcement. So when you fold over, you're actually getting 5 layers.
So that's very rugged. To put the lock back. So you see where the string is
attached. It's attached to the end of the neck with the wide hole.
The other end has the narrower hole. So take the wide hole. Put it the opposite end.
Slide it in. Very easy. If I open up the bladder for you. You see in the middle, that there's a
dividing seam securing it. That seam runs about three-quarter length down the depth of
the bladder. When the bladder fills up. It prevents the bladder from bulging out too much. So the seam
allows the bladder to maintain a low profile. There are 2 other technologies SOURCE has put
into this bladder. The first one is called Glass-Like film. The second is called Grunge-Guard.
These 2 technologies prevent the growth of bacteria inside. The Grunge-Guard also exists in
the drinking tube. If I push on the tab, I separate the QMT - which is the Quick Mate Technology -
& the SQC - which is the SOURCE Quick Connect. The cover of this tube protects the drinking tube from
UV light damage. SOURCE have 2 models of mouthpieces. The one that comes standard supplied
with this bladder is the STORM valve. This is the STORM valve. There is a dirt shield. All you do is
pull it out. There's a string that retains it - so you don't lose the cap. And if you want keep this
mouthpiece accessible & open for a long time, pull this string through the gap; lift the string
up. It catches into a narrow gap. So it locks that string in the position, & the cap stays there.
So that's great. It doesn't knock around & annoy you. STORM valve has a lock mechanism. What you do
is you twist it anti-clockwise, & it unlocks. Then you pull it out, & the water will run. You
do not have to bite on it. If you push it back, the water should stop flowing. And you turn it
clockwise again, it will lock. You can also rotate this completely 360 in any direction & it will
still function. You notice there's a little knob here, & a notch. So when these 2 are aligned,
that means it's locked. So if I twist it again anti-clockwise, it's unlocked but water is not
flowing yet. And then if I pull it out, water will flow. The benefit of the STORM valve system is this.
There may be times when I want water to just flow continuously. For instance if I'm washing a wound.
The STORM valve system may not be suitable for some modes of use. For instance, if you're riding a
bicycle then your 2 hands are on the handle. You do not want to have to take one hand off
to twist it or have to take 2 hands; one to grip this & the other one to twist it - & pull it out.
That's not practical. So in that case, there is another valve called the HELIX valve.
I'll show that to you later. The SOURCE mouthpieces can be completely
dismantled for proper maintenance & cleaning. To do that, push on the tab. Release it & then
it comes off.
And you'll see there's prongs in there. If I use my finger to push prong, it will release
the other end. So all 3 pieces of the STORM
valve can be disassembled for proper cleaning. To put it back again, insert
till the prongs click in. And then push that back in completely & it's completely assembled.
And then push the SQC to the QMT - done.
I'm going to fill this bladder up just from a water bottle through the neck.
As you can see there's water in there & the QMT valve stops the water running out
So you don't get a mess & you don't waste water. Let me secure the neck -
excellent. I now want to show you some optional accessories you can get. Firstly, there is the
hydration upgrade kit which includes a STORM valve and a UTA (Universal Tube Adapter). It comes with
a QMT(Quick Mate Technology). There is also the HELIX valve you can use instead of the STORM valve .
There's a tube brush for cleaning the drinking hose & there's an SQC Quick Connector. Let's
talk about the hydration upgrade kit. This kit includes the STORM valve. It includes the
UTA which is the Universal Tube Adapter. It also includes the QMT (Quick Mate Technology).
We know about the STORM valve already because it comes standard with any of those tactical
hydration bladders such as here. So this can become a spare. So the UTA looks like that. It has a
outlet tube that you connect to the hydration hose. It has a valve & it has a flexible rubber
adapter. This is where you can push in the nose of a water bottle, or push this up into a water tap. As
you know, to fill water into the hydration bladder, we can either remove the bladder completely from
its hydration pack. Open the wide access neck & fill water from the neck. Alternatively, if you want
to fill water without taking the bladder out, the solution is to use the UTA. You push to release the
mouthpiece. Then you take the UTA . You push in & mate it to the QMT. With this in place you
can push this into the neck of a water tap. Turn the tap on & it will fill the water bladder.
Alternatively, if you have a water bottle, you can invert the water bottle. Push the neck of the water
bottle into this nozzle. Water will flow into the bladder. So this is a very useful adapter to allow
you to quickly refill your water bladder without removing it from your pack. All SOURCE tactical
hydration bladders come standard with the STORM valve. To operate the STORM valve, it is in unlocked
position when the pimple is aligned with the notch. To unlock it, turn the valve anti-clockwise.
Water will not flow yet until you pull the valve out. Water will then continue to flow under gravity.
So this is useful where, for instance, you need to clean your wound & you just want water to run.
To stop the water, push it in. To lock the valve, turn it clockwise. That's now locked The STORM valve
is not suitable for some users like cyclists who have to keep their hands on the handlebar,
& do not have their hands free to operate the valve. SOURCE have a solution for that. It
is the HELIX valve. The HELIX valve looks like that. Push it in. Mates nicely. It also has a dirt shield.
Same thing. To keep the dirt shield locked in position. Pull it, tug it upwards.
And it stays there. The way the HELIX works is different. It's actually a bite valve. It's not
a push-pull valve. There is still a lock mechanism. To unlock the valve, turn it anti-clockwise.
And you see that the valve moves outwards. I'll show you again. Now the HELIX valve is unlocked.
Water will not yet flow. If you bite the mouthpiece, water will flow. So the HELIX valve will be more
suited to users such as cyclists. If you've been using the water bladder for a long time
& you want to clean the hose, just use the tube brush. All you need to do is remove the
mouthpiece & push that in. Push the brush in fully extended & clean it.
You can buy replacement SQC connectors if you have other hoses that you want to use the SOURCE
SQC system. You can do that. I do hope you enjoyed this video & found it informative. Do hit the
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