Thank you for your interest in the Vecto! Whether you're already holding one in your hands as you go over the details, or you're just thinking about upgrading your water carrying setup, we're here to help.
To make sure you get the most of your Vecto, here is a running list of different questions we've encountered so far.
If you still have any questions about the Vecto, please contact us!
The Vecto is designed to have a perfect fit with the Sawyer filters, be it the Sawyer Squeeze, Sawyer Mini, or Sawyer Micro. You should just make sure your filters have fully functional rubber washers to prevent leaks.
You can also use the Sawyer Coupling or a Tornado Tube to create a gravity filtering system.
We recommend washing all the parts of the Vecto before the first use to clean off any of the molding lubricants that were use in the production process. Regular dish soap and warm water will be sufficient.
If you feel that your Vecto needs further cleaning due to smell sensitivity (some people are sensitive to TPU smell), use the juice from one lemon, one tbsp of baking soda and one liter of water to make a solution in the Vecto. Freeze over night and then thaw and wash with soap. Let fully air dry before using.
Very, the bladder part has a break point of 220lbs (100kg), so feel free to toss it in your bag full of water, use it as a robust dry bag or hang it as part of a gravity filter system.
The slider loop is useful for creating a gravity system and will hold up to 20 lbs (9 kg).
The Vecto has been released in Late 2017 and so far had 4 major updates:
1. January 2018 - New slider introduced to the 2018 Vecto that creates a stronger seal, includes a soft neck
2. March 2018 - First update to the neck that allows a better thread of caps and filters, includes the new slider and a soft neck
3. August 2018 - Second update to the neck to a stiffer neck for easy thread of filters, includes the new slider
4. March 2019 - New generation of Vecto with new necks, new slider and tethering for the cap and slider. More about the updates at this post
The 2019 Vecto was released in March 2019 and the updates they had over the 2018 Vectos are:
In 2020 the VECTO got an updated print to includes some legal compliance notes and our new logo. The bag itself hasn't changed and features all the specifications as the 2019 VECTOs.
We make two variations of the Vecto: 28 mm neck that will not fit a BeFree filter, and 42mm neck that will. Please make sure you have picked the correct one.
You can convert the Vecto into a hydration system but it is not a perfect system at the moment.
Using the Platypus Hose Kit the Vecto can become a hydration bladder but it has a caveat: the hose works perfectly with the 2019 Vectos, but won't seal completely with the 2018 Vectos, and a 28mm by 3mm silicone O-ring is needed to seal the system.
Please note: We do not recommend carrying any water containers inside your bag. The chance of leaks or breakage creates potential danger for yourself when relaying on dry gear in your pack.
At this time, we have both 2L and 3L Vectos available, offered in blue or orange. As we expand our product line, we plan on offering more sizes and color choices based on customer requests. If you are interested in submitting an idea for a color or size, please email us at contact@cnocoutdoors.com with your idea.
The slider works by mechanically sealing the wide opening along with the softer Vecto material, so requires no lubricating, just keeping it clean from debris.
The big opening in the Vecto is a welding point of several parts and a special bonding lubricant is used to make sure nothing "sticks" in the process. Just clean it with some dish soap and warm water.
The Vecto is made from TPU, which is a porous material, and can create a slight plastic taste. Some people are more sensitive to this taste and smell but this can be easily solved with a quick wash with soap and warm water before using it and on regular periods between hiking seasons.
If the taste persists, we recommend placing 2 denture tabs with warm water over night and then emptying and washing thoroughly with dish soap.
The best way to sterilize a Vecto is to fill it with 1-1.5 liters of water along with juice from 1-2 lemons and 1-2 table spoons of baking soda. Put in the freezer over night and than let thaw and wash with dish soap.
When out on the trail, developing a leak can be frustrating. The Vecto is made from TPU and can be sealed using a variety of adhesives, all to be applied on the outside.
The simplest and fastest way to fix a pinhole is with a drop of superglue on the outside of the bladder. We also recommend using a Type-A Tear Aid fabric patch.
When the soft necked Vecto is too full, the softer cap threads can get a bit twisted from the pressure of holding the Vecto. Take some water out and place the Vecto on a surface to reduce the pressure on the neck when holding it.
For hard neck Vectos, please ensure a good, tight closure of the cap. We have created a cap that is deeper than the standard to ensure that it seals the softer TPU neck on the Vecto.
If it still leaks, contact us at support@cnocoutdoors.com.
To make this simple, probably not.
First, check if the slider is fully closed - you should slide it all the way to the end, ensure that by checking that the small opening in the open edge of the slider is empty.
Another issue could be that the wide opening is closed over the wrong lip - make sure the lip that reads "This side in" is on the inside of the fold.
Another recurring problem is when a Vecto is filled, access water is trapped in the lips closed by the slider and those will seep slowly over time, creating a coin size "puddle" about an inch in diameter (2.5 cm). To prevent that, give the full Vecto a good shake holding the bladder itself, to remove any excess water in the neck or the slider.
If you checked all of the above and it still leaks, contact us at support@cnocoutdoors.com.
The Vecto is made in China at a trusted factory we have been working with for over three years.
The main reason we are manufacturing in China is that the Vecto is manually-made and very labor intensive.
