I have used both bladders and bottles with drinking tube.
Ensuring adequate hydration is essential, and both methods allow for sufficient water to be carried.
By using a drinking tube, both methods allow for easy water access.
But which one allows for easy monitoring of consumption and water levels?
Front mounted water bottles….
For that reason alone I don’t use bladders any more.
On longer stretches, or more remote Caminos I would be forever digging into my pack to check water levels. That fear of running out, when using a bladder, caused me to carry too much water (weight).
Front mounted bottles, always in sight, allow precise monitoring, and I find encourage better hydration. I can drink to my planned consumption level freely, without worrying about how much water remains.
I loved bladders initially, but no way I would use them again.
I now remain fully hydrated, and don’t run out.