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What's A Good Water Bottle?


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1 hour ago, RememberSchiff said:

A couple of young ASM's are trying to convince me to replace my Nalgene 1L (6.25 ounces, $10-11, made USA) with either the following:

Hydrapak Stash 1L (3.3 ounces?, $20-25)

Platypus water bags .-  IMHO seem flimsy and spill easy.

Works for them but I  still like the all-season , hot water,  utility, and indestructibility of the Nalgene .

 

I did use a water bladder for the first two years of Boy Scouts and I hated it. I will never use one again unless I need to. Too messy, annoying to fill up, and annoying to clean. 

I forgot to post this, but I got a Contingo auto spout and it has works great.

Contigo Autospout Ashland Water Bottle, 32oz , Smoke https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D67ADCS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_sFQTCwMjtYSyK

When I got the Nalgene, it scratched and the plastic attaching the lid broke the first time I used it so I returned it.

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For many years, I carried two 1 qt green GI plastic canteens.  If they are GI-proof, they are scout-proof.  I just carried water in the canteens, and used a wide-mouth plastic bottle from the grocery store to mix that old fashioned sugary lemon ice tea powder (tasty).

Last year I bought my first wide-mouth Nalgene water bottle.  I really like it.  Now I have several and seem to be on the verge of collecting more than I actually need.

Used bladders/camelbaks in the military.  I understand their appeal, but I found that maintenance was a pain (or perhaps I'm just lazy).  And I'm a firm believer in keeping things as simple as possible. 

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3 hours ago, RememberSchiff said:

A couple of young ASM's are trying to convince me to replace my Nalgene 1L (6.25 ounces, $10-11, made USA) with either the following:

Hydrapak Stash 1L (3.3 ounces?, $20-25)

Platypus water bags .-  IMHO seem flimsy and spill easy.

Works for them but I  still like the all-season , hot water,  utility, and indestructibility of the Nalgene .

 

I've used nalgenes for hot water bottles (wrapped in a sock).  I wouldn't do that with a cheaper brand. 

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On ‎4‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 5:42 PM, Jameson76 said:

No love for the Nalgene? 

Put stickers on them, clip them to your belt, pretty near indestructible.  Also you can get one that glows in the dark

YUP!  that's what I do...I love decals. 

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I don't drink enough when using a bladder, but taking sips while I hike is good. So I use both a bottle and a bladder. I don't put drink mix in either so cleaning is not an issue. The nalgenes are good for measuring water and easier to fill with my filter.

I do miss the old days of just sticking my face in the stream and drinking. If you did it right all you needed was a cheap cup. </showing age>

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Surplus army canteen (plastic) with cover is nearly indestructible and insulated. I still have some aluminum ones, but they are pretty banged up from years of use.

I have several  Nalgene bottles, 32 & 48 oz. I have never broken one yet. They work great and are easily sanitized.

Not a fan of Hydro Flask. I have had 2 that allowed detergent to seep into the seam and could never get the taste out.

Camelback or similar bladders work great if your pack accommodates them, or you use water packs.

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41 minutes ago, HelpfulTracks said:

Surplus army canteen (plastic) with cover is nearly indestructible and insulated. I still have some aluminum ones, but they are pretty banged up from years of use.

I have several  Nalgene bottles, 32 & 48 oz. I have never broken one yet. They work great and are easily sanitized.

Not a fan of Hydro Flask. I have had 2 that allowed detergent to seep into the seam and could never get the taste out.

Camelback or similar bladders work great if your pack accommodates them, or you use water packs.

Helpful, you sparked some memories....

My very first canteen was an aluminum copy of the GI style.  I was darn proud of that thing.  Dented, scratched, ugly, but it still worked.  It got lost during a move years ago.

For a few years I carried a real GI steel/aluminum canteen, date stamped 1945.  It was tough as nails.

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20 hours ago, ItsBrian said:

I forgot to post this, but I got a Contingo auto spout and it has works great.

Contigo Autospout Ashland Water Bottle, 32oz , Smoke https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D67ADCS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_sFQTCwMjtYSyK

I'll second the Contigo. I adopted one after being unable to reunite it with its original owner. It's since become my goto, every day bottle. I ended up buying them for the two of my boys currently in Scouts also.

I've really come to like the fact that they have an internal straw because that means I can take a sip without tipping my head back and hence taking my eyes off the road while driving. Of course that does complicate cleaning, but as I only put water in them it's only a minor inconvenience. I personally prefer the 24 oz size as it will still fit, barely, into my van's cup holder and daypack's drink bottle pouch. And so far they seem up to the task of being boy-handled by my sons. 

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  • 3 years later...

For car camping and a desire to keep things cold I would splash out for the Yeti Rambler. Hydro flask work fine too. If clipping into a belt I’d prefer just a smaller plastic bottle and plan to refill regularly but I don’t like the weight pulling down on my pants.

 

For backpacking I like to use a bladder as I like to have ready access and I find getting water bottles out of the side pockets to be awkward enough that I don’t drink regularly. Avoid putting anything other than water (no drink powders) in the bladders. I will sometimes supplement the bladder with 1-2 Smart water bottles. At Philmont this summer I had one for use with drink mixes and one dedicated to only water, and I cut off the plastic ring on the neck so I knew the difference. Nalgenes are a little heavier and I don’t like the super wide opening.

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On 8/28/2021 at 10:41 AM, UKScouterInCA said:

Nalgenes are a little heavier and I don’t like the super wide opening.

I don't like the weight of Nalgenes either, nor the wide mouth as it is too easy to spill too much if bumped over, however, some have noted that they are easier to work with in winter if water becomes frozen or slushy.

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I repurpose an old gatorade bottle. Slightly larger mouth than typical soda bottle, significantly lighter than nalgene. I abhor bladders for many reasons. I have zero trouble getting my water bottle in/out of the pack pocket while walking. Some packs are just designed better for this. ymmv.

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10 hours ago, mashmaster said:

My son swares by smartwater water bottles.

I reuse smartwater bottles when I go on backpacking trips where weight is a concern.  Never have had an issue with them breaking.

 For just general troop 'plop' camping and day hikes I usually take my 5+ year old camelback chute bottle. 

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