Water bottle/canteen recommendations please

B

Brommeland

Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Messages
747
Hi folks!

I am going thru some of my old gear and retiring it. It's time for an upgrade. I am currently looking at water bottle/canteen options. I have narrowed it down (so far) to the Pathfinder Canteen Cooking Set, the Pathfinder Gen 3 32 oz water bottle set and a Klean Kanteen 40 ounce wide mouth bottle. I also want a nesting cup large enough to prepare a FD meal and a cup of coffee (preferably with a lid). Must be stainless or Titanium - no plastic. American made would be nice - which is the chief fail for the above.

In any event, I'd sure appreciate any feedback from folks having used any of these products, as well as recommendations for other options. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and hopefully post a response. Cheers.
 
For my money it doesnt get any better than a stainless 32oz. Nalgene standard, next to it a 40oz. Kleen Kanteen does hold more than two more ounces of water but the bottle feels flimsy compared to the Nalgene, you can feel the difference in wall thickness. As far as a nesting cup goes I went on a hunt for a cup/pot with the most volume and a lid that still nested snugly, and the best option I came up with ended up being a Esbit 750ml. titanium pot with lid and the whole package is very low profile and I have been happy with it for the few paces I have put it through so far... Its not U.S. made but I still like it.
 
I'm a big user of the Platypus soft, collapsible half and litre bottles. When not in use, they just roll up. When in use, they fit fine in a cargo pocket or hip pocket.
 
my system for water is a 1/2 gal plastic milk jug and an old circa 1980 Nalgene lexan widemouth bottle. Used this system for a week in the high sierras last summer. It held up fine. I tested the milk jug for leakage and washed it and rinsed it and sanitized it before taking it on the trail.

my only cooking vessel is the GSI Minimalist.
 
heavy cover all titanium mess kit.

heavy_cover_titanium_mess_kit_zps3dfd721b.jpg
 
Regarding the aluminum bottles, they look heavy to me, though I never weighed one.

My combination milk jug and Nalgene has a combined weight that is less than my 3L Camelback.

The Heavy Cover setup looks real nice. First time I've seen that.
 
For the very best,
Heavy Cover Ti kit - this is what I use

For a nice set, but a little heavier:
Pathfinder SS canteen set or stainless Nalgene with nesting cup
 
You guys may laugh, but I still prefer the good 'ol USGI canteen system. I have yet to find a better, lighter, more compact system than those old things. Or maybe I just have a soft spot for them....I used to collect them as a kid and I still can't stop acquiring them! Really though, they work great for me. I have my water, stove, cup, and firemaking stuff all in one package. Can mount them to packs or, wear them comfortably on the hip (the whole reason for their kidney shape).

bagstuff2_zpsde6d968f.jpg



Here's the one mounted to my hunting pack:

Daypack2_zpsf8757c49.jpg
 
jonnyt16 said:
You guys may laugh, but I still prefer the good 'ol USGI canteen system.
Click to expand...

I won't laugh- I grew up when you used either USGI or some variation on the frontier pattern disk canteen, and I disliked the latter. I still have residual affection for a lot of WWII/Korea-era GI gear that used to be pressed into service because the price was right, and while I have abandoned some of it, I still like the canteen.

I currently use a Nalgene Oasis (I like to "see" what's in the canteen), a current-issue GI stainless cup, a Canteen Shop stove stand (a bit heavy, but I bent too many issue ones), and a bit of aluminum foil to unfold and use as an improvised cup cover… this is all stuffed - and stuffed pretty tightly - into a circa-1990's nylon GI cover, in the side "carrier" of which I also keep purification tabs and a few waterproof matches. The only problems I've had with the setup is that the water capacity is insufficient for much of a walk, but if I plan on going far, I habitually bring either cheap bottled water or a collapsible container along.

(I packed two canteens until the novelty value of doing so wore too thin to keep doing it unless two were required.)



toc
 
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neeman said:
don't forget the soda bottle
comes free with the soda
in .5, .75 or 1 liter sizes
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+1 on this one. Tough little bottles. I prefer carrying multiple smaller containers vs. one large one. If a large one springs a leak, and it's the only one I've got...uh oh.
 
I have Guyot, Nalgene and Sigg bottles I like but I use Platypus & Nalgene bladders more than bottles. The bottle I use the most for work is the Sigg Heritage, the one with the ridges on the side and the vintage patina which may be discontinued. The Guyot 32oz. stainless bottle is the one I recommend the most overall since it is so versatile with the wide mouth and stainless body that can nest in the same cups as the Nalgenes. They make a 38oz. bottle but they are hard to come by. My dog hiking bottle is a Nalgene Triton 32oz. canteen style bottle that nests in a GI style metal cup inside a Maxpedition M4 canteen pouch.
 
Thanks to all who have posted. I've given up on finding anything that is American made & have ordered a Pathfinder 32 oz bottle rig and a 40 oz Klean Kanteen w/ a Vargo Ti cup & cover. I'll give both rigs a solid wringing out when they get here. Whichever one that I like best will become my go-to, and the other one will ride in my truck. Both bottles will be backed up with a cheapie 750 ml Dajo stainless bottle in case that ole Murphy shows up. Thanks again, guys.
 
JV3 said:
heavy cover all titanium mess kit.

heavy_cover_titanium_mess_kit_zps3dfd721b.jpg
Click to expand...

Thanks for showing this. It looks like the perfect set-up. However, I have a wife and a bunch of kids to equip as well and at a buck and a half each, this ain't gonna happen. I've got better things to spend $1000 or so dollars on....
 
Nalgene lexan. We've had several for several years. They never need replacing. Was a soldier for more than two decades and never use or used the GI canteen outside of the Army.
 
leghog said:
Nalgene lexan. We've had several for several years. They never need replacing. Was a soldier for more than two decades and never use or used the GI canteen outside of the Army.
Click to expand...

The old Nalgene Lexan bottles were loaded with BPA - which has been proven to cause a variety of health problems, including multiple forms of cancer. These are what I used myself until the last couple of years when I found out about all of the potential health risks. 'Been using cheapie Dajo stainless bottles since while looking for a solid replacement.

The new Nalgene polycarbonent bottles are made from their proprietary mystery plastic, and from what I've been able to find, nobody knows what's in it or what it can do to you.... This is why I specified either stainless or Titanium - I'm not going to put all of this chemical crap into my drinking water.
 
Aluminum is highly toxic to humans and has been linked to Alzheimer's. Stainless or Titanium are the only options I am willing to entertain. Thanks for posting.

Also, my Pathfinder stuff just arrived and this seems like some really good stuff upon initial inspection. I'll give a full report later after I've used 'em a bit. Thanks again to all who have posted.
 
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