Why do we need all these fancy bottles?

aceofblades

aceofblades

Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
974
Ok, Lets put aside all the tin cup attachments for nalgenes and canteens. Do we really need these water bottles? wouldn't a regular bottle work just aswell? They are cheap, and damn near unbreakable. Hell, you can even use them as a pillow. Just some food for thought.
 
i carry all kinds of bottles. on a little dayhike my pack contained a 32oz nalgene, a 20oz vitamin water bottle, and my brother pack had a standard plastic army canteen.

i carry whatever my hand lays on first. i rather like the gatorate bottles, they are probably about 35-40oz, a little bigger than the nalgene.

i like the cheap bottles because i don't worry about losing them, and they are tough. the nalgene would be nice if i needed a rough measurement of liquid for a recipe or something, but i haven't used it for that yet.
 
I love nalgene widemouth bottles. I can drop them down a rocky slab, bounce them off ito space and crash em into the ground without breakage. Bombproof contaionment system. I use them to pack survival kits (you'd be amazed how much gear you can carry in one) they are waterproof (i carry maps, matches, batteries, survival gear in them, and i'm GUARANTEED that my stuff willbe dry no matter where they end up.

I pack flour into them, dried soups, etc and i'm gaureenteed they will stay dry and bugproof.
:thumbup:
 
I like the nalgene and the like because the cheaper bottles tend to form stress creases and are harder o wash after a while.

I'm pretty cheap though and wash most bottles and jars to see if I could use them for something. So far the best uses are: pickle jars for nuts and bolts left over from constuction projects(always have extra), picante bottles for my homemade salsas, random bottles to spit sunflower seeds into around the house and in the car, numorous camp stoves from cans of different sizes.
 
I can sit or step on my Nalgene bottle, and it will still bottle.If it accidently gets poked, it won't puncture. I like being able to quickly measure foods as well. I would prefer the mouth to be even wider, like the peanut butter jar that replaced my old survival kit nalgene bottle, but my toilet kit still is a Nalgene.
 
i'll add this too: if i'm forced to stash my kit for whatever reason and come back to it in a few days or months, it will still be DRY!
 
I have a few Nalgene bottles and love them. I have had cheaper bottles and have had them leak on me. I'm not a bottle snob by any means, I'll drink out of anything that holds liquid, but Nalgene is my preference.

As far as day hike goes though i prefer a Camelbak.
 
To me Nalgene bottles are still pretty cheap. I don't think they're really necessary, and I believe that lot's of the folks who are into ultra lightweight backpacking prefer to just reuse bottled water bottles because the Nalgenes are kind of heavy. I personally prefer Nalgenes. Since I don't usually buy bottled water (except for the few gallons I have stashed in case of an emergency) I prefer wide mouth Nalgenes because they're easy to clean, you can put ice cubes in them if you want, and since they have become the "standard" most backpacking water filters include an attachment that fits the opening of the bottle for easy filling. Also, as has been mentioned they are pretty damn tough. I've got a couple that have taken all kinds of abuse and are still going strong after about 5 years. I haven't tried a Camelbak or similar hydration system yet, but I can't imagine something like that replacing my Nalgenes on a long trip. Complementing maybe, but not replacing.
 
Same as Salamander. I think the plain bottles are a much lighter option, and I used those for a while. The Nalgene just has a lot of options going for it. I would never buy one, but I got two with some points earned on a purchase at a camping site. The wide mouth has a lot of good points going for it. Like was mentioned, they can also keep water OUT! If a person has them, they are great at times, but I wouldn't worry too much if I didn't.
 
Nalgenes are about 7oz for the wide mouth, 1l bottle. A 1l reused narrow mouth water bottle is about 2oz, a platypus 1l waterbag is 1 oz.
Nalgenes are pretty much bulletproof and you can probably drive a car over one. The platypus bags are light, but can pop or leak if you fall on them or poke them with something sharp like a tent peg or ice axe. Reused water bottles are free, basically.
For everyday use and short hikes, the reused is what i take because it's light and easy to grab, and if i forget it, just buy another one. For longer trips a nalgene and lots of platypus's, the nalgene is the backup.
Going to an all reused and platypus kit might be good because of this new filter Aquamira came out with:
http://www.aquamira.com/consumer/frontier-pro-filter-system/
It screws directly onto anything with a 28mm thread.
 
Wide mouth bottles are easier to refill. I lilke to incorporate a stainless steel cup and/or use a stainless steel bottle to boil water. It also is a good way to carry duct tape.

Being able to boil for purification is a added benefit, but I rarely do. I boil water more these days for white pine tea. Will be drinking more sassafras tea in the not to distant future.
 
I like the Stainless Bottles just because whether I am day hiking or camping, I don't necesarily have to have another method to boil wated if needed - (I'm a Coffee/Tea nut) so makes it easier to me.

Quiet Bear,

Could you elaborate on the White Pine Tea?
Are you just boiling the needles as with other Pine Tea - or is there something different you are doing?

Thanks,

sp
 
I like wide mouth Nalgene bottles and own a bunch of them, but they are ridiculously overpriced. $10 for about an ounce of plastic?
So I also reuse old bottles cause they are light and free and strong.
 
same as barrabas. ive used throw away bottles when camping before but picked up a ss one. i can now boil/purify/cook in my water bottle. whats not to love?
jd
 
I've had my 32 oz HDPE Nalgene for over 15 years - it still works great, the cap still seals. All for $4. It's been on countless trips. It has scratches, gouges, and has taken many a tumble, but it is still going strong.
 
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