light and durable bottle for backpacking

Posted by: Mbphoto

light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/18/19 08:05 AM

So

Since I'm currently on a shopping spree for my adventures backpacking, trekking, bivying and so on, I'm looking for certain items where I feel weight savings are in order.


My current plan is the following:
- Bring a SteriPEN to areas where there's a risk for human contamination in the drinking water

- Get a Katadyn Befree filter with Hydrapak Seeker 2L bottle (a little over 100g in total and super compact when collapsed) to filter suspicious/muddy water on the go.

- Bring two 1 Liter drinking bottles to be refilled with filtered water from the hydrapak en route


When there's no knowing whether there will be additional water sources ahead, I can always put the hydrapak filled into the backpack and have a total of 4 L capacity with me.



Now, my problem is the drinking bottle...

Obviously, I would love to get an insulated stainless steel bottle so I can bring warm/cold beverages along with me when needed.
However, a Hydroflask 32oz insulated stainless steel flask weighs 15.7 ounces, that's 450 grams, empty! (triple the weight of a simple aluminium flask!)


Plastic bottles aren't really an option, since the "BPA-free" marketing blurb doesn't mean anything.. https://www.livescience.com/63592-bpa-free-plastic-dangers.html
I would, therefore, only use the hydrapak bottle to quickly filter some water, or in emergency situations, where large amounts of water need to be transported, and not store water inside for a long period.


Aluminium has me worried as well, despite the fact that I use antitranspirants daily. (So far, there's no evidence, that aluminium enters into your bloodstream through undamaged skin; that's why it's not advisable to apply antitranspirants after shaving.) The aluminium, while somewhat inert, will enter the water in small quantities and get into your bloodstream when absorbed through the stomach walls.




A Primus insulated expedition S/S bottle weighs 600 grams, whereas the regular stainless steel drinking bottle is 240g. A Salewa aluminium drinking bottle is 140g, and the Primus Tritan plastic bottle is 180g.. So, there's a ton of weight that can be saved with two 1 liter drinking bottles...


I'm open for your suggestions, because I find it really hard to make up my mind in this case..

Should I get one of the insulated steel bottles and one ultralight non-insulated bottle, or two insulated ones, or two non-insulated ones?! crazy


Re pricing: I don't really want to set an upper limit.
If the bottle is sturdy and lasts me 10 years, I'll gladly pay a premium for it.

Also, I need the bottle to be available in Europe!



I have one of these chinese bottles (like Chilly's... Since it looks identical, it must be a Chinese manufacturer that makes them, because I bought it from a Swiss outdoor retailer and it carries their own branding) and the quality is so bad, that it's foot is skewed after setting it down a little too roughly once. I never dropped it and always treat it like a glass bottle (it has no signs of use or anything, although I use it daily for work).

I don't particularly trust aluminium to last very long and the plastic stuff definitely won't last before it starts to taste badly.
Posted by: balzaccom

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/18/19 10:04 AM

Taking insulated bottles on a backpacking trip has never appealed to us because of the weight.

We do like the Platypus bottles that roll up with they are not full. It eliminates that gurgling sound as you hike, and we've used a couple of those for almost ten years now. They still don't leak or taste of plastic, and that's after about 2000 miles on the trail.

But for that matter, why not just take another Hydrapak bottle? Doesn't it meet all your criteria?
Posted by: Bill Kennedy

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/19/19 03:16 AM

The Nalgene "Ultra Light" 32oz. bottles(almost 1 liter) only weighs 3.5oz. (99 grams) and is made of HDPE, which I belive has no known health risks. PETE bottles (soda, bottled water) are lighter yet and are likewise safe, although shouldn't be reused over and over.

Not insulated, though.

The new Nalgene clear bottles are made of Tritan™ copolyester, so no bisphenols.

Actual risk from the BPA bottles was very low, possibly none, when used in the normal way, that is, to contain water for drinking.
Posted by: Mbphoto

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/19/19 03:43 AM

So, what softener do they use in Tritan plastics then?
Again, the BPA craziness isn't what keeps me away from plastics, it's the general thought about the softeners used to make the plastic flexible (small molecules that leave the polymer structure through heat or dissolution into water and are potentially toxic).

I admit, they sound interesting smile
Posted by: Rick_D

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/19/19 03:40 PM

What about offerings from your home team at Sigg? Their stuff lasts decades.

There's basically no pathway for aluminum uptake and it remains a lightweight and robust option. I'm also a titanium fan and there are a few options from Vargo. Finally, I'll reuse off-the-shelf water bottles for single trips. It's handy to collapse and stow them when empty and then just recycle when I get home.

Cheers,
Posted by: Bill Kennedy

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/19/19 04:20 PM

The Sigg bottles may be just the ticket. Here's a link:

http://www.siggnorthamerica.com/why-sigg-bottles/
Posted by: Mbphoto

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/20/19 12:15 PM

True, that sounds like my kinda thing!

Being Swiss (including the very rare feat of "swiss made"), they'll also have to really deliver on what they promise.

I'll get one of these 1L wide mouth bottles and add a hydroflask insulated bottle on top, because I love my tea in the mountains smile

A Nalgene 1L ultralite might be added just to have something to bring to the bouldering hall and for summer hikes.
Posted by: BZH

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/24/19 12:22 PM

Some things you should be aware of:
Many metal bottles have a plastic liner so using one doesn't necessarily eliminate the plastic concern.
I have and like the BeFree filter but it is finicky and difficult to clean. I certainly would not put muddy water through it. You would have to prefilter some how or your befree will be helplessly clogged. BeFree did not design a way for the filter to be backflushed so cleaning it is not easy. I was able to find a connector that screws onto the end of the BeFree filter so you can attached a hose which makes it easier to filter from your dirty bottle to your clean bottle. If you are interested I can try to dig around and find what the connector is. Companies really specify the thread dimensions on their products so it isn't easy to just go and grab something that will work.
Posted by: Mbphoto

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 01/26/19 09:01 AM

Hey

Thanks for the remarks.

Firstly, the polymer coatings on metal bottles are not what has me concerned, because they don't (shouldnt?!) contain any softeners. Basically, the harder the plastic, the less I worry (e.g. I would drink from a Lego mug, but they leak :D)


Regarding the befree and muddy water. I hope, I will never be in a situation where I have to drink muddy water, but I'll keep that in mind and use a piece of cloth over the mouth of the Seeker flask when I fill it, if I ever find myself in that situation.



I ordered the following items (damn expensive stuff, here in Switzerland!)

- Sigg wide mouth mountain bottle 1.0L
- Nalgene wide mouth 32 oz bottle (tritan, not hdpe)
- Hydroflask wide mouth stainless steel insulated bottle 32 oz
- Hydrapak Seeker 3l
- Befree tactical filter (I like the black better) without the flask (the combo was 25 usd more than the filter alone..)
- Aquamira drops (I'll wait with the steripen for a steep sale)


The Sigg is the lightest of the bunch (ignoring the seeker) and pretty amazing, but I wanted to give the Nalgene a chance.. The Hydroflask is super cool, lifetime warranty, and I need hot drinks in the alpine regions.


I'll keep you posted
Posted by: Sandres

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 04/18/19 05:34 PM

I usually use an aluminum thermos. It is quite light and helps to keep the temperature.
Posted by: BradMT

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 04/28/19 10:38 AM

There are a lot of good non-plastic choices out there.

Laken of Spain might be among the best value:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/76053..._web_7605313011
Posted by: Mbphoto

Re: light and durable bottle for backpacking - 05/11/19 04:18 AM

I wanted to report that I bought the following three:

a SIGG 1L aluminium bottle (the one with wide mouth opening and a small drinking opening)
a Nalgene 1L bottle with wide mouth opening
a Hydroflask 1L insulated S/S bottle with wide mouth opening

I brought the Sigg and the Hydroflask (+ a Seeker 3L foldable bottle for water purification and filtration with a katadyn filter) with me to the Manasulu circuit trek and was very happy.

The Hydroflask served both as a container to keep the cold water cold during the hot days and to keep the hot tea hot up above 4'000metres.

I use the Nalgene for sports and indoor climbing so far and it works nicely.
However, it has a strong plastic smell to it, which the other bottles do not.