Seems odd to ask a question about such things here, but I am near positive I have seen people talk about hiking and camping on here.

Trying to decide on a decent water bottle. I am thinking 1 liter possibly. We already have a water reservoir solution that goes with my ruck sack, so doesn't have to be huge. I think 1 liter would be the max. I also think I want the sports lid, but it has to have a cover over it.

http://www.amazon.com/...id=1336697172&sr=1-39

I am thinking something like this with a strap around the neck.

Any suggestions or pointers?

Serious camping I assume?

Super-Shipper :) makes for an excuse to spend another $15 on useless objects. sounds great! :)

Yeah. I thought metal would be pretty hardy. The plastic bottles can break, I wanted something a bit more permanent.

Nalgene bottles work very well. They are light weight and very durable, you can run it over with a truck and not break it. Its also see thru so you can keep track of how much you've drank. You can't beat the camelbak when backpacking either.

Just checking out Nalgene now, they have a few styles that I like and probably easier to get water out of.
Thanks.

Got a 3l camelbak but I think our goal is to leave that at the campsite and bike or hike about with a decent water bottle. Then can refill the bottles at campsite and refill the camelbak at the car.

Is this serious?

I've done some pretty decent hiking in my life and I've never ever given a second thought about the water bottle. I grab whatever takes up the least amount of space and weighs the least while carrying an appropriate amount of water. Something like an empty tropicana bottle.

I find water bladders to be a pain in the butt. They always manage to make themselves into a problem.

im with oats on this, and I hike quite a bit

Yeah so you guys are so leet you unscrew caps from your cheap bottles while bike riding? Leave them in the sun for long periods of time? Cheap bottles that state right on them you shouldn't reuse, probably because they contain BPA? Those cheap bottles that keep the smells and tastes in them? Those cheap bottles that can't be washed without tasting like soap unless you wish to rinse them for a ridicules amount of time?

I think I will spend the $20 on a decent bottle that fits all my needs and isn't likely to retain tastes, smells, or bacteria and is made of safe durable materials.

I haven't had an issue with the bladder, but then again I don't try and use it directly and bought a pretty decent faucet rather than the bite valve. I use it mainly to fill bottles and it's attached to my rucksack which I don't take on hikes or rides.

Our last big camp was in China and out in the country a ways, and over the week we all learned our lesson about cheap and not dedicated water bottles.

My gf used a similar bottle on a 7 day hike she went on last year. She had no complaints.

I'm sorry, and I see where you're coming from, but a lot of those arguments just sound really "white people's problems".

Umm, okay.

lol at "white people's problems"

If i was ever to say "that sounds like black people's problems" i would be labeled a racist, so its not ok to be racist to black people but its fine to be racist to white people.

fluff like this makes me hate non white people.

Most of the hardcore hikers I know have nalgenes, but just as often take an empty 32oz gatorade bottle. When I went hiking in China I only took cheap plastic bottles. If you're only going for a week, it's not too big of a deal as far as cleaning and worrying about BPA. Plus, in China I had to buy all of the water for the hike in big plastic bottles anyways since I didn't have access to a clean water source to fill my own (though eventually we still ran out and used boiled mountain water...)

I have a Camelbak bottle that I like okay with the bite valve, and I know quite a few people who like the bladders with bite valves (as long as you don't fill it with something strange like kool aid or alcohol it stays fairly clean) which gives you the convenience of not having to unscrew a top, and the only real issue is that it's difficult to drink quickly if you're really thirsty.

As mentioned earlier, one issue with stainless steel is you can't see how much water you've drank (and have left) and some of the makes are not completely stainless steel (the screw top part) which can affect the taste.

The most important thing for you to remember is that whatever amount of water you THINK you need- double that and you got the right amount to take. There are many ways you can save weight but shorting on water should not be one. You never know what can happen and makine one mistake could be your last.

If i am going out for half a day i take 2 liters. I also carry a little pack of drink mix (something with electrolytes)in case i get dehydrated. One lastly important thing to remember, drinking water is not enough- you must eat something, even something small, at least every two hours while hiking to keep your body in check. Otherwise, you will not be able to hold your water. A snicker and a pack of crackers or trail mix is always a good bet. Stay away from beef jerky. Its not good for hiking. You do not need protein you need carbs and sugar.

Lastly, do not overlook the importance of carrying enough water. Trust me, i have not had enough before and been so thirsty, puking, dehydrated, ext. Do not take a chance. Bring 2x what you think is the most you'll need. On a personal note- i never wear anything hanging on my neck when i am in the woods. There are plenty of good lightweight back packs and wearing them you will hardly notice the weight of a extra ltr or two of water.

On a side note: Always have a belt or length of rope (can be used for a tourniquet or to fix things, pocket knife, compass/whistle, and it helps to carry a map or really know where your going beforehand (look at satellite image of the area) and leave a not in your car with a map of where you PLAN on going to in case of an emergency. And of course fire starter stuff/ water tablets.

I know its extra to carry but once you go without you'll find a few extra pounds is always worth a life.

We had the big water dispenser bottles. China is pretty troublesome and at least in the north east(Shenyang to Beijing and surrounding) tap water is advised against. Where we were there was a mountain with fresh untouched spring, but we also had to camp far enough our stuff wouldn't get stolen so it was a couple of hours walk.

We each bought a couple of regular water bottles, and by the time we were done most had failed in some way or been lost. So out of the 6 of us I think a lesson was learned. In the US-midwest we don't have mountains or untouchable spring outputs.
Anyways, sturdier bottles would have saved us much work and many walks back to the same place. Especially those Chinese water bottles are just crazy thin plastic. Though we could have avoided those cheap corner store bottles with better planning.

When you say Camelbak bottle do you mean like their actual bottles or are you talking backpack style? I have seen the bottles by them and they look nice but I was curious how they compare to Nalgene. I was fine with the bite valve on my Camelbak backpack, but lugging around my heavy rucksack and 3L bladder seemed a bit much. Although it sounds from what Deerhunter says I am likely traveling pretty light on water.


Yeah it sounds like both of these issues are pushing me away from the steel or aluminum/titanium ones which in addition the latter 2 can have their internal liner flake off into the water.

It sounds like I have been traveling pretty barebones on water.
As I have been carrying 1 liter with me on 2-4 hour trips. My pack I leave at camp or car, I keep 3l of water. In the car assuming we have planned it we keep 20 gallons or if it was unplanned usually still have 10gallons.

Like the Gatorade drink packets for electrolytes? I actually haven't been doing this but it sounds like I should be carrying something. For food we always have trail mix, and yeah already knew about not doing jerky also it's salty so just dehydrates you further.

Anyways this stuff is all pretty useful.


Yeah, I do these already. All of which are pretty important.

I also learned the hard way that handheld gps units and cellphones are no substitution for physical maps. Another map related note I learned the hard way was keep your map in a waterproof sleeve.

I don't believe that much extra water is necessary, unless you're going someplace you could get lost. Maybe if you're not in good shape, or sweat more than normal, or... Depends on how far/where you're going. But I do agree wearing anything on your neck will get old fast, especially a water bottle.

I love this water bottle (1-liter Touch models):
http://www.sigg.com/ch-shop/en/classics.html

The nalgenes are nice as well.

Personally I'd stay away from the aluminum bottles and liners. If you want steel, there are a few big brands, like Kleen Kanteen which are probably more reliable for only a few dollars more.

My Camelbak is indeed the bottle. It's small (.75L) so I'll usually take it and a 32oz gatorade on half day hikes. As far as hiking goes, the bite valve isn't necessary since you have to grab the bottle anyways. Like I said, most of the hikers I know use Nalgene's, but I got mine because it was thinner and fit in my pack well.

If it's an overnight trip, I take at least 4L depending on how likely it is to be able to refill along the way, if it's a strenuous hike, 6L is better.

While I don't personally take jerky hiking (I'm a big fan of Kashi granola bars) I know plenty of people who do. While it may dehydrate you, unless you're really dying of thirst, it's going to be fine. Jerky has a great protein/fat to weight ratio and can give you some extra energy to make it through some of the more grueling hikes.

You get a Nalgene. There are no other proper options. Seriously, plastic breaks my ass. Metal water bottles corrode in areas near dents. When you drop a metal bottle, it dents. When you drop a full Nalgene from 10 feet, it doesn't break.

If you want something that you can were on your back, you get a Camelbak.

This is not a hard question.

You should be a salesman. Direct and to the point with a hint of scaring the customer into buying the product ;)

You guys should buy an atv or dirtbike, then you wont have to worry about water so much. You dont get much air when waking.

Water bottle? Drink water directly from the river like a real man. Water bottles are for wussies.

Sold me somewhat, I ended up buying 2. Had to buy some accessories to make them what I wanted.


We have 1 ATV but because there aren't that many great places to ride it, we haven't been saving much for another. I have been trying to move into an acreage though so maybe that will offer a place to ride it.


I guess I am just too wussy for that. ;p
I am far from a survivalist at this point, we bring along all kinds of nifty things that make us wussies. Although, I think probably one of the most useful items is a good dependable cup, which a water bottle fills that role.

Personally I think I would rather lose the propane stove, pot/pans, dishes, silverwear, gps, and replace cell phone with satellite phone first.

just put a strap on the used liquor bottle and hang it on your shoulder cross body like.

Heh in all seriousness I do a lot of mountain biking so I know what you're saying. I just buy bottle water and use that. I usually have a backpack on so I just throw it in there. I always lose or break water bottles so I quit buying them :p.

When i go hunting (bowhunting) i carry my deer stand (grand old vision weighs 30 pounds), my bow/arrows, and my backpack. All told i am packing in about 60-70 pounds on my back (depending on how cold it is). When i used to be super hard core i once packed in 4.5 miles with 3 friends. We each only brought 2 liters of water each and a flashlight. We hunted till dark and met up at our rendezvous spot and sure enough, we were all out of water and thirsty, we all had our flash lights burned out (they must have gotten turned on in our packs) and we were pretty much up fluff creek. The only thing that saved us was seeing a camp site down along the river and those guys gave us each a MRE and an extra gallon of water and we slept (unprepared) around a camp fire. It was bad.

Now most of my hunts involve packing 60-70 pounds of gear in 1.5-2.5 miles each way. Plus, if i kill a deer i still have to pack out the meat. That can add an extra 40-60 pounds. So ya, i pack a lot of water and its worth it.


See, i can pack that crap in say 1.5 miles and out the same on only 2-3 liters of water. However, if anything goes wrong, i kill a deer, get hurt, get lost (never happened yet), or run into someone else in need it is critical to have the extra water. You must PLAN on things not going as planned or when they do go wrong you will be in the fluff.

BTW- other hard core trips include hiking 2 miles, crossing a river naked (water up to balls) and then getting dressed, going another 3/4ths of a mile to where i hunt and coming out with a deer the same way- In MID NOVEMBER. when it is freezing.

I have also (once and NEVER AGAIN) canoed a flooded river at night to float in and camp for a hunt the next day. I was alone and used only a powerful head lamp and a lantern in the front of the canoe. Again- mid December for this on a flooded river at night. It was the worst. The beach i was going to camp on was 5 feet under water. I swear i almost didn't make it. NVER CANOE on a flooded river night or day.

Always have some Garrity Power Lites stocked.

Nalgene for water and Petzl for light. Both are top-rated for a reason. Have fun.

The only way i hike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eBkmBnaEt4

I can see miles upon miles upon miles of view.You here me coming gtfo my trail... walkin fags, go back to 1779

I can see cornfields... Miles upon miles of corn fields.

Sand dunes are over rated for riding IMO>

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18032390

might want to switch back to milk. then you don't have to worry about which water bottle to buy or how you'll be carrying it. :-P

I try to stay hydrated by mammary glands whenever possible.

I've always used nalgene and camelbacks

I have a 1L camelbak, but i always take a couple 750ml gatorades as well as that on a day hike up a mountain (for 8-10 hours); more than that I put in a few extra. I find I require extra water much more than extra food as you extend the day; I almost always finish all the water I've taken, but rarely the food.


Also, anybody in the Alberta/Interior-BC/Montana region want to do some serious mountain hikes this summer?

In my overnight camping I take the largest of the camelbak sizes, two nalgenes, and a couple gatorades as well. Can't have too much water. And a Katadyn water filter system. Also granola/oats/raisins/peanuts for snack, tuna for most meals, and the jetboil french press is clutch for those cold mountain mornings.

I wish :/
No mountains here at all, really nothing of much interest. Some Lakes is the best hiking we have. Or little caves.

Sounds fun though.