Tag: water bottle

Hydro Flask 24 oz Insulated Bottle Review
Hydro Flask 24 oz Overview

I put the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle, a flagship model, to the test over months of use. This version has a grippy swinging handle lid, 24 ounces of liquid capacity, and a slim design that fits in cup holders and backpack pockets. The bottle claims 24 hours of icy cold and up to 12 hours of hot, and I know this is the stat everyone cares about. It met the mark for hot and went well beyond for cold.

When it comes to insulated water bottles, there is one company you’ll see just about everywhere: Hydro Flask. The smiling, jumping-jack individual with spiky hair (yes, I just described the logo) has become a commonplace sight at work, on bikes, in the woods, and everywhere in between. This is due to reliable bottles, elegant design, and some stellar marketing.

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Due to how well-designed and simple these bottles are, as well as the quality of their insulation, we have awarded the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle our Classic Pick for the Day Hiker and Urban Hiker.

Read the full review of the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle below.
Hydro Flask 24 oz Overview
Hydro Flask 24 oz Specifications
Gear Review of the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle
Where to Buy Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle
Hydro Flask 24 oz Specifications
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Gear Review of the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

There were plenty of normal days where I carried the Standard Mouth bottle around, from hikes to working in coffee shops to long car trips. It never leaked, which is really the most one can ask for day-to-day use, and was always a pleasure to use.

The real test, though, was when I took the Standard Mouth to the Yucatan during my honeymoon; it had big, icy shoes to fill in a sticky hot climate. I made it a routine of grabbing an ice-cold bottle of water from a supermarket and immediately emptying it into the Standard Mouth. This assured my water would stay cold, and a cold sip on a hot day of ruin climbing is most excellent.

The Standard Mouth, basking in sunshine.

The moment I knew this was the bottle was as I drank that icy cold water on top of the Coba ruins, an hour from the coastal town of Tulum, deep in the jungle. We had been in the park for hours, biking to see remnants of Mayan architecture. Coba (as of 2017) is the last major Mayan ruin with a many-staired structure you can climb on. The 120 stairs are tall, spaced very close together, and provide a sort of vertigo experience as you get above the treeline.

After climbing the stairs.

At the top of this climb, during the heat of the day, I uncapped the Standard Mouth and drank ice-cold water. Can you beat it? No.

Sometimes water bottles like alone time after a stair climb.

Digging Deeper

Lid

The Standard Mouth’s lid comes with the “Standard Mouth Flex Cap”. A good lid can go a long way to make a bottle, and this one is excellent. Hydro Flask uses a rugged yet soft plastic loop for easy carrying, and it’s the right level of bendable yet firm. The handle also rotates completely, allowing for stow-away storage when you’re not carrying it with your fingers.

The lid takes an extra twist to fully seal, but it’s worth it.

The twist part of the lid is easy, but make sure you screw it all the way in. This lid takes that extra crank for a true seal, and while I’ve gotten used to it, I was surprised it took so many twists at first. If you do seal it fully, it won’t leak.

Lastly, despite being a “standard” sized mouth, you can still fit ice cubes in this thing. That is truly the best of both worlds to me, and any insulated bottle that can’t fit ice cubes has a major flaw.

Insulated bottles must fit ice, and the Standard Mouth has no issue.

Durability

Insulated stainless steel water bottles have a historical issue of denting due to a vacuum between the outer and inner walls. Somehow, Hydro Flask has thwarted the majority of this issue. In general, I am careful with my gear, but for testing, I threw this bottle around. It does not have a dent, scratch, or ding.

Form Factor

The form factor of the 24 oz Standard Mouth is long, tall, and sleek. It’s easy to grip for any size hands, fits anywhere, and is easy to stash away. Yet it’s also substantial enough that I never lost it, or felt like it was hard to find in a bag crammed with gear.

Easy to grip, simple to store.

Insulation

As I said above, the claimed insulation times by Hydro Flask for the 24 oz Standard Mouth are 24 hours for cold, 12 hours for hot. I tested both of these the way any normal person would, using a smartphone timer.

Hot: I boiled 24 ounces of water and poured it into the Standard Mouth. Every couple of hours, I took off the lid, noticed the rising steam, poured a tiny fraction of water into another cup, and took a sip. Yup, still scalding hot. It was slightly cooler by the 12th hour, but not by much. I was seriously impressed.

Note that the water bottle stayed mostly full during this time, which helps it retain heat. If I had filled it halfway with scalding water, it would likely not last the full 12 hours. So if you’re actually drinking your liquid during this time (rather than letting it sit on purpose), don’t expect quite as good results. Tested at about 70 feet elevation in 65-degree weather.

Cold: My second test was done during a road trip from Ventura to Petaluma, California. I filled the 24-oz Standard Mouth to the brim with ice cubes, filled it with water, and set the timer. I threw it in the car and let it sit for 24 hours. Actually, truthfully, I forgot about it because I was road-tripping. At the 30 hour mark on my phone I cried, “Oh, crap!” and ran to the car to check. The cubes were still whole, and the water was way too cold for me to drink (I prefer room temperature). So, yes, it more than passed.

Insulation matters a lot to people, and the Standard Mouth performed incredibly well.

Grievances

Ah, grievances. I’m a gear snob, and a water bottle snob, yet if I’m honest, I can’t find much wrong with this bottle. It looks good, feels good, has a great lid, and no real issues to speak of. Even the brushed coat of paint has a bit of texture for gripping.

The one thing I did notice, 24 ounces isn’t enough water for me. I’m a hardcore hydrator and typically carry a 32-ounce Wide Mouth Nalgene with me at all times. The 24-ounce capacity of this bottle would have only been improved if it were actually a 32-ounce water bottle.

Guess what? Hydro Flask makes one of those! It’s the other most popular bottle by the brand, the Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle. Now, a wide mouth means a wide body, which also means it won’t fit in cup holders and is bulkier overall. Most hikers want a slimmer bottle, and will be fine with the 24-ounce capacity of the bottle I tested.

The cream of the crop for me would be a 32-ounce Standard Mouth bottle. Maybe Hydro Flask will make one someday.

Final Word

Cold for days, hot for hours, and easy to handle. You know what you’re getting when you reach for the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Bottle – the best.

Where to Buy Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle

We tested the Hydro Flask 24 oz Standard Mouth Insulated Bottle in green with the Standard Flex Cap. This is the size and lid usually available in stores and online. Hydro Flask offers the Standard Mouth form factor in 12 oz, 18 oz, and 21 oz sizes, we like 24 oz the most because we prefer large drinks!

Hydro Flask also has a Wide Mouth series, which is very popular, and which we recommend if you want more water and a wider mouth. The Hydro Flask 32 oz Wide Mouth Insulated Bottle is your best bet for that.

Backpackers.com Affiliate Policy: This guide contains affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase the gear, we get a commission, and this goes a long way to creating guides, gear reviews, and other excellent content.
January 23, 2018
MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle Review

MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle Overview

Some like it hot. Some like it cold. Get the best of both worlds with the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle. Designed with altruism at its core, MiiR is a quality brand that demonstrates the fine intersection of design and functionality. This sleek bottle is an affordable insulated stainless steel option that contends with others in its class. It has a simple, bold lid, keeps your drinks hot and cold (as advertised), and slips neatly into nearly any pack or purse.

Due to the form factor and cost, we’ve awarded the MiiR Vacuum Insulated bottle our Budget Pick for Urban Hikers.

Keep your tea hot while trekking the concrete jungle (or cold when traversing an actual jungle) and read the full MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle review below.

Vacuum Insulated Bottle Specifications
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Gear Review of the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

My favorite thing about backpacking, hiking, or any kind of nature activity is the absence of manmade structures, capitalistic businesses, and droves of people. Yet there are some comforts that a city provides. When my friends and I hike, we joke about wanting hot coffee at the top of a hill, laughing at the idea of a Starbucks on top of a mountain in the wilderness. Bringing a disposable cup on a hike is not practical and the overall damage to the environment, so oftentimes, hot liquids are simply not carried on the trail.

The MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle.

On my way to wander Mount Rainier National Park I made a pit stop for some good old-fashioned battery acid courtesy of Starbucks (hey, it is local, I’m in Seattle!). The MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle easily transitioned from being a cup-holder-friendly water bottle to a hand-holding coffee bottle.

Later that day, on the peak under hail, I sipped piping hot coffee. Dreams do come true, I guess.

Drinking hot coffee at the top of the mountain.

Digging Deeper

Lid

While on the windy drive to Paradise, I hastily tightened the cap on the lid and tossed it into my passenger seat. As I tuned the radio, I had that “Oh snap!” moment and reached over to see if the bottle had leaked puddles of dark liquid onto my white seats. It had not. No spills, no leaks, no need to panic.

The Perfect Seal lid (named by MiiR), really does create a perfect seal. This thing does not leak.

The lid, while also being crafted with leak-proofness, is a large triangular shape that’s super easy to hold. This makes it easy to transport, dare I say easier to transport than its competitors? I do.

The lid is triangular in shape and refuses to leak. Also great for hanging onto things.

Durability

I am a believer in stainless steel because stainless steel is a believer in me. Through many drops, bangs, and crashes, the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle withstood my torment (a.k.a. butter fingers) and has yet to really falter.

A bottle that can handle a few falls.

I will note that after taking a dive into rough, wet, mossy concrete and rolling down a small hill, the bottle earned a few scrapes and tiny dents (like really tiny).

Form Factor

The MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle is tall and slender, which means it’s an easy bottle to stash in a gym bag, leave in a cup holder, and tote while hiking. The bottle is also lightweight, which, when compared to other insulated stainless bottles, is a big (or light?) deal.

On my hike up to Camp Muir, I stashed the bottle in the exterior open pocket in my day hike pack. It was easily accessible, as well as convenient to carry towards the top of the climb while wearing gloves in the midst of a hailstorm.

The lid is easy to use with gloves, and the bottle is grippable no matter what.

Initially, I was not into the shape of the bottle. I’ve always preferred my stainless steel cup, the one that looks like a glorified red party cup, sometimes known as a tumbler. However, after using the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle in my daily adventures, the form factor grew on me. It is convenient to close the bottle completely, and it eliminates the necessity of straws. And straws are causing a lot of problems.

Hey there, good lookin’.

Insulation

Tired, cold, and in need of a warm cup of joe.

As I approached roughly 8,200 feet, the skies were obliterated by clouds, hail flew at me from all directions, and I concluded the ascent of my hike. The trail was consumed by snow fields. What’s a girl to do? I opened up the MiiR bottle, filled with hot Americano, and laughed to myself as I sipped Starbucks, alone and content, in the middle of a hailstorm with less than ten feet of visibility

In contrast, while on a visit to Ventura, California, the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle was the perfect iced coffee container. After buying an iced coffee at 5 p.m. (a terrible idea in retrospect), I refrained from finishing my drink because, well, I wanted to sleep that night! The next morning, I rediscovered the bottle, which was still filled with iced coffee and clinking ice cubes.

The manufacturer claims 12 hours of hot or 24 hours of cold. I can definitely say that this is possible if under the right scientific circumstances. When the bottle is full and sealed, the liquid can stay hot or cold. The fullness is key. Let’s say you get just two shots of hot espresso, and they sit at the bottom alone; they will cool down much faster. When put to the test, this bottle performs, but let’s face it, in real life, you rarely wait 12 hours to drink your coffee, or 24-plus hours to finish a cold beverage. Every time I wanted my hot or cold liquid, hours later, it was ready for me.

The coffee was hot after this, too.

Grievances

The MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle has definitely been a game-changer for me, and is my go-to choice for hot and cold liquids these days.

My only concern is that the exterior of the bottle, while not changing temperature based on the inside liquid, is freakin’ cold when it is cold out. Like brrr, going to freeze my fingers off, cold. This can be avoided by not touching the bottle directly during the cold temperatures, of course, but having gloves on at all times isn’t very practical.

This makes for an ironic moment of drinking lovely, warm liquids while also freezing off your hands. Note that while some other insulated stainless steel bottles do this, it seems particularly bad on this MiiR bottle.

Final Word

The MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle is my new go-to. It’s capable of keeping things hot, yet also able to maintain the chill. Break up with disposable coffee mugs and plastic water bottles already, get insulated!

Where to Buy MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle

We tested the MiiR Vacuum Insulated Bottle. There is only one size and kind currently at MiiR, and we like it a lot. MiiR also offers Wide Mouth insulated bottles, and while they work great, we don’t love the sizes offered (12, 20, and 40-ounce).

Backpackers.com Affiliate Policy: This guide contains affiliate links, which help fund our website at no extra cost to you. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission, and this directly supports the creation of our gear reviews, guides, and other outdoor content. Learn more about our affiliate policy here.

December 30, 2017
Polar Bottle Insulated Sport Review
Polar Bottle Insulated Overview

Let’s be honest. Most of us can get all geeked out about the baffle construction of our sleeping bags or the brightness-to-weight ratio of our headlamps, but how many times have you stopped to think about your insulated water bottles? If you answered “Um…never,” then you are in the same boat as I was. However, this is small thinking, my friends. We must be better than this! Water is perhaps the single most important element of a safe and enjoyable jaunt into the wilderness.

We don’t need much. But we do require a container that doesn’t leak, doesn’t break, fits easily in a pack, and keeps liquids at a temperature of our choosing.

As luck would have it, the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport checks all these boxes, and with a surprisingly low cost, it’s our Budget Pick Insulated Water Bottle for the Day Hiker.

While we also tested this bottle for backpacking, in the end, we don’t think backpackers really need insulated water bottles. You probably have a mug for hot cocoa at night and a regular water bottle or bladder for trail hydration. But for those of you who are active frequently and want a lightweight water bottle with some insulating powers (nowhere near a stainless steel water bottle), by all means, consider this a great option.
Polar Bottle Insulated Overview
Polar Bottle Insulated Sport Specifications
Gear Review of the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport
Where to Buy the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport
Polar Bottle Insulated Sport Specifications
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Gear Review of the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

I used the Polar Bottle on multiple day hikes in the hills above Sacramento, on an overnight backcountry trip in Tahoe, and once while trail running. While I was impressed by this bottle in many ways, two things really stuck out.

First, it doesn’t leak. That is exceedingly rare in my experience, which is quite extensive as a competitive trail runner and extreme backpacker, and I very much appreciated not having a constant dribble of water saturating my shirt and my pack. Major props to Polar.

On a trail run with the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport. No leaks make for a happy hike.

Second, the removable CarryLoops are awesome! It seemed a bit gimmicky to me at first, but it was great being able to clip the bottle to my pack with a carabiner or to run a strap through it.

The CarryLoop on the bottle was surprisingly handy.

Digging Deeper

Lid

I tested the fancy Zipstream High Flow cap and the regular sports bottle cap. The pictures you see here are the normal cap, the fancy one is red, and has a self-sealing valve designed for on-the-go drinking. That sounds a little like marketing speak to me (and it is), but it didn’t leak and I was able to get large mouthfuls of water on the go, exactly as claimed. The regular lid worked as well as every other sports bottle cap, and didn’t leak, either.

The lid screws off completely for ice, too.

The regular lid on the Polar Bottle Insulated. Screws off for ice.

Durability

This thing is designed for the road. It’s made of tough but flexible plastic, so it’s virtually crush-proof. If you took a sharp knife to it, you could destroy it (if I got a nickel for every time I said that…), but it won’t dent like a metal bottle.

Form Factor

I was impressed with the comfort and feel of the Polar insulated bottle. It has grooves in all the right places and conforms to the hand nicely. I tested the 24-ounce version, and the capacity of water while on the move felt just right.

Long, fairly narrow, easy to grip, and has cool insulating foil on the inside that makes it look cool.

Insulation

I like room temperature water when drinking from a standard water bottle, and the Polar Bottle is more like a normal bottle with a bit of insulation. In an effort to really test this bottle, I filled it with ice cubes a few times, as well as boiling water once.

Cold: While the water stayed cold for about two hours, the ice melted in less than an hour. Polar uses a foil layer to insulate, and it’s specifically designed for cold. It generally claims to keep your cold water colder for “twice as long”, and I’d say that’s true. But don’t expect ice cubes the next day.

Hot: The water remained hot inside the bottle for two hours, and warm for another hour after that. The same foil technology works for insulating warm water, but Polar does not claim that this bottle is meant to insulate hot water. It can do it, but it is not really meant for that.

Note: When you put boiling water in the Polar Bottle, the bottle itself may change shape a bit (not permanently). Don’t freak out when this happens, but also steer clear of extremely hot liquids in this thing.

Grievances

No real grievances for a lightly insulated bottle that is easy to drink from and doesn’t leak — just some commentary.

I find this bottle a little heavy for backcountry activities. I generally like to use Gatorade bottles or regular plastic water bottles when I’m on walkabout, and to me the insulation isn’t worth the extra weight. I’m typically an Ultralight Backpacker, and have a small cup that is my pot and mug, so I drink hot liquids when at camp. I also don’t need my backcountry water to get any colder, and would never have access to ice.

So, I would say great bottle, but not my first choice if I’m going light in the backcountry. And only meant for backpackers who want a lightweight insulated bottle, rather than bringing a big stainless steel one. A day hike, trail run, or bike ride is where this bottle shines.

Final Word

The Polar Bottle Insulated Sport is durable, comfortable to use, easy to carry, and refreshingly leak-free, all with light insulation that works as claimed. Polar just does a bottle right.

Where to Buy the Polar Bottle Insulated Sport

We tested the 24-ounce Polar Bottle Insulated Sport in the Artist Series colorway. Polar Bottle, that’s the full name of the company, offers these bottles in tons of different designs, but their construction and features are all roughly the same. You can get them in 12- or 20-ounce versions, but we like the 24-ounce version for full hydration.

The bottles come with the regular cap, but you can upgrade to the Zipstream High Flow cap for $3. If you really value your drinking speed, go for it; otherwise, the regular cap works well.

Backpackers.com Affiliate Policy: This guide contains affiliate links, which help fund our website at no extra cost to you. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission, and this directly supports the creation of our gear reviews, guides, and other outdoor content. Learn more about our affiliate policy here.
December 27, 2017
Platypus SoftBottle Review: Ultralight Hydration for Hikers
Platypus SoftBottle Overview

The Platypus SoftBottle is about as lightweight as a water bottle can get; it attaches to popular ultralight water filters and is as reliable as a soft bottle can be.

There is an endless array of water-carrying devices on the market, everything from old-fashioned canteens to high-tech hydration packs. As the ultralight mindset has become more mainstream among today’s modern backpackers, these products have had to slim down to meet the needs of the lightweight adventurer.

Platypus has been making water bottles for over 20 years, and in that time, the company has refined its designs to be leaner, stronger, and more versatile.

For these reasons and more, we’re awarding the Platypus SoftBottle as our Classic Pick for the Ultralight Backpacker.
Platypus SoftBottle Overview
Platypus SoftBottle Specifications
Gear Review of the Platypus SoftBottle
Where to Buy Platypus SoftBottle
Platypus SoftBottle Specifications
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Gear Review of the Platypus SoftBottle

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

My appreciation for the Platypus SoftBottle has culminated over many adventures. I’ve used Platypus’ collapsible water bottles for years, rarely sparing a thought for them because they’ve simply done what they were supposed to do.

The Platypus SoftBottle chilling with water.

On long backpacking trips, I’ve carried several, cramming them deep within the darkest corners of my backpack, filling the spaces between my food bag and dirty socks. They’d always fit in somewhere, whether full or empty. The most I’ve ever hauled was seven liters of water across a dry 45-mile stretch of the Mojave Desert, and those SoftBottles sure were easier to pack than a bunch of hard plastic bottles would have been.

On my latest venture, I filled my SoftBottles and took them into the Panamint Mountain Range of Eastern California, where I had the opportunity to compare the classic 1L Platypus SoftBottle to the new 1L DuoLock SoftBottle.

The regular Platypus SoftBottle and the DuoLock in the Panamint Mountain Range.

A quick note on the DuoLock: it’s more useful than I had expected it to be, especially the attached carabiner clip that doubles as a handle. It made the bottle much easier to use as an actual bottle rather than just like a water storage bladder, which I tend to use the original SoftBottles for.

The DuoLock functions better as a true water bottle than the original SoftBottle due to the carabiner clip and double lid. However, it weighs more and doesn’t thread with water filters.

Ultimately, the original Platypus SoftBottle won me over because of its simplicity and lighter weight. I’d recommend the DuoLock for an average day hiker, but if you’re going ultralight, there’s no beating the Platypus SoftBottle, especially if you’re already using the Sawyer MINI or Squeeze, as the DuoLock doesn’t have threads for those filters. The original SoftBottles are better than any other bottle I’ve ever used for lightweight water storage and drinking.

Digging Deeper

Lid

Twist on, twist off. The lid is sturdy, tight, and the universally common threading will fit with small-mouthed water filtration systems. Its mouth is wide enough to pour liquid into and is comfortable for drinking, but not large enough for ice.

Durability

The Platypus SoftBottle’s plastic is capable of withstanding the typical drops and scrapes that every water bottle on a backpacking trip tends to go through. That means no plastic surgery required! I haven’t tested this specific bottle’s durability extensively, but my larger 2L SoftBottles have lasted me for literally thousands of miles and dozens of spills.

That said, it’s called “Soft” Bottle for a reason. This is not a Nalgene or stainless steel bottle, and won’t stand up to a skewering.

Form Factor

The Platypus SoftBottle rolls up like a little taquito when empty. You can stuff that baby anywhere. As for when it’s filled with water? Well, that’s the beauty of a collapsible bottle. It’ll slide into any nook or cranny large enough to hold the water within.

The “soft” in SoftBottle means it’s collapsible.

Drinkability

My favorite part of the Platypus SoftBottle is what I like to call the “chug factor” (trademark pending). The bottle’s mouth is wide enough for a good flow, and since it’s collapsible, it’ll shrink as you swig, allowing you to down the whole bottle in one go. Pro-tip: if you have decent access to water and feel dehydrated, chug it all in one go. You won’t have to carry that weight!

Grievances

This is less of a grievance with the product (which I think works perfectly well for what it is) and more of a reminder to use it as intended. I’ve busted open a couple of these bottles on the seam below the threading when squeezing the life out of them to filter water through my Sawyer Squeeze. Using a Sawyer filter with a Platypus SoftBottle is common for thru-hikers, so be forewarned.

The SoftBottle was not technically designed to be used for this purpose, so it’s not at fault, but I wanted to let you know before you popped a Platypus.

Final Word

The Platypus SoftBottle is a lightweight and flexible water bottle that will fit just about anywhere you can shove it, and it connects to standard small-thread water filters. What are you waiting for?

Where to Buy Platypus SoftBottle

We tested the Platypus SoftBottle 1L, which is the largest size they make in this form factor. It’s also offered in a .5L — we like the larger one because the weight is not that much more, and you can haul a lot more water.

Platypus has also recently released the DuoLock SoftBottle. We tested this as well, and while it’s a great bottle, we still like the original SoftBottle for ultralight backpacking. The DuoLock has a carabiner clip for hanging, a locking opening to drink from, and a screw-off opening for easy filling. All of these are good features and work surprisingly well. If you don’t plan to use the SoftBottle with a water filter or want a more feature-filled water bottle that weighs a bit more, consider the DuoLock.

Backpackers.com Affiliate Policy: This guide contains affiliate links, which help fund our website at no extra cost to you. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission, and this directly supports the creation of our gear reviews, guides, and other outdoor content. Learn more about our affiliate policy here.
December 15, 2017
Glaceau Smartwater Bottle Review: Trail-Tested Simplicity
Glaceau Smartwater Bottle Overview

Water has forever been our lifeblood. But it’s also our leash, tethering humanity to its flow, keeping our pioneers from venturing into the wild unknowns of the world. Over many millennia, our brightest minds have worked out new ways to carry water across long distances: everything from animal bladders to woven plant matter to pottery. Human ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.

Modern-day explorers are fortunate to live in a time when one of the best water-carrying devices to have ever existed is stocked by the pallet upon grocery store shelves, and it usually costs a buck or two. That’s right, I’m talking about the Smartwater Bottle, brought to you by Glaceau. Don’t roll your eyes — you know the one.

Smartwater bottles are cheap, durable, featherlight, and fit into just about any water bottle pocket on any backpack. You can find them almost anywhere, and they come with water inside!

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For these reasons, we’re awarding the Glaceau Smartwater Bottle our Budget Pick award for the Ultralight Backpacker.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. A disposable, $1 water bottle as an award-winning product? The reality is that many folks on the trail, especially thru-hikers and weight-conscious backpackers, use a Smartwater Bottle. Our goal is to tell you what works in the wild, and this water bottle does the trick.
Glaceau Smartwater Bottle Overview
Smartwater Bottle 1L Specifications
Gear Review of the Glaceau Smartwater Bottle
Where to Buy a Glaceau Smartwater Bottle
Smartwater Bottle 1L Specifications
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Gear Review of the Glaceau Smartwater Bottle

Revelation: The Moment I Knew

The Smartwater Bottle has been my backpacking water bottle of choice for years. That said, I only used it for drinking clean water until one day on the trail, I learned it could help me filter dirty water as well.

Smartwater Bottles look good on the trail.

When I first started using the Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system, I quickly broke through a number of Sawyer and Platypus water bladders. The seams at the neck would always pop. Those plastic pouches are no match for my super-strong squeezing muscles, apparently.

One day, upon hearing my frustrations, a passing hiker told me to try screwing a Smartwater Bottle into the other end of my water filter. Then simply “squeeze” the dirty water through.

Sawyer Squeeze plus Smatwater Bottle equals thru-hiker heaven.

And it worked! I was done destroying bladders from that day forward. Now, anytime you catch me out in the wild,s I’ve got one “dirty water” Smartwater Bottle and one clean one. Double fisting, as the kids say.

The “dirty” Smartwater Bottle sits in my backpack pocket as such, with the Squeeze attached and ready to filter.

Digging Deeper

Lid

The lid is the universal “small” size for disposable water bottles. The threads are the same as most other disposable bottles, and work specifically with the Sawyer Squeeze or Sawyer MINI filters and other, larger filters with water bottle adaptors.

The Smartwater Bottle lid is classic for most disposable water bottles. Tiny, which is great for drinking. These threads are also the “universal” ones that fit with a lot of different water filters.

The lid screws down tight onto the Smartwater Bottle ensuring a good seal, even after a lot of use. That said, it’s small, doesn’t attach automatically, and is therefore easy to misplace or drop down a cliff, so be conscious of that.

Durability

Smartwater Bottles can take a beating. I’ve dropped them on rocks and squeezed the hell out of them when filtering with the Sawyer Squeeze. The bottle will get crinkled and scarred, but I’ve never had one leak on me, and there have been times when I used the same bottles for months at a time on thru-hikes.

About a thousand squeezes in, a Smartwater Bottle is still going strong.

Form Factor

This bottle is a little longer and thinner than your average one-liter water or soda bottle. It fits well in every backpack side pocket I’ve ever used, and its length just makes it that much easier to grab. Your hand comfortably wraps around it, unlike those chunky Gatorade bottles or more burly water bottles.

Easy to store and hold.

Drinkability

Flows well and simply out of the small lid. The best part is that you can squeeze the bottle and gush cool water all over your face on a hot day. Ahh…!

Grievances

What about the penguins?

The only real downside is that it’s a disposable bottle, and you will eventually toss it to grab a new one at the next town or before your next trip (because it comes with free water, so why not?). Recycling is usually an option in trail towns, but not always, and even if you do recycle the bottle, who knows where it will really end up.

Final Word

The pinnacle of human engineering? Perhaps. The Glacaeu Smartwater Bottle can hold its own against any outdoor water bottle on the market, and it costs as much as that candy bar you were going to grab anyway. If you need a water bottle, just buy it.

Where to Buy a Glaceau Smartwater Bottle

We know, this is a unique and surprising review, but the reality is it’s an amazing piece of backpacking gear. You probably know what a Smartwater Bottle is and where to get one. In case you don’t, go to almost any gas station, roadside stop with a refrigerated section, or grocery store in the U.S., and you’ll find them. You can also buy in bulk.

A Glaceau Smartwater Bottle typically costs about $1. If you want to buy them in bulk, you can below.

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October 24, 2017