Wildside

A few years back I was with a friend sorting through gear in a store room. Their eyes lit up when they came across a water bottle they thought they had lost some time previously. “My Nalgene!” my friend sang. I then started to notice a lot a my colleagues used Nalgene water bottles. It turns out the Nalgene water bottle has more to it than meets the eye. I don’t have shares in Nalgene and I do own other brands of water bottles, but more often that not I will reach for my Nalgene bottles.

Not all plastic water bottles are the same!

Nalgene water bottles are made from Triton plastic. They are BPA free and come from a company that specialises in laboratory containers. Indeed, the water bottle itself is derived from a container used to store pipettes (that explains the beaker-like design).

I cannot say I understand the science behind the Triton plastic, but I do know that the water bottles are strong. Really strong. I have dropped a Nalgene bottle down a 20m rock face and apart from a few scratches the bottle was fine. Since then I have taken to clipping my Nalgene onto my rucksack with a carabiner, the lid is connected to the bottle with a strap which is perfect to place a carabiner through.

From a cold water bottle to a hot water bottle

I now use a Nalgene bottle in preference to my old aluminium Sigg. I still use my old Sigg bottle and each dent reminds me of a past adventure (it has a lot of dents) but when wild camping I now prefer my Nalgene. I like the fact that I can immediately see how much water I have left. This enables me to both drink more and to think in advance about when I may have to filter more water when I am in wild country. It’s for this reason why I also prefer a Nalgene bottle over a hydration reservoir that sits inside my backpack.

One of the advantages Nalgene water bottles have over some others is that you can also put boiling water in it. Do not try this with any other make of water bottle! The plastic will not melt or split. That means you can then wrap a t-shirt or top around it and create a hot water bottle.

But its not just a water bottle

I’ve seen Nalgene water bottles used for things other than storing cold or hot water. Other water bottles can also be used for the following, but I now associate Nalgene water bottles with:

Storing repair tape. Most outdoor instructors will carry a repair or “duct” tape with them to use in first aid (strapping up an improvised splint) or other repairs (repairing ripped tent fabric or holding a loose sole on a walking boot). The wide body shape of the Nalgene allows repair tape to be wrapped around it easily.

Waterproof container. My colleagues who work in paddle sports use Nalgene bottles to hold valuables when out on the water. They keep contents dry and they float. The wide necks allow easy access.

Mood lighting. One of my personal favourites. Put some battery powered fairy lights inside and hang the bottle from a tree or leave outside your tent: great mood lighting for campsite evenings!

Photos from Nalgene

THE WILDSIDE BLOG