This is a 20+ Year Product Review

When I started backpacking there was no such thing as “specialized” water bottles. We just used canteens. At first heavy aluminum ones then these plastic ones below – all found at Army-Navy surplus stores for really cheap!

Today, we have so many specialized water bottles available to us, which is kind of crazy. Do we need to purchase hiking specific bottles just to walk, when we can get free ones?

If you do a search for “water bottles” on www.rei.com   the result lists 222 items!

So which is “best?” If you do a Google search for “backpacking water bottles” many of the search links will include “best backpacking water bottles.” 

Best is what works for you. For me, most of the time, best is a re-purposed (recycled) Gatorade bottle.

For several decades I used surplus plastic military canteens for my water bottles. They weighed 4.29 ounces and fit into the side pockets of my Kelty external frame backpacks. In the ‘80s I bought some Nalgene brand water bottles for winter use along with a couple Outdoor Research insulated carriers. This combination kept the water from freezing. I don’t remember how much they weighed, but it was more than my military canteens, I’m pretty sure they were over 5 ounces, may over 6. Contrary to what some bloggers report, what a Nalgene water bottle weighs really depends on the model. The bottle below weighs 6.25 ounces.

Some Nalgene bottles weigh much less, such as the ones below that have been available for years. I bought these about ten years ago to replace some older ones that had lasted over 20 years. These weigh 3.825 ounces on my scale and the Nalgene website states they weigh in at 3.75 ounces.

In the mid ‘90s I managed a service station. We upgraded the facility, adding a convenience store. It was my responsibility to set up the store and select the inventory. Although I had never drunk a sports drink, I added them because marketing research showed there was demand. One day someone left an empty 32 ounce Gatorade bottle on a counter. I picked it up to throw it away and noticed how light it was and also how sturdy the material seemed to be. Hmm… could this work as a backpacking bottle was my thought? Would it fit in my pack?

The answer was yes to everything and the bottle weighed less than 2 ounces – it was more than half the weight of my canteens.

Just so you know, the 32 ounce Gatorade bottle is almost the same dimensions as a one quart Nalgene. The difference in size is minuscule, with the Nalgene slightly narrower and taller.

Planning

I often see people asking what water bottle they should buy to fit a specific pack, because the pack they just bought doesn’t fit their favorite water bottle. Seems one would check first before making a purchase decision. When I bought my first Kelty backpack I checked to see if the canteens would fit – before I left the store. Of course, when you buy on the internet you can’t test things out, which is often one of the big deficiencies to online purchases.

A few years ago I bought two custom made backpacks from Dan McHale. When I asked about water bottle pockets, he suggested two that would fit 64 ounce Gatorade bottles, knowing I walk in deserts often. Gosh, I’m so happy I bought them!

Many hikers just use reuse the bottles when they purchase bottled water, such as the Aquafina brand water. These bottles are much stronger than one might think and work just fine. I prefer the sturdier Gatorade ones because I hike in places subject to sharp objects like cacti, catclaw, yuccas, etc.

I don’t always take the Gatorade bottles; sometimes I’ll use Platypus soft-sided bottles. Most often though, I’ll take a combination, one or two Gatorade bottles in my side pockets and Platypus ones to carry inside the pack – usually because I don’t need the extra capacity while walking – but need the extra water at my night camp. This way, I can roll-up the Platypus bottles to save space in my pack.

32 and 64 ounce Gatorade Bottle Extinction?

Because you cannot fit either of these larger bottles in most car and truck consoles, they don’t sell well in convenience stores. As a matter of fact you might find, like me, that convenience stores don’t sell the large bottles any more. If you go to the Gatorade website, you won’t find the 32 or 64 ounce bottles listed; only 20 ounce and smaller bottles. I suspect they are being phased out of production.

Just in case they will be discontinued, I went to my local supermarket and there were plenty of the larger bottles available and they were on sale. In fact, they were cheaper than 32 and 64 ounce bottles of water! So I bought a bunch. I don’t care much for the drinks themselves, but on really hot days here in the desert, I drink them occasionally.

Comparisons…

Pros

• Light
• Tough and Durable
• Slight Hour-Glass shape makes them easy to hold
• Wide top makes it easy to fill with water from lakes and streams
• FREE!

Cons

• You won’t look cool not sporting some brand-name backpacking-specific water bottle

That’s a wrap. Next time I’ll do a review of the Platypus soft-sided water bottle. I’ve been using them for over 10 years now, so that should be enough time in service to be objective. Platypus water bottle review now posted.

Disclosure: I paid nothing for these bottles, they were free. However I did purchase the Gatorade sports drink contained inside the free bottles and I drank the contents of the bottle myself without assistance, supervision, or influence from any person, living or dead, nor from any company, corporation, or organization. The opinions expressed herein are mine without any renumeration from anyone, and I have no relationship with Gatorade or its representatives. Just wanted to state the facts because that is what most people do.