It may be the import tax costs or simply the stingy-student within me that made me resort to a, umm... "generic" hydration system - the simple medical-drip.

As my dad is a docter, I have acces to 1 and 3 litre saline drips. they are really tough (they are, of course, medical equipment designed to save lives!), durable, cheap (in my case at least) and more convenient that a bottle.

Downside - Takes several minutes to fill. thats no hasle unless you are in a rush (i uasually am not). the tube takes a bit of time to get used to for drinking as it is quite thin.

This system works well for me. I have used it for about 3 years with no failures.

Oh, and another use: When we went on a river-rafting holiday, we were told at the base camp that no glass bottles were allowed on the river. so what do you with your wine and vodka? go figure...