After several years of ignoring the anti-BPA camp that claims Lexan type plastics should not be used (as in Nalgene water bottles and other Lexan eating gear), I started thinking about it more lately. I finally caved in after reading this article in Scientific American:
Just How Harmful Are Bisphenol-A Plastics?

I made the decision that its simply not worth risking the health of my family and bought them new water bottles ( REI Nalgene Everyday Wide-Mouth) and camping mess kits ( REI Chefware Table Set) - a plate/bowl/cup/knife/fork/spoon/bag set used when camping with the Scouts (Boy and Girl).

I'm not trying to start any political or social arguments ... I'm just saying I've found myself in the "what if they're right" camp.

I think avoiding BPA in things you use every day is okay. Good but not essential. But for containers that will only see use in an emergency and short term I'm not willing to make any great investment in changing things out.

It isn't like the alternatives don't often have issues. A few years back some spun aluminum cookware and bottles were found to have high levels of lead. Lead paste is used as a lubricant on the aluminum because it makes manufacturing easier.

I also suspect that new plastic with BPA leaches most of its BPA out in the first few uses and when used with hot liquids and materials are stored in it. Anyone who has used a new bottle and tasted the 'new plastic twang' knows what I'm talking about. I suspect that if you boil up some soapy water in the microwave and scrub it well, repeating it a few times, you might significantly reduce the amounts of BPA leached out. I do that anyway to avoid the new plastic taste.

Then again most of my plastic containers are polyurethane not Lexan but in time, as the various pieces of emergency gear break or need replacement, I will naturally lean toward BPA-free plastics.

I got some BPA free bottles for my kids, just in case, but will continue to be irresponsible and live dangerously with my own...

Yeah, I'm thinking of the kids more than myself. If it hasn't killed me yet I'm not worried about it.

I wasn't too worried about the bottles since my kids didn't put hot liquids in their Nalgene bottles, but then I started realizing that their mess kits were Lexan too, and those regularly hold hot food. I decided to get them new mess kits and figured that the $10 for a new BPA-free Nalgene bottle was worth the peace of mind.