Just a quick heads up; Woot is selling the Maxpedition 12 x 5 water bottle holder for $25 right now. I have a couple of these and really like them. If you know Maxpedition you know how bombproof their stuff is and how well made. A quick Google search failed to turn up anywhere else that has them for much under $45...IIRC I paid $40 for mine a few years ago.

No affiliation with Woot beyond being an admitted Woot junkie! Pretty good deal if you a use for one.

I like Woot as well. This is a decent deal. Thanks Phaedrus!

I'm trying to decide if I should get another one! I really don't need it but who couldn't use just one more kit...

I broke down and bought one.

I received it but have a question.

What is the purpose of the various patches of velcro? Wouldn't anything that is velcro'ed on simply get pulled off?

What is the convention on which side has the fuzz and which side gets the hooks in using velcro.

I liked these as they are longer and hold my 48 oz (1.5.L) bottles.

The velcro is evidently for attaching patches, in case you either like wearing cool guy patches or need to mark the container in some way. The piece that gets washed usually gets the fuzzy pile, while the patch that is removable gets the loops.

Moral patches, or maybe a name patch. How do you like it? I have one in black that I use for a hiking surival kit. I keep my stripped-and-repackaged Ritter AMK PSP in the pouch, a small multitool, chlorine dioxide tablets and some extra fire gear and an AMK Heatsheets blanket all in the large pocket. I keep an SOG Field Pup MOLLE'd into the PALS webbing. Inside the bag I keep two cups nested with a large SS water bottle, with a couple of paint filters for removing sediment.

I wound up passing on the deal at Woot simply because I already have one of that same bag plus two CountyComm Hyrdrant bags. Very similar but roomy enough for a pair of 1 L bottles. Sadly I see that bag from CC has been discontinued. Pity, very cool product.

OK. I get it. From where I stand, the velcro serves no practical purpose. It adds complexity and cost without benefit.

I bought it when I read that it could fit my 70-200mm lens. Currently, I am using the stock lense case modified to fit on a milsurplus load bearing belt. I like this solution MUCH better.

Phaedrus, I have carried the normal sizes for quite some time to give increased water carrying capabilities to packs and bags. These have rings for a shoulder strap to allow carry by itself, which is useful at times. I recently purchased some 1.5 liter Nalgene bottles which are too long to fit in the normal size bags. I also have a Fifty/Fifty stainless steel insulated bottle which is longer than normal as well. I was hiking in Death Valley and my lexan Nalgene bottles were getting so hot that the water was almost undrinkable when they were carried in the mesh pockets on my backpack. The bottle containers help to keep the water insulated and cool. I found that my single wall stainless Nalgene bottles also stayed much cooler and drinkable even in direct sunlight.

Yee, you are correct that the velcro serves little practical purpose other than marking in some way. It can be removed easily enough.

Get one of the Velcro backed business card holders, insert a few cards, and stick that to on top. It's a great bag for a 70-200,snug fit, well padded, and it doesn't look like a normal lens/camera bag with a $2K lens in it.

I agree.

My camera bag is a Northface Basecamp duffel that looks like it should hold smelly sweatpants. I don't use the stock LABELLED shoulder strap. I carry my equipment using mil-surplus load bearing belt and my strap for my tripod is paracord wound up in a ranger-sling.

Other than the camera equipment itself [nothing I can do about that!], the only thing that comes from a camera store is a small bag used to carry the flash. Everything else looks like JUNK.

Haven't tried a load bearing belt. Like the modularity of using several smaller bags and just toting what I think I would need. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as the perfect camera bag, for my carry the camera, two lenses, and a flash, together bag I use one of the Crumpler multi-million bags in what they call snot green. It draws attention but for some reason doesn't stand out like a camera bag.

You are right about the camera gear standing out, but sometimes it can be a good thing and you can use it to your advantage.

My black Max 12"x5" bag is set up with a padded shoulder strap. The Maxpedition strap is okay but I had a nice padded one from a laptop bag that got trashed. Makes it pretty easy to carry all day.

For me, the belt works well for camera equipment. Canteen on right. 70-200 on left. flash back left. [belt has room for additional lens/flash or two]

Camera sling on front right (speedcarry) with 28-70. Lense cap/extra battery/memory card in compass pouch upper left chest.

Tripod with paracord set up as ranger sling on back extending from upper back on right to lower back on left. Tripod head facing down.

The camera strap is worn first then the tripod so that I can remove the tripod without disturbing the camera strap.

When I am not carrying it directly, the camera goes in its own case. Everything except the tripod is in its own padded case and everything is thrown in the non-descript Northface basecamp duffel. The tripod is usually inside the duffel but can be attached to the outside with carabiners.

My dad used to work at a hospital. He'd bring home styrofoam coolers with biohazard stickers on them, that had been used for transporting organs and tissue. I used those coolers to keep cameras and film in my car, insulated from the heat...never lost a one...wonderful camouflage.

$25 to hold a $2 water bottle?

The bag is big enough to hold a fifth of wine or a 77mm lens up to 12 inches in length.

A good source for a similar container is Omaha Steaks. It's a couple of inches thick on all six sides.

It is to hold a 48 ounce Nalgene bottle, not a $2 water bottle. Those things don't fit in just any carrier. I try to maximize my ability to carry water. I also need to insulate my water in extremely hot environments. These carriers can attach to various backpacks and are easier to use in the field than water bladders like Camelbaks.

Not only does it hold a water bottle, it holds lots of other stuff too. It's got panels of PALS webbing, a loop field for patches and a good sized pocket on the front. I use mine to carry a bottle, water sanitization stuff, a good knife, fire gear, a HeatSheets blanket and my Ritter PSP. It's much more than a bottle carrier, it's a system.

Interesting comment. The price of the canteen is quite irrelevant. What is of concern is the value of the water. On occasion, water may be common, or even overabundant (like the recent burst water main at UCLA), but all too often in n outdoor setting, especially in the western US, the amount of water a person can access will determine life or death. Twenty five bucks spent on a carrier that is an organized system (good point, phaedrus!) is money well spent.

Many of my water containers are much cheaper than $2 since they are recycled plastic bottles. However, the liquid they contain is more precious than rubies or gold.

Ever been so thirsty that you were trying to catch raindrops on your tongue from an approaching storm? In a situation like that the value of a quart of water soars....

Just bumping this up because Woot.com got in another batch. Two more days to get one if you want one!