Stainless water bottles and kit

Ok, third time trying to post this...either the "post first playoff Canuck celebration" is affecting me... or it is just the way my day went.

I went down to MEC today(Canada's version of REI) to buy a stainless bottle to build a kit into or around. Some of this has been covered in previous posts so please bear with me...

ARRGGHH!!!

The only bottle(lids excluded) that was all steel was the Nalgene (Guyot designed?) version. The down side of this was that the threading on it seems to be a new thread pitch that does not meet what seems to be the industry standard, of the old 63mm nalgene threading.

There were, however, several stainless bottles that would fit the "standard" thread pitch but all used either an insert or plastic collar that the cap threaded on to.

So I ended up with the low cost GSI stainless bottle with the plastic threaded collar. My thoughts being, that if I had to resort to throwing the bottle in the fire to cook or purify water, my plans have gone far enough astray that i can cut or burn off the collar.

I guess i should have bought the wide mouth Kleen canteen at REI, that seems to have an all stainless contruction and the old style thread pattern. Can anyone confirm this? I just couldn't pull the trigger on it due to the cost, as it makes the stainless nalgene one look cheap.

So with those experiences I offer up to u a challenge...

Who has made the ultimate survival kit, max space considerations, that will fit into a 1 QT or 1L or 60 cubic inch.
Since it seems to be a very common size, it should be a good place to start.

What can you fit into a 1L bottle that will make your kit the best there is?
I will allow for a metal cup to fit over the bottle if you have given up on finding a decent stainless bottle and have just slipped a cup over your usual plastic bottle.

Jenks

While I won't pretend it's the "Ultimate" survival kit, here's the approach that I settled on. I'll refine it further this summer.

Tried it, albeit with another 1L bottle MEC sells (Filzer kewl, I wiped off the stupid "kewl" logo as soon as I got home), but because bottle isn't flexible there ended up a lot of wasted space. Eventually I ditched the idea and used the medium size first aid bag they sell instead.

[quote=jenks
What can you fit into a 1L bottle that will make your kit the best there is?
I will allow for a metal cup to fit over the bottle if that is that way you choose.

Jenks



[/quote]What I put in a 1L bottle for survival purposes is water; the only thing better than a 1L bottle is a 2L bottle, and so on.

Perhaps by now you have realized that an old desert rat is speaking; your situation in Canada's far off frozen wastes may be very different. In the American Southwest in the season that is coming up, water is the key component of survival; everything else is secondary. Frequently a one liter bottle is insufficient.

I use the lightest bottle possible for my bottle (either a foldup Platypus or a recycled gatorade bottle) and then encase it in a SnowPeak 700 cup. This gives me versatility - I don"t have to heat all my water at once - and a basic cook kit that works quite well on multi day trips. I will usually do my heating on a cartridge or alcohol stove.

A much cheaper alternative, albeit heavier, alternative to the titanium is a stainless steel cup, readily available from many suppliers

I've been a fan of water bottle kits. I've given many away a gifts and still have a couple on-hand. I just cannibalized one from my husband's truck yesterday in fact. It's a compact way to package things and you can get a lot in there.

There are two important challenges to consider: everything needs to be easy to remove and you need to have somewhere to put things when you want to use the bottle for water.

Here's what I unpacked yesterday:

-mylar blanket (fit going in but not coming out. see challenge #1)
-lanyard with SAK, howler whistle, magnesium block, mini LED, mini bic
-Ritter AMK PSK contents (except mirror and tinder quick)
-small bottle Coglan's water purifying tabs
-3 condoms
-10 pack tinder-quick
-2 storm candles
-2 tea lights
-AAA mag light + 2 spare batteries
-bandana
-triangular bandage
-4 bandaids
-wire emerg saw
-extra pair shoelaces
-2 beef jerky strips
-1 piece fruit leather
-1 lg ziplock freezer bag (see challege #2)

Hello Everyone...

I've also been a fan of the 1 liter bottle kit as they're easy to chuck into a trunk, locker, give away as gifts, etc, and forget about them. That being said, this is the contents of the one sitting next to me...

What I can see without unpacking mine:
- 1 Liter Red Naglene
- 16oz steel cup on the outside
- Outdoor Products Water Bottle Bag
- 2 small carabiners, attached to bottle bag
- Duck Tape, on the outside
- AMK Heat Sheet, rerolled very tightly.
- 50 yards of 1mm cord? (the very thin stuff from the climbing section of REI)
- Bandana, Hunter Orange I believe
- LED photon light.
- SAK, 3" lockblade, not sure model
- 2' length of tubing
- ziplock bag(s)
- esbit fuel (3 tabs)
- lighter
- flint/steel
- zipties
- wire ties
- temp. plastic ties (the kind that come with lawn/leaf bags that can be reopened)
- micropur mp-1 tablets

There might be more inside that I just can't see. Things are kinda tetris'd into the bottle.

Anyway, Long time reader, first time posting!
-- Andrew

Kinda with Hikemor on this, from a climate and weight position. Lots of people buy SS bottles here in AZ and lots of people burn their fingers and arms grabbing them after they have heated up in the sun. And they're heavy. I also so Platypus roll ups or a 1L Nalgene and a variety of .5L+ cups like GSI Halulite minimalist (fits Nalgene), SS Cup (fits Nalgene) or Snow Peak Titanium 650 (DOES NOT fit Nalgene). I use a mesh bag for my EDC carry.

As much as I love to develop new kits, I’ve consistently found that the most important item I can fill my water containers with is water. Of course, you have to consider that I spend most of my time in South Texas or Iraq, so I very rarely have to worry about the cold. So, if I begin my survival situation with an empty water bottle it feels like I’m already in a bad place. Everyone’s needs are different, but if I were making a kit centered around a water bottle, I would focus on putting my survival supplies in the carrier for the water bottle. I don’t know if I’m walking around the exercise by suggesting a carrier (like the Maxpedition 10” X 4” bottle holder), but that’s what I would do. Besides, once you fill your bottle up with water, where are you going to carry the contents you’ve just displaced? You never know what you’ll be wearing if this is something that goes in your car (but if it’s something you are taking camping and you know you have a lot of pocket space, I guess it’s alright).

Well, enough of changing the conditions! To answer your question, if I had to make a kit centered on a water bottle and I did not have a carrier for it I would:

Still fill the bottle with water

Take some basics (fire steel, SAK, duct tape wrapped around a card, Vaseline soaked cotton balls in a wax paper sleeve, bandana, and a few coffee filters) and situate them around the metal bottle. Then take an AMK heat sheet/mylar blanket/sill tarp (take your pick) and wrap it around the metal bottle(sandwiching your gear between the bottle and the heat sheet). Secure the AMK heat sheet (that’s what I would go with) near the base and top of the bottle with zip ties. Wrap some 550 cord between the zip ties.

As long as I’m uninjured and meet some minimal footwear standards, that should get me at least 10 to 20 miles away from a broken down vehicle. Don’t forget to replace your water periodically to keep it clean.

[quote=bacpacjac]

There are two important challenges to consider: everything needs to be easy to remove and you need to have somewhere to put things when you want to use the bottle for water.[quote]

There are lots of nylon bags that will encase a 1L bottle and that can be attached easily to a pack or waist strap/belt. While I like to have everything inside my pack, there are occasions where it is nice to place a bottle outside. The bag is an obvious place for all the goodies inside your Nalgene when you need to fill it with water.

So I have, from outside in, the bag, the cup, and the bottle. It makes a fairly handy package.

Fantastic idea hikermor! Thanks!

I try always to have at least one full water botlle with me and don't use a water bottle kit as my primary. we usually have a bottle kit in each of the vehicles and bobs but, again, we also have full bottles in there too. Not so, possibly for the other people I make them for. I'll have to start upgrading! Thanks for the tip!

Very creative solution Regulator! I wrap My bottle kits in duct tape but never thought sticking gear in the middle.

I think I prefer hikermor's idea but I will give yours a try. Anything to make life easier for the people I make them for.

Add a loop of line to the neck of your bottle, possibly with a clip on the end. That way you can hang the water bottle from anywhere on your clothes or your pack. Moving the bottle from your water bottle pouch, backpack or whatever will free up valuable space for other things, including tinder or firewood that you find on your way.

The bottle is easier to access (= more frequent sips), which is good, but will dangle, which may or may not bother you.

I wouldn't put duct tape on a steel bottle if you plan to boil in it. You then either just let the duct tape burn/melt or you remove it. Unrolling duct tape is a hassle and could possibly render it useless if you're not careful to roll it onto something else. The last thing I need in a I-should-boil-water scenario is the mental barrier of removing and possibly destroing my precious duct tape, which is a resource I'd want to keep. Obviously, if you go the bottle-in-a-pot route this isn't a concern.

Great points Harmless!

Having a harness for your water bottle is a great idea. You don't have to use it but it will free up more space in your pack. It also makes the water more accessible and serves as a good reminder to drink it. I like a set up with a shoulder and waist strap. It helps minimize the banging around. You can always use adjustable buckles/knots so you can loosen or tighten at will.

Good point about the duct tape on the bottle too. It would be inconvenient, and possibly demoralizing, to have to take it off to boil water. It is a good option if you've got another primary boiling vessel.

I Wrapped my SS bottle in a dollar store ace bandage as a temperature barrier.

Dave Canterbury made char cloth in a kleen canteen on Dual Survival this week. As a result, I'm re-thinking my stainless steel drinking bottles and working on changing them all out for wider mouth versions.

I picked up a couple those today actually, Izzy. Very nice!

Hey Jacqui:

Where did you get them? Are they the Nalgene labelled ones? Have you tried them with the old school caps?

Can you post a link?

Glad to see this thread has a little more life in it.

And as much as i agree that water is often the most precious thing you can put in a water bottle, here in the PNW i'm more likely to die from too much water than not enough.

I thought the standard size and shape (60 cubic inches) would be an interesting challenge to see who could come up with the best kit.

I think it's a handy size to throw behind a truck seat or to try to build something up for a give away.

Going back to the concept of cheap starter kits, our community has it' own (very) little carnival in the summer and i was thinking about trying to put a couple kits together cheaply (with intructions inside on how to improve and prepare)and have them as prizes along side the jars of homemade jams and pies.

jenks

Jenks, I went shopping for some odds and ends for a Scout craft and found the water bottles in Value Village, the second-hand store. One has a leak at the lid but the other seems ok. They're pretty scratched up but for two bucks, it's a score. (I picked up a nice metal/insulated personal bodum while I was there too!)

I totally agree about the practicality of water bottle kits. We've always got one in the vehicles and they make great gifts. (My BFF disassembled hers to get to the corkscrew on the SAK I included in the one I made her after she moved to a slightly twister-prone area.)

Awesome idea to give some away at the community fair. Might even help raise awareness in the non-winners.

Why not buy the stainless steel cup that a 1L nalgene bottle fits in then you can have your cup an bottle too.
cheers