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#162410 - 01/11/09 03:59 PM Need a new canteen/water bottle
Tom_L Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/19/07
Posts: 690
For many years now I've used a US military 1qt canteen (worn on my belt) for shorter day trips. It has been a source of frustration for a while unfortunately. It leaks around the cap slightly, which is a minor problem in the warm months but gets really annoying in winter.

Getting back from a hike today I've decided I'm fed up with that canteen. I'll have to buy a new one, hopefully a model with a much better seal. I can get a British army type 58 canteen cheaply, is it better made than the US type?

Another option would be a decent water bottle. I've had an aluminum Sigg 1l bottle in mind, those seem to be pretty decent but a bit pricey. I think I'll get one (or something similar) anyway to keep in my backpack. I still want a good canteen I can wear on my belt, though.

What is your favorite setup and what would you recommend? Nalgene bottles seem to be popular on these boards but I'd like to stay away from them, based on less than stellar experience in the past. If you have any other ideas please share your thoughts! wink

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#162413 - 01/11/09 04:14 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
Desperado Offline
Veteran

Registered: 11/01/08
Posts: 1530
Loc: DFW, Texas
Tom,

Sounds like you may have one of the "Real GI" canteens opposed to a real USGI canteen. If you look into the throat of the opening and it is flat instead of rounded or gently chamfered, that may be the case. If so, a true USGI canteen and lid shouldn't leak.

If that isn't the problem, I suggest Camelback bottles. I appreciate the bite valve set up and the loop for carabiner attachment. We have about 10 and they all work like champs. I just clip them anywhere I want and go. I carry them in my truck (read office), and just refill throughout the day. Another nice feature is they can be "rebuilt". Replacement parts for the bite valve, etc are available at most stores that carry the bottles.

Here is the website.

Good Luck


Edited by Desperado (01/11/09 04:29 PM)
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#162414 - 01/11/09 04:24 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
scafool Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 12/18/08
Posts: 1534
Loc: Muskoka
I have some of the white nalgene bottles, not the clear ones.
They seem to be OK, just they have no loops so you need to have them in a bag.
(Somebody should make a pouch for a water bottle but I can't remember ever seeing one)
I sometimes use the light weight stainless steel thermoses for hiking.
Thermos/Thermocafe for example.
There is the same problem of needing a small backpack for them

I also use large size disposable pop bottles a lot.
You can not beat them for price, and when they wear out you still get your 10¢ deposit back.

Edit.
I was just thinking that none of my water carrying containers fit on a belt. They are all either in the pack or on shoulder straps.


Edited by scafool (01/11/09 05:16 PM)
Edit Reason: grammar
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May set off to explore without any sense of direction or how to return.

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#162419 - 01/11/09 05:03 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
big_al Offline
Addict

Registered: 01/04/06
Posts: 586
Loc: 20mi east of San Diego
I use a G.I. canteens all the time, Go to a g.I. surplus store and get a new "cork" seal for the lid, that will stop the leak.
_________________________
Some people try to turn back their odometers.
Not me, I want people to know "why" I look this way
I've traveled a long way and some of the roads weren't paved

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#162420 - 01/11/09 05:11 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: big_al]
DannyL Offline
Member

Registered: 02/22/08
Posts: 103
Loc: SE Alaska
A 32 oz Nalgene bottle (wide mouth) and a slip on the bottom GSI stainless cup. OR sells a belt holster for water bottles, but they don't seem to ride very well.
Haven't touch a G I anything since my military days.

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#162429 - 01/11/09 05:40 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
OldBaldGuy Offline
Geezer

Registered: 09/30/01
Posts: 5695
Loc: Former AFB in CA, recouping fr...
I carried (and still have somewhere) a USGI Stainless steel canteen for years and years. I really liked it better than the newer plastics, altho I have some of them too. I have never had a problem with my plastics leaking. The SS would leak on occasion, I would just cut a new cork "gasket" for the cap and no more leaks. Neat thing about the SS canteen is that, if you remove the cap, you can heat water in it...
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#162430 - 01/11/09 05:44 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: DannyL]
Tom_L Offline
Addict

Registered: 03/19/07
Posts: 690
Hey everyone, thanks for the excellent feedback! I'll consider getting a replacement/upgrade for the GI canteen. I'm not 100% sure if the one I got is the genuine thing, it does look like it but these days you never now with so much "mil-spec" made in China crap floating around.

I don't like Nalgene that much, not only does it absorb smells like Izzy noted but I've had some other issues (including a less than perfect seal) as well. Also, I've never found any belt holster/carrier system that really works for me. I might look into getting some other Lexan water bottles though, I've seen a few in an outdoor store nearby that might be better.

I use water bottles almost all the time so they need to be rugged. The aluminum Sigg seems nice. A buddy of mine has had it for a while and it can take a lot of punishment. I'd love to have an aluminum water bottle that can be heated over a fire but the Sigg apparently cannot handle an open flame.

Camelbak is another option but I think I'll pass for now. The bite valve is cool. However, I don't see any real need for it myself. I see how it could interfere with some of my other gear and it might be a pain to clean. Besides, I'm a bit wary of adding any more "gadgets" to my setup because they only tend to make life more complicated on the trail in my experience.

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#162431 - 01/11/09 05:46 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: scafool]
UncleGoo Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 12/06/06
Posts: 390
Loc: CT
I'm using a triple magazine pouch to carry a 32oz nalgene bottle--it was either meant for .223 or .30 magazines. Sorry I can't remember which...
_________________________
Improvise,
Utilize,
Realize.

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#162433 - 01/11/09 05:59 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
Themalemutekid Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 11/17/06
Posts: 351
Loc: New Jersey


You can use one of these to carry most 32oz water bottles in. I use a 32 oz SS bottle from Guyot designs. Here's a picture of one.

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....he felt the prompting of his heritage, the desire to possess, the wild danger-love, the thrill of battle, the power to conquer or to die. Jack London

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#162440 - 01/11/09 06:13 PM Re: Need a new canteen/water bottle [Re: Tom_L]
ironraven Offline
Cranky Geek
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 09/08/05
Posts: 4642
Loc: Vermont
Never had a polycarb Nalgene leak on me unless the top had become warped. The HDPE ones... yeah, they are dribblers and they absorb scents better than baking soda. The Tritons have failed to impress. But I've seen polycarb, BPA-containing ones get run over and still work fine.

Similiar but improved are the Gouyet stainless bottles. They use the same mouth thread as the Nalgenes, so everything under the sun will mate to them. Down side is they are heavier and more expensive, but it is single wall, stainless steel bottle. I like the ones that taper a little at the bottom, they fit into even the slightly undersized GSI cups. And unlike the Sigg, they are unlined, so you can boil in them. I'm testing their effectiveness in winter, to see if the slick sided cap is harder to get off, but since you can use a Nalgene lid, replacing it will be no big deal if it comes to that. I've only got 20 or so Nalgenes I can borrow a top from.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, even below bladders IMHO, is the GI plastic canteen. Heavy as the steel ones, willing to break like the tritons, carry oders like the HDPE, and with their over all shape and the narrow neck they are a pain to fill and a pain to clean.


As for pouches, there are a tonne of them out there. Maxped, TAG, SpecOps Brand and probably others have padded/insulated ones. Tactical Tailor, 5.11, Kifaru, Eagle, and (gag) BHI all have unlined pouches for them. And everyone makes pouches that will work if a little oversized. Yes, I know, this is all "tactical" nylon, but it is also all MOLLE, and most of it uses MALICE clip. If you can't get those to work on a belt, you aren't trying. *laughs* And you can get all of them in solid colors (black, foliage, od, coyote) so they shouldn't stand out all that much. From the otherside, prowling REI or EMS should show plenty of pouches that can be added to compression straps on packs that fit a water bottle, and they and Campmor all have dedicated carriers that you just sling over your shoulder.
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When a man dare not speak without malice for fear of giving insult, that is when truth starts to die. Truth is the truest freedom.

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