Yeah, same here, climberslacker. I'd used the HDPE ones for years and years; the only drawback was the smell. Especially when a canteen stayed in a hot pack/car for a couple of days -- phew!

Polycarbonate seemed like a "cleaner" alternative so I switched. Now it seems like the smell is blowing the other direction.

The good news? The 12-year-old Nalgene HDPEs in my basement are still solid and good to go. And yes, they're just as smelly as the new ones! Apparently they don't improve much with age.