Choosing the right walking companion – your drink bottle
We all know how important the right walking companion is on walk. But have you considered the importance of the right water bottle?
There’s a bewildering choice of bottles available, how do you find the one that’s right for you? Here’s our short guide.
Leakproof
Top of the list of important features has to be how leakproof the bottle is. No-one wants to find wet kit inside their pack. All of the bottles we sell are leakproof. Most have a screw-cap that fits snuggly and will not leak. The HydraPak Recon has a clever 180 degree turn system from open to closed, making for an excellent drinking experience. Beware of flip top bottles - the flip lid can be opened by other items in your pack. If you use a flip-top bottle that doesn't have a clip then the best bet is to keep in an outside pocket so it stays upright and closed.
Weight
The next consideration has to be weight – there are some lovely glass bottles on the market but they are heavy. Our bottles are light-weight, some are ultra-light, for example the HydraPak Stash, which collapses down to save space in your pack is 50% lighter than a hard bottle, and the 1litre HydraPak Stow which weighs only 55g and is 80% lighter than most hard bottles.
HydraPak Stash 750ml £20. HydraPak Stow 1ltr £16
If you want a hard bottle the lightest we sell is the HydraPak Recon 750ml at 140g.
Insulation
Do you want an insulated bottle? These are great for hot weather as they keep your drink cold, or of course for hot drinks in cold weather. A standard 500ml insulated bottle, such as Chilly bottle or a Lifeventure insulated bottle, weighs around 400g – so they are heavier, but that might be worth it for a coffee on the summit. If you do use an insulated bottle for hot drinks you will need a cup to drink from – the bottles we sell keep your drink hot for several hours, too hot to drink straight from the bottle. For the lightest weight cup how about a Wildo fold-a-cup?
Chilly bottle from £15 LifeVenture £14.24 Jerry bottle £19.99
If a coffee-on-the go is important to you it might be worth looking at a thermal mug - at 300ml capacity they hold a large mug size hot or cold drink. They can be refilled at coffee-shops or used to carry your drink from hime. Our thermal mugs are completely leak-proof, unlike some on the market, and they come in gorgeous colours.
Lifeventure thermal mugs - £12.74
BPA free
BPA is known to disrupt hormones and some research suggests research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is in many plastics and can contaminate food and drinks. Standard, disposable, plastic water bottles contain BPA.
All of our bottles are BPA free, we think that is the best way to be.
If you want a plastic-free bottle then all of our insulated bottles are made of food grade stainless steel.
Packable/refillable
An increasing number of places will refill water bottles for you. In addition to formal refill schemes many pubs, cafes and shops will allow you to refill your bottle. If you want to fill up before heading out to more remotes places you may want a spare bottle – the Stash and Stow bottles are perfect for this, taking minimal room in your pack but allowing you to take advantage of any free water on offer.
Chilly’s donate £10 from every one of their Refill bottles sold to support the Refill campaign.
Eco credentials
All refillable bottles are much better for the environment that disposable water bottles – but some are greener than others.
The greenest of our bottles is the HydraPak Recon. It’s made using Eastman™ Tritan Renew™ Technology, with 50% recycled plastic content that comes from a variety of sources including PET single use bottles.
Cleaning
Many bottles have numerous small parts, such as straws, that cannot be cleaned. We prefer straightforward bottles that are easy to clean, and ideally can go into a dishwasher.
The Recon bottle has only 2-parts, the cap and inner gasket separate for easy cleaning, and it is dishwasher safe.
Insulated bottles are hand wash only, but can be easily cleaned using a bottle brush.
Our favourites
For insulated bottles our favourites are Jerry bottles. They look really stylish and the wide top makes them a pleasure to drink from. The lid has a loop which makes the bottle easy to pull out of a rucksack or clip onto the outside, and the yellow colour is simply stunning (it's much better than the picture shows).
In a close second are Chameleon bottles – they change colour with temperature, so you can see how much water is in there and make cool hand-prints on them. They are BPA-free, great fun, and have a beautiful chameleon logo on. What's not to like?
For ultra-low weight and the comfort of having a spare bottle in your pack we love the HydraPak Stow.
And for a low-price stylish BPA-free plastic bottle we like the Lifeventure Tritan.
Jerry - £19.99 Stow from £14.00 Tritan - £7.49
Chameleon colour-changing bottle - £16.50
Prices are correct as on June 2021 - a 25% sale price is shown for selected bottles.