Everything you need to know: Nalgene bottles, uses and tips
Water is an essential element. For hiking, sports, or everyday work, carrying something to drink should not be a constraint. On the contrary, it should be synonymous with reliability, safety, and good health... Nalgene meets all these conditions, do you doubt it?
|
What is a Nalgene bottle?
Before getting to the heart of the matter, a bit of history. In addition to being the reference for bottles, Nalgene is an American brand specializing in the manufacture of products and containers for laboratories. Their catalog is very extensive, including items such as jars, bottles, test tubes, and Petri dishes. They became known for the quality of their plastic, which was neutral (we'll get back to this), very durable, and lighter than glass. Without going into too much detail, the properties of plastic products make them more suitable than glass for all experiments using many substances at various temperature levels. Nalgene products are manufactured by Nalge Nunc International. The name Nalgene is a registered trademark and almost a common noun!
It's the outdoor branch that interests us. The offer is very wide with options and particularities for each model. Nalge Nunc International Corporation Outdoor Products Division offers a series of bottles ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 liters. There are variations depending on the origin (US-Eur.), you can find models in oz (14, 16, 32, 38, 48 oz). The main models available in France, which interest us here, are the 0.5 liter, 1 liter, and 1.5 liter wide mouth (opening diameter 4.5 cm for the small one and 5.3 cm for the two larger ones).
Why choose a Nalgene bottle?
For once, it is not marketing that has convinced us. It is indeed for its technical and practical characteristics that we choose a Nalgene. Here are the main arguments that should convince you.
For health:
Hydration is essential. In adulthood, it is recommended to drink about 2 liters of water per day. The graduation on the wall of the bottle allows you to check your daily consumption. The Nalgene is made of Tritan, guaranteed BPA-free. You drink without risk of water contamination by harmful substances (this is the case for some plastic mineral water bottles type 1 (PET or PETE) that contain polyethylene terephthalate, a chemical product that can release antimony trioxide). Good to know, in addition to being almost indestructible, Tritan does not give taste or odor to the contents of the bottle.
For the design:
With a simple, cylindrical shape and a wide opening, the bottle fits into any bag or backpack. It has become a reference, and many brands have developed pouches and carrying systems. Thanks to its diameter, each bottle will find a mug to fit into. The 20oz version (7.6 cm diameter) will be perfect for the MSR Titan Cup while the Optimus Terra Solo cooking set can accommodate the 1 and 1.5 liter versions (8.9 cm diameter) without any problem.
For the wide mouth:
This is where it gets serious. Nalgene has focused on the wide mouth. The screw cap, attached to the bottle, guarantees 100% leak-proofing. The opening is ultra-simple, even in degraded conditions, with one hand, with gloves, in the rain, snow...
The wide mouth is ideal for capturing and transferring water, which is important in the wild when it comes to collecting water before filtering it (note, always collect moving water but never against the current! Otherwise, you may capture more suspended particles where nasties can nest!).
The wide mouth allows for storing materials, food (flour, grains, meal leftovers...), a care or fire kit, electronic equipment...
The wide mouth allows for better cleaning. The transparent and smooth Tritan allows you to see all the corners and mold risks.
For various technical characteristics:
It withstands very high temperatures (boiled water) without deforming or altering. Be careful, however, to avoid direct contact with flames. As such, it can be transformed into a hot water bottle in a sleeping bag during a cold night or in a car stopped for bad weather. Some testimonials say that in delicate situations, urinating at night in a Nalgene, without getting out of your sleeping bag, allows you to maintain a minimum vital temperature.
It's a classic, and many brands take it as a reference for essential accessories such as carrying pouches or MSR filters like the Miniworks and Guardian, for example. There is even a screw-on LED system to create a waterproof lantern with diffuse light!
It is almost indestructible. It would take a bad fall of several meters to possibly see it crack. The cap and its attachment are robust. There are many videos showing a multi-ton 4x4 driving over a Nalgene without it breaking, a bottle that can withstand anything; you'll be exhausted before it is!
Tips and tricks
Nalgene "For Your Everyday Adventures" will become your daily ally. You will see in use that there are many ways to use it.
Here are some random tips:
- If you use a bottle in very cold weather, the wide mouth of the Nalgene will be more suitable. Indeed, it will be easier to break the ice or collect snow.
- Leave your bottle open for a few hours after washing and rinsing it with clear water, make sure it is completely dry before storing it (but believe me, you will use it every day...).
- Use a removable reducer to drink from the bottle without spilling. This system is compatible with 1 and 1.5-liter wide-mouth Nalgene bottles.
- Use your bottle in addition to your cookware for your bain-marie cooking.
- Don't forget to use the bottle's graduations to measure the water for your re hydrated meals or the amount of flour for your bannock bread, for example.
- Avoid more complex models (like multi-drink). Although attractive, they are more likely to break or no longer be leak-proof due to the number of parts in the cap mechanisms.
- Avoid counterfeits; the plastics are often of lower quality and do not always guarantee "BPA-free"; the cap can break. It may also happen that the dimensions are slightly different, and you will lose compatibility with all optional elements.
Here are some tips:
- Heat stones directly in a fire and then plunge them into the filled bottle; you can easily bring the water to a boil.
- A bandana or cotton handkerchief makes a great makeshift pre-filter. Position it over the wide mouth of your bottle and collect moving water (always against the current); you can then filter the water and chemically treat it (with Micropur, for example).
- Use the attachment loop of the cap to attach a carabiner. You can easily attach your bottle to your bag or a branch. - A Nalgene is 100% waterproof; it can be used to carry your money (even cash, haha) or your papers during your outings at sea or the beach.
- The mouth is wide enough to pass an egg through, then fill your bottle with flour, rice, or semolina, and you can transport your eggs without risking breaking them!
- The wide mouth of the bottle (definitely!) is also ideal if you need to fill your Nalgene in a narrow sink with a small faucet.
Conclusion
Nalgene is a reference in the field. They have made their mark by focusing on quality, simplicity, robustness, and the wide mouth. In addition to being practical and versatile, the Nalgene respects your health by offering materials that do not risk contaminating the water. If you want to see more hiking bottles to compare with Nalgene, we have different brands to look at.
If today you are looking for an affordable container that will be your daily ally, then you can count on this brand.
Discover the Nalgene range, with bottles in 0.5, 1, and 1.5-liter formats (10.90 to 17.90 €) and the removable reducer cap (3.50 €).
See more bottles, water reservoirs, and water bladders.