View Full Version : Nalgene Hot water bottle
Shrkbit143
03-03-2006, 12:59
Is there a trick to using a Nalgene bottle as a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag on cold nights?
I have never done that and would thank, filling it all the way up would not leave room for air expansion and would cause leaks. Do you need to leave it open for a minunte to cold down some before closing it?
orangebug
03-03-2006, 13:03
If the hot water freezes with you in the sleeping bag and expands to break the Nalgene, you aren't going to be in any shape to care.
Just fill it with hot/boiling water as best as you can, and warm up that sleeping bag.
Pennsylvania Rose
03-03-2006, 13:09
Make sure you're not using the white plastic Nalgene. Filling it with hot water weakens the plastic and causes cracks (maybe not right away, but I figured that one out the hard way). I usually fill mine up to 1/2 inch from the top, let it sit for 30 sec or so, then tighten the lid as much as possible, and put the bottle in a sock. The sock absorbs any minor leakage, keeps me from burning my toes, and insulates the bottle so it stays warm longer.
In addition to using the lexan version, and "putting a sock on it", placing it strategically helps too--e.g. between your thighs to heat up the blood in the fermoral artery, which circulates and warms your body
Just Jeff
03-03-2006, 13:29
Someone in the trail tricks thread said to make your oatmeal in it...that way it won't leak and you'll have a warm breakfast waiting on you in the morning.
In addition to using the lexan version, and "putting a sock on it", placing it strategically helps too--e.g. between your thighs to heat up the blood in the fermoral artery, which circulates and warms your body
Rustle nailed it on the head. I've used the trick before when I was under-geared in 0 degree temperatures. Just don't fill it all the way up if you are concerned about leaking, leave an inch or so, it should stay warm for a while.
gdwelker
03-03-2006, 14:35
Someone in the trail tricks thread said to make your oatmeal in it...that way it won't leak and you'll have a warm breakfast waiting on you in the morning.
I can not imagine having to eat an entire nalgene's worth of oatmeal....blah!
QHShowoman
03-03-2006, 14:45
I use this trick at home sometimes. Never had a problem with leaks, etc. I do stick my bottle in a fleece beanie hat to keep me from burning myself. It retains heat for an incredibly long time.
The Will
03-03-2006, 15:49
Just fill up the bottle and make sure the cap is snug. I can't see any reason to not fill the bottle up completely. Whatever pressure may build up will not be enough to compromise the security of the lid. Before the Nalgene name was known to all of us leather tramps, they had been making quality chemical storage bottles for some time.
The suggestion of placing the bottle between your thighs to allow that heat to hitchhike on the blood passing through the distsal flowing arteries is a good one. If you decide to place the bottle at your feet, make sure it stays on your sleeping pad so that heat from the bottle is not lost into the cold ground.
You'll be surprised at how long the hot water bottle will supply you with some warmth...ahh, the power of that transient hydrogen bond.