WhiteBlaze Pages 2024
A Complete Appalachian Trail Guidebook.
AVAILABLE NOW. $4 for interactive PDF(smartphone version)
Read more here WhiteBlaze Pages Store

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 30
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-12-2019
    Location
    Cedar City, Utah
    Age
    38
    Posts
    12

    Default Nalgene VS platypus VS cheap plastic disposable

    Hi, I'm planning my AT thru for 2021 and after reading some stuff have been rethinking my water system. I normally carry a nalgene 32oz along with a Nalgene 48oz. Been reading about hikers using platypus or large plastic disposable water bottles (like the ones you buy at a gas station). I am curious about people's experience. I have just always used Nalgenes without much thought or question.

    Lastly, I don't drink coffee, tea, or powder drinks- so not worried about cold morning comforts, etc.

  2. #2

    Default

    Evernew or Platypus for bags, Smartwater 700mL or 1L for bottles.
    You can drop a relatively large amount of weight vs. Nalgenes.
    I typically use a 1.5L Evernew for dirty water(matches up with Sawyer filters), and 2x700mL Smartwater bottles for drinking from, so can carry up to ~3L. Total weight for all 3 is about half that of one 32oz or 1L Nalgene.

  3. #3
    Registered User
    Join Date
    12-28-2015
    Location
    Bad Ischl, Austria
    Age
    66
    Posts
    1,588

    Default

    Honestly, I've never got the idea why people spend lots of money on outdoor drinking bottles like Nalgene, just to add extra weight to the pack.

    PET bottles (like your Smartwater) is all I've ever used to host my water haul, plus a small 400ml Aluminium bottle (looks like a Sigg, but is a Chinese fake) for the occassinal gulp while walking.

  4. #4
    Registered User swjohnsey's Avatar
    Join Date
    10-13-2010
    Location
    Kingsville, Texas
    Age
    77
    Posts
    2,331

    Default

    1 L Gatorade bottle (2) plus Platypus for overnight in dry campsite.

  5. #5

    Default

    I typically carry a Platypus with a light weight commercial plastic water bottle for unfiltered water gathering. I can't recall the last time I added weight with a Nalgene bottle.

  6. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-14-2017
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Age
    58
    Posts
    103

    Default

    Look at the 2L Cnoc Vecto for a dirty water bag, and carry two Smart Water bottles. You can filter what you need during the day into one or two of the bottles, and gives you the option for carrying a massive 4L of water when needed, like in a really dry stretch, or when coming into camp.

    The Cnoc's are awesome. They have a wide opening to allow you to scoop water. That opening seals with a slider bar. A Sawyer Squeeze attaches to the other end and you can squeeze water thru, or hang it from the slider bar to gravity feed.

  7. #7
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-25-2014
    Location
    Westchester County, NY
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    I use one 32oz Gatorade bottle and two 1-liter Platypi

  8. #8

    Default

    I carry 2 full smart water bottles; attach my Sawyer to one of them, and drink right out of the bottle. Don't carry Sawyer filter bags, or any bladders for additional water. When the Smartwater bottles get a little nasty, I buy 2 more when I resupply. Lightweight and economical. BTW, if you are going to get a Sawyer filter, don't buy the mini!

  9. #9
    Registered User
    Join Date
    01-28-2008
    Location
    Spokane, WA
    Age
    71
    Posts
    4,907

    Default

    Big peanut butter jars from Costco work well. You have to smooth the rim with VERY fine sandpaper to get a good seal. BUT: 1. I would not sleep with one. 2. They do not tolerate very hot water, either as drinks or in a dishwasher.
    "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." ---Dr. Seuss

  10. #10
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    Given the quality of modern water and drink bottles, Nalgene is an overweight dinosaur.

  11. #11

    Default

    32 oz Gatorade, 1 Liter Smartwater, and also 1 Liter platypus that only use occasionally usually at night (but rolls up really small and 1oz or less).
    Also have 64 oz bag for Sawyer Filter, but prefer to store just filtered water when hiking (and reduce chance of that bag tearing).
    The road to glory cannot be followed with much baggage.
    Richard Ewell, CSA General


  12. #12
    GSMNP 900 Miler
    Join Date
    02-25-2007
    Location
    Birmingham, AL
    Age
    57
    Posts
    4,861
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    5

    Default

    What I personally do is use a Sawyer filter in gravity mode..
    a 2L Evernew bladder for dirty water, a 2L Platypus Hoser for clean water, and a pair of Bai water bottles, because they are about as light as Smartwater bottles, but have the larger mouth of the 32oz Gatorade bottle for adding drink mixes.

  13. #13
    Registered User
    Join Date
    08-08-2012
    Location
    Taghkanic, New York, United States
    Posts
    3,198
    Journal Entries
    11

    Default

    Nalgene is good if you have to put boiling water in it, which could be used to soak food items or to use as a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag as it will stay warm all night (and usually placed inside a sock). I also found use of a 1/2L Nalgene as my steripen 'make good' water bottle. The wide mouth that allows proper steripen usage and seals water tight is hard to find in a light weight bottle - though I have found a few including a baby's sippy cup that had a sealed lid. Other then that Nalgene is way too heavy.

    The bladder systems is a matter of personal preference.

    The light weight disposable bottles are strong and lightweight, they do great for carrying water.

    Gatorade makes great pee bottles.

  14. #14
    Registered User
    Join Date
    11-13-2015
    Location
    Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
    Age
    73
    Posts
    441

    Default

    I’ve been using the same two large Gatorade bottles for three years now. Still in good shape.

    I use a titanium Bot for my Steripen, and also use it as my soaking container.

  15. #15
    Registered User
    Join Date
    10-17-2007
    Location
    Michigan
    Age
    64
    Posts
    5,126

    Default

    I carry two 1 L Evernew bladder. One for dirty water and one for clean water (also a back-up for dirty water if one breaks). They are usually empty but used when I may need to dry camp or hike a long hot dry stretch. For routine use I have a couple of these 24 oz Gatorade bottles. I like them because they are free (recovered from a recycling dumpster), narrower in profile than the fat Gatorade bottles, durable, have a nice closable drinking spout, and I can wrap a thin shock cord around the the the deep ridges in the bottle to attach them to the shoulder straps of my pack.

    ga.jpg

  16. #16
    Registered User
    Join Date
    03-20-2013
    Location
    Pittsburgh
    Age
    70
    Posts
    963
    Journal Entries
    1
    Images
    2

    Default

    I carry three 2 liter Evernew bags - two for dirty water and one for clean. I like to make only one trip to a source, depending on what I have in my reservoir I fill one or both dirty bags. I have carried dirty water to a dry camp for later filtering.

    I gravity filter direct from a dirty bag into the clean bag, and maybe treat it with AquaMira also depending on what I thought about the source. I usually set up the second dirty water bag to filter overnight to have breakfast water or more for the reservoir.

    i also have a 600 ml Evernew bag for drink mix.

    The bags are are light and don’t take up much space. They are more durable than the Sawyer bags but do fail ( after years ) mine have separated at the top near the bottle opening, never had a problem on the sides or bottom. I’ve made on trail fixes with super glue and ShoeGoo.
    76 HawkMtn w/Rangers
    14 LHHT
    15 Girard/Quebec/LostTurkey/Saylor/Tuscarora/BlackForest
    16 Kennerdell/Cranberry-Otter/DollyS/WRim-NCT
    17 BearR
    18-19,22 AT NOBO 1562.2
    22 Hadrian's Wall
    23 Cotswold Way

  17. #17
    Registered User
    Join Date
    02-14-2017
    Location
    Pasadena, Maryland
    Age
    52
    Posts
    489

    Default

    I use the 2L CNOC as dirty water as well with a 750ml smartwater type bottle, maybe second 750 as well for a longer hike.

    If I think I’ll have a long water carry, or when I’m backpacking with family, I carry a 4L MSR Dromedary light. The cap has a smaller cap on it that’s the same size as the Sawyer so it makes for a great gravity system.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  18. #18
    Occasionally lucid
    Join Date
    01-07-2010
    Location
    Virginia
    Age
    64
    Posts
    109

    Default

    (2) 32 oz Gatorade bottles and (1) 64 oz iced tea jug. Treat with Aqua Mira.
    GA -> ME
    '86 -> '89

  19. #19

    Default

    I use a 32oz and a 50oz Evernew. It is strictly a personal preference thing for me. Additionally, if the Nalgene works for you, stick with it man.
    Termite fart so much they are responsible for 3% of global methane emissions.

  20. #20

    Default

    Hard sided Nalgene type and most soft sided Smartwater type bottles are not easily or can not be collapsed in volume when empty. Bulk of non or non easily collapsible water receptacles can correspond to additional volume, hence extra wt, needed in a backpack. In my UL mindset reducing bulk is as significant as reducing wt of what's carried. These two characteristics are correlated. This is the advantage of collapsible compact Platypus and Evernew very light wt soft sided bladders. Consider a $12 1.3 oz collapsible Platypus 2 L water bladder - that actually holds 2.8 L about 95 fl oz- reduces in volume to a small cigar when not being used to carry liquid. Plus, both Evernew and Platypus are BPA free 'plastics.'

    Some WB naysayer will point to they can fail. This is true just as can any gear. In 15 yrs I've had all of two Platypus failures. I always store filled and emptied Platypus' on the outside of packs. One from external punctures in Joshua Tree NP, the victim of cacti, and one seam failure. The seam failure occurred because of my rough use throwing around to the ground and plopping on a filled one. I will sometimes use one as a pillow placed on top of my shoes. Improper hasty cross threading of caps can occur if one lacks care.

    A SmartWater bottle, maybe two, are held on the shoulder straps ala ULA's H2O water bottle holding system. Again, this is to avoid using pack pocket or pack interior volume to carry H2O. Doing such has factored into being able to use lower volume, hence lighter wt, frameless packs. The water bottles on the shoulder straps assist balancing out the load AND also make drinking water easily obtainable while still on the move while not taking up pack volume.

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
++ New Posts ++

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •