We all know that water is one of the most important things for survival, and we have already covered filtration, but what is the best water containers to carry? It comes down to how long you intend your venture to last as well as personal preference. Here are my top three:
- For my short hikes, I love my 32 oz Crystal Drip. The reason that I only use this for short hikes is that the bottle is double-walled and vacuum insulated, which means you should not use it in the fire. Since you should not put it in the fire to purify your water by methods of boiling, it is not ideal for long treks where you have to refill. The best thing about this bottle is how cold it keeps your water, it will stay ice-cold in my experience for a whole day out in the field.
- Another good option that works for both short and long trips, is a good old fashioned stainless steel water bottle, such as the Pathfinder Stainless Steel Water Bottle. This bottle keeps water reasonably cool and is not double-walled so you can place it into a fire to boil water for purification. This makes it the most useful water container on the list because you can refill it, boil with it and have no worries.
- For a bit of a longer hike, I take my Platypus Big Zip LP Reservoir. This water bladder comes in three different sizes (1.5 L, 2 L, and 3 L) I have the 2-liter reservoir. This is the greatest reservoir that I have found: it is easy to fill, the big zip prevents leaks and it has a comfortable bite-valve. The Platypus does not take up too much room in your pack and on an extra hot day, I will pair this with my Crystal Drip or Pathfinder water bottle.