Cart (0)
Your cart is empty
The water bottle you take depends on how far you're walking and how you like to drink on the move. A short loop on a mild morning needs half a litre, while a full day in summer heat can mean two litres or more, carried where you can reach it. If you're still building a kit for the bush, start with our hiking gear and add water to suit the walk.
Hard bottles keep their shape and take knocks in a loaded pack. The stainless steel bottle comes in 500 or 700 ml and opens with one button. The titanium bottle holds no taste, so this morning's coffee won't flavour this afternoon's water. There's also a 1 L bottle with a strap in tough polycarbonate, sold with or without a filter. If you plan to fill from creeks and tanks most of the time, our water filter bottles are worth a look.
Soft bottles make sense once they're empty. The ultralight pouch comes in sizes from 150 to 500 ml and folds up to almost nothing. The collapsible bottle has a soft silicone body that rolls up, with a UF membrane and activated carbon built in. For drinking without stopping, the long straw bottle has a bite valve with a lockable mouthpiece and holds 1.5, 2 or 3 litres in a soft PEVA body.
A leak at the bottom of a pack soaks your spare layers and lunch, so check the closure before anything else. The strap bottle seals with silicone and locks shut, and the titanium bottle has a threaded cap with a silicone seal. The spray bottle was shaken and tipped upside down without a drop getting out. After a long trip, wash the lid and seal and leave the bottle to dry with the cap off. That stops a stale smell building up under the gasket.
Two of the bottles suit hot days in particular. The spray bottle holds 650 ml and has a button on the lid for a cooling mist. The 2 L carry bottle has a thick PVC body and military styling, in army green or one of the camouflage prints. For water that has to stay cold through a hot afternoon, a thermos does that job better.
