I used to wonder why it seemed that everyone on the trail had a Nalgene bottle with them. Now that I have my own, I understand.
These BPA free water bottles are extremely durable, don’t leak, and keep water or sports drinks tasting fresh. I’ve dropped my Nalgene on rough granite rocks many times, but besides a few scratches it never has cracked or leaked.
Unlike other water bottles I’ve used the past, the water doesn’t have a “plasticy” taste in these Nalgene bottles.
I use my CamelBak bladder to carry 3 Liters of water when I’m hiking, then use my Nalgene for sports drinks or extra water. I also like that my Nalgene fits perfectly with my SteriPEN pre-filter, so when I need to fill up at a mountain stream I just screw on the SteriPEN Pre-Filter so I don’t get sediment in the water, then zap away all the viruses and bacteria with my SteriPEN.
Camelbak also makes a series of BPA free water bottles called the Camelbak BPA Free Better Bottles, which I also own and use regularly. They have convenient bite valves, which I find very convenient when I’m driving.
There’s a good selection of colors and sizes of these Nalgene’s, and there are also narrow and wide mouth versions. Narrow mouth is easier to drink without spilling, but wide mouth bottles are much better for collecting water from streams or creeks.