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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Klean Kanteen TKWide Water Bottle > Test Report by Brian HartmanKLEAN KANTEEN TKWIDE WATER BOTTLE TESTER INFORMATION
I have been backpacking for over 20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in the Western USA. In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid-weight backpacker. I hike with fairly light weight clothing, equipment, and gear but still like to bring more than the bare essentials with me while on the trail. INITIAL REPORT PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS
Item tested: 64 oz TKWide insulated wide mouth bottle FEATURES: The Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide 64 oz with loop cap, as the manufacturer refers to it, (hereafter called Klean Kanteen or bottle), is a vacuum insulated wide-mouth water bottle for "sports, camping or backpacking, or water transport or storage". It's made from 18/8 food grade stainless steel and features an internal thread design called TK Closure, which consists of a number of well spaced dimples instead of threads. The TK Closure design on this bottle is compatible with all five TKWide wide-mouth caps made by the manufacturer. The loop cap that came with the bottle is made of stainless steel, Polypropylene #5, and food-grade silicone. It is BPA free, and when screwed onto the bottle it creates an all-stainless steel interior for whatever's inside. The cap has an easy-carry stainless swivel loop for convenience. This Klean Kanteen is big! It stands 11.25 in (28.6 cm) tall, and 4.65 in (11.8 cm) wide and weighs 29.5 oz (837 g). The cap is beefy, and the base of the bottle is reinforced to provide added impact resistance. It's also impressive to hold and has a clean, sophisticated design that exudes quality. The manufacturer's logo is imprinted on the cap and the bottom of the bottle is engraved with important product details. Amazingly, Klean states that it can 'keep contents hot up to 47 hours or iced up to 145 hours'. The fact that they say 'contents' and not water has me wondering if I could put chilled soup in it. The top opening where the cap screws in is only 2.6 in (6.6 cm) so filling and cleaning it might be difficult, but if it'll keep soup and/or chili cold for 3 full days without spoiling, it might be worth it. CARE INSTRUCTIONS AND WARRANTY This bottle should not be microwaved or allowed to freeze when filled with water, and it should not be washed in a dishwasher because it is vacuum insulated. Hand washing with warm soapy water or diluted vinegar and baking soda is recommended. The loop cap that came with it can be washed in a dishwasher. The bottle should always be stored with the lid off to allow complete drying. Interestingly, the manufacturer also recommends allowing the bottle to cool for 4 minutes if filled with boiling water before screwing on the cap. Otherwise, it can be very difficult to get the cap back off. Klean Kanteen backs all their products with a 'Strong-As-Steel' guarantee, that provides repair, replacement, or refund if the product stops working or becomes damaged or defective. Normal wear and tear, including scratches and dents, misuse of product, such as damage from being placed in a freezer or microwave, aren't covered. TRYING IT OUT The Klean Kanteen 64 oz (1900 ml) is certainly not a bottle that can be drank from or picked up with one hand, unless using the swivel loop on the cap. Notwithstanding its size and weight, it was easy to fill with water thanks to its wide-mouth opening, and easy to drink from thanks to its rounded top lip. In addition, the cap was easy to twist on and secure as well as remove from the bottle. Finally, to check the bottle's ability to keep liquids at a constant temperature, I filled it with 38 F (3.3 C) water, tightened the lid, and left it on my countertop. I'll check water temperature in three days, then perform the same test with hot water, and report my findings in my Field Report.
This enormous Klean Kanteen is well designed, well built, and has my wheels turning as to how I might use it. If you've ever wondered how long a thermos can safely keep food cold or are just naturally curious, then check back in two months to find out if I really do eat chili that's been left out of the frig in this insulated bottle for three days. This concludes my Initial Report.
FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS
During
Field testing
I took the Klean Kanteen on two overnight backpacking trips for a total
of five days and approximately 34 mi (55 km) of hiking.
Temperatures ranged from 10 to 31 F
(-12 to -0.6 C), and my pack weight was 39
lbs (18 kg), which was heavier than normal but suffice it to say I was
well stocked. I mainly hiked off-trail since whatever briars and tall
brush were already knocked down were easy to avoid. PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD Before discussing Field performance, here are the results of the test I performed after finishing my Initial Report. Note the air temperature in my house during this test was 68 F (20 C). I first filled the Kanteen with ice water from my refrigerator and then added several ice cubes and let it sit for 15 minutes. I then recorded the water temperature at 38 F (3.3 C), screwed on the cap, and let it sit on my countertop for 145 hours. At the end of this time period the water temperature measured 55 F (12.8 C). Next, I waited 24 hours for the Kanteen to warm up to room temperature and then started the second test. In this test I heated water on my stove to just below boiling, then poured it into the Kanteen and waited 15 minutes for the temperature in the bottle to equalize before measuring it. After 15 minutes I measured the water temperature at 182 F (83.3 C), screwed the cap tight, and let it sit on my countertop for 47 hours. At the end of this test the water temperature measured 107 F (41.7 C). Kudos to Klean for some great numbers! Now on to the empirical results from my Field testing. Spoiler alert! It's no secret here either, the Klean Kanteen excelled during Field Testing. Below are the
details of my test results after using this remarkable stainless steel bottle for the past two months: I've
had no performance issues with the cap either. It has remained
easy to twist on and off just like when I first got it. The cap
seals tight, as well, so I've had no leaks whatsoever. And any
dirt or mud that I got on the bottle simple wiped off with a rag and
some water. SUMMARY
Klean hit the nail on the head with
their TKWide insulated bottles. They're durable and do a great
job of insulating liquids so they stay hot or cold, whichever is
preferred. The 64 oz (1900 ml) bottle served my needs well these
past two months, and I look forward to more trips with it soon. FIELD TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS During Long Term Testing I took the Klean Kanteen on
two overnight backpacking trips for a total of four days and
approximately 21 mi (34 km) of hiking. Temperatures ranged from
24 to 51 F (-4.4 to 10.6 C), and my pack weight was 34.5 lb (15.6 kg).
I hiked both on and off-trail as conditions warranted. Hoosier National Forest, IN: Daytime temperatures were comfortable at 51 F (10.6 C) but the thawing ground, in combination with snow melt and recent thunderstorms, made conditions slick and muddy. Because of that I mainly stayed on high ground, hiking ridgelines and overpasses. The few times I ventured through low lying areas left me wishing I'd brought rubber boots. I hiked approximately 11 miles (17.7 km) in what amounted to a large loop and essentially had the place to myself, as I saw nobody on the trails and only one other set of boot prints. Franklin County, IN: During this two-day trip I hiked mostly on wooded trails and covered 12.4 miles (20 km) across moderately hilly terrain. I had clear bright blue skies on this outing thanks to a high pressure system that moved through the region. Daytime highs were in the low 40s F (5.6 C) and lows were in the mid 20s (-4.4 C). And thanks to daylight savings time I gained an extra hour of sunlight each evening before bedding down. Elevations in this area ranged from 570 ft (174 m) to 710 ft (216 m). PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD The Klean Kanteen performed well, once again, this time during Long Term Testing. My favorite things about it, in no particular order, were: 1) the swivel loop that's built into the cap, 2) the fact that it's vacuum insulated, 3) its size, 4) its internal thread design, called TKClosure, and 5) its stainless steel body. The carrying loop was essential given the size of this behemoth, and it worked really well. It made grasping the bottle with one hand simple, and I couldn't imagine not having it. The vacuum insulation kept my beverages hot (or cold) for what seemed like days, and the Kanteen's 64 oz (1900 ml) capacity made me feel like I had an infinite drink supply. The reason I liked the internal thread design was it made cleaning the inside of the Kanteen so much easier. Regular threads are a pain to clean, at least for me, and the nooks and crannies that don't get scrubbed are susceptible to harboring germs. And lastly, Klean's stainless construction, which is popular with everyone these days, is durable, BPA free, and food grade. With all the talk in the news about plastics leaching chemicals into our foods and drinks, Klean's Kanteen gives me peace of mind, and that's invaluable. The stainless steel also proved to be durable, as mentioned in my Field Report. Of all the containers I've carried water in, be they plastic bottles, hydration bladders, or other stainless flasks, this one feels the most rugged and bombproof, and that's exactly what I want in the backcountry, in freezing weather conditions, when I'm carrying large quantities of water in the same pack that has all of my clothes and food in it. Just like Field Testing, I spent the last two months carrying the Kanteen inside the top of my pack and alternated between standing it up and laying it on its side, to see what worked best. My preference was to lay it flat which made it easier to grab and put away, versus having to clear a spot each time to stand it vertically. The cap never leaked in all the times I laid it horizontally, so I was quite confident in its ability to seal tightly. In the evenings, when carrying hot liquids, I stashed the Kanteen in the foot of my sleeping bag and felt like it helped keep my feet warm. Whether that was the case I'm not sure, but it certainly didn't hurt anything and it kept the bottle from freezing. The few times I carried cold water, I wrapped the Kanteen in clothing and stuffed it in my pack for the night. Upon returning from my trips, cleaning and storing the Kanteen was always a breeze. My typically way to store it is with the cap unscrewed so any moisture left in after drying has a chance to escape.
SUMMARY The Klean Kanteen performed wonderfully during Long Term Testing, and I recommend it as one of the best insulated bottles I've tested. This concludes my Long Term Report and this test call. Thanks to Klean Kanteen and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test this item. Read more reviews of Klean Kanteen gear Read more gear reviews by Brian Hartman Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Klean Kanteen TKWide Water Bottle > Test Report by Brian Hartman |