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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Klean Kanteen Vacuum Insulated Classic > Test Report by Doug White

KLEAN KANTEEN VACUUM INSULATED CLASSIC 3
TEST SERIES BY DOUG WHITE
LONG-TERM REPORT
March 22, 2016


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TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Doug White
EMAIL: bakpack215atyahoodotcom
AGE: 34
LOCATION: Boulder, Colorado, USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
WEIGHT: 170 lb (77.10 kg)

Backpacking Background: I've been backpacking for several years. I have tested a lot of different systems to find what works the best for me. I pack as light as possible without sacrificing comfort and functionality. I enjoy backpacking in all kinds of weather including winter. I also do snowshoeing and year-round mountaineering. I backpack in the Rocky Mountains just below treeline most of the time. My trips are normally at least a few miles (5 km) or more. Anytime I can get out and enjoy the mountains, even for a day hike, I do.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

IMAGE 1
Bottle Itself

Manufacturer: Klean Kanteen
Manufacturer's Website: www.kleankanteen.com
MSRP: US$36.95
Listed Weight: 14.9 oz (422.3 g)
Listed Capacity: 32 oz (946 ml)
Listed Measurements:10.8 in x 3.6 in diameter (275.1 mm x 91.4 mm)
Listed Opening Diameter 1.75 in (44 mm)

Measured Weight: 16 oz (453 g)
Measured Capacity: Verified it barely holds 32 oz (946 ml)
Measured Dimensions: 11 in x 3.5 in (28 cm x 9 cm)

Other details:
The Klean Kanteen 32 oz is a vacuum-insulated bottle for storing liquids. The bottle's opening is large enough to easily pour liquids into and even fit in ice cubes. Per the manufacturer's website, the interior of the bottle is electropolished and won't retain or impart flavors and also contains a double-walled construction for insulation purposes. They also claim the bottle is made from BPA-free materials and food-grade stainless steel. The manufacturer claims that the bottle keeps fluids hot for12 hours, or cold for 24 hours. The bottle is portable, reusable, and recyclable as well. The manufacturer also offers a lifetime warranty on the product as long as one doesn't freeze it. Klean Kanteen recommends washing the bottle by hand in warm soapy water or with diluted vinegar and baking soda.
IMAGE 2
Bottle With Cap Removed

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

To start with, the bottle is very appealing, modern, and sharp looking. I will say though it is a little bulky and heavy in my opinion from a backpacking point of view. The bottle looks and feels very rugged and durable though, I don't anticipate any failures or damage with it. The packaging is simple and straight-forward, yet the text seems to focus more on the environment than the product itself. The bottle is stainless but painted and seals with a plastic cap and o-ring. The cap also has a large loop molded into it for many methods of fastening or lashing. The only thing that concerns me is that the manufacturer lists not to freeze the bottle as it can damage the bottle. I was originally planning on testing this in below freezing conditions for the entire test. I may have to take a separate insulated lunch box or bag to shield the Klean Kanteen from the elements.

TRYING IT OUT

I followed the manufacturer's instructions to wash the bottle with warm soapy water prior to the first use. The cap sealed fine with no leaks or issues and rinsing the soap out was quite easy and quick. I used a kitchen container that had graduated measurements on it and filled the Klean Kanteen bottle with 32 oz (946 ml) of water to verify the fluid capacity. It did indeed hold that capacity, but barely. The liquid was filled to the brim and if I had used the cap, it would have overflowed.

TESTING STRATEGY

I plan on testing both hot and cold liquids in this bottle and plan on testing the manufacturer's claim of time that each liquid will maintain its temperature. I also plan on testing carbonated liquids to see if the bottle holds carbonation. As far as freezing the bottle, I will be careful, but would really like to get the bottle to right around freezing to see if a hot liquid will remain hot overnight. I may decide toward the end of the test to freeze the bottle anyway (regardless of the warranty) with a cold liquid inside and test if the liquid remains in the liquid state and doesn't freeze.

SUMMARY

Overall, the bottle seems durable and soundly-made but a little heavy and bulky for my style of backpacking. I will however test it with an open mind.


LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

The product was tested on five separate trips with temperatures ranging from -5 F (-20 C) to 45 F (7 C). One trip was a day-hike and the others were overnight trips. It was tested in dry conditions as well as shallow and deep snow. Testing was done in some windy conditions as well as falling snow. The elevation ranges between testing areas ranged from 6000 ft (1829 m) to 10600 ft (3231 m). All trips were in the Rocky Mountains and in forested areas.
IMAGE 1

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

This item did great in the field. I loved the convenience of a warm meal with no cooking at camp involved. When the canteen first arrived at my home, I placed it outside in the shade with warm water in it. The water inside was 105 F (40 C) and the temperature outside was fairly steady around 44 F (7 C). It was left outside in these conditions for ten hours. When I opened it after ten hours and checked the temperature, it was at 90 F (32 C). So in this ambient temperature, I can say that it loses about 1.5 F (0.8 C) per hour. Another thing I did was test the product's ability to maintain carbonation and cooler temperatures. I poured a 12 oz (0.35 L) beer in it and left it inside at a room temperature of 73 F (22 C) for ten hours. The beer temperature was originally measured at 46 F (8 C). After ten hours, the beer was at 55 F (13 C) but still fully carbonated. This showed me that with cooler contents in room temperature, the product allowed a gain of about 1 F (0.5 C) per hour. Being that I tested the carbonation factor at home, I opted not to use this product in the field for carbonation as it is just a heavier container as opposed to a standard beer can that has its own container. Also, carrying the canteen with food in it wouldn't allow for beer to be put in it anyways. Had this testing period been in the summer, I would have tested beer in it out in the field.

As far as filling the canteen, liquids and soups are fairly easy, but chunky foods are a little trickier. I had to roll a paper plate into a funnel to get the food in each time, and it was still a little challenging. I would love to see the manufacturer include a large funnel with this product. Cleaning it out is also a little difficult. In the field, I just left it dirty and sealed it and put it in my bear bag at night. At home, what I ended up doing was using hot soapy water and just shaking it repeatedly until I could visually see and smell that the food residue was cleaned out.

As mentioned earlier, I took this product on 5 trips, 4 being overnight trips. One day trip, the temperatures were at -5 F (-20 C) and I had put boiling beans and cut up hot dogs in the canteen at home before I left. The ambient temperature was constant and the food was in there for five hours. When I ate the beans, they had definitely cooled down, but were still plenty warm to eat. It was very nice having a warm meal ready to go with no hassle. At no point during the freezing temperatures did the product appear to have any flaws. Using this on overnight trips also proved great. I only used this canteen for hot soup and beans on all of my five trips. I would boil the food at home, pour it in the canteen, seal it with the lid, and put it in my pack. It is a little on the heavy side, but the convenience of having a hot and ready meal at camp with no work involved outweighs the burden of carrying the extra weight. I ate the contents by pouring them out on a plate when I was at camp. Even after several hours, the food remained warm and was pleasant. I did find on all trips that the food at the bottom was much warmer than the food at the top. The four overnight trips I took consisted of ambient dinner-time temperatures around 30 F (-1 C) to 35 F (2 C).

IMAGE 3 IMAGE 2

SUMMARY

I am a minimalist by nature when it comes to backpacking, so when I first got the canteen and felt how heavy it was, although happy to test it, I was a little discouraged on whether I would enjoy it or not. I was proved wrong. The weight is hardly noticeable. Camping in the winter and having a hot and tasty meal ready to go with no work involved and no wasted time or fuel at camp was wonderful. I enjoyed using this. I may end up changing my entire food system around more convenient foods because of this. I also like the look of this product. It's very urban and up-to-date looking. I really would like to see a large funnel included with this product or the option to buy one as it would make food transfer much easier into the canteen.

CONTINUED USE

I will continue to use this product. It's great for winter overnights or day-hikes when you want a hot and tasty meal fast. It's very convenient to use. I don't see myself using it much in the summer as most cold drinks already have their own lightweight container, but we'll see.

This concludes my Long Term Report for the Klean Kanteen thermos.
Thank you Klean Kanteen and backpackgeartest.org for the opportunity to test this product.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Klean Kanteen Vacuum Insulated Classic > Test Report by Doug White



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