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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Sigg Classic 1L Bottle > Test Report by Coy Ray StarnesSIGG RED TRAVELER 1.0L Classic Water Bottle Test Report Series by Coy Starnes Initial Report: December 18, 2007 Field Report: March 3, 2008 Long Term Report: May, 6 2008 Tester: Coy Starnes Gender: Male Age: 45 Weight: 238 lb (108 kg) Height: 6 ft (1.8 m) E-Mail: starnescr@yahoo.com Location: Grant, Alabama, USA Tester Biography I live in Northeast Alabama. I enjoy biking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities but backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike less in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However, I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3-season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. Product Information Item: SIGG RED TRAVELER 1.0L Manufacturer: SIGG Year of Manufacture: 2007 URL: http://www.mysigg.com Capacity: 1 L (33 oz) Listed Weight: 5.2 oz (147 g) Measured Weight: 5.1 oz (145 g) Color: Red MSRP: 19.99 USD Product Description The SIGG Red Traveler 1 L(33 oz) is made from a single extruded piece of aluminum. It is designed to hold a variety of liquids and is not supposed to impart any taste or leach any aluminum. The "secret" liner is "FDA approved and independently tested to be taste and scent inert and resistant to any leaching (0.0%) so 100% safe." My 1 L (33 oz) bottle is the middle size with 0.6 L (20 oz) and 1.5 L (50 oz) also available. The 1 L (33 oz) Traveler measures 10.25 in (26 cm) tall with a diameter of 3.25 in (8 cm) and an outside circumference of approximately 10 in (25 cm). Initial Impression The Traveler arrived exactly as depicted on the SIGG website. It reminds me a lot of liquid fuel bottles I am familiar with. I was expecting it to be light weight but it is still surprisingly light when picked up empty. The cap screws off and back on easily. I like it. Below is the 1 L (33 oz) Traveler, flanked by a 0.6 L (20 oz) Traveler and a 2 L (68 oz) Coca-Cola.  SIGG 1 L (33 oz) Traveler in the center Instructions I never knew something so simple could have such detailed instructions. The instructions are glued on the bottom of the bottle but folds out to reveal the instructions in no less than 12 languages. Unfortunately, I tore the English part when removing them. Added to this, I could not even read the instructions with my reading glasses so I got my daughter to read them off to me. Therefore, if there are any errors here it is her fault... "Wash the bottle before use. Suitable for fruit juice and isotonic drinks. When using carbonated drinks avoid unnecessary shaking and take care when opening. Caution, Alcoholic, fermented or nutrient rich beverages may cause excessive pressure to build up inside the bottle. Do not use for long term storage. Contents should be consumed relatively rapidly. Fill bottle to no more then 3 cm (1 1/4 in) below the rim. Do not use for non drinkable substances ex liquid fuels or other flammables, corrosive or chemical substances. Not suitable for the microwave (risk of explosion) for cooking or deep freezing. Bottle can be placed in the refrigerator. Children should only be allowed to drink from bottle with a drinking cap. Always check that the drinking cap is firmly in place. Take care when using with hot drinks (risk of burning)." Note: The drinking cap must be purchased separately with the Traveler. Other bottles have it included. I found the cleaning directions printed on the instructions card but also online. The online version says; "Rinsing your SIGG thoroughly under the faucet with warm, soapy water at the end of every day and letting it air dry with the top off provides sufficient cleaning in most cases. When more thorough cleaning is required, you can use baking soda and vinegar. For tough jobs, pick up some SIGG cleaning tablets and a SIGG brush. Do not use a hard bristled brush to clean the interior of your SIGG bottle as this may damage the liner." Future Testing  I have already carried the bottle on my bike in my
MountainSmith Day, albeit empty, for the official weigh in at my local
post office. However, I plan to use it regularly in the same pack
both on my bike and while hiking. I will use it for a variety of
beverages and see how well the "secret" liner keeps the drink from one
use from affecting the taste of the next drink. I will carry
water, tea, coffee and perhaps some fruit juice depending on my
mood. I expect to carry coffee on colder hikes or rides and am
wondering how long it will remain hot due to the fact that the bottle
is not insulated. I will report back on all my uses and any
issues that may arise like keeping up with the stopper.Anticipated Testing Locations and Conditions I will be making several short overnight hikes and a few longer hikes over the next 4 months. I will be testing in the southeastern US with trips into the local mountains of Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina. However, most testing would be done in Northeast Alabama and much of that will be on my bike. Elevations will generally be less than 4000 ft (1219 m). Winters in the southeastern US are generally mild, with some short stints of very cold weather. I generally see some rain while backpacking, often in the form of sleet and ice in the winter. This concludes my Initial Report. Please check back in approximately 2 months for my Field Report to see how the Traveler 1 L (33 oz) is doing. I would also like to thank BackpackGearTest and SIGG for letting me test this bottle. Field
Report: March 3, 2008
Testing Locations and Conditions I have used the SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L almost every day over the course of the past two months. I have used it on local hikes here in Northeast Alabama and on a couple of road trips to Memphis Tennessee. I also used it on several bike rides but the fact that it does not fit my bottle holders on the bike limited its use in that capacity. However, I used it most taking milk to work. The temperatures have been mostly mild with the coldest overnight experienced at 34 F (1 C) and the coldest day hike at 26 F (-3 C). The warmest was on a day hike at 65 F (18 C). Field Test Results The SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L is a very handy water bottle. Actually, I should say beverage bottle because I probably used it less than half the time for water. In fact, I used it to carry milk to work every shift I worked. I would then put it in the refrigerator upon arriving at work and either drink from the bottle or pour some up in a cereal bowl. On thing that became obvious with milk is that I spill some while drinking from this bottle. Not much, but on the bright red exterior, any milk will show up easily. I also found the small opening a little difficult to pour into from a full gallon (3.79 L) milk jug. It got easier if the jug was somewhat less than full. Of course if less than 1/4 full I emptied the jug... I also noticed that when the bottle is damp it is fairly slick. Not enough to make me drop it but it is a big bottle so I needed to be sure I had a good grip on it and more so when full because the bottle is heavier. I just recently got some gloves with the rubber grip dots on the palm side and this made gripping a lot more sure. When day hiking I have put water in the SIGG and once I put V-8 vegetable juice in it. With water I really didn't notice any spilling as I drank and with the V-8 being the same color as the exterior, I didn't see any on the outside of the bottle either unless I looked for it. But really, I am not making a big deal out of the slight spillage, just noting that I saw a little. On the 2 overnight hikes, I kept the SIGG handy by placing it in one shoe right next to my hammock. I actually started off with it in the side pocket of my lumbar pack but found it easier to get it in and out of the shoe. Cleaning and Durability I have mostly just rinsed the SIGG with very hot water after each use. This always reminded me that the bottle is not insulated and I had to handle the bottle gingerly when doing this. When I emptied the V-8 juice (man that was a lot of V-8) I rinsed the bottle with creek water but didn't drink any of that and later rinsed it with soapy water at home. I used it for milk the next day and I didn't notice any after taste from the V-8 which is notorious for leaving an after taste in plastic bottles. I know because I have done the exact same thing with an empty Gatorade bottle and noticed my milk tasted a little like V-8. To do a good cleaning, I would fill it about half full of hot water and add the soap, then recap and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so and then rinse several times with clean hot water. I then usually shook out as much water as possible and left the SIGG un-capped and upside down overnight. I noticed it still had quite a few droplets of water inside after several hours and even a few after sitting overnight. However, it dried completely after a good 24 hour period. Other than several small scratches the outside finish is holding up well. To date I have managed to not drop the SIGG so no dents anywhere to report so far. The inside still looks great but due to the small opening I can't see a small section of the inside that is right near the top. Summary Thus Far I really don't have a lot to say other than to note that the bottle does seem to scratch rather easily. I have not had any trouble keeping up with the lid and it is still easy to put on and take off. I have found the SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L is a little big for the side pockets on one of my backpacks but since I usually hike with a lumbar pack in front this is not a concern for me. Also, the next smaller size (the TRAVELER 0.6L) works just fine in the side pockets. The small opening makes filling a little difficult but makes drinking from the bottle easier so that is a trade off I'm happy to live with. On the other hand. it is bigger than a typical plastic drink bottle which caused me to spill a little when drinking straight from the bottle but again, nothing serious. I think the way the lip curves outward may be partly to blame but I really can't say for sure. But overall I am really enjoying using SIGG! Future Testing I will continue to use the SIGG for a variety of beverages on my day hikes, overnight hikes and anytime I need to keep some liquid handy. I will also continue to use it for my milk at work since there is a fridge handy. I will continue to monitor the scratches and see if any other issues develop. This concludes my Field Report. Please check back in approximately 2 months for my Long Term Report to see how the Traveler 1.0L is doing. I would also like to thank BackpackGearTest and SIGG for letting me test this bottle. Long
Term Report: May, 6 2008
 Waiting patiently... Testing Location and Conditions. I have used the SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L on 2 more overnight hikes. Both trips were local (can you say high gas prices) and elevations ranged from about 700 to 1200 ft (200 to 360 m) Actually, one trip to North Carolina was canceled due to icy trail conditions (can you say wimp). The trips were on trails down and around a scenic creek where I like to camp when long trips are impractical. The 2 hikes were about 6 miles (10 km) round trip each. The low on the first trip was only 57 F (14 c) and the high was 64 F (18 C) while hiking in. The last hike was very nice with a high of 73 F (23 C) hiking in and a crisp 51 F (11 C) early the next morning. Both trips did not see any rain. I also used the bottle on several more day hikes. One 8 mile (13 km) hike was in snow. It was 28 F (-2 C) when I started but warmed to 36 F (2 C). Another long day hike was 7 miles but in much warmer weather. However, the bulk of my day hikes were around 3 miles. Some were in cold weather (even snow on March 8) but here lately it has been nice and warm, with a few hikes in temperatures in the low 80s F (around 46 C). One day hike was in light sprinkles. Long Term Test Results The SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L has continued to serve me well. It was used in much the same fashion as during the earlier testing I have already documented so I won't go into a lot of repetitive results here. I will comment that thus far I have not had any problems at all with the SIGG. I was a little nervous the one night I spent with the bottle about half full inside my small tent as a leak would have been bad news for my sleeping area. It stayed laid flat along side my shoulder all night except for a midnight and a 3 AM sip. It never leaked a drop and in fact, I have never seen the SIGG leak. I have continued to mix various sports drinks, carry milk to work and just generally use the SIGG as my drinking bottle. I would like to have used it on my bike but as I stated earlier, it does not fit the bottle holder on either of my 2 bikes I ride nor the bent I ride even more. I have used it wearing gloves and found the lid easy to remove and put back on. In fact, the DuraGlove I have been wearing which have rubber grip assist dots on the palm side seemed to make using the SIGG even easier. Care and Durability Again, not much to add. The bottle does look a tad more scratched but other than that, no damage has occurred to the exterior, and as far as I can tell, the inside still looks great. I used a bottle cleaning brush a few times for an extra good washing but most of the time I just washed it by filling and shaking it with hot soapy water inside. In fact, I didn't even rinse it after use a few times when just using it for plain water. I would rinse it as I filled it for the next use but detected no odor before doing so. Summary This is a great water bottle. The size is a little big for the side pockets on a couple of my backpacks but fits in my Mountainsmith Day perfectly. The capacity was more than I needed on a few shorter hikes in cool weather but I drank it empty on several hikes in warmer weather. And while I consider reusing an empty soda bottle good for the environment, I do think using something durable like the SIGG is also a wise use of resources. I really like the fact that the bottle seals up so reliably. I can put it in my pack sideways if needed, or leave/knock it over when by my sleeping bag at night and not have to deal with a wet mess. The only negative I can think of is that by being a solid color, it was not always easy to determine how much water was left in the bottle but even that was somewhat nullified by the fact that I could tell/guess fairly well by just picking it up and feeling how heavy it was. I will end by saying; The SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L is a genuine alternative for the light weight hiker. Sometimes durability and reliability comes at the price of a lot of extra weight but this bottle is certainly not very heavy. This concludes my reporting on the SIGG TRAVELER 1.0L. I would like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and SIGG for allowing me to test this neat water bottle. Read more reviews of SIGG gear Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Sigg Classic 1L Bottle > Test Report by Coy Ray Starnes | ||||