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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > 1 Liter Aquafina Water Bottle > Owner Review by Ray Estrella

1 Liter Aquafina Water Bottle
By Raymond Estrella
OWNER REVIEW
August 02, 2007

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Raymond Estrella
EMAIL: rayestrella@hotmail.com
AGE: 46
LOCATION: Huntington Beach California USA
GENDER: M
HEIGHT: 6' 3" (1.91 m)
WEIGHT: 200 lb (90.70 kg)

I have been backpacking for over 30 years, all over California, and in many of the western states and Minnesota. I hike year-round, and average 500+ miles (800+ km) per year. I have made a move to lightweight gear, and smaller volume packs. I start early and hike hard so as to enjoy the afternoons exploring. I usually take a freestanding tent and enjoy hot meals at night. If not hiking solo I am usually with my brother-in-law Dave or fiancée Jenn.

The Product

Manufacturer: Pepsico Inc
Web site: www.aquafina.com
Product: Aquafina bottle
Year manufactured: 2007
MSRP: N/A
Weight (empty with label off): 1.45 oz (41 g)
Volume: 1 L (1.05 qt)
Size: 3 in (7.6 cm) diameter, 10.1 in (25.7 cm) tall

Aquafina bottles

Product Description

The 1 L/qt Aquafina bottle (hereafter called the bottle) is a bottle that comes filled with Aquafina branded water. The water is very tasty, and is my favorite brand of bottled water. But the bottle itself is my favorite part, and the subject of this review.

The bottle is made of clear poly-ethylene terephthalate, which is commonly referred to PET. PET bottles are widely used in the beverage industry (among others) and are prized for their high clarity, high gloss, rigidness, good oxygen barrier, good carbon dioxide barrier, good stress crack resistance, and good low temperature impact resistance.

The bottle as seen above has ridges for both strength and esthetics. A smooth area is where the label goes and is indented at that section to make it easier to grip.

A 5/8 in (1.6 cm) high cap covers the 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) diameter opening at the top of the bottle. This cap is made of a soft white plastic and is threaded to screw onto the PET bottle sealing it.

Field Conditions

The Aquafina bottles have been with me on backpacking trips from southern California to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, and a lot of parks in between. I have used them in temperatures below freezing to 90 F (32 C) and elevations from sea level to over 13000' (4000 m). Here is a picture of one in use on the John Muir Trail in 2005 filled with (I believe) fruit punch flavored Gookenaid.

On the JMT

Observations

I have read for many years of people using pop bottles as water containers while hiking to save weight. I was never inclined to use them because of the tiny openings they have. Then I discovered (or just noticed) the wide-mouthed Aquafina bottles at my local grocery store a couple of years ago. I actually was keeping them for everyday drinking and had an impromptu hike come up and grabbed two of them and stuck them in my pack. I noticed that they fit the pockets better than my Nalgene bottles, and were easier to get in and out.

But the biggest reason that I liked them was the opening was wide enough to pour powdered sport drink mixes into without feeding the ants half of it. A (very dim at times) light bulb went off over my head.

I decided to weigh the bottles when I got back and lo-and-behold, they are less than a quarter the weight of my beloved Nalgenes. Get thee behind me, Nalgene: for it is written, "You too heavy…"

Since that hike I have used the Aquafina bottles any time I need bottles. (I often use hydration bladders. It depends on the trip.)

At first I would remove the label (saving one whole gram, or 0.04 oz) and would painstakingly make measurement marks on the sides of them with a permanent marker. This was to measure out the water I needed for my freeze-dried meals. I finally gave up both practices, instead adding measurement marks in my cookware and cup. Now I just leave the label on like in this picture from this early summer (2007) from an 84 mile (135 km) hike in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park at a pass. A second bottle is poking out of my pack's side pocket.

In SEKI


They hold up fairly well. I used two of them (the custom marked jobs) on a 7 day trip in Yosemite National Park and they were getting a bit beat up by the end of it. The ends will sometimes get pushed in from hitting them against a boulder while setting my pack down. Then they will fall over when I set them down on whatever rock is my table that evening. To get the dents out I fill it with water, cap it and squeeze the heck out of it until the dent pops back out. I tried to save them for the next few trips. Now I just buy fresh bottles for each trip. (I actually have at least a couple new sealed full bottles at all time in the gear room, as can be seen in the picture at the top.)

Even on the three long duration hikes (week+) I have used them on I have never had a bottle leak. I did lose one once when it slipped out of my pack's side pocket on Forrester Pass. That bummed me out badly as it left me with one bottle for the next 50+ miles (80+ km) of hiking. I had another pop out just over Mather Pass in the snow this year and caught it as it zoomed down the snow. (Bad bottle, stay!) The height of the bottle does contribute to the escape artist techniques.

All in all I really like the Aquafina bottles. I can't find anything to complain about them, well maybe the height. The price is great, considering that it comes with the first "refill" free. (It is all in how I look at it.) Every time they go on sale I buy about four or five of them. If they ever discontinue or change this style there is going to be one sad backpacker in Huntington Beach. Here is a last picture of one in use. This is GU2o in it, on the top of a peak called Jepson I think. (There were three that trip.)

On Jepson

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > 1 Liter Aquafina Water Bottle > Owner Review by Ray Estrella



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