NALGENE CANTENE BOTTLE
BY NANCY GRIFFITH
OWNER REVIEW June 15, 2012
TESTER INFORMATION
NAME:
|
Nancy
Griffith |
EMAIL:
|
bkpkrgirlATyahooDOTcom |
AGE:
|
46
|
LOCATION:
|
Northern
California, USA |
GENDER:
|
F
|
HEIGHT:
|
5' 6" (1.68
m) |
WEIGHT:
|
130 lb (59.00
kg) |
My outdoor experience began in
high school with involvement in a local canoeing/camping group called Canoe
Trails. The culmination was a 10-day canoe voyage through the Quebec wilds.
I've been backpacking since my college days in Pennsylvania. I have completed
all of the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina. My
typical trip now is in the Sierra Nevada in California and is from a few days to
a week long. I carry a light to mid-weight load, use a tent, stove and trekking
poles.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
|
Photo courtesy of
Nalgene | Manufacturer: Thermo Fisher Scientific
Inc. Year of Manufacture: 2009 Manufacturer's Website:http://www.nalgene.com/
MSRP:
$9.80 US for 32 oz (1 L) $9.93 US for 48 oz (1.5 L)
Listed Weight: Not
Listed Measured Weight: 2.3 oz (65 g) for 32 oz. 2.5 oz (71 g) for 48
oz
Available in multiple sizes: 32 oz (1 L), 48 oz (1.5 L) and 96 oz (3
L) I own: 32 oz (1 L) and 48 oz (1.5 L)
Made in U.S.A.
The
Nalgene Cantene is listed on the website under the 'shop' heading for
'hydration'. The Nalgene Cantene is a collapsible flexible fluid container with
a plastic wide-mouth opening and screw cap. The loop-top plastic cap is
attached to the container with a loop around the body of the container and tab
that extends from the loop to the top center of the cap. The loop is free to
rotate around the container and free to rotate around the center of the cap.
The body of the container is a multi-layer film which withstands temperatures
from -29ºC (-20ºF) to 104ºC (220ºF). The bottom of the container is gusseted to
allow for it to stand upright when full of liquid. The material is BPA free.
FIELD USE
I
bought these Cantenes to eliminate carrying a hard Nalgene bottle. I liked the
lighter weight and ability to collapse it in my pack when empty while still
keeping the wide opening.
I have used one or both of our two Cantenes on
twenty-two trips for a total of approximately 68 days. Trips ranged in length
from overnight to ten-nights.
Some examples of backpacking uses include:
Pacific Crest Trail, Sierra Nevada (California): 4 days; 29 mi (47 km);
7,820 to 9,000 ft (2,384 to 2,743 m); 45 to 75 F (7 to 24 C).
Bucktail
Path, Elk State Forest, Pennsylvania: 2 days, 15 mi (24 km); 2,100 to 2,700 ft
elevation; 55 to 70 F (13 to 21 C).
Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier
National Park, Washington: 10 nights; 100 mi (161 km); 2,600 to 7,200 ft (792 to
2,195 m) elevation; 32 to 62 F (0 to 17 C).
Point Reyes National
Seashore, California: 2 nights; 21 mi (34 km); 0 to 1,407 ft (429 m) elevation;
40 to 55 F (4 to 13 C).
Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, California:
6 days, 60 miles (97 km); 6,700 to 11,600 ft (2,000 to 3,500 m) elevation; 38 to
84 F (3 to 29 C).
This container with a wide-mouth opening is heavier
than similar containers with a smaller opening, but I find it to be useful for
adding ice or snow and for pouring in powdered drink mixes. It also makes it
much easier to clean with a long-handled brush.
The size listed refers to
the fill line marked on the outside of the container. The containers actually
hold quite a bit more. I suspect that these markings are safe to use in the case
that the fluid will be frozen.
Since the containers collapse it makes
them easy to pack. I simply remove all of the air and roll or fold them and
stuff them in my pack. I haven't been very careful about protecting them but I
certainly am aware to not slide them against anything hard or sharp while
stowing them.
I use them mainly in camp
for making beverages with powdered drink mix and water. On the trail I have
used them for making sun tea while hiking. In the morning I fill one with water
and a couple of tea bags. I then secure it to the outside of my pack and by
lunchtime I have tea ready.
The gusseted bottom allows the container to
stand upright when it has liquid inside and works well on even surfaces.
Naturally finding an even surface in the backcountry isn't always easy but it
definitely helps to keep the container upright even when leaning against
something. However, I don't count it and always screw the cap back on between
sips.
The website claims that they are 'dishwasher safe - in top rack
only' but I didn't find this to be the case. This only ended up in the
dishwasher one time. The printing on the outside did not withstand the washing
as is evident by the complete lack of markings on one of my Cantenes. I'm not
sure how easily the dishwasher can clean inside this collapsible container
anyway, so I find it easy to just wash it by hand.
I haven't had any
problem with the material leaking or any holes developing through use. I did
have a raccoon nibble a hole in the 48 oz (1.5 L) container while we were away
from camp at Point Reyes. It had a sweet beverage inside at the time and I had
left it sitting out. When we got home, we added some silicone to it and it kept
it from leaking for an entire season before failing. I gave up and just ordered
a new one but in a 32 oz (1 L) version. I now own two of the 32 oz (1 L)
Cantenes and really like this size the best.
The durability has been
outstanding so far. I have to admit that I'm still skeptical about how long
these will last without developing a hole but I am amazed at how much use and
abuse these have taken with no issues.
SUMMARY
The Nalgene Cantene is a
flexible, collapsible fluid container with a wide-mouth opening.
THINGS I LIKE
Light weight Large
opening Collapsible Stands upright
THINGS I DON'T LIKE
Markings weren't dishwasher safe
SIGNATURE
Nancy Griffith This
report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org
Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
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|