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Owner Review: Nalgene 96-oz (2.84 L) Wide-Mouth "Cantene" (canteen)
January 24, 2006
Owner's Personal Information
| Name: |
Lewis Wilson |
| Age: |
28 |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Height: |
6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight: |
207 lb (94 kg) |
| Email address: |
lew526 at yahoo |
| Home: |
Atlanta, Georgia, USA |
| Date of review: |
January 24, 2006 |
My Backpacking Background:
I started backpacking in the spring of 2002. I make several backpacking
trips a year, ranging from short overnight trips to week long trips. I
day-hike when I have less free time, giving my boots and some other
gear more exercise. I'm a 3-season hiker who only has experience
backpacking in the southeastern USA, so my trips tend to be hot and
rainy rather than cold. Because I like having a little extra comfort in
camp, I usually hike with 35-45 lb (16-20 kg) on my back. My dog, Lady,
is my constant companion.
Product information
| Manufacturer: |
Nalgene |
 |
| Nalgene's website: |
http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/ |
| Years of purchase: |
one in 2002 and another in 2005 |
| Weight of my well-used canteen: |
2.8 oz (79 g) |
| Dimensions (including mouth and lid): |
9.6 x 13.5 in (245 x 343 mm) |
| Volume: |
roughly 96 fl oz (3 qt or 2.84 L) to the fill line |
| Listed temperature range: |
-20 F (-29 C) to 220 F (104 C) |
| Manufacturer's List Price: |
$11.25 |
Product description:
Nalgene wide-mouth canteens are made of polyethylene, with a standard
Nalgene wide mouth (roughly 52 mm, or 2.05 inch interior diameter)
sealed into the upper edge of the body. A standard wide-mouth lid is
included, and may be removed from the mouth, just as with Nalgene's
hard Lexan bottles. There is a blue fill-line on the canteen which
marks 96 fl oz (2.84 L), the point past which one should not fill the
canteen in freezing weather (the sales tag warns that water expanding
into ice can burst the canteen).
The body is constructed of two sheets of polyethylene which have
been sealed at the edges, with a third sheet folded into the bottom to
allow the canteen to stand up when filled (it's shaped like a Capri-Sun
juice container). It is flexible, and can be flattened or rolled up
underneath the rigid mouth when empty to minimize the space it takes
up. The 96 fl oz (2.84 L) canteen comes with a flat, slit-shaped handle
sewn into the sealed upper edge, into which I can fit two fingers when
carrying it. The handle is made of white polyethylene. Although the
handle is a useful feature, it takes two hands to pour carefully from
the full canteen.
Field information
Setting:
I have brought a 96-oz (2.84 L) Nalgene canteen with me on every
backpacking trip I've made since I started hiking in 2002. All of my
hikes have been in the southeastern USA, on the Appalachian trail or in
various parks in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. I've
packed my canteen through a lot of forested land, and over a few of the
gorgeous southern "bald" mountains. I usually hike in warm weather at
elevations only occasionally exceeding 5,000 feet (1,500 m). I have
rarely encountered sub-freezing weather on my hikes, and have yet to
see ice form inside my canteen.
My Experience:
My first experience with my canteen was in the summer of 2002, on a
week long backpacking trip with several friends on the Appalachian
Trail, in and around Grayson Highlands State Park in southwestern
Virginia. On the first full day of the trip, I left camp before my
friends, and was alone for several miles. I was a novice hiker at the
time, and had my canteen hanging from a loop on the outside of my pack.
I made a wrong turn, and after a few hundred yards of bushwhacking, I
realized that I needed to backtrack and find the trail. Once I had
found my way again, I noticed a slow dripping on my backpack and body.
When I inspected my gear, I discovered that the bushes had "whacked" my
canteen, and had made a small puncture near the top of its body. With
every step I took, my canteen was sloshing a few drops of water out of
its wound. After I reached our campsite, I successfully repaired the
hole by emptying the canteen, drying the punctured area, and carefully
covering it with a piece of duct tape. After that incident, I learned
to store my canteen inside my pack.
The original duct tape patch held for years without leaking. I take
several backpacking trips a year, and I had no more problems with my
canteen until 2005. Early in the spring of 2005, I noticed that the
seam around the upper edge of my canteen, where the corner of the
mouth's substructure meets the flat edge of the body, had begun to wear
and crack. By midsummer, this worn place began to leak.
I bought a new canteen when I discovered that I could not repair the
corner with duct tape. My second canteen has so far remained undamaged.
Both of the Nalgene canteens I've owned quickly lost their "new"
appearance, getting wrinkled and weathered on the trail. The blue logo
and fill line almost completely rubbed off of my second canteen after
only a couple of backpacking trips, but the text on my first canteen
never seemed to fade much.
Exposure to heat:
When I decided that my first canteen was "junk," I experimented with it
a little. I discovered that its material melts (or evaporates) quickly
when held over a small flame. Knowing this, I would not trust it in an
electric dishwasher, or place it near a fire or hot surface. Nalgene's
website claims that the canteen is top-rack dishwasher safe, but its
wide mouth makes it easy to clean it by hand. Since Nalgene sets the
upper limit of the canteen's safe temperature range at 104 C (220 F),
and water starts to boil at 100 C (212 F), I would not put boiling
water in it.
The practical value of this product:
I bring a large canteen with me because I tend to drink a lot of water.
On long, hot hikes, I sometimes finish the whole 96 oz (2.84 L) before
I get to camp. I use an MSR water filter that screws onto Nalgene wide
mouth containers, and I like to be able to filter stream water directly
into my largest container. I now use a Nalgene bite valve and hose to
drink directly from my canteen while hiking. After several years of
use, I've never had any problems with my Nalgene hose and bite valve.
The main feature that caused me to buy a second Nalgene canteen is
the wide mouth, which allows for fast and easy pouring. Although I have
never mixed drinks in my canteen, its wide mouth would help me avoid
making a powdered mess. It might also be handy as a container for iced
drinks when ice is available.
As much as I like my canteen, I've been a little underimpressed with
its durability. Because the durability of my gear is more important to
me than saving weight or space, I will consider buying a more durable
bladder when my current Nalgene canteen wears out.
Summary
Features of the canteen that I like:
It holds a full 3 qt (2.84 L) of water.
It stands up on its own when filled.
It collapses when empty.
Its wide mouth is easy to use and compatible with other Nalgene products, as well as with my MSR water filter.
It's less expensive than similar products made by other brands.
Features of the canteen that I don't like:
It can be easily punctured, and is less durable than I first expected.
The plastic slit-shaped handle tends to pinch my fingers.
The text printed on my current canteen's surface has faded.
Read more reviews of Nalgene gear
Read more gear reviews by Lewis Wilson
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