Owner Review - Mountain Designs Lexan Flask
Date of Review: 20 September 2006

Personal Information
Name: Jamie Lawrence
Age: 25
Height: 1.70 m (5.74 ft)
Weight: 70 kg (154 lb)
Email: lawrenj6@anz.com
City: Hobart, Tasmania AUSTRALIA

Backpacking Background
I was introduced to bushwalking/tramping/hiking around 13 years ago as a young child scouting and though my school physical/adventure education. After leaving school, I mainly did short daywalks until recently when I have started to again re-walk some of Tasmania's key hiking routes and try walks I have yet to attempt. I mainly walk in the winter months, in Tasmania's central highlands areas. I prefer light gear, extended walks (3-5 days) in a group of 3 or shorter walks (1-3 days) walking solo. I would generally carry a baseweight pack of around 5 kg-8 kg (11 lb-17 lb).

Product Information
Manufacturer: Mountain Designs
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Model: 1 litre (33 fl oz)
Manufacturers URL: http://www.mountaindesigns.com.au
MRSP: Not Stated

Product Description
The Mountain Designs (MD) Lexan flask is a versatile wide mouth canister designed for carrying liquids, although it may be possible to carry powders, but this has not been tested. It has a capacity of 1 litre (33 fl oz). The flask has a screw top lid that is connected to the body of the flask with a retaining loop attached to the top of the lid and mouth of the flask. When screwed shut, the flask is completely water tight.

This flask is constructed from blue transparent Lexan, a polycarbonate plastic. As well as being watertight, this flask is incredibly strong and also has limited thermal properties.

Field Description
I have used the flask on many trips, the most recent were a trip to Mt Field National Park (Tasmania) and a trip to the Walls of Jerusalem National Park (Tasmania).

The Mt Field National Park is also located in Southern Tasmania, Australia (aprox 90 km, 56 mi, north-west of Hobart) and is characterized by its alpine and sub-alpine vegetation and geological/glacial landforms. At the time of the walk (August 2006) it was a lovely sunny day, with a light breeze. The temperature ranged from around 10 C (50 F) during the day to around -5 C (23 F) overnight. I did not carry a thermometer on the walk to confirm these estimates. Our camps where at various points within the park, at altitudes ranging from 1,250 m (4,101 ft) to 1,350 m (4,429 ft) above sea level.

The Walls of Jerusalem National Park forms part of Tasmania's World Heritage Area in the Tasmanian central highlands. Containing many ancient stands of Pencil Pine with specimens over 1,000 years old, it is a spectacular alpine environment accessible only by walking tracks. The park is dominated by the major peaks of Mount Jerusalem (1,459 m, 4,787 ft) and King David's Peak (1,499 m, 4,918 ft). During the time of the walk (September 2006) the days were sunny with temperatures during the day of around 13 C (55 F) dipping to a chilly -7 C (19 F) at night. Once again, I did not carry a thermometer on the walk to confirm these estimates.

Field Use
The MD flask was used as a transport flask for water or sweetened drinks on both of these trips. I prefer to leave the flask in a side pocket on my pack to make access easy. On both of the above trips, there was plenty of drinkable water available from streams or lakes so there was no need to carry water with us. When we required water (to drink, cook or mix up some sweeter drink) I would simply take the flask from the side of my pack, open the lid and place the open mouth into a stream where fast water flowed. Depending on the speed of the water flow, the flask fills within seconds. Due to its wide mouth design, there is no issues with the air escaping which also improves filling time. Given the large lid retaining loop, it is possible to fill the flask without getting my hands wet by holding the lid and lowering the flask into the stream. This is a welcome bonus given the extremely cold water temperatures.

With this flask nearly always being on the outside of my pack, even when the weather is sunny, the contents stays cool for quite some time. When at the Walls, the water from a stream was almost too cold to drink after nearly an hour after it was collected. My walking partner filled an aluminium flask at the same time and its contents were noticeably warmer then those from the MD flask at the same point in time. Although I have never used this flask to hold hot contents, I anticipate that these same thermal qualities would be observed with heat retention.

At various points through these trips, the MD flask held water or flavored beverages. When the flask was to be refilled, a simple rinse in water removes all evidence of taste and smell of the previous contents. This is combined with no noticeable 'plastic' taste, which is always unwanted.

It was with horror at one point when the MD flask dislodged from my pack and took a rather big tumble onto the rocky path below. Apart from some minor scratching, there was no damage to the flask at all. At the time of the drop, the flask was full, so it is fair to say it held its maximum water weight and would withstand future impacts.

Summary
The MD flask is now a core piece of equipment and I use it on every trip where I plan to carry or collect water. The wide mouth makes it easy to fill, and its thermal properties are an added bonus. When I purchased the flask the price was comparable to that of a similar size aluminum flask. I have recently purchased another flask with a slightly smaller volume so I would definitely consider purchasing this product in the future.