Survivalist Forum banner

What is the best canteen for a BOB and a GHB?

27K views 34 replies 32 participants last post by  stigz 
#1 ·
I would like some input on the best canteen for BOB's and GHB's that I am building. Cost, Water taste, Noise and Durability are all issues. Thanks!!!:thumb:
 
#3 ·
1) nalgenes--> expensive, large, unbreakable. i have dropped mine (full of water) from 2 meters up onto rocks. scratched up the bottom, but it didnt break or crack. they are on the pricey side though; i payed 16$ CDN for each of mine. they also have a more slim line model for 10$ that holds less water but fits better
2) Mil Surp canteens--> i like the rigid ones for durability. they last a long time and dont wear out, but they ruin the taste of the water
3) stainless steel or aluminium bottles (civvie ones)--> most of these are cheap and thin walled, so they could puncture if dropped full onto rocks. a good quality one is a good investment though. they dont muck up the waters taste to my knowledge. make sure you add a way of keeping the cap with the bottle.
 
#26 ·
I've got one of those thin-walled aluminum ones that I keep camp stove fuel in.. it's really old and banged up but totally intact. I never worried that it would puncture. (I'd suggest always keeping a canteen or water bottle hooked to your pack, you might loose it otherwise.) It's nice and light, too. No metal water bottles I know of transfer taste to the water.
 
#6 ·
The best water bottle I use for work is my 3 litre Camel Bak they are tough and convenient, but in my webbing I carry 2, 2 litre South African Water bottles. These are great drink bottles. They fit perfectly in to a medium size utillity pouch.



Cost: They are cheap as chips
Noise: Causes their plastic they dont make to much noise.
Water taste: The water taste fine as with all drink containers, as long as you empty them and allow to air dry theres no dramas.
Durability: Well there tough nails.

The only thing is i havent seen a metal cups/canteen to go on to the bottom of it but I usally have one of thoses in my pack if i need it. But this is if you are after something in this size, I highly recommend them. I reckon there Gold Dust.

Gaven
 
#7 ·
I use ALL of the following for varying reasons:

a) BLADDER 3L because it holds volume and can be filtered easily (I use platypus)

b) NALOGENE 1L because I can use it for UV type of water purification as back up (otherwise I wouldn't bother with it)

c) SIGG 1L and 750mL- my favorite because I know how precious drinking water is and I want it PROTECTED. I have had these bottles run over by trucks by accident, fallen off speeding vehicles and dropped down rock faces. I still had water to drink.

I keep 2.75L on my belt or vest and I use my 3L in my pack or vest.

Your considerations for water are perhaps the most crucial in your GHB or BOB.
 
#9 ·
1 Liter Wide Mouth Disposable Water Bottle

I buy the water bottles that are 1 Ltr and have a wide mouth. They are great, tough as nails, plentiful, and cheap, usually less than two bucks. Most of them are clear so you can use them for SODIS purification. They are damned tough, I have used them on week long trips and they were only a little marred from riding around in my pack. You can also crush them when you are hunting or trying to be stealthy, so that they are only as big as the amount of water you have left, that way they won't slop. All of this for about 2 dollars in any convenience store. They are lighter than any non-disposable bottles as well.
As previously mentioned the MSR Dromedary bags are good. Also look at Platypus pocket bottles, they are really quite handy. In my experience, most of your mil surplus canteens are heavy, they impart flavor to water, and you have to have specific cups, specific carriers, etc to go with them. For backpacking a couple of 1 liter disposable water bottles and a water bag of some kind are all you will ever need.
An additional note, always carry two containers, doesn't really mater what kind, so that you can be purifying one while drinking from the other. At night if you camp near water you can use your bag to purify even more. Additionally, you can write on your bottle with permanent marker the amount of purifier you need to add for that volume.

Thanks,
Rob
 
#12 ·
All of these are good. What I use is a 1 quart canteen I had in the army. It is plastic and has an OD cover. It has a stainless steel cup and a stove that fit to the bottom of the canteen. I cut a piece of styrofoam to fit inside the lid making a more water tight seal. Every so often I will rinse it with a diluted bleach water then some baking soda and water. The only time I ever saw taste issues was after filling it from a water mule in 1983. I had to replace the original cover with a MilSurp one after 20 years of service. They didn't have camelbacks back when I was in so I can't speak for those,but the principle seems sound. TP
 
#16 ·
I use standard soda bottles too.

They are light, cheap and the dang things are almost indestructible. I've had water freeze in them and expand the bottle to the point where I wondered how it kept from exploding.

They are also watertight if you drop them from 20 feet. At least that's how far mine fell with no problem.

I use these exclusively for water in my GHB.
 
#21 ·
Just my two-cents...

For noiseless containers, you'll have to have something that is collapsible so you can remove as much air as you drink to keep the water from sloshing: USGI two quart canteens, Camelbacks, Platypus and Nalgene flexible containers, Echo USGI canteens, etc.

Cheapest will be USGI canteens or Nalgene water bottles on sale. Sure you can use plastic soda/water bottles and the more robust Gatorade bottles. They'll work, but I wouldn't want them for rough use.

If you clean your water containers periodically you won't get that plastic taste. USGI canteens (not the Echo types) are probably worse. The best tasting comes from Stainless steel bottles.

Durability is most likely USGI, Nalgene and the stronger stainless bottles like Guyot/Nalgene and Klean Kanteens. I've seen the older Nalgene bottles dropped several feet (full of water) onto concrete and survive without damage. Another canteen system I really like is the NATO canteen. It has a wider mouth than the USGI canteen, and if you get the steel Crusader cup, it's more robust than the USGI cup; they are more expensive though.

Stainless bottles (single wall) are the heaviest, but most versatile IMHO. You can of course carry water in them, but you can also melt snow or boil water in them directly over the fire...handy for purifying water.

Regardless of your water bottle or canteen selection, I still recommend a nesting cup or mug. It takes up practically no extra space and very little weight. Recommendations are stainless steel, titanium or aluminum...there are several varieties to fit most bottles. Canteen cups are inexpensive and a must if you're running canteens.

As you put your BoB together, it doesn't hurt to have a few different methods. I've packed a Nalgene (plastic) water bottle because I like the wider mouth...it makes it easier to filter water into and I can then transfer to other bladders/containers easier; plus you can use a titanium or stainless nesting mug for a bowl, drinking cup, shovel/scoop, etc.). Camelbacks are excellent for hands-free hydration on the go and you can store that extra 2-3 liters of water or collapsible for less weight and really no loss storage loss inside your pack. I always pack a Platypus (4-liter), Nalgene 3-liter or MSR Dromedary bag...they're carried collapsed, but give me the ability to really stock up on water if needed. Also, I've added a small Klean Kanteen stainless bottle in my "break-away" bag or a smaller (empty) Platypus 1-Liter water pouch.

Lots of options and with a little practicing you can make a good system work for you.

ROCK6
 
#23 ·
I have a couple bota canteens:
http://botaofboulder.com/index.php?...se&category_id=6&Itemid=60&vmcchk=1&Itemid=60

I've found them awfully comfortable to hang around the neck/shoulder while hiking. They're well-balanced and light to carry, not a klunky military-style metal canteen. Not for all applications, though. I'm not a fan of the camelbacks, because I like to keep my solutions separate (not integrated with a backpack) so if one of them breaks it won't affect the other, but that's just me. I worry that I'll foul up a camelback by neglecting to properly drain/clean it, etc.
 
#24 ·
I use Nalgene bottles for a few reasons

1) my water filter screws on so I can worry about pumping water instead of holding everything in line to fill.

2) Nalgene bottles are like the 1950's french canteens, they fill very fast while moving through water. Just shove it under the water and its full, important when you are moving fast and worried about your exposure time in the open, like crossing streams.

3) I like the cup that fits the nalgene, especially the double sized cup thats twice as high as the standard. Good cup.

4) Easier to clean than a canteen, you can see what you are doing as well
 
#27 ·
I use a Camelbak M.U.L.E non civi version for my day bag and it came with the non civi 3L bladder, insulated hose, shutoff valve, and large bite piece. That is by far my favorite method for carying water.

I have fallen on top of my bag with a partialy full bladder from a height of atleast 7ft. Nothing happened to the bladder or fittings. Everything was perfectly fine, infact im sure the fall would have hurt much more if the bag wasnt there.

The webbing on the main pouch is nice to carry a nalgene bottle in a pouch but not much else.

I have also found that if im not worried about noise I can attach 2 of these with carabiners.

 
#28 ·
There is some merit to water bladders, USGI 2 quart canteens and the newer Echo “soft” 1 quart canteens. You can collapse as you drink and keep the slosh noise to a minimum. Also, if you fall onto your hard canteen (such as a bad PLF…parachute landing fall), it hurts like a mother!

I prefer wide to narrow mouths…just easier to fill. Single wall stainless (Nalgene/Guyot, Kleen Kanteen), provide the additional ability to boil water.

If you’re not packing a stainless bottle, a bottle or canteen that can have a nesting cup is highly recommended.

I’ve used:

Sigg bottle
Nalgene water bottle
Nalgene/Guyot single wall stainless bottle
Kleen Kanteen
USGI canteen
ECHO canteen
USGI 2-quart canteen
NATO (Pattern 58) canteen (I really like this one)

Of course you can go the simple, but effective soda bottle…

ROCK6
 
#32 ·
I prefer wide to narrow mouths…just easier to fill.
And clean.

If you’re not packing a stainless bottle, a bottle or canteen that can have a nesting cup is highly recommended.
Absolutely. Makes best use of space.

Our choices:
  • My BOB has a USGI+cup and a 2L soda bottle.
  • Wife's BOB has a Swiss canteen + metal cup and a 2L soda bottle. I think hers packs a bit easier because of the straighter shape of the canteen.
  • My normal day pack has a camelback insert in it and a couple of .5L soda bottles.
  • My GHB in the car has a 2L bottle of water in it. Will likely replace this with another surplus
  • soda bottles for casual purposes

Of course you can go the simple, but effective soda bottle…
Soda bottles continually amaze me. I use .5L and 2L bottles for all kinds of things around the house and elsewhere.

I am running an (unscientific and NOT recommended for bystanders) test where I have kept a cup of various fuels in seperate, well-marked small soda bottles in an outdoor shed for well over a year. Kerosene, unleaded, coleman, citronella, various alcohols. So far there have been zero problems. No thinning, no weakening, no discoloration, nothing. These should not be anyone's go-to storage/transport containers, but it might be worth remember if the SHTF.
 
#29 ·
I usually carry a Camelback bladder with insulated cover, empty... as a backup. For immediate use, I love the seltzer water bottles (I think they are close to 1.5 liters)... they are pretty tough, leave no flavor, cheap (come with water already) and are a bit more slender than Gatoraid type bottles. Most importantly, a filter/purifier (I use a Pur purifier). It will clean 200gal per filter. It is easy to come up with bottles for water... just not always so easy to find good water to put in them. Nalgene bottles are also -as already mentioned- nearly indestructible.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top