Key factors
Cool zippers, new waterproofing, etc... sometimes it's easy to get lost in all the hype (over-spending happens on features). Our guide focuses on the fundamental factors you should always keep in mind (thus, this short list is similar across all items). Then only at the end do we have some questions to get you thinking about other minor features.
We highly recommend reviewing Type or Style first, where we review what you can use to address the Core function--a regular item you have at home may work! The other factors are secondary & depend strongly on the Type or Style you've picked.
While we encourage you to use regular items wherever possible, as an outdoor gear shop, we only carry outdoor-specific products
Type or Style
We've organized the most commonly used items people use to address the Core function below, with example images, characteristics, features, etc.
Our category name |
Single-use plastic water bottle |
Plastic water carrier (soft)* |
Reusable water bottle |
Water bag (aka water bladder) |
Example qualities & features |
Example images |
|
|
|
|
Material |
Soft plastic |
Hard plastic, metal, or glass |
Plastic or technical fabric |
How durable is it? |
Somewhat
Body may puncture or lid may crack, but not super likely
|
Extremely
Hard plastic or metal likely to last forever. Even if lid cracks, usually you can buy a replacement
|
Very
Body may puncture, but quality models are far more durable than a single-use plastic water bottle
|
Can it handle boiling water? |
|
Generally yes, check specific model |
Can it handle freezing conditions? |
Compatible with a drinking tube & hiking backpacks for hands-free drinking?
See Usage section for image example
|
|
|
|
|
Other considerations |
N/A |
N/A |
If fully stainless steel, in a pinch may be used as a pot on a stove
Check manufacturer instructions to verify. The bottle must be wide enough to balance on the stove, you will need a way to hold it (the metal will get hot & there's no handle!)
|
N/A |
Effect on secondary factors |
Price |
$1-2 |
$5-30 |
$10-50 |
Capacity |
<2 liters |
5-20 liters |
<2 liters |
1-10 liters |
Weight
|
A few ounces/ grams |
Up to 1lb (0.5kg) |
Up to a few pounds (~1kg)
Varies widely based on material (e.g., plastic, metal, etc.)
|
Up to 1lb (0.5kg) |
Size |
Does NOT compress down when empty |
May collapse down when empty (depending on model), but won't compress as much as a bag will |
Does NOT compress down when empty |
DOES compress down when empty |
Rationale |
Less technical |
More technical |
Why we do/don't carry it
= we rent = we sell
|
Not specific enough for outdoor use |
Standard for most outdoor uses in backpacking
|
*There are also plastic water carriers that are hard, but those are are less often used outdoors, unless it's also a cooler designed to hold liquids directly (usually with a dispensing valve), and since that primary use is as a cooler, we do not discuss it here (think of those large cooler drinking stations at sports camps). As you can imagine those containers are more expensive, can have larger capacities, and are heavier & larger. They're used for groups, and only for car camping (it won't fit into any hiking backpack!)
Price
One of life's certainties is the trade-off between price & quality. This creates an inherently unfair situation. If you save money today by buying something lower end, you'll end up replacing it more frequently, spending money & time each instance so that at the end, you probably haven't actually saved anything. On the other hand, if you decide to invest in something higher end, you'll need a lot more upfront money, and you need to be able to use the item frequently enough to make it worthwhile.
We developed our rental program to address this unfairness. We don't sell lower end items. But for our higher end items, we offer them for rent at up to 90% off retail price, generally well below the cost of buying even the cheaper option. That's a win-win!
It may seem like the price & quality trade-off is disappearing, because you can find a cheap version of almost anything for tens of dollars that still has good reviews (assuming the reviews are real). Remember 2 things:
- Many reviews are written after only a trial use, first use, or infrequent use: We've seen entire review videos of gear done at home, which is very different than actually being outdoors!
- The point of gear is to give you a good experience because you've already spent money to be on vacation from work! Don't let quality issues affect your relaxation
For gear specifically, the quality issues center around performance & durability.
For water bags, performance & durability are linked (ripped fabric leaks water!). Therefore with lower end products, be especially concerned (e.g., take care to cushion it & store it away from sharper objects).
Methodology notes on prices shown on this page
In addition to losing money by buying lower end products that just aren't worth it, you can also lose money by buying higher end products that also aren't worth it. Once you reach a certain tier of quality, any additional price differences are based on branding or design (check out this Louis Vuitton chalk bag [other chalk bags cost $20-50]).
For the reason above, the price data on this page for outdoor-specific gear (i.e., not household items) generally excludes
low end & high end prices. This way, you get a more accurate sense of price comparison & trends across categories (i.e., if there's a $20 version of everything, then it's hard to get a sense of trends if the ranges all start at $20).
Low end products are defined those that:
- Most professional reviewers don't mention
- Tend to be sold at mass retail (i.e., non-specialty stores)
High end products are defined those that:
- Are mainly branding driven (like the LV chalk bag; the brand isn't specialized in gear)
- Are so technical even most backcountry, off-track explorers won't really need it (we looked at a lot of consumer forums & our own expert staff for input on this)
Rule-of-thumb: when looking for decent quality, most bigger gear items (e.g., tents, sleeping bags, backpack) & key clothing (e.g., outer layers like jackets, pants, gloves & insulating mid-layers) should be at least $100; most smaller gear items (e.g., headlamps, small stoves, water filters) & clothing base layers or accessories (e.g., buffs, socks) should be at least $20
Capacity (size)
Water is life! Rule-of-thumb: drink 1 liter for every 1 to 2 hours of hiking. Don't forget, you may also need water for cooking, cleaning, etc. With any trip, you can either bring the water that you'll need, or treat natural water sources. Here's the trade-off:
- The benefit of bringing water: you're not reliant on nature (a stream may have run dry) & don't have to wait to treat the water
- The benefit of treating water: you don't have to carry water, which is heavy: 1 liter of water weighs 2.2lbs (1kg)
You'll need to decide based on research for your trip conditions (e.g., where is there potable, filtered water or natural water you can treat relative to your campsite or trail). Often, the decision isn't one or the other, but a combination of both.
Weight & Size (Compactness) for Backpacking
If you're thru-hiking 20+ miles (32+km) per day, every advantage counts! In this case, size refers to compactness. You can carry more gear in the same size backpack if all of it is very compact, or for more weight savings, you can get a smaller size pack.
There isn't a separate comparison table, because weight & size are functions of form factor (see Type or Style). Within each form factor, the industry doesn't then offer 'Superlight' or 'Ultralight' models (especially because if a water container is too thin it could puncture more easily!). That said, weight & size will of course vary based on brand & model.
Minor features that may be important
Here, we give you a list of questions to start thinking about minor features. We hope our approach of savings these features for last gets you to more critically think about what you need & not get caught up in the hype of what's cool and over-spend your budget.
- Does it require a drinking tube, and is this sold together or separately?
- Are there multiple mouthpieces/ or ways to drink (for easier sharing)?
- Can it be easily carried outside of a backpack?
- Does it impart a "plastic" taste?