Insulated Water Bottles

“Anyone out there have any experience with insulated water bottles?

For my Kilimanjaro trek, they are suggesting that I bring 2 - 1 liter water bottles that are insulated.

Ummm...I haven't exactly needed those down here in the south. Any suggestions on what to buy or how to deal with this situation?

I was told that they won't really be needed until the last 2 days of the trek when we get over 15k ft.
last edited: 10/26/07 4:14:08 PM”

“Kilimanjaro! How cool.

Sorry, I have no idea about insulated water bottles.”

“eye ball stew, if you want to email me your address I will mail you some great foam insulation for water bottles. it fits one liter soda bottles. Email in my profile.”

“Just put some down or primaloft in the bottles you already have. Should work fine.”

“600 Fill?
700 Fill?
800 Fill?

What kind would work best?

hehehe”

“Perhaps this is what they mean:

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/home/style/WPB
last edited: 10/26/07 4:59:24 PM”

“SIGG has nylon pouches for their bottles

http://www.sigg.ch/

The pouche kept my drink reasonably hot/warm for a few hours. Not as good as a thermo bottle though, but I think the weight/volume ratio is greatly in favour of the pouche.

Maybe other brands like nalgene have pouches for their bottles too?”

“I just saw neoprene cozies for Nalgenes the other day. It may have been at Gander Mt. I remember thinking it was kinda dumb, but I guess they would be good for this application.

Good luck on the climb! That sounds WAY cool!”

“why not just store the water inside your pack wrapped in a layer of clothing or your sleeping bag?”

““why not just store the water inside your pack wrapped in a layer of clothing or your sleeping bag?”
Jimmy san

Not a bad idea for a back up, but you need to get to your water bottles quickly... dehydration, especially at altitude, is a killer.

When we did Orizaba in Mexico our biggest issue was freezing water bottles. We were hit with an unseasonable storm and extremely cold temps and winds. At 17,000' our insulated water bottles, in OR and NorthFace insulated pouches, had frozen. The zipper on Amy's also froze tight and wouldn't open without an awful lot of hassle, not recommended at that altitude. The only water we had was a bottle that was put in straight from boiling, in an insulated pouch (OR I think), wrapped in a down jacket and buried in the middle of her pack.....and that was slush.

I'm not sure whats available now, the freezing zipper issue happened on a couple other climbs after that, so I'm leery of pouches with zippers. To be fair, the issues happened under rather extreme conditions. I have a couple now that use a draw cord closure. I don't think they insulate as well as the OR ones though.

What ever you use, I recommend you keep at least one, in an insulated pouch, filled with boiling water, in your pack, wrapped in extra clothing. The one we had in Mexico was a life saver. Keep another where you can get to it when you need it. I have a couple mountaineering parkas that have bottle pouches inside, next to your chest, if you have one like that, keep another bottle there.

You can't get enough water at altitude.

Were you planing to take Diamox? If you do remember it's a diuretic ....you will need even more water than usual.

Have a great trip! Stay safe.
last edited: 10/27/07 11:47:15 AM”

“I have the Nalgene bottle insulators and they work good, alittle hard to get the bottle out of but they keep the water from freezing. If you boil the water and put it in the bottle it will stay warm for a few hours. They will start making some ice after 5-6 hours in the teens but I have never had them freeze solid in the insulators even overnight at below 0*”

“http://www.ems.com/catalog/product_detail_square.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441774407&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302875758&bmUID=1193525037973

”

“what is called for here is a fremen stillsuit...”

“Try one of these:

http://www.altrec.com/shop/detail/18994/”

“The hose will freeze. Happens on winter hiking trips all the time. The insulated tubes you can get to go over the hose is alright but I wouldn't trust it.

Stew, you should get some of that pipe insulation from Birch and play around with it, make your own cozy. It's super thick, and lightweight. Do some fooling around, maybe the insulation in conjunction with the zippered pouch, or a pouch you make yourself (I'd use velcro), would be the trick.”

“Wow!

Thanks for all the great advice!

I appreciate the fact that many of you have had experience with cold weather and I haven't. I'll put some serious thought into the situation before making any moves. I can use a bladder and hose for most of the trek and that's what I'll probably do. I understand that it can be 0F at the summit but I shouldn't be in the area for more than 4-6hrs.

Thanks!”

“The insulated OR bottle caddies work fine for this Canuck. www.campmor.com

Good luck and have a great trip.

Doug”

“The hose will freeze. Happens on winter hiking trips all the time. The insulated tubes you can get to go over the hose is alright but I wouldn't trust it.

true - the insul hose works until its down below 15 or so, and even above that you have to be diligent of blowing the water back out of the tube. If you don't drink regularly it'll freeze in the bite valve too.

I've been able to thaw it though pretty quick by carrying the bottle and hose against my chest inside my coat for about 20 minutes or so.”

“i'll never forget BrianSean popping a wad of ice out of his camelback tubing, it shot about 10 feet up and away with the loudest POP; we were pretty surprised. mine did not freeze because i was sipping all night long. temps were in the 20's.”

“in the winter, if i use a hydration bladder, i take a drink and then blow the water back into the bladder. i have never had a problem doing this and i don't need insulation on the tubing. also, it puffs the bladder up with air and fills the pack up a little bit... sort of makes it ride a little better.”

“When are you leaving? I have a neoprene cozy for a .5 liter bottle I can send ya if you send me your addy.”

“"Stew, you should get some of that pipe insulation from Birch and play around with it, make your own cozy. It's super thick, and lightweight."

I would agree. That Insulation can be realized at many outlets, not limited to the one suggested.

Go to a Home Depot, or Lowes, I've even found that material at the local hardware store.


It's the same crap that Anti-Gravity gear makes their "pit cozy" out of.

I turned both Sass and birch (and the rest of this board) on to it. I'll have remember to thank them the next time I see them for giving me credit for it.
last edited: 10/29/07 6:14:06 PM”

“LOL”

“true creativity lies in the effective concealment of one's sources”

“MtnSteve, I already have the Diamox but unsure if I want to take it or not. You mentioned a bottle pocket on the inside of parkas. I've seen several parkas with this option...is it worth a hoot? Anyone else recommend using a parka with an inside bottle pocket? Just curious since I've never done any "real" cold weather trekking.”

“Hey Stew...If you are looking for a new shell/parka, I would keep it in mind as a feature. I wouldn't buy a new parka just to get it though. I've used the pouches to carry all kinds of stuff, from mittens to lunch. If you're really layered up, with fleece or down, it might not be that much warmer, but it is usually warmer than outside your shell. There are other features that influence which shell you purchase, for me having the inside pouches is a nice added bonus.

The Diamox does seem to help folks, just be aware you will need more fluids. How much experience do you have with altitude? My first trip to 14,000' was real bad, never had much of a problem after that though. Everyone is different.

When is your trip?”

“I have "zero" experience over 12,000'. I'm very fit, but I understand that has no bearing on how I'll deal with altitude. That's the only thing I'm a little worried about.

I'm planning on taking the trip next July. I have contact with a few people who may go with me which is what I prefer other than meeting up with a group when I get there.

I have a weatherproof shell but I'm looking for something more rugged. There are so many choices that my head is spinning.”

“Wifey surprised me with an OR insulated bottle caddy for a 1 liter bottle. It was my bday present. I didn't even ask for it and that's kinda spooky.

WooHoo!!”

“This is for Kilamanjaro right? That is SO bad azz!”