Nalgene vs. Army Canteen

[Grant]

I am unusually well blessed in water-carrying, I have a bladder I've never actually used, two Nalgene bottles (a stainless and a plastic) and a 1976 army canteen.

I know I can't easily backpack them all. I would like to have at least one Nalgene to connect to my Miniworks filter, probably the stainless so I can use it for boiling too.

However, I'm not sure which is better, my old plastic army canteen, or the plastic Nalgene bottle. I do want a spare container to use when I'm doing the iodine treatment, pre-filtering, and I could connect the other Nalgene to the filter as well, giving me backup. But I don't know if there are other advantages one way or the other between them. The canteen does have the steel cup and cover, but can't I get a carrier for the bottles?

Any opinions?

[grand94jeep]

Have you thought about the Nalgene Army Canteen? It's a direct replacement.

[Kutter_0311]

Old canteen=BPA

There are new canteens w/o BPA, by Nalgene and Blackhawk!

http://www.canteenshop.com/index.html

This should take care of you...

[Chef]

I have, and use, Nalgenes, metal and plastic GI canteens, and bladders from Source and Camelbak. Each fills a niche.

[TMedina]

I have, and use, Nalgenes, metal and plastic GI canteens, and bladders from Source and Camelbak. Each fills a niche.

Exactly. The canteen works very well for personal water carry and drinking on the fly; the Nalgene bottle works equally well for water transport in a bag. The bladders also work well in a bag and are good for drinking on the fly.

Each one also has it's own set of drawbacks too: bladders are a pain to clean and maintain, especially in dusty environments.
The narrow mouth of canteens make them a pain to add ice, clean or break up ice in the bottle itself.
The Nalgenes are large and awkward to drink from - I lost count of the times I spilled too much of my drink out of the container while trying to get a drink.

-Trevor

[TacAir]

"container to use when I'm doing the iodine treatment"

May I suggest switching to either Chlor-Floc (turbid water) or to chlorine dioxide tabs like Clox-Tabs? Iodine has side effects and does not kill some beasties.

[suhsjake]

I am currently upgrading my USGI canteens to Nalgene canteens produced for Blackhawk!. Why? Well, the Nalgenes are just more durable than the USGI green canteens. I use my canteens mainly as backup in case my CamelBak fails, for cooking water, and when I just don't want to carry my Camelbak.

Nalgene Outdoor has the Oasis Canteen (Blue, Red, Grey) which is the exact same size and dimensions as the USGI canteen. Blackhawk! buys their canteens from Nalgene, but are offered in more tacticool colors (Foliage Green and Coyote).

[oldsoldier]

A little tip if using a miniworks for your filter; you can attachin a piece of tubing to the output in the bottom, then stick the tub into a canteen. I use tubing from an aquarium kit. That way, you dont have to aim.

[Grant]

I didn't realize the army canteen had the BPA problem, so I looked it up and found that it also tends to absorb chemicals? I looked inside mine and sure enough, it's RED. Not good.

This does explain the odd smell, no matter how much I clean or dry it.

I will get a few of the Nalgene canteen replacements, and also the hose.

The reason for the iodine was that I already had it, I will be switching to Chlorine later, but for now, the iodine, followed by the miniworks, gets better results and takes care of the iodine itself, too. It's part of the reason I want two containers, though.

Thanks, all, I'll be upgrading 'old smelly' tonight, now that I know what's wrong with it.

[Frank]

i like nalgenes i have quite a few of them...but the nalgene oasis i purchased took a shit on me. i left it in my car for a day or two, in 80-90 degree weather and it expanded.. it doesn't fit into a canteen cup anymore.

[Grant]

Is it true, though, that using iodine or other halogen pills in a metal container is a bad idea?

[praharin]

I am unusually well blessed in water-carrying, I have a bladder I've never actually used, two Nalgene bottles (a stainless and a plastic) and a 1976 army canteen.

I know I can't easily backpack them all. I would like to have at least one Nalgene to connect to my Miniworks filter, probably the stainless so I can use it for boiling too.

However, I'm not sure which is better, my old plastic army canteen, or the plastic Nalgene bottle. I do want a spare container to use when I'm doing the iodine treatment, pre-filtering, and I could connect the other Nalgene to the filter as well, giving me backup. But I don't know if there are other advantages one way or the other between them. The canteen does have the steel cup and cover, but can't I get a carrier for the bottles?

Any opinions?

My opinion, that's not really that "well blessed" in water carrying. I own at least 4 bladders, 2 lexan Nalgenes that I can find, one 1qt GI canteen, two 2 qt GI canteens and 2 Klean Kanteens.

All of the containers have their good and bad points.

Bladders are convenient to use on the go, but puncture relatively easily.

Nalgenes are nice because they fit many filters, but the wide mouth makes them difficult to drink from on the move.

GI 1qt canteens are a good shape for carrying on a belt and the opening makes a great eye-flushing system, but they are difficult to clean (IMO their biggest detriment).

GI 2qt's are my personal favorite for many uses. They hold a good amount of water, carry well and can also be used as an eye-flush. However, the soft sides are also prone to puncture.

Klean Kanteens (or stainless Nalgenes) can be cooked in, but they are heavier than their plastic counterparts.



Oh, and don't use anything but water in any of them that aren't stainless. I don't know about iodine in the stainless bottles, but I tend to use them for clean water only, ymmv

[georgehumphreys]

I don't personally own a stainless nalgen, sounds awesome. I choose to use my nalgene's to boil water, using hot rocks, works well, and I don't have to worry about soot getting on everything.

[Grant]

Like I said, I have a stainless and a plastic one, the same size. I figured I could use iodine in the plastic and filter it out into the stainless, assuming that I use it at all, mainly when there is a viral danger, not common in the US but I have been overseas where it was an issue.

Dunno...having had rocks explode before, while I know they CAN be used to boil water, I've always hesitated to to it after the first accident (no injuries but REALLY scary, some of those fragments were SHARP). I'd rather use the canteen cup or something.

[Chef]

For purification purposes, you could boil water in the metal canteen and use the canteen cup to boil water for the plastic canteen. Wouldn't fill it up in one go, but it'd be better than nothing.

[georgehumphreys]

Like I said, I have a stainless and a plastic one, the same size. I figured I could use iodine in the plastic and filter it out into the stainless, assuming that I use it at all, mainly when there is a viral danger, not common in the US but I have been overseas where it was an issue.

Dunno...having had rocks explode before, while I know they CAN be used to boil water, I've always hesitated to to it after the first accident (no injuries but REALLY scary, some of those fragments were SHARP). I'd rather use the canteen cup or something.

But, I like things that explode, ok so ya, it's happened once or twice, good point. Shrapnel is only good when it's flying toward my enemies.

[TacAir]

Like I said, I have a stainless and a plastic one, the same size. I figured I could use iodine in the plastic and filter it out into the stainless, assuming that I use it at all, mainly when there is a viral danger, not common in the US but I have been overseas where it was an issue.

Dunno...having had rocks explode before, while I know they CAN be used to boil water, I've always hesitated to to it after the first accident (no injuries but REALLY scary, some of those fragments were SHARP). I'd rather use the canteen cup or something.

If you come to Ak, count on viral issues. Want more, PM me....

[111t]

Somewhere i saw a photo of a standard shaped 1qt canteen with a nalgene wide mouth top. Anyone know of a source?

[praharin]

They are featured in the Discovery Channel special on the USMC survival school, I think. Very nice, but I cannot find them anywhere.

[111t]

They are featured in the Discovery Channel special on the USMC survival school, I think. Very nice, but I cannot find them anywhere.

Yeah that was it! Any USMC members have further insight?

[TMedina]

Check out the Humangear capCAP for the Nalgene Wide mouth: I love these things.

As for the wide mouth canteens, I found a couple of close models from LifeLine:

Life Line Smart Cap Canteen

Life Line Survival Smart Cap Canteen

Life Line doesn't mention the bottle measurements, so I don't know if it would fit a standard 1qt canteen cup or accept Nalgene 68mm lids.

-Trevor

Edit: For more coding errors.

[TMedina]

Ahah!

In the UK, unfortunately, but: The Explorer Canteen from Drink Safe Systems.

ETA: Also a UK supplier: Web-Tex Surviva Pure Canteen

ETA: The Survia Pure Canteen is listed by this Amazon storefront, but currently out of stock. If you have a bug up your skirt, you might email and ask if they plan to re-stock.

ETA: The Ebay UK edition has the tan Explorer Canteen - I don't want to think what you'd pay for international shipping though.

-Trevor

Edited: Because I can't keep my code straight. :/

[TacAir]

Somewhere i saw a photo of a standard shaped 1qt canteen with a nalgene wide mouth top. Anyone know of a source?

These folks heve nalgene bottles in the shpae of the US GI canteen. Standard top tho....

[Sealegs]

There was a 1qt canteen on trial by some US forces way back. Had a blue cap I think?

The new Swedish 1l canteen has a "wider" mouth but still not wide enough IMO.

An easy way to "make" one is to get a plastic nalgene bottle. Fill w. boiling water and jimmy it down a canteen cup. Then refill w. ice water to set it. Or so I'm told.