Snow Skills

Nalgene bottles are awesome for hauling water on a trek, but, in the winter, need additional protection to avoid freezing. The best solution is a Nalgene bottle cover and here’s three types of products for that use:

Nalgene water bottle covers for winter include:

1. An Open Insulated Bottle Cover, like the Built NY BYO Nalgene Cover. This cover has a hook and loop enclosure that forms a hand grip over the water bottle. This makes the cover easy to carry by hand, convenient to hang off other gear, and relatively inexpensive. With the upper portion the bottle exposed, this cover has limited value in freezing temperatures, probably best for treks of only an hour or so.
2. A Cinched Insulated Bottle Cover, like those carried by Moosineer.com. This cover is foam insulation with a cinch-tie and cord lock enclosure at the top. A webbing loop with velcro allows you to secure this cover and bottle combination to a backpack with confidence. While this enclosure works to hold the bottle in place, it doesn’t fully protect the bottle and cold air can still intrude. This cover has some value in freezing temperatures, probably best for treks of 2 to 4 hours.

1. A Closed Insulated Bottle Cover, like the Outdoor Products Bota II Insulated Pouch or better yet the Outdoor Research Water Bottle Parka. These covers have a webbing loop with velcro and a zippered cover that fully encloses the water bottle. The OR Water Bottle Parka is superior as it has a taped zipper that doesn’t freeze up or hang up with snow or ice.This cover has a lot of value in freezing temperatures, best for extended or overnight treks.