Snow Skills

In outdoor pursuits, hydration is essential at any time of the year. Winter conditions make this tough due to the that water-freezing-in-below-freezing-temperatures situation: a bottle of ice is going to make drinking difficult. Stay hydrated by keeping your water flowing in winter conditions:

Any plastic bottle will work to carry water, but the best bottle is made by Nalgene; the dense plastic used is unbreakable and odor-less (mostly) through unlimited uses. Its cap is probably the best water-tight cap available. You can find these pretty much at any outdoor store, including REI and Campmor.

Select a bottle with a wide mouth; the narrow mouth will be more likely to freeze.

If possible, put hot water in Nalgene bottles. Tasting temperature is less of a priority in the winter than keeping your water unfrozen.

Use an insulated bottle cover for all fluids and place the bottle in the cover upside down. The same water-tight nature of the bottle cap will cause the cap to freeze shut without these precautions. If necessary, you can use a fleece or sleeping bag as an insulator to keep caps from freezing.

Nalgene bottles are also excellent for carrying trail food at close and convenient reach. A small (16 oz.) Nalgene bottle with a wide mouth is a great container for gorp.

Nalgene bottles come in many colors; color code your bottles for water only, other fluids, foods, etc.

I’ve used the Nalgene for years, but recently found out that they are made of #7 plastic. This is a bad plastic - it contains an estrogen mimicing compound called “bis-phenol-A” which can lead to all kinds of problems, including infertility in men, as well as hightened cases of prostate cancer. While I can understand the usefullness of the Nalgene, is there an alternative container out on the market that is good for backcountry use? On top of the health issues related to the #7 plastic, it’s also not recyclable (in case your bottle has lived out its useful life).