Hikers know the importance of carrying a dependable water bottle on every trek. Typically, an individual depends upon a reusable water bottle of one style or another. Some people prefer more compact sport bottles, and others opt for larger flask bottles. The average hiker opts for a bottle made from a strong, durable plastic. Nobody wants their water bottle to fail on them during a hike after all.
Another Option Growing in Popularity
The rising popularity of insulated water bottles makes the average hiker curious about their usefulness. Most of these bottles are vacuum insulated, which provides a number of benefits. Without a doubt, an insulated bottle’s main draw is its ability to keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. Someone that enjoys hiking on a regular basis will have one main question here: Are these bottles worth buying for hiking?
Why Hikers Like Regular Reusable Water Bottles
First, it’s important to look at why hikers like reusable plastic water bottles. They’re convenient, functional, and durable. Nobody will fret the $10-$20 cost of a bottle, and most bottles will last months without a problem, even with heavy usage. Also, plastic bottles take repeated damage from accidental drops without more than cosmetic scuffs. This style of bottle is simple to manage and keep clean over its lifetime as well.
What Do Insulated Water Bottles Bring To The Table?
As previously mentioned, insulated bottles maintain temperatures exceptionally well. Liquids can be kept cool for up to 24 hours, or warm for up to 12 hours. Reusable plastic bottles can’t match that kind of temperature maintenance. Insulated bottles tend to feature stainless steel construction, so they’re quite attractive. Unfortunately, this same construction brings up two main issues with such bottles, especially for hikers.
A stainless steel build is both luxurious and attractive. However, stainless steel also dents like crazy after it meets another hard object in a drop. Dropping a stainless steel insulated bottle more than a couple times will start to damage the bottle. A particularly nasty one-time drop could make the bottle nearly useless. It doesn’t help that stainless steel makes insulated bottles more expensive than similar reusable water bottles.
Not everyone will want to replace these bottles on a regular basis at a premium price.
Which Bottle Should You Grab For Your Next Hike?
If you enjoy hiking, then you shouldn’t count out insulated water bottles. In reality, they’re a great option for a couple key reasons. You can stick water and ice cubes in a reusable bottle to keep your drink cool. Minutes later you’re stuck with a sweating, lukewarm bottle. On the other hand, insulated bottles won’t sweat, whether filled with ice or not. The refreshing feeling of a cold drink of water can’t be overstated.
Don’t forget to consider what kind of terrain you hike on, either. You might not drop your water bottle with any regularity. Perhaps you clip it onto a backpack, or you hold onto it like a vice grip. If your terrain isn’t too rocky, then you don’t have to worry much about slipping or dropping an insulated water bottle. In fact, slipping a rubber or foam cover over an insulated bottle can protect against dings and dents.
Do you already own a dozen reusable plastic water bottles? Do you toss a used bottle in the sink and have many more to choose from afterward? In this situation, you’ll probably want to stick with your existing bottle collection rather than switching over. If you like the idea of consistently cold water, then an insulated bottle might be worth a try. They’re an excellent option for hikers as long as you’re careful to avoid dropping them.
Ella, Content Manager for trekbible, is a writer and content specialist with a predilection for learning and exploring new places and cultures around the world. With family scattered throughout the U.S. and South Korea, she loves to see cross-cultural influences around the world. Her favorite thing to do on her travels is to taste the local cuisine of each destination.
