Nalgene Wide Mouth 32oz/48oz

Stainless steel is a fine, if heavy, thing to make a water bottle out of. We use Hydroflasks for keeping stuff hot or cold, and they do a swell job of it. But, they’re heavy, and you can’t measure stuff with them, like a cup of water for your morning oatmeal. Our preferred water container for long distance rides and tours is the Nalgene. Analog stocks the 32oz and the 48oz one. If you have the space and don’t mind the muted color, get the big one. If you gotta have a fun color, or don’t have the space for a 48 oz, get the 32 oz.

Nalgenes have no insulating properties, but you can put boiling water in them, no problem. They’re virtually unbreakable. I’ve owned a bunch over the years, and the worst that has happened has been a few melted lids, from leaning them against a hot rock next to a campfire. And even those few melted lids still work!

 We stick Nalgenes bottles in a Liter Cage. They’re super secure even for rocky single track. If you are into catchin’ mad air, maybe Voile strap ‘em down, but if you keep the rubber planted, you won’t need to.

Random recipe: Before you head out on your next s24o (that’s what we called swift campouts before they were rebranded), take 1 cup of steel cut oats (or cut the oats with half a cup of wild rice or barley, both work well), a tablespoon each of quinoa, flax seeds and amaranth, and some raw sugar. Dump that mixture plus 2 cups of water in your nalgene and let it sit overnight. In the morning, throw it all in a pot and warm it up. Then toss in a big handful of whatever trail mix you are into, and drizzle with some maple friggin’ syrup. Perfection.