• Happy National Florida Day! 🌞🏖️👙🍊

The Canteen

scoutergriz said:
simple trick- make sure it doesn't leak, then put it away upside down. that way the ice forms first on the bottom and the opening stays clear
Click to expand...
If it's cold enough the whole bottle will freeze solid. I was camped in 30 below F one time. I put a couple containers of very hot water inside of a cooler to keep my food from freezing. It didn't work, everything was frozen including the water. The eggs were frozen solid and the bread was too hard to slice. That was my last winter trip without a hot tent.
 
scoutergriz said:
simple trick- make sure it doesn't leak, then put it away upside down. that way the ice forms first on the bottom and the opening stays clear
Click to expand...
Yup, been doing that for years but I appreciate you mentioning it. I also have made insulated bottle holders out of old CCF pads. Nothing fancy. Just enough to go around the bottle, hold it in place with Duct tape, add a bottom & top cover and you're good to go. A whole lot less expensive than the OR insulated holders and just as effective.

If you're winter camping, another trick is to bury your water bottles at night. The snow will insulate the contents so the water doesn't freeze. Just be sure you mark where you buried your bottles. Playing Hide & Seek with your water isn't a great way to begin your morning when all you want is some hot coffee or cocoa (don't ask how I know...).

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper
 
lowangle al said:
If it's cold enough the whole bottle will freeze solid. I was camped in 30 below F one time. I put a couple containers of very hot water inside of a cooler to keep my food from freezing. It didn't work, everything was frozen including the water. The eggs were frozen solid and the bread was too hard to slice. That was my last winter trip without a hot tent.
Click to expand...
I've done many of both styles of camping, but I DO prefer waking up warm. For cold camping I do the same as snapper, but take it a step farther, I wrap the bottle and cosy in a layer or two of reflectix before burying it upside down, I also try to get it close to a foot down for more insulation then mark it with a stick and a bit of paper flagging tape. Just don't do what a buddy did- he put hot water in his then buried it, the heat melted the snow, which froze solid and conducted any heat left away- in the morning he had a basket ball sized chunk of solid ice which then required some judicious hatchet work and a couple of pots of melted snow to free and thaw his bottle....:rolleyes:
 
lowangle al said:
I guess that when I started tripping I probably used a Nalgene water bottles to carry water, then I switched to empty Gatorade bottles. They worked fine, but in the late 90s I started using a gallon canteen.

When I first moved to Ak. I went on a little gold prospecting trip with a friend and a friend of his. His friend was an older guy who drank whiskey with a water chaser. He had a gallon canteen that he hung from the side mirror on his pick up truck and I was impressed with this. The guy, Jay, worked in a liquor store and I would see him from time to time. Years later when I moved to a different house Jay became my neighbor. He still had his canteen which was always handy. He told me I should get one and related a story when he was in New Mexico and suffered severe dehydration in the desert and ever since has always had his canteen available. He said there was a gun store in Anchorage that could order me one. Actually the minimum order was for two, for 30 bucks, so two is what I got.

I started using them on trips. On portage trips I would only bring one and typically didn't fill it up to save weight. On river or big lake trips I would bring both of them filled up. They worked out good. I didn't filter water, preferring to boil it. Every evening I would make sure to boil enough water to fill the canteen. That was enough to get me through the next day until I got to camp.

These canteens were not only good for tripping. I used them at home too. I always had one in my truck from May to October. The other one was usually in my Baker tent that was set up in my yard. In the winter I would keep one in my bedroom. Always having them around made it easy to keep on on my water intake. When I was thirsty or felt dehydrated I could guzzle down a pint and still have plenty left. For almost thirty years I've never had to worry about needing to get water, it was always with me.

You don't need a dedicated canteen for this. You could always use a plastic jug, but having a dedicated container enabled me to develop the habit of always having it around. For tripping it was nice to have the capability to have two gallons available. They are very light when empty and I sometime would bring an empty one to have the ability to store water later in the trip, like after the portages were done. I still use my two original ones after 25 years. When I brought one to Pa. I replaced it with another, so I still have two in Ak. The new one I got is lighter and cheaper than the original but will hopefully hold up as well. What are you guys using for water containers?

2001

View attachment 152349
2021 This one was chewed on, by probably a mouse.
View attachment 152350

October 2025
View attachment 152351
Click to expand...
I have the same style canteen! Bought it forty years ago from Cabellas or maybe REI ? Don't remember. Carried in my Jeep and on camping trips all over the Four Corners of New Mexico and Utah and canoeing the Allegheny Rive in PA. I still use it and it has the same worn out blanket spot as yours. I
lowangle al said:
I guess that when I started tripping I probably used a Nalgene water bottles to carry water, then I switched to empty Gatorade bottles. They worked fine, but in the late 90s I started using a gallon canteen.

When I first moved to Ak. I went on a little gold prospecting trip with a friend and a friend of his. His friend was an older guy who drank whiskey with a water chaser. He had a gallon canteen that he hung from the side mirror on his pick up truck and I was impressed with this. The guy, Jay, worked in a liquor store and I would see him from time to time. Years later when I moved to a different house Jay became my neighbor. He still had his canteen which was always handy. He told me I should get one and related a story when he was in New Mexico and suffered severe dehydration in the desert and ever since has always had his canteen available. He said there was a gun store in Anchorage that could order me one. Actually the minimum order was for two, for 30 bucks, so two is what I got.

I started using them on trips. On portage trips I would only bring one and typically didn't fill it up to save weight. On river or big lake trips I would bring both of them filled up. They worked out good. I didn't filter water, preferring to boil it. Every evening I would make sure to boil enough water to fill the canteen. That was enough to get me through the next day until I got to camp.

These canteens were not only good for tripping. I used them at home too. I always had one in my truck from May to October. The other one was usually in my Baker tent that was set up in my yard. In the winter I would keep one in my bedroom. Always having them around made it easy to keep on on my water intake. When I was thirsty or felt dehydrated I could guzzle down a pint and still have plenty left. For almost thirty years I've never had to worry about needing to get water, it was always with me.

You don't need a dedicated canteen for this. You could always use a plastic jug, but having a dedicated container enabled me to develop the habit of always having it around. For tripping it was nice to have the capability to have two gallons available. They are very light when empty and I sometime would bring an empty one to have the ability to store water later in the trip, like after the portages were done. I still use my two original ones after 25 years. When I brought one to Pa. I replaced it with another, so I still have two in Ak. The new one I got is lighter and cheaper than the original but will hopefully hold up as well. What are you guys using for water containers?

2001

View attachment 152349
2021 This one was chewed on, by probably a mouse.
View attachment 152350

October 2025
View attachment 152351
Click to expand...
 
lowangle al said:
I guess that when I started tripping I probably used a Nalgene water bottles to carry water, then I switched to empty Gatorade bottles. They worked fine, but in the late 90s I started using a gallon canteen.

When I first moved to Ak. I went on a little gold prospecting trip with a friend and a friend of his. His friend was an older guy who drank whiskey with a water chaser. He had a gallon canteen that he hung from the side mirror on his pick up truck and I was impressed with this. The guy, Jay, worked in a liquor store and I would see him from time to time. Years later when I moved to a different house Jay became my neighbor. He still had his canteen which was always handy. He told me I should get one and related a story when he was in New Mexico and suffered severe dehydration in the desert and ever since has always had his canteen available. He said there was a gun store in Anchorage that could order me one. Actually the minimum order was for two, for 30 bucks, so two is what I got.

I started using them on trips. On portage trips I would only bring one and typically didn't fill it up to save weight. On river or big lake trips I would bring both of them filled up. They worked out good. I didn't filter water, preferring to boil it. Every evening I would make sure to boil enough water to fill the canteen. That was enough to get me through the next day until I got to camp.

These canteens were not only good for tripping. I used them at home too. I always had one in my truck from May to October. The other one was usually in my Baker tent that was set up in my yard. In the winter I would keep one in my bedroom. Always having them around made it easy to keep on on my water intake. When I was thirsty or felt dehydrated I could guzzle down a pint and still have plenty left. For almost thirty years I've never had to worry about needing to get water, it was always with me.

You don't need a dedicated canteen for this. You could always use a plastic jug, but having a dedicated container enabled me to develop the habit of always having it around. For tripping it was nice to have the capability to have two gallons available. They are very light when empty and I sometime would bring an empty one to have the ability to store water later in the trip, like after the portages were done. I still use my two original ones after 25 years. When I brought one to Pa. I replaced it with another, so I still have two in Ak. The new one I got is lighter and cheaper than the original but will hopefully hold up as well. What are you guys using for water containers?

2001

View attachment 152349
2021 This one was chewed on, by probably a mouse.
View attachment 152350

October 2025
View attachment 152351
Click to expand...
Have one just like that! I always had that in my Jeep and with me on camping trips throughout the Four Corners area of New Mexico during the early 80's. Like Jay, from living in the desert I learned to always have water in the car. Love my canteen, it is a little beat up but I'm attached to it, lots of memories.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

lowangle al
The ice hook
Replies
6
Views
675
Crawforde
C
Patrick Corry
Headlamps. Do you guys use 'em?
2
Replies
22
Views
652
PaddlingPika
P
A
Burning plastic
2
Replies
21
Views
921
Art D
A
Glenn MacGrady
Patrick Moore Cue paddles
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
gumpus
gumpus
I
Some recent thoughts on solo canoe vs. touring kayak.
Replies
9
Views
884
Neophyte
Neophyte
Back
Top Bottom