One of the easiest ways to be a greener traveler is to opt for a reusable water bottle instead of bottled water. However, one crucial concern of using reusable water bottles is the fact that some contain BPA and phthalates. (If you don’t know what BPA and phthalates are, not to worry, I will be posting further about these toxic chemicals later this week.)
CamelBak
I tested a 750ml bottle. (The Classic Cap is currently BPA and phthalate free and the bottle with a straw, Better Bottle with Bite Valve, will be BPA and phthalate free next month in May 2008).
Here’s what I subjected by bottle to over the course of the weekend:
- Initial dishwashing
- Two days at the office
- Health club workout
- Afternoon walk around DC’s Tidal Basin to see the Cherry Blossoms and the festivities for the Cherry Blossom Festival
- Other touristy DC activities throughout the weekend (Air and Space Museum, National Gallery of Art, Botanical Gardens)
After participating in these rigorous activities here’s how the new CamelBak
- Weight (without water): 4 It feels like a lightweight plastic bottle. It’s technically made out of Tritan, a copolyester. (The company that makes this material is US manufacturer Eastman.)
- Ease of Transport: 5 I love the loop on the cap; it’s incredibly easy to attach the loop to my bag via a carabiner.
- Looks: 4 It’s a fairly attractive water bottle.
- Ease of drinking: 2 For some reason the opening was not a good diameter for me. Whenever I drank out of it it hit the top of my nose– it’s skinnier than a traditional Nalgene and wider than a Klean Kanteen.
- Durability: NA Since I only used it for a weekend I don’t feel that this I can adequately judge
- Taste of Water after two days: 3 This is the true water bottle test- if you let the water sit in it for a few days does it absorb a weird taste? In the case of the CamelBak Better Bottle, it has a slight plastic-y taste to it.
- Smell of Water in Bottle: 1 Almost as important as the taste of the water, smell can make or break a food or drink experience. This was the real downside of the bottle; every time I took a sip I smelled a very plastic-y scent in the bottle. It was just kind of icky.
- Overall: 3 I commend CamelBak’s commitment to manufacturing BPA and phthalate free products; however, I just don’t think the CamelBak Better Bottle is for me. I like it more than a Nalgene, but less than a Klean Kanteen.
If you currently use and like the Better Bottle then I recommend that you look further into purchasing a new BPA-free
Recommended Reading:
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Here are some glass water bottles for drinking water from. I saw on the Today Show today that they recommend using glass if at all possible, then you don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into the water.
http://www.aquasana.com/product_detail.php?product_id=45
Aaron- thanks for the link. I completely agree that glass or stainless steel bottles are the best choice for health and safety. (Tomorrow I’m actually writing a comparison of all water bottles and the chemicals in them.) I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts!
I Just bought three of the 2007 Camelbak flip-n-sip bottles marked with the #7 and pc recycling are thers bpa safe or not?? Appreciate the info……..Trying to be healthy by drinking more water???
Ed
Ed- I completely agree! I’ve always tried to drink a lot of water and I just figured that any plastic was safe. #7 bottles may or may not contain BPA. The 2007 CamelBaks do contain BPA; it’s their newest May 2008 kind with the flip-n-sip that don’t contain BPA. If you want to read more about the different #’s and what they mean read the summary at the bottom of this post: http://gogreentravelgreen.com/green-environmentally-friendly-products-travel-gear/how-to-choose-a-healthy-water-bottle-and-34-resources/
Also, I would suggest contacting CamelBak and letting them know that you just recently purchased 3 of their bottles and have only recently learned that they contain BPA and that now CamelBak makes BPA free bottles. Who knows, maybe they’ll send you a new one for free! (I’ve found the CamelBak reps to be extremely friendly.) Hope this helps.
I think this is the perfect bottle for camping with as it is pretty durable and the bright colors available make it easy to find if you lost it in a bush somewhere.
I bought five of these bottles, and hands free adapters to go along with them, for personal use and as gifts. Initially I thought they were great bottles and still would except that they all leak! The one-way valve that allows air into the bottle to replace the liquid also allows the contents to leak out when on its side or upside down. OK when you have it upright in your pack but not in transport. Would not recommend this bottle.
@ Peter — I also had this problem for a time. I took apart the straw and cap and valve pieces and cleaned them with vinegar to remove any sediment and put it back together. Now I don’t have any more leaking. (But if you do I would contact CamelBak. They might be able to offer you a better replacement.)
Hi
@ peter and elizabeth. I have been doing some research and I don’t think there are any fully leak proof stainless steel bottles on the market they all say spill proof. I think this is because of the little valves needed to let air into the bottle. I have also taken my Klean Kanteen and Camelbak apart to clean this can fix any little dribbles.
I would love to find a completley leak proof one in the future
Both KK and Camelbak have lasted me well and I love both for different reasons
The various research done on BPA does prove one thing: that continuous exposure
to it can be harmful to health. So it is better to make sure that all plastic products
one uses are BPA free.
Nowadays, one can easily find products like BPA free water and milk bottles, baby bottles, lunch boxes, containers, products for ones microwave, freezer or refrigerator, and even BPA free toys. So protect your health and that of your near and dear ones by using only BPA free products.
{ 3 trackbacks }