After you read this post, you will become a Hunersdorff water bottle fan just like many Guide Services, hundreds of Mountain Guides, and thousands of informed skiers and climbers. But first, lets go over some detail on hydration system issues that we have all experienced.
You gotta love hydration bladders, but if you have your pen in hand and looking to check off that box on just about any recommended gear list for higher and colder destinations such as Denali, even Rainier and the like, you won't find this line item. We have all used them, swore to manage them, but in the end, the hose is a radiator no matter how well you insulate it, and the opening is so small, its just begging to be problematic. I know, ya your pack has a great sleeve for one of these, and it should insulate your water bladder from the cold, but think about that just a little longer before you launch out on your outing with one of these hydration systems. Is convective body heat coming off your back enough to penetrate both your clothing all that padding on your backpack...to keep the bladder from freezing? Sure, you can convince yourself that you will manage the hose coming from the bladder, insulate it and run into your clothing to keep warm. Great, what about around camp when you are not wearing your pack.
If you are really sold on the water bladder concept, which is an effective concept sans extreme cold, then you should really consider a system I first learned about from Brent Bishop. Brent took a slim profiled bladder harness and had the harness altered to wear on the front of your body, over your first layer of clothing. This works. Brent tested its success on Everest back in 1998 or 1999, and I gave it a go on Denali in 2000. It works. I named this apparatus the Hydro-Brassier, you can call it what you like. For more info on how this works, and how to make one...follow this link: http://www.bradleyalpinist.com/goodbeta.html#bra
Its interesting to see what has evolved in the way of vessels for water in the outdoor industry. Look at how much shelf space is dedicated to water bottles these days. Stainless steel and aluminum designer bottles, and a vast assortment of plastic bottles. Nalge, a company that primarily is a industrial/medical manufacturer of a vast variety of scientific laboratory grade plastic bottles and containers, has an incredibly successful "outdoor" division, branded Nalgene, which basically rules the water bottle world with all kids of colors, sizes, and graphics. The Nalgene brand name is almost a household generic, like Coke, Kleenix, and Xerox.
Like the bladder, Nalgene or simular bottles are usually don't get the thumbs up for trips out in the extreme cold or up tall peaks. While Nalgene, and other brands in that general category of water bottles that you find at just about any outdoor store, including the sporting goods department at Target and Walmart, are good enough gear for most outdoor activities, there is one main reason why they don't belong on your gear list. The caps on these bottles have very fine and tight patterned threads, which when iced up, make it very tough to open and clear. The caps are narrow in height, thus harder to grip and open with a thicker glove or mitt on your hand. In addition, the caps are made from a different material than the rest of the bottle, and can crack easier than the main body of the bottle if your water happens to freeze. There are many precautions and care you can take to prevent your water from freezing in the bottle, and the preventing the cap from icing up, but generally speaking, you need a better bottle to meet these conditions.
Any bottle you take MUST be of the "wide mouth" variety. Why? Wide Mouth bottles don't experience the opening of the bottle freezing across, as much as a narrow mouth bottle will. In fact, with a narrow mouth bottle, its almost a guarantee. Also, wide mouth bottles are much easier to pour water and other liquids into, including adding snow to mix and melt with an already partially filled bottle.
So whats it all about with the Hunersdorff bottles? Its got a wide mouth....check. Its got a taller lid with large and significant ribs, so you can grip and twist when wearing super thick mitts or gloves...check, you don't get that with other bottles. Hunersdorff uses a soft PE material, so you can sqeeze the bottle to break up partially formed ice in the bottle...big check mark, you don't get that with other bottles. These bottles have large and widely spaced threats for securing the cap. This makes it easier to open when partially frozen, and the ice breaks and clears, and you can wipe it clear...completely. Check! You don't get that with they other guys! The cap is made of the same material as the body, and is not a grade that will crack when the bottle is frozen...like the Nalgene bottles and simular types. Big Check mark! You can get em in a 1.5 L size if you prefer a larger size....check. Yes, they are BPA free and always have been...check. Yes, you can add hot liquids...check. No clever colors, graphics! Check? Okay, they are much less individualized than the other guys, but you can mark yours up with stickers and designer colored duct tape to keep them identified as yours, and to show off your flare!
You don't give up any more money for these, nicely priced around $9 for the 1 Liter size. The only thing with these bottles that could be a drawback is the lid is not secured to the bottle when opened. However, the manufacturer has placed a hole for a keeper string for those who want to custom rig it. I figured out that you can find some 11" plastic ties that have a eye hole design. You can loosely attach this around an indention in the bottle, below the lid, trim the excess, tie some thin cord through the eyelet and up through the hole in the lid, and you have yourself a keeper. The plastic tie should spin with the action of twisting the cap open.
So, now that you are a Hunersdorff believer, you still need to insulate them to help prevent your water from freezing solid. For the 1 Liter size, there are many smart choices. Click here to check em. For the 1.5 L, there is only choice in brands, but its a good one...40 Below LTD.
