Best Water Bottles For Hikings

People want to maintain an active lifestyle. When exercising (or even just walking) for several hours, it's easy to get dehydrated. Having water on hand is an essential. But typical plastic bottles may contain chemicals that seep into your water and affect the taste—they might not be so healthy, either. Also, by buying disposable plastic water bottles, it is estimated that the average American throws out 217 disposable plastic bottles per year. And only a quarter of them get recycled. The bottled water you buy is also a lot more expensive than filtered tap water. So people are looking for reusable bottles, to help reduce all that waste and expense. Here is a guide to some of the best water bottles on the market.  

• Insulated water bottles: Some bottles are vacuum-insulated. That means that they act as a thermos, to keep hot drinks hot, and cold drinks cold. Also, when you have a cold drink in a glass, condensation collects on the outside. If condensation collects on a cold water bottle, the result could be just as bad as if it leaked. That's why it's important that the water bottle be properly insulated—so that the outside of the bottle remains dry.

• BPA-free water bottles: Bisphenol A is a compound used in making plastics. It hasn't been definitively found to be harmful yet, but it might not be the best thing for you. For example, its use has been outlawed in baby bottles and infant formula. So there is a line of reusable water bottles that are BPA-free.

• Foldable bottle: You can get a water bottle made from soft plastic, that you can roll up into the size of a toilet paper tube. That way, it takes up less space and is easier to carry around when you don't have any liquid inside.

• Wide mouth: Maybe you want to put other liquids inside the water bottle. If you put coffee, tea, or fruit juice in your bottle, you'll have to clean it well, so that bacteria won't develop. A wide-mouthed bottle will be easier to clean (since you can insert a bottle brush inside). A wide mouth means its also easier to put in ice cubes.

• Bottles with a straw: Some water bottles come with a built-in straw. But if something goes wrong with that straw, you can't get the water out of the bottle properly. Look for a durable straw, or even a model that doesn't depend on the straw.

• Durability and weight: Reusable water bottles are usually made from stainless steel, glass, or plastic. Glass bottles are typically heavier, and also could shatter if dropped. Steel is the most durable—and is sometimes treated so as not to affect the taste of the liquid inside. Some water bottles are subjected to severe tests to see how durable they are. They get dropped, hammered, run over, or even shot with a rifle! Look at what the company says about how they stand up to all that abuse. Steel will be the most durable, but plastics can be made to be shatter-resistant as well.

• Dishwasher safe: Some of the reusable bottles are super-durable. But some companies have invested a lot in their appearance. Check to see that putting that water bottle in the dishwasher won't take the paint off that designer bottle.

• Spill-proof—Some water bottles have a specially-made seal on the mouth that is spill-proof. Even if you tip the bottle over, or invert it, it won't spill.

• Leak-proof: If you keep your water bottle clipped onto your bike, it's not the end of the world if it leaks a little. But if it leaks in your backpack with a laptop or cellphone, it could cause severe damage. Try to check how leak-proof the water bottle is touted to be.

• Closure—If the bottle has a screw-on cap, you want to make sure that the cap doesn't get lost. (The bottle won't be very portable if you can't close it anymore.) Make sure that the cap is built so that it won't get lost. Some bottles have a push-button opening, which is even more worry-free.

CamelBak—was founded in 1988 by bicycle enthusiast Michael Eidson. He was an emergency medical technician, and understood the need of active people to remain hydrated. CamelBak manufactures water bottles and backpacks for sports and recreation. They make backpacks, bottles, and mugs for all sorts of active, outdoors types of people. They also have a line of goods for military personnel.

Under Armor— was founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, a former college football player for the University of Maryland. He originally marketed sports T-shirts that would remove perspiration, and expanded to providing clothing for year-round sports use. Besides apparel, they now market all sorts of sports gear and accessories.

bkr— is a company marketing water bottles, based in San Francisco. It was founded in 2012 by two health-minded women, Tal Winter and Kate Cutler. They emphasize making designer water bottles that are free of plastics (preferring glass and silicon), and also fashionable.

Contigo— is a manufacturer of reusable mugs, water bottles, and kids' cups. They are a subsidiary of Ignite, USA, a Chicago-based company founded in 1999. Contigo has made a number of innovations in beverage containers, so that they shouldn't spill. In 2014, they were acquired by Newell Brands.