Type of Water Bottle

I don't have a regular water bottle except one that I use in the car when I am out, and especially in the summer when the weather is hotter.
When I had horses and went riding, I would use a canteen to carry water in.
It was metal inside (aluminum, I think), and then covered over with kind of a wool/felt woven material. It kept the water cool; was virtually unbreakable, and had no plastic parts. It also had a strap so it could be hung over your shoulder if you were walking somewhere, and tied onto the saddle when you were riding.
This did a great job, was easy to fill and carry; and even looked more like an outdoor, camping, hiking kind of equipment than a regular water bottle looks.

 

I got a little 8 oz (maybe 10 oz) plastic flask in the camping department at Walmart for about 2 bucks. I like it because it is flat, rather than round like an 8 ounce Dasani etc, type of disposable bottle. It has a pebbly surface that is easy to hold. It fits in my little belt pouch where I also put my cell phone and my keys.

 

The canteens usually hold at least a quart, and sometimes more if it is a larger one; but they are a good size to take along. There is enough water to last all day usually, unless you are drinking an unusual amount of water, and they are easy to carry. I am not gone far enough away from home to need one of those anymore; but when I worked outside and was not close to a water source, having a canteen is a great idea.

I remember when I was a girl and used to go along with my dad in the line truck, he had a canvas bag that he filled with water. You would think that it would leak, but it didn't, although it seemed to always be damp on the outside, so it must have evaporated some water out. My dad would hang it on the frame for the rear view mirror on the outside of the truck, and when we were driving down the road, the wind seemed to keep the water cool, even on hot summer days.

 

For hiking, I did away with the canteen when I discovered hydration packs. Whether strapped to the pack or on my back while bicycling, they were just big time convenient. Since I'm not doing any hiking or cycling anymore, my water bottle is about to become a 15 gallon drum.

 

I have never heard of a hydration pack, but having something strapped to my back does not sound convenient to me. It is pretty hard to drink anything that is behind you; so it must be more than just a way to carry water, especially if it is a convenient way to drink when hiking or cycling. I think that I would opt for something that I can get to easier. I think that the small canteen that 2Sweed has would work for me now, and is something that I should look into for when I go on my little excursions with my daughter, Robin.

 

Hydration packs have a tube with what's called a bite valve at the end of it, with the end of the tube clipped somewhere to your clothes or the pack so you can conveniently reach it to take a drink. The bite valve keeps it from leaking. I guess they do take a bit of getting used to, but I found it great for hiking. You don't have to hold a bottle to drink. So, even when hiking with poles, you can keep using them both poles and keep on truckin'.

 

It kind of goes with the solar system

 

Here's some pictures of how the Ancient Hawaiians use to carry their water around. I've never used them myself. Too modernized I guess. But these are decoratively done as you can see. The normal ones are plain.

 

Water weighs 8.33 pounds per gallon. (I'm too dumb American to figure liters, sorry) Figure their capacity, throw in some gourd weight (assuming they're gourds) and you've got your answer.

 

I never used one myself. But I'm guessing half to a full gallon of water. The insides had to be scraped really good because there are seeds and plant debris in them. I don't think it would have tasted good either. Like I said, I'm too modern to try it out.

 

I would imagine that anyone using them today are lining them with food grade polyurethane. That would eliminate the issue with taste as well as sealing them against leaking and cracking. Personally, I go for function over form, but I can easily picture some hippie-type wanting to carry one.