Hello from Rob Raskin! If there’s one thing we appreciate here in hot Las Vegas, it’s a cold drink of water. We all know liquids stay cooler and taste better in glass bottles, but let’s get real. Who is going to carry fragile and heavy glass in their survival kit? If you are a prepper who is looking for a water bottle that will meet your needs, you need to consider a stainless-steel vessel.
Benefits of Stainless Water Bottles
- Can’t be crushed, won’t crack, and won’t rust
- Lightweight for its durability
- Easier to clean
- Drinks stay cooler than aluminum
- Water tastes better than it would in plastic bottles, without the risk of chemicals
Using Stainless Bottles for Purification
One of the biggest benefits of using a stainless-steel water bottle is you can boil the water directly in the bottle to purify it. This can be a literal life-saver in the right situation. Titanium is also another option, though it’s much more costly. Some survivalists also use aluminum bottles, but this can be a problem if you are using it to heat because it can cause exposure to toxins in the coatings. Another issue you’ll want to watch out for when heating is double-wall (aka insulated) bottles. If you put these into a fire they will explode.
The secret to using a stainless bottle for purification is to avoid putting it directly into the fire. Instead, it is preferable to hang it over the fire or to use other less-intense heat, such as a low burner or hot coals. Exposure to too much heat can render your stainless bottle useless because it has warped and can no longer close. Your bottle will need to be able to withstand boiling liquid for ten minutes if you want to make sure you have killed every potentially harmful organism in the water.
What is your water bottle of choice? Let me, Rob Raskin, know in the comments!