When you’re out hiking on the trail, adventuring through the wilderness, or even bouncing between sketchy hotels while traveling abroad, having a continual source of clean, safe drinking water is absolutely critical. With Grayl’s titanium UltraPress water purifier bottle, obtaining that water couldn’t be easier.

This portable water filtration/drinking system allows you to scoop water from any freshwater source — stream, lake, sink, tap, etc — and press it into clean, safely drinkable water in just 10 seconds. More specifically, it removes waterborne pathogens (99.99% of viruses, 99.9999% of bacteria, and 99.9% of protozoan cysts) while also filtering out particulates, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals.

It’s comprised of an outer titanium cup — which can be used alone to heat water and cook food when necessary — and an inner press (outfitted with an ultra-powdered activated carbon filter) that holds up to 16.9 fl oz of filtered, purified water.

Here’s what the process looks like:

The filter can clean up to 40 gallons of water — across 300 presses or 3 years, whichever comes first — before needing to be replaced. And, thanks to the one-way silicone valve pre-installed in the filter cartridge, the UltraPress is drink-mix-ready, meaning you can add your favorite sport drink mix to your water and get those extra electrolytes when they’re needed most.

Get the titanium UltraPress for $200 on Amazon in your choice of Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, or Covert Black.

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Reusable water bottles are key for staying hydrated, and there are so many awesome ones to choose from, each designed to suit a particular need. However, one use-case we haven’t covered yet is a bottle that solves the dual problems of occasional smelliness and generally being a breeding ground for bacteria.

Not to worry, because there are now self-cleaning water bottles that have UV lights in their caps, which periodically activate to obliterate the molecular bonds holding together the DNA of bacteria and viruses, thereby disinfecting the bottle’s contents and neutralizing funky odors. It honestly feels a little magical, even though I know it’s pure ⚡SCIENCE⚡.

The lid on the LARQ Bottle in particular holds enough charge to work for up to a month before needing to plug in, which it does via an IPX7-rated waterproof micro-USB connector.

You should still wash your bottle by hand once in a while, but the UV light makes it so you can attend to that mildly annoying task a bit less often than usual, and I’m all for that. Also keep in mind that the UV light doesn’t remove heavy sediments, so you’ll want water that’s at least clear to the eyes, not something out of a dirty stream or whatever.

You can get the insulated LARQ bottle in 17 oz ($99) or 25 oz ($118) sizes, both in a variety of color options.

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It’s been five years (plus 13 days, to be exact) since we posted about the “memobottle” collection of flat-shaped water bottles, each of which correlates to a standard notebook paper size: A5, A6, or A7. They’re eyecatching to say the least, but what really makes them great is that they fit nicely into a slim bag alongside an iPad, laptop, or book.

If those original clear Tritan plastic ones weren’t quite your style, you might like the stainless steel editions they introduced back in 2021, which are made from food-grade 304 stainless steel and have a classy satin-textured powdercoat finish in your choice of black or white.

They come in the same three paper sizes:

• Stainless steel A7 ($50 usually, but it’s out of stock as of December 8th, 2023)
• Stainless steel A6 ($55)
• Stainless steel A5 ($65)

Also like the clear ones, they offer a “Slim” version ($60) for people who don’t necessarily care about the paper size thing.

Keep in mind, the extra slim form of these bottles prevents them from standing up unassisted. They’re more meant to either lie flat (ideally on an unabrasive surface) or be kept in your bag.

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In the same way that the National Park Adventure Guide Book lets you commemorate your visits to US national parks, the “Parks of the USA” water bottle from Wondery is a fun way to cross parks off your bucket list as you visit them.

The powder-coated exterior of this 32oz vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottle is laser-engraved with little images representing all 63 national parks, and sheets of matching full-color vinyl stickers are included so you can add one after each visit. The stickers themselves are thick, weaterproof, and water-resistant, so they should last for a good throughout your adventures, with the bottle keeping you hydrated all the way.

The more parks you visit, the cooler the bottle looks

The bottle is dishwasher-safe and comes with a leak-proof straw lid, so this is just an all-around awesome product for any national parks traveler. Get one for yourself or as a gift to someone else — or do both!

You have the option of buying the bottle in White or “Ocean” (navy blue) colorways, both of which are $58 at Wondery’s site. They also offer a series of gold-and-black stickers ($4 a pop) for commemorating those extra special parks.

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Get your hydration on in style with Owala’s “FreeSip” reusable water bottle, which gets its name from the fact that you have the choice to either sip from it upright thanks to the built-in straw, or tip the bottle to chug from its wide-mouth spout.

From there, it’s got all the other features you’d want. The insulated stainless steel body keeps liquids cold for hours, the flip-top push-button lid has a locking mechanism that doubles as a carry loop, and the opening beneath the lid is wide enough that adding ice is no problem at all.

YMMV may vary on this next part, but according to our pal Chase Reeves, you can theoretically put the 32-ounce bottle in a cupholder upside down with the locking mechanism clipped over the lid’s release button.  Video at that link has some NSFW language.

The Owala FreeSip bottle comes in 32-ounce (~$30) and 24-ounce (~$25) sizes, and in a bunch of fun colorways with great names like “Shy Marshmallow”, “Tide Me Over”, “Hint of Grape”, “Poolside Punch”, and “Smooshed Blueberry”.

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This past Christmas, my wife was given a stainless steel Little Mermaid water bottle by her sister, who clearly knows her all too well. She’s been using it for all her daily hydration needs, carrying the bottle everywhere she goes — Disney World parks, the beach, family outings, etc.

We’ve both been pleasantly surprised at the quality of this bottle, given it only costs twenty-something bucks. It insulates awesomely, seems well built, is easy to sip from, is easy enough to disassemble and clean, and with the exception of the very bottom of it (which does get dinged around a lot), the paint has hardly chipped or scuffed at all. It also turns out that they have a ton of other prints, colorways, and sizes to choose from.

For the price, you can do a lot worse than picking up one of these bottles. We’re definitely going to be picking up more of them for our family. As for me, I’ve got my eye on this “Deep Ocean” navy blue one ($20).

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YETI’s 12-ounce Rambler Jr. is likely the last water bottle your kid will need until they’re an adult. It’s just as tough and over-engineered as its brethren, with the same double-walled vacuum insulation and long-lasting DuraCoat powder-coated color options that will withstand just about anything, including all the times you run the bottle through the dishwasher.

The Rambler Jr. comes with YETI’s flip-up straw cap for easy sipping. The lid is leakproof and shatter-resistant, sports a carry handle, and is just as dishwasher-safe as the bottle.

Get the YETI Rambler Jr. for $25 on Amazon in your choice of Navy, Canyon Red, Harbor Pink, or Seafoam (aquamarine), Reef Blue. There’s also an option for “King Crab” (orange) but as of January 31st, 2022, it’s listed at $70 (???) so stay away from that one for now.

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If you do a lot of adventuring in the wilderness, you know how important it is to have a consistently safe water supply. We’ve previously mentioned the plastic version of the Lifestraw Go water bottle for this purpose:

LifeStraw Go is essentially a sports water bottle, but with a crazy-good filter built in. You can use it to scoop up water from just about anywhere in the world and then safely drink it through the mouthpiece.

By the time the water has made it up the straw, the filter has already removed 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites. It can do this for up to 1,000 liters (264 gallons) of water, so you won’t have to replace it for quite a while.

…and it’s still awesome in function, but like anyone else, we would love to cut down on our plastic usage. That’s where the stainless steel edition of the Lifestraw Go comes in.

It offers the same filtration and taste-improving benefits along with double-walled vacuum insulation to keep your water cold for up to an entire day. It even feels nicer in the hand, which seems a small thing but really makes a difference in your long-term enjoyment of the thing.

The stainless steel Lifestraw Go is $60 on Amazon and comes in your choice of blue, grey, white, or black.

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This collapsible water bottle + flashlight set is the perfect gift set for that outdoors enthusiast in your life, or would make a nifty, space-saving addition to your own urban day pack.

The bottle has a stainless steel screw-top lid and can expand up to 8.5″ tall, where it can then hold up to 16 fluid ounces of water (or your beverage of choice). And of course, on the side is a carabiner-attached mini flashlight that could be useful to have in a pinch.

Order the set for $19 on Amazon, but be aware that they’re currently out of stock as of August 17th, 2021 and there’s no date listed for when they’ll start shipping again.

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Love hydrating thyself but hate the idea of buying disposable plastic water bottles? Then this is the guide for you.

Below we’ve assembled 6 of the best vessels around for your thirst-quenching needs.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug »

($24–$34, depending on size and color)

Zojirushi’s stainless steel mug is the space shuttle of vacuum-insulated travel mugs. It keeps drinks of all kinds hot or cold for hours, which isn’t even something we have to worry about because we’ve already downed a couple bottles’ worth of water before it can even become an issue.

We couldn’t believe how consistent the temperature retention is, and yet the exterior is always comfortable to the touch. It’s totally spill-proof, and even has a lock to prevent the lid from opening accidentally. The lid also disassembles for easy cleaning, so no worrying about gross gunk building up in there.

  + Honorable mention for this category goes to the Contigo autoseal tumbler.

The S’well Water Bottle »

($21–$36, depending on size and color)

In the past half-decade or so, chances are good that you’ve seen at least one S’well stainless steel bottle out in the wild, and more likely at least a few dozen. These things are everywhere.

It could be because their double-walled, vacuum-insulated construction keeps drinks cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 without breaking a sweat, so to speak…but that sort of functionality is pretty common nowadays. Our guess is that it has something more to do with the fact that they’ve got more colors and pattern styles than you can shake a stick at. They don’t just get the job done, they do it with panache. (The four styles pictured above are but a fraction of the options available.)

The standard bottle design comes in 9 oz., 17 oz., and 25 oz. sizes. For those with bigger thirsts to quench, they offer a 40 oz.”Roamer” jug ($44) as well.

Takeya 40 oz. Vacuum-Insulated Water Bottle »

($29 for the 40 oz. one, or $44 for the whopping 64 oz.version)

With the increasingly sweltering climate comes a greater need to stay hydrated. You’ll need something that can handle such smoldering weather while holding a good amount of water, so you’re not having to refill it all the time (that goes for re-upping on ice too).

Enter the Takeya 40 oz. vacuum-insulated bottle. It keeps drinks cold inside for 24 hours without breaking a sweat (no, literally, it doesn’t condensate). In fact, some people have left ice water in it and found ice still in the bottle after two days.

At about ½” diameter, the insulated lid spout is just the right size for drinking without a bunch of ice falling into your mouth, and its hinge stays open and out of the way while you drink rather than smacking you in the face. Sometimes it’s the little things.

Moreover, there’s a grippy silicone band around the lid that makes it easy to open the spout even with sweaty hands, plus a nice big loop for easily carrying the bottle on a long walk or clipping to your bag.

  + Honorable mention: the Hydro Flask double-walled steel bottle.

Camelbak Eddy Bottle »

($15–$23, depending on color)

Stepping away from the vacuum-insulated world, we now come to the Camelbak Eddy. We love this bottle for a handful of reasons:

1. It doesn’t spill when knocked over (you have to bite the valve a little for water to flow).
2. It has a straw inside so you can idly sip without having to tip the bottle.
3. The loop-cap makes it easy to carry around.
4. It doesn’t impart any metallic taste the way steel bottles sometimes can.
5. The whole thing is dishwasher safe.

“LifeStraw Go” Water Filter Bottle »

($37–$50, depending on color/pattern)

LifeStraw Go is essentially a sports water bottle, but with a crazy-good filter built in. You can use it to scoop up water from just about anywhere in the world and then safely drink it through the mouthpiece.

By the time the water has made it up the straw, the 0.2-micron hollow fiber membrane filter has already removed 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites. Each filter can do this for up to 4,000 liters (1,057 gallons) of water, so you won’t have to replace it for quite a while.

The coolest part is that, for every LifeStraw sold, they ensure that a young student in need gets clean water for an entire school year. It’s a purchase and cause you can feel good about.

Aladdin Reusable Water Bottle with “Two-Way” Lid »

($15–$17, depending on color)

“Two-way”, a word which here means having the option to remove either the drinking spout’s lid or the bottle dome entirely, as one’s heart dictates.

—Lemony Snicket, probably

As that fake quote up there puts it, what makes the Aladdin “Two-Way” bottle great is that has a comfortably small drinking spout up top, but you can also twist off the entire dome piece to reveal a much wider mouth for putting in ice and whatnot.

The plastic it’s made from is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and in our experience, pretty durable. Just don’t drop it a bunch and you’ll be fine.

The 18 oz. is a pretty good size for most people, but they do have a bigger 32 oz.bottle if you’re so inclined. That one even comes with a drop-in diffuser basket so you can make fruit-flavored water if you want.

With this southern summer heat making the outdoors feel like a smoldering horrorscape rather than a place humans should ever exist, the only hobby I’m interested in right now is hydration.

Now, while I’m a fan of reusable water bottles like the Camelback Eddy and the Aladdin “Two-Way”, I need something that can handle the sweltering climate while holding a good amount of water, so I’m not having to refill it all the time (that goes for re-upping on ice too).

Enter the Takeya 40 oz. vacuum-insulated bottle. It keeps drinks cold inside for 24 hours without breaking a sweat (no, literally, it doesn’t condensate). In fact, some people have left ice water in it and found ice still in the bottle after two days.

At about ½” diameter, the insulated lid spout is just the right size for drinking without a bunch of ice falling into your mouth, and its hinge stays open and out of the way while you drink rather than smacking you in the face. Sometimes it’s the little things.

Moreover, there’s a grippy silicone band around the lid that makes it easy to open the spout even with sweaty hands, plus a nice big loop for easily carrying the bottle on a long walk or clipping to your bag.

The 40-ounce Takeya is $20 on Amazon and comes in a handful of colors. If that one’s still not big enough for your thirst-quenching needs, they’ve got a 64-ounce one for $44.

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“Two-way”, a word which here means having the option to remove either the drinking spout’s lid or the bottle dome entirely, as one’s heart dictates.

—Lemony Snicket, probably

Are you one of those chumps who buys disposable water bottles everywhere you go? You need to knock off that wasteful habit right now and get yourself one of these reusable bottles instead. They’re great because they have the small drinking spout up top, but you can also twist off the entire dome piece to reveal a wide mouth for putting in ice and whatnot.

The plastic it’s made from is BPA-free, dishwasher safe, and in my experience, pretty durable. Just don’t drop it a bunch and you’ll be fine.

The 18 oz. version is a pretty good size for most people and there are a few colors to choose from:

• Marina (blue) — $14
• Tomato (red) — $16
• Berry (purple) — $16
• Sapphire (clear with dark blue lid) — $28

They also have a bigger 32 oz. bottle (I call it the “Tall Boi”) if you’re so inclined. That one even comes with a drop-in diffuser basket so you can make fruit-flavored water if you want, but personally I threw it in a drawer and haven’t really used it since. I’m a standard water guy, what can I say?

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Let’s say you have two issues right now:

1. You like to drink water throughout the day but hate using wasteful, disposable plastic bottles.
2. You carry a pretty slim bag that a normal-shaped bottle doesn’t fit into very well.

The “memobottle” collection is a practical (not to mention chic-looking) option worth consideration. They’re a series of flat, BPA- and BPS-free plastic bottles that resemble the shape and size of notebooks, so they can fit where other bottles don’t. From small to large, they have three main options that reflect international paper sizes:

A7 size (180ml) ($22)

A6 size (375ml) ($28)

A5 size (750ml) ($36)

If you’re not interested in the notebook-sized bottles, they also have a taller “slim” bottle (450ml) for $32.

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In the past half-decade or so, chances are good that you’ve seen at least one S’well stainless steel bottle out in the wild, and more likely at least a few dozen. These things are everywhere.

It could be because their double-walled, vacuum-insulated construction keeps drinks cold for 24 hours or hot for 12 without breaking a sweat, so to speak…but that sort of functionality is pretty common nowadays. My guess is that it has something more to do with the fact that they’ve got more colors and pattern styles than you can shake a stick at. They don’t just get the job done, they do it with panache. (The four styles pictured above are but a fraction of the options available.)

These fashionable bottles come in three sizes:

1. 9-ounce — Ideal for morning coffee or enough water to get through a workout. ($25)
2. 17-ounce — Nearly twice the size, yet still able to fit into a typical cup holder. ($35)
3. 25-ounce — Big enough to hold a bottle’s worth of wine. ($45)

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Now that it’s officially Fall, I am starting to run a lot more. For whatever reason, I run a lot better if I can drink water during my runs. Even on short 2-3 mile runs, I can still consume 20 oz of water with ease. I decided to upgrade my running belt this year and get one that included water bottles.

I picked up this one from Amazon for $16.95. It works extremely well. The water bottles have a strap that keeps them in place, but I usually only keep it snapped when I am using the other bottle. They stay extremely still. The pouch easily fits my license, keys, and iPhone 7 Plus.

Get it on Amazon for $16.95

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