In looking over the HPG products website (I'd been looking at the Kit Bags for a while now, and am looking for a gear/battle belt) I noticed that y'all have a pouch specifically designed for the 1 quart GI style canteen. 

I also noticed, both in pictures and in the forum search I did, that y'all seem to prefer the plastic (polyester, whatever you want to call it) versions. 

As has been expressed in other threads, I have a bias against water bladders--they leak. Although in the worst case it was probably my fault. I filled the water bladder in San Francisco and then drove up to the Tahoe/Donner cross country ski area without relieving the pressure. It was only a *little* bit of air in the top of the bladder :) but it soaked the bottom of my day pack and my spare clothes. 

I also don't care much for the traditional polyester/nalagene bottles as the flavor imparted is not to my taste. Aluminum bottles tend to have a thin coating of plastic on the inside, and get the same taste, so I've gone to carrying 2 of the Klean Kanteen 27 ounce stainless bottles with the loop caps. If I'm going to need more than that I have a Wiggies 32 ounce bottle I throw in.

However I don't do much "backpacking" right now, which is to say "none". (I am also signing up for the HPG backpacking course 'cause I live in Denver and it looks like good training).

Which brings me to my questions:

1) Why the USG style canteen v.s. the round bottle style? (other than you can set the canteen style down and it doesn't roll off the table). 

2) Why plastic/copolymer v.s. steel? Weight? 

3) Does anyone know where I can get decent quality stainless steel canteens? Most of the ones I see are of dubious origin and sold too cheaply to be well made. Or at least seem that way. 

Thanks. 

 

Yep, the kidney shaped canteens basically fit *everywhere* better than a round one. On the hip, in a side pocket, etc. Little bit of history -- all the nalgene people think that the round bottles aren't nearly as good as the flat ones. But the original nalgenes were re-purposed scientific flasks and that round shape is now iconic. So they're stuck with it.

As to your taste preferences, go with single wall klean Kanteens and drive on. They'll fit nicely in our "bike bottle" size bottle holsters and any other pouch designed for that diameter. FWIW - I have 3.5 quarts of capacity in bottles that I regularly use on the trail. Dual .75 liter "bike bottle" size on my belt and dual nalgene GI 1qts in the wand pockets.

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We are fortunate in this matter that your conduct will be your marker and, thus, your reputation. The conduct of others on this forum has been, and will continue to be, their marker, and thus, their reputation. In the west, a person invests in one's reputation carefully. - 112Papa

I prefer widemouths. Always have. I think it was one of Steve Barnett's books on backcountry skiing where I first read about using a widemouth to scoop up snow on the fly and melt it in your jacket pocket. Anyway, the narrow body Kleen Kanteens fit the Tara wand pockets and still have a wide mouth so I'm GTG.