Gear Review

Nalgene Wide Mouth (HDPE)

1. light - 3.9 oz per liter
2. safer plastic
3. imparts taste/odor

Nalgene's wide-mouth polyethylene bottle was the water bottle that took over the world, at least until Lexan came along.

Now we're turning our attention back to these old HDPE (high-density polyethylene) bottles because of fears that Lexan (aka polycarbonate) leeches harmful chemicals into water.

The jury is still out as to whether or not Lexan bottles are safe. That said, HDPE is almost universally recognized as a 'safer' plastic when it comes to water storage (The safest choice, if you're wondering, is to avoid plastic entirely, ala Klean Kanteen's stainless steel bottle or Sigg's clever Aluminum Traveler/Lifestyle models).

What is indisputable is that HDPE bottles are significantly lighter than Lexan/polycarbonate.

Put three one-liter Lexan Nalgene bottles in your pack, and you're carrying a full pound of plastic—in other words, dead weight.

Weight alone is probably a good enough reason to at least consider using Nalgene's HDPE bottles over Lexan, whether or not you're worried about BPA.

Note that HDPE (unlike Lexan) does have a distinctly 'plasticy' smell*, which will alter the flavor of your water to some extent depending on how sensitive your sense of taste is.

Conversely, if you are drinking from less than ideal sources, the HDPE's plastic scent can help mask the smell of algae or worse, making brackish water a bit more palatable—though this is certainly open for debate. Perhaps you can conduct some first-person taste tests on the subject and get back to me.

HDPE was also retired (somewhat) in favor of Lexan because of Lexan's allegedly superior strength. In practice, however, HDPE is itself quite strong and puncture-resistant. It's hard to imagine a situation in which an HDPE bottle would positively fail while a Lexan bottle would be guaranteed to survive. I rate the two interchangeable on durability.

In my opinion, Lexan outsells HDPE despite being more expensive because it is clear like glass (so water looks better), and it doesn't have a strong plastic odor.

For three-season use, I've migrated away from Nalgene bottles entirely. I prefer the taste of water in Aluminum or Stainless steel bottles, and I also prefer the possibly-illusory health benefits of avoiding the extra chemical exposure. However, I still keep two HDPE Nalgenes in my closet for winter overnights, because of their low weight and superior cold-weather performance.

Nalgene's one-liter wide-mouth bottles are perfectly sized to fit into an insulating sleeve, which helps keep your water from freezing into a brick overnight when you're winter camping. And if your water does freeze, it won't automatically destroy a plastic Nalgene bottle. You'll just have to defrost it in the morning.

* note: I find that new or relatively new HPDE bottles do not impart an obviously offensive odor or taste to water. If you're getting a really 'plasticy' flavor or smell, it probably means it's time to retire your water bottle and get a new one.

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