Gear Review

Nalgene Polycarbonate Water Bottle

Nalgene Water Bottle
  1. nearly indestructible
  2. hefty - 5.4 oz per liter
  3. chemical concerns

Despite their immense popularity, Nalgene's polycarbonate water bottles have become the bogeyman of sorts of the eco-conscious backcountry traveler.

The irony is, crisp and clear Lexan (aka polycarbonate-acrylic) was sold to us as a safer alternative to the old, milky-colored, smelly HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic bottles.

Unlike HDPE, Lexan™ bottles add little to no scent or taste to water or other beverages, making them attractive to hikers tired of drinking water that smelled and tasted like Saran wrap. Lexan Polycarbonate bottles bring the added advantage of being fantastically strong—nearly unbreakable, in fact.

BPA: Should I be Concerned?

As if we don't have enough to worry about, some research suggests that the potentially harmful chemical BPA leeches from Lexan/Polycarbonate bottles into water over time.

Safe or not, save yourself the anxiety: SierraDescents recommends you eliminate polycarbonate bottles from your gear stash as a precautionary measure. Better alternatives (such as HDPE bottles) are available.

With these formidable attributes, Nalgene's Lexan bottles (and other makers') swept the market like a storm, replacing HDPE bottles by the truckload.

As is usually the case when something sounds too good to be true, concerns have now surfaced regarding the chemical BPA (Bisphenol A), which acts like a synthetic hormone, and which is found in Lexan.

Available research strongly suggests that BPA leaches into water from Lexan bottles.

When boiling water is stored in Lexan, or the bottles are old, or scratched, the BPA concentration rises—in some cases to levels considered unsafe.

A quick search of the internet will easily deluge you in competing and conflicting information. Nalgene's website, as you'd expect, presents a strong case arguing that Lexan bottles are safe, including citations from several government studies.

You can weigh this evidence carefully, as well as opposing arguments, in deciding whether or not Lexan water bottles are right for you.

Or, you take a more pragmatic approach: simply put, there are better alternatives to using Lexan bottles. Lexan/Polycarbonate bottles are significantly heavier than HDPE, making those old HDPE bottles (which are BPA-free and widely considered safer) a smarter choice if you don't care about plastic aftertaste.

If you simply can't stomach the scent/taste of HDPE gaming up your mountain spring water, you can choose Klean Kanteen's stainless steel bottle, or Sigg's very snazzy Traveler aluminum bottle (which weighs less than Lexan).

Winter travelers will probably be best served with either HDPE or Polycarbonate—it's harder to insulate metal bottles because of their size and conductivity. So I'll recommend Nalgene's Lexan bottle only for people who demand unscented water when they're camping in temperatures well below freezing. If that's not you, pick something else.

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