Which is the best KANTEEN and why?

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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
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Berlin
I still have a nice collection of civil and military canteens but I ask myself which is the best one in the world and why?

What are your opinions about it?
 
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Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
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Canada
I use the Nalgene .5L narrow mouth bottle most of the time and have an array of prettily coloured ones :) Nalgene's 1L Oasis bottle is very useful, and I like the .75L Camelbak Chute a lot.

The thing that caught a hold of my heart most recently is the steel, insulated Camelbak Chute ... widemouth, so you can pack it with ice ... or anything big bite sized.:)

A 4oz pewter hip flask is pretty high up there in the personal ratings too :lol:

Are we talking about the same thing here, Erbswurst?
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
I mean more or less every bottle that's usable. I own field bottles of Wehrmacht, Bundeswehr, red Army, French Army, US Army and 360 Degrees Stainless steel bottles. But I like the Volvic 0,5 and 1 litre bottles from the supermarket too.

I mean, I can use them all and I recommend to poor beginners the ultra light and ultra cheap Volvic bottles. But I ask my self: Which is the best and why?
 

dogotter

Full Member
Feb 13, 2011
16
0
north west
I recently got a chute mag insulated bottle, it’s flipping awesome. I have normal chutes as well but the lid gets in the way which is a bit annoying at times. The magnet sorts that out on the mag version.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
Ah, I own a Decathlon insulated Stailess steel bottle and an original thermos bottle too. I forgot.

Yes, I am a very thursty guy...
 

MikeLA

Full Member
May 17, 2011
1,955
319
Northumberland
I use the pathfinder kanteen just prefer stainless steel in the ashes when using it that way, otherwise it’s my Brit issue water bottle for anything else.
 

Riven

Full Member
Dec 23, 2006
428
135
England
IMG_2647.JPG


Nalgene on the left is the one I use all of the time, do not use shop bought water (environment etc).
38 pattern is just cool and reminds me of my Cadet days lugging it around sloshing and rattling away.
Riven.
 
Expensive business but I do like my titanium canteen.
+1

I bought the Heavy Cover version and I team it up with a Mother canteen carrier and roll (exactly like yours), a Gen2 Firebox nano, an Evernew Ti alcohol stove + trivet and a Heavy Cover 8" Ti frying pan/ plate.

I spent a fortune looking for the ultimate, one person set up and, in my view, this is it. In the two years or so that I have had this kit, I haven't bought a single thing. The canteen carrier + roll can be taken on its own with the shoulder strap, for a mooch in the woods, or it normally lives on the Molle, prairie belt of my HPG Umlundi backpack for single or multiple nights out. In short, it forms the base of my ultimate modular system

Lightweight, boil (in the cup or bottle), fry, bake and can stretch to two person depending on what you're cooking.

It's horribly spendy, as an initial outlay but I guesstimate that it has saved me money on tinkering with different setups.
 
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SCOMAN

Life Member
Dec 31, 2005
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Perthshire
+1

I bought the Heavy Cover version and I team it up with a Mother canteen carrier and roll (exactly like yours), a Gen2 Firebox nano, an Evernew Ti alcohol stove + trivet and a Heavy Cover 8" Ti frying pan/ plate.

I spent a fortune looking for the ultimate, one person set up and, in my view, this is it. In the two years or so that I have had this kit, I haven't bought a single thing. The canteen carrier + roll can be taken on its own with the shoulder strap, for a mooch in the woods, or it normally lives on the Molle, prairie belt of my HPG Umlundi backpack for single or multiple nights out. In short, it forms the base of my ultimate modular system

Lightweight, boil (in the cup or bottle), fry, bake and can stretch to two person depending on what you're cooking.

It's horribly spendy, as an initial outlay but I guesstimate that it has saved me money on tinkering with different setups.

Completely agree it's a great quick bimble kit and I often have it in the car when driving around the country for work.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
But now the question:
Why did most armies change to plastic bottles? Doesn't it matter if they freeze???

Why plastic instead of aluminium, stainless steel or titanium???

In winter times you don't glue to them with the lips and probably water stays longer relatively warm. My original US Army kanteen pouch has a teddy fleece inside for insulation.

But for soldiers could become the option also important to purificate water by heating the bottle and to sterilise the bottle itself. Micropour forte taps or an equivalent can get empty.

The plastic bottles aren't lighter than aluminium bottles, so why did the armies change to plastic?

I don't own the Keith, but I use an equivalent system of two (very light) 360 Degrees 750ml bottles with neoprene covers and a well fitting Robens 450ml titanium mug.
They fit perfectly in the side pockets of my 34 litres Bundeswehr Gebirgsjäger Rucksack so they became my standard bottles.
I like the option to sterilise them with hot water and by using a wire snare of stainless steel cord I can hang them under a tripod too to use them as a kettle.
 

Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,766
Berlin
The older flask with the kork closure is far cooler!

OK, its to small for everything outside Switzerland, but...
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
Nalgene must be the #1 manufacturer of plastic bottles on earth. Screw top, 1 liter and pretty nice.
I have a dozen single-use plastic water bottles that I recycle. Quite fond of those.
Years ago, I had a stash of 2 dozen x 2 liter soda bottles that I carried on the car floor for some hot desert drives.
Now I buy 2 and 5 gallon water tanks. Never know when somebody else needs water.
 
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