Nalgene Cantenes and Caving

[hank moon]

I've used a collapsable Nalgene for a pee bottle for five years, with no leaks.

you brave! whaddaya use for a poosafe?

[hank moon]

you might also look into the MSR dromedary and drom-lite bags

the regular Droms are awesome...no experience with the lite version. I've carried a 4L Drom for about 5 years now w/o probs except for minor leaking recently around the cap. New cap'll fix it.

[chac]

I have used the Platypus one and two litre soft (collapsing) containers
for a couple of years. I also prefer the drinking tube option if your
pack design allows it, especially in hot weather. I've never had a
problem with them, they take a reasonable amount of abuse and not leak.

Buy a brush that can clean the inside of whatever soft container you
purchase. Warm climates and water makes a great home for all sorts
of critters on the inside of your bottle. Don't get sucked into buying
a repair patch - just get a new container.

Cindy and NZ wrap duct tape on their bottles; this is a great place to
store a bit of tape while protecting the base of your canteen. You
may get some extra mileage out of the container...and then again you
will have something handy to fix a leak for the time being...

I have no direct experience with Nalgene, MSR, or CamelBack products.

[CaveJunkie]

With all this talk about pee bottles an interesting thread might be:

What do you do when you have to poo?

[cob]

What do you do when you have to poo?

Burrito Bags. Everyone has their own recipe, here's mine:

Do the dirty deed in a turkey baster bag (I use these not for the size but because they are very tough, and really "lock-in" the smell)

Then I put that into a ziploc bag with plenty of baking soda (to absorb whatever smell may escape)

Then (if on a multi-day trip) I put that into a Mountain House freeze dried food bag (outer package) and duck tape the Heck out of that.

Never had a blow-out, and my pack has always smelled like lilacs

tom

[Sean Ryan]

Since a thirsty, disastrous Simmons-Mingo trip very early in my caving career, I've used a 2-liter Nalgene bottle. It's the size of a butter churn, weighs a whole lot when full, and is probably responsible for a solid hour getting this big reservoir through tight spots. It looks like it could withstand being run over by a tank, although I've already broken one of them (shattered the lid after dropping it 30 feet). I like it because when I have it, no one in the party has ever gone without. I can be as generous as I want - hell, fill the carbide with it!

[Cheryl Jones]

Why not two 1 ltr containers? Seems they'd be easier to pack, carry, and maneuver through crawlways and tight spots. And if you used the soft ones, you'd have a smaller pack when one was empty.

Cheryl

[Wayne Harrison]

What do you do when you have to poo?

I make sure I go BEFORE I go caving. I've been caving off & on for 30 years and I've never had to do a #2 while in the cave. I do carry the fixin's for a cave burrito and I also carry a couple of Immodium AD tablets in case my bowels, or someone else's on the trip, starts acting up.

I have considered packing a Rest Stop Kit #2 but never got around to ordering it:

http://survivalcenter.com/Emergency%20Toilet%20Supplies.html

[NZcaver]

I have used my Nalgenes for years ...Just make sure if you wash them in the dishwasher make sure you take the lid off and put it on the top shelf or it will melt.

Sounds like you're talking about the hard Nalgenes, probably the polycarbonate variety.If that's so, then DON'T wash them in a dishwasher. One study has demonstrated possible harmful breakdown products of polycarbonate, but only under conditions of high temperature and harsh chemicals - e.g. a dishwasher.

Interesting. I was just cruising by Nalgene's website looking for new pee bottles, when I noticed this statement referring to Lexan (polycarbonate) bottles - "Dishwasher Safe (top rack only)" - http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/su ... orycode=37
On many of the retail websites, they even say that Nalgenes are GUARANTEED to be dishwasher safe. Anyway, I don't have a dishwasher at the moment so it's kind of a moot point for me.

[NZcaver]

I make sure I go BEFORE I go caving.

Me too.

I've been caving off & on for 30 years and I've never had to do a #2 while in the cave.

Me too - on day trips. Multi-day trips are a different ballgame.

I do carry the fixin's for a cave burrito and I also carry a couple of Immodium AD tablets in case my bowels, or someone else's on the trip, starts acting up.

Again, me too.

I have considered packing a Rest Stop Kit #2 but never got around to ordering it

I got some of these from IMO and used them on my first multi-day trip. They work great! When the business was done, I sealed each one. When it came time to leave, I sealed them all in a ziplock bag. This I put in a small dry bag, strategically located in the middle of my (big) pack.

I have since since figured out that the same result can be achieved for less money by making a DIY version. I take a thin trash bag (big but not huge size) and secure the bottom of that into the bottom of a 1 gallon ziplock with a piece of tape. I put some baking soda in the inner trash bag, and some toilet paper/hand wipes in the ziplock. To use, open the ziplock, pull out the paper/wipes, unfold the trash bag out, and use it a "funnel".
Simple!

As for pee bottles, I've found the wide-mouth Gatorade ones work great. I'm now looking for something collapsible (like Scott's "Platypiss") to conserve space on those day trips when I don't usually pee anyway.

[jmo]

If that's so, then DON'T wash them in a dishwasher. One study has demonstrated possible harmful breakdown products of polycarbonate, but only under conditions of high temperature and harsh chemicals - e.g. a dishwasher.

Rinse of wash gently by hand and they're likely fine. I've used some of mine for more than 15 years.

- Robert

Robert, Thanks for the info. That's very good to know. As I have always used the dishwasher to wash them.

[David_Campen]

As for pee bottles, I've found the wide-mouth Gatorade ones work great.

I have observed (happily, while they still contained only Gatoraide) that these bottles don't withstand falls etc. very well. It doesn't take much impact to deform the bottle so that the screw cap dislodges.

I first discovered this once while waiting at the bottom of a drop for my turn to climb. I went into my pack to get my extra clothes only to discover that the cap had come off a Gatorade bottle and my spare clothes were soaked. Not long after that I was at the grocery store checkout when someone dropped a Gatorade bottle and the cap popped off.

[NZcaver]

I have observed (happily, while they still contained only Gatoraide) that these bottles don't withstand falls etc. very well. It doesn't take much impact to deform the bottle so that the screw cap dislodges...

Good to know. I should mention that once my pee bottle actually contains it's cargo, it gets sealed in a ziplock bag in my pack. Plus I don't make a habit of playing football with it.
As I mentioned, I'm currently looking for a more suitable replacement - something like a Platypiss.

[pebblepoint]

If it's got the nalgene label (guaranteed for life), it's good.
Once in Mexico, my wife dropped a water bottle down an 85' pit to Steve Taylor and myself. It survived and hydrated us sufficiently.Nalgene good.
don
little egypt grotto