Single walled plastic vs vacuum insulated water bottle for hiking and everyday use
I’ve been seeing an increasing number of vacuum insulated water bottles and was wondering would a plastic(single walled) or a vacuum insulated water bottle be better for...
- Everyday (going from home to work and back)
- Backpacking
- Exercise
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2 answers
You have 3 scenarios for usage
- Everyday (going from home to work and back)
- Backpacking
- Exercise
None of these have any reasonable need for vacuum insulation.
A vacuum flask (also known as a Dewar flask, Dewar bottle or thermos) is an insulating storage vessel that greatly lengthens the time over which its contents remain hotter or cooler than the flask's surroundings. Invented by Sir James Dewar in 1892, the vacuum flask consists of two flasks, placed one within the other and joined at the neck. The gap between the two flasks is partially evacuated of air, creating a near-vacuum which significantly reduces heat transfer by conduction or convection.
Vacuum flasks are used domestically to keep beverages hot or cold for extended periods of time and for many purposes in industry. Source: Wikipedia
There is nothing in your questions that would justify needing vacuum insulation.
If you want you fluids to stay in a specific temperature range longer then go for it.
But you don't need it, and it would not be better unless temperature change moderation is your goal.
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Vacuum insulation adds significant weight and bulk. Compared to a stainless steel water bottle, already a heavy option, it will weigh almost twice as much (because of the double wall, and probably a thicker cap). My 0.5 litre steel vacuum flask is almost as big as a 1 litre water bottle.
I don't have a steel water bottle to compare, but here are the best figures I've got:
- 1 l aluminium bottle (Sigg) : 145 g
- 1 l plastic bike bottle (Zefal) : 105 g
- 0.6 l aluminium bottle (Sigg, actually a fuel bottle): 113 g
- 0.5 l steel vacuum flask (Thermos): 286 g
- 0.5 l disposable plastic bottle: 9 g
So compared to the lightest option you're carrying 280 g extra just to keep 0.5 litres of water cold (if you could obtain chilled water in the first place). That's one thing at the gym, another on the trail. Or to use an aluminium bottle, you could carry 20% more water, in less space, for the same weight. Either way that's a fraction of a hiking day's requirements.
I'm not saying I wouldn't hike with a vacuum flask - but that would be a hot drink on a cold day-hike. I've even carried one on a bike.
This post was sourced from https://outdoors.stackexchange.com/a/21085. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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