Toxic Water Bottles: Don't Drink That!

Yelling of the phrase, "Don't drink that!", when camping may occur in an entirely new context. And it has nothing to do with your buddies unwillingness to get out of the tent on a cold night to go to the bathroom.

The National Toxicology Program (NTP) recently deemed there is “some concern” with bisphenol-A, a chemical found in polycarbonate plastics—the kind used in many Nalgene water bottles. Their finding is a swift reversal over last year, when the NTP determined that studies linking bisphenol-A (BPA) to low birth-weights and delayed puberty were unconvincing. But with the new report, and with Canada apparently set to declare BPA a toxin, the debate is on again about which bottle is best to nurse a cold one from. Here are some of our favorites:

—Klean Kanteen’s nearly unbreakable water bottles are made from stainless steel, so you’ll never have to worry about the potentially hazardous chemicals found in plastics—just don’t think about using it for your daily fix of steaming-hot joe.

—Sigg makes an entire line of aluminum bottles that are light, stylish, and polycarbonate-free. One downside is their durability—they dent as easily a beer can.

—CamelBak recently jumped on the health-sensitive bandwagon with its new line of BPA-free water bottles, incorporating their signature styles and lids, but still making them from polysyllabic compounds—they’re made from Tritan, a type of copolyester plastic, whatever that is.

—Nalgene, got a bit of a rep for BPA poisoning, but it just came out with it’s own line of BPA-free bottles, called Everyday. The new bottles—also made from Tritan—are just as durable as their polycarbonate predecessors and come in a range of colors and styles, including Nalgene’s iconic 32-oz widemouth.   

                                                                                —Ryan Krogh

Comments

[David R]

Yeah, well, I used to drink out of the garden hose when I was kid and now someone says it'll kill me. What about the dashboard of my car? It's some kind of vinyl and in the summer it gets hot and causes a film to form on my windshield. Now, if I drive my Subaru to my favorite hiking spot while sipping city water (with whatever it has in it) from my 10 year old Nalgene bottle, can you give me a reasonable estimate of my life expectancy?
Didn't think so. Get a grip, folks.