Camelbak vs Nalgene

There is nothing wrong with either brand from a quality standpoint, but there are a lot more accessories for the 32 ox. Nalgene bottle as most things (like nesting cups) use it as the standard.

 

Well, I personally think the normal sized 32oz. one in the most versatile. Like I said, there are lots of accessories for it and,in the USA at least, it is pretty ubiquitous among hikers and other outdoor folks.

I do know that they, along with Camelback, make other sizes and some that have bite valves and whatnot. It is really going to come down to your personal needs and activities.

For instance, if you do a lot of backpacking or bush crafting, then having the nesting cup would be more important than if you are using the bottle for soccer practice; in the later's case, you might want a slimmer bottle with an integrated bite valve that is easier to hold and drink from.

If you are an urbane college student, the right choice might not be a plastic bottle. Perhaps an insulated Klean Kanteen (KK) or Hydroflask would be better.

Over time, you'll likely end up with more than one bottle because no one bottle is perfect.

For a long time, because we are a family of outdoor enthusiasts, we used the standard Nalgene bottle almost exclusively, but lately, we use the wide mouth Klean Kanteens more often and I also take the KK's in my lunch box. My wife has an insulated KK she uses as an EDC. My kids have the Camelbacs with the bit caves for water while at school, but us 12 oz. KKs with milk in their lunches.

So it really all depends.

In the end, if I found a bottle from any of the four companies I mentioned that had the capacity and features I wanted, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from any of them.

And, truth be told, if I'm going to be doing a long day hike or an overnight, I usually just take a couple of recycled 32 ox. Gatorade bottles because of weight.

 

Like I said, you'd be hard pressed to be unsatisfied with any bottle from Nalgene of Camelbak. There is a reason they are household names.

That said, the standard wide mouth Nalgene is difficult to drink out of on the move. Even if you get one of those silicone inserts that plug 90% of the opening- we have some that look like smilie faces - you are still dealing with unscrewing the lid.

 

Well, generally, the more complicate something is the more expensive it will be to produce.

 

I've used both and the only bottle I still use the Camelbak Eddy. For me it comes down to the method of drinking...the bite valve and straw are very convenient. I wear gloves a lot at work and it's so much easier than unscrewing a cap or undoing a latch (previously I was using the OTF from Nalgene).

Sure, it's basically an adult sippy cup but it's MY adult sippy cup.

 

I haven't had any leaking issues. Never used the Chute but my coworker carries one every day and likes it.

 

My wife and I have probably 8 Nalgene bottles that we used for years. A couple years ago I got our toddler a Camelbak Eddy and now I have a couple I use all the time. She has one and a Chute. She doesn't like the bite valve as much so uses her Eddy in the car and takes the Chute to work. None of us have had problems with leaks. The Nalgenes are mostly for camping now or we take them to refill the smaller bottles from.

 

Never had a Nalgene let me down, and I've used them for almost 40 years.


Sent by owl post.

 

I have 2 32oz Nalgene wide mouths and a 48oz Nalgene wide mouth. I personally carry the 48oz with a Nalgene brand splash guard every day. Both my Fiance and my roommate have the Camelbak Chute and they're very happy with them. Only reason I chose the Nalgene over the Camelbak was because I like the large 48oz size. But you can't go wrong with either.

 

Size dimension wise I think the difference is minimal. An empty camelbak chute feels heavier than an empty Nalgene. I contribute this to the larger more complex cap mostly although I can't help but feel camelbak's plastic is thicker than Nalgene's.

 

I have a camelback for my backpack and also a nalgene. I tend to use the nalgene much more. For me I think because it's less work, and the nalgene water stays a little cooler on those hot day hikes.

 

only problem with nalgene is that i cant figure out what color i want :s

 

I have had both.. Dumped the camelback and kept a few Nalgene with the human gear cap cap.

The purge started with my travel coffee mugs.. Funky, complicated, cool stuff tends to be hard to clean. Some water bottle tops I could never get truly cleaned out.. So I went with 32oz Nalgene with the cap cap... But they have now been relegated to backup, no thermal insulation. Sweating and such.. I then jumped to klean kanteen.. Nice, the 40oz stainless uninsulated nests perfectly with my cup and the insulated ones keep cold well, nice accessories. But their biggest insulated was I think. 19oz.. Shifted to hydroflasks and no coming back, love them.. Bigger insulated sizes, accessories. (I really want their beer growler)

I wouldn't just include camelback and Nalgene.. There's some better choices out there