Drinking water container safe for staying in the car?

May 11, 2010 6:38 AM

I'd like to store a smallish container (not more than 2 liters) of drinking water in my car throughout our ~6 non-freezing months. The goal is to leave it in the back seat most of the time, which means it will get hot. Seeking advice for safe practices (best container type to avoid leaching crap, how to clean it, how long can I go without cleaning it, etc.). Would my all-metal WWII canteen (with stuffed-canvas cover resembling this) do the trick?
posted by AugieAugustus to Food & Drink (16 answers total)

Based on this, I would just use water purchased in plastic bottles..

I keep a supply of bottle water in the car for me and the dawg, even in the winter.
posted by HuronBob at 7:05 AM on May 11, 2010

I just leave a purchased gallon of water in the back seat of my car. I open it and drain a little water off of it and it stays there year round through the freeze/thaw cycle and it's fine. Since it's purely emergency water, either for me or my radiator, I don't worry too much about leaching chemicals. If you're really only looking for summer months, the metal canteen will work fine, though if you move into the colder months I'd be careful about having a metal water bottle since all I can think of is my lips freezing to it.
posted by jessamyn at 7:17 AM on May 11, 2010

maybe a glass bottle?
posted by Neekee at 7:50 AM on May 11, 2010

I always have random plastic water bottles in my car and whether or not they are leaching chemicals, the water from them tastes gross after a while. Good for an emergency I guess, but if everything's equal I'd go with a glass bottle.
posted by amro at 8:00 AM on May 11, 2010

Is this for emergencies? I'd get something like this or this. If the packs are not acceptable, I would opt for a nalgene bottle or store bought bottled water. 2L is enough that I also would not store it in one bottle since it only takes one leak or contamination to ruin the entire supply.
posted by chairface at 8:21 AM on May 11, 2010

Not really for "emergencies"—more like "contingencies." For example, sometimes we need an ibuprofen or a Dramamine now but we don't like taking pills without fluid. So the pouch approach would probably not be ideal; the water might need to be used like 2-3 times in a given week, or not at all for a whole month.

I considered glass, but I'd be concerned about it rolling around and cracking or breaking. We have no way to secure even a can-sized container in our back seat.

Never used a Nalgene bottle. Is it likely to cause the water to taste funky given months of sitting? I know my metal canteen can.

I'm quite sure I'm overthinking this :) but I appreciate the insights so far and welcome more.
posted by AugieAugustus at 8:30 AM on May 11, 2010

I considered glass, but I'd be concerned about it rolling around and cracking or breaking. We have no way to secure even a can-sized container in our back seat.

You could put it on the floor of your back seat in one of those insulated bags you can buy at the supermarket. They are padded and will also probably keep the bottle from rolling around much. (Not implying that the insulated bag will keep the water cool for that length of time, I just thought of them because they are more padded than a regular plastic or paper bag.)
posted by amro at 8:36 AM on May 11, 2010

If you get sealed water bottles (like some dasani or something) they won't freeze in the winter (though they will form ice as soon as you open them). What's the water for?
posted by brainmouse at 8:45 AM on May 11, 2010

I would use a BPA free metal container and wash it once a week. If you are going to drinking from it, bacteria will get in the water and make it gross tasting. Buy one you can put in the dishwasher.
posted by Gor-ella at 8:45 AM on May 11, 2010

Newer stainless steel water bottles don't taste as metallic as the old canteens even with extended use, and they're cheap. I'd go with that or the glass with an insulating bag - you'd want the bag to keep it from getting too much sun, anyway, as sun and even pretty clean water can lead to algae.
posted by ldthomps at 9:10 AM on May 11, 2010

We use a glass bottle with a stopper on it that's held down by a wire bail (you flip the bail to release the stopper) - it had fancy lemonade in it originally (and I think you can buy something similar at a brew supply store).
We like it because there's no coatings, or anything plastic or metal that comes in contact with the water, so the flavor is the flavor of water and that's all.
It's heavy glass, we keep it under the seat, and it's seldom too hot to drink. About twice a year we clean it out - mainly as a precaution - we've never seen mold in it.
Done this for over four years and no bottles have broken, but YMMV.
posted by dbmcd at 9:34 AM on May 11, 2010

I think the industry standard (one of them, anyway) is high-density polyethylene (HDPE), so it's not difficult to get a food-safe container, although you might have trouble finding a one as small as 2L.

As for mold and such, regular washing is probably your best bet. These instructions are for larger tanks, but the ideas remain relevant.
posted by d. z. wang at 10:41 AM on May 11, 2010

I'm bad at drinking enough water, but for some strange reason would rather drink water from a bottle than a glass. So, I leave aluminum water bottles in strategic locations -- home desk, work desk, bedside table -- and the water doesn't seem to go funky at all, even when it sits for a week.
posted by desuetude at 11:04 AM on May 11, 2010

The water will get incredibly flat. It won't taste very good, but if it's just "contingency" water, plastic bottles should be just fine. It's not like you're drinking liters of it every day.

Also, unless you pour it into a cup before drinking, don't keep the water once you've touched lips to the bottle. Even the tiny bit of bacteria will grow in the water, especially with heat (yeah, there's not much nutrient in the water), and turns the water really nasty.

/experience
posted by porpoise at 11:18 AM on May 11, 2010

brainmouse writes "If you get sealed water bottles (like some dasani or something) they won't freeze in the winter (though they will form ice as soon as you open them). What's the water for?"

Water in bottles exposed to even one degree below freezing is going to eventually freeze solid. Down around -10 a 500ml bottle of water will easily freeze overnight in a parked car.
posted by Mitheral at 12:55 PM on May 11, 2010

Pressurized water, i.e. bubbly, freezes at a lower temp. Open it, and the pressure is reduced, so it freezes right up.

Get a bunch of kid-sized bottled water, keep in car, maybe in a cardboard beer bottle sixpack? Reuse the little bottles as needed. You'll have to refill often, but will generally have a clean bottle. Sturdy glass bottles won't break from rolling around, but if full of water, may crack if frozen.
posted by theora55 at 1:14 PM on May 11, 2010