How can I carry 2+ liters of water daily?

November 14, 2007 7:09 AM

WaterFilter, literally. Posting for a pal: Can you recommend a 2.5 L+ portable water container that isn't plastic AND how does one get a 5 gallon water stand at home? More details inside.

I need a big, non-plastic/toxic, reusable water bottle, 2 liters or more, preferably 3 liters/100 oz.

I am consuming 1 gallon of water a day (dramatic fitness and health change). My home and school tap water is unpalatable. I live in a rental so I can't mess with my plumbing, so I consumer bottled water. I don't want to anymore because of cost, waste, and possible toxicity of the single-use bottles.

I need to carry around 3 L of water on campus for 8-10 hours at a time, so what are my best options for water bottles/storage and delivery systems that don't include unhealthy plastics? I have looked at the Sigg line, but they don't make a bottle big enough.

Internet searching has lead me to the conclusion that I may have to expand my definition of "bottles" but I am skeptical of a camelback/platypus system because I don't see myself carrying an extra bag just for my water, nor do I easily
imagine fitting a massive water-filled bladder in my already quite full schoolbag.

AND as a partial solution I am considering purchasing bottled water in "bulk" as it were, using 5 gallon refillable bottles and a ceramic crock/stand. But these are expensive and I'm not sure how/where to get new water from. Plus, I'd still need to get water on campus.

posted by k8t to health & fitness (12 comments total)

Here's a big leather bota bag (2.5 quart or about 2.4 liters), though I don't see any problem drinking from plastic.
posted by exogenous at 7:13 AM on November 14, 2007

3 or 5 gallon water dispensers at Home Depot.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 7:16 AM on November 14, 2007

Maybe something from Sigg? 1.5 liters seems to be their largest bottle, but you could always get two. Seems like drinking out of a 3 liter bottle would be a bit unwieldy anyway.
posted by SampleSize at 7:38 AM on November 14, 2007

Swap out your school bag for a bag that supports hydration systems, buy 2-3 of the camelbak bladders. They are designed to be carried around with little effort.
posted by iamabot at 7:39 AM on November 14, 2007

They make sports water bottles with integrated filters which should improve the taste of the tap water on campus. REI has one: http://www.rei.com/product/720270
posted by GuyZero at 7:40 AM on November 14, 2007

I was actually going to suggest 2 or 3 bota bags. Looks like you could use the one big one too. Personally, I think I'd rather carry two smaller ones, so I could distribute the weight in more than one place. I think they should work really well for your friend, because a) they're not plastic b) they aren't hard, so as you empty them, they take up less space and c) their shape is really ideal for carrying liquids, and they fit comfortably in lots of different places since they are not hard.

On preview, I like GuyZero's idea too.
posted by gauchodaspampas at 7:43 AM on November 14, 2007

Along with GuyZero's suggestion, maybe also consider bringing a small container of lemon slices with you and just add those to the tap water. That way you can have cold, fresh water, and the lemon can help with the taste.
posted by tuff at 7:52 AM on November 14, 2007

Looking closer, the REI one is more for bacterial filtration rather than taste, but there are carbon-filter water bottles out there where are basically portable Brita-type bottles. Amazon lists a Camelbak bottle with a filter but the Camelbak site doesn't have it. Try browsing Amazon as they seem to have a bajillion water bottles with filters.
posted by GuyZero at 8:13 AM on November 14, 2007

Aren't Camelback and Platypii also made out of plastic? If you're so afraid of plastic you better stay away from those as well.
posted by maremare at 8:45 AM on November 14, 2007

I don't see myself carrying an extra bag just for my water, nor do I easily
imagine fitting a massive water-filled bladder in my already quite full schoolbag.

I'm confused as to how your friend is going to carry three liters of water otherwise. Sigg bottles have a plastic liner, so if that's a significant concern, they need to get a stainless steel bottle like a Klean Kanteen. However, the largest size is 40oz. It's going to be really hard to find anything larger than that that isn't a plastic-bladder type bag, just because most people won't want to carry or store a bottle that large (think of lugging around something half again as large as a two liter soda bottle). I think learning to drink the water on campus is going to be necessary- there are many things that can be done to make water taste more palatable, like carrying a couple of those fizzy vitamin packets.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:05 AM on November 14, 2007

For water at home, being in a rental shouldn't keep you from installing a reverse osmosis system under the sink. The only plumbing modifications will be a small hole in your sink drain, and a small hole in your cold water line under the sink. Mount the RO dispenser and all the filtration components to a piece of plywood under the sink. When you move out, take the plywood with you, replace the cold water line (a new one is around $3), and patch or replace the area you tapped into the sink drain.
posted by yohko at 12:00 PM on November 14, 2007

Do you have to carry it all at once? Could you possibly carry one 1.5L glass bottle, and squirrel away another somewhere (office, locker, fridge, etc.)? That's what I do.
posted by Reggie Digest at 11:29 PM on November 26, 2007