Taking water on a hike is a must but with so many options it is hard to find the perfect fit for most activity. I have tried numerous options from water bladders to individual bottles finding that most of these options do not keep my water cool on a hot day. It wasn’t until I received a gift of a Swell Bottle that I found an option which seemed to address this need fully.
I had received the Blue Marble bottle from the Elements Collection, a 25 ounce bottle with vibrant color. I took it for a test hike on a warm day in Nevada to which I was hiking a total of approximately 5 miles. Filling it before I left the house with cold refrigerated water I wanted to see if it would last the duration of the trek.
I have attempted frozen water bottles before or putting refrigerated water into a water bladder before, only to have them warm to room temperature by the end of my hike. Many times in these cases condensation would then dampen the inside of my hiking backpack only to leave anything inside soggy.
By mile two of the initial hike I took my first sip of the water, which had now been in the bottle for over an hour and was still just as icy cold as it was when I had placed it in the bottle. But something unlike any other attempt at containing water for a hike, the taste of the water was so fresh. It was odd and hard to describe but the water actually tasted fresher than it had when I had poured it out of its initial container. So crisp and fresh.
I found my way to a nice overlook along the trail to sit down for lunch with a view. Now some 3 miles into the travels of the day, I took yet another drink and yet again, freshness and icy crisp-ness, very impressive to say the least.
By the end of the hike some near 5 miles the last sip of the water was just as cold and fresh as the first and no condensation had formed on the bottle at all. I did question if I had needed additional fluids what I could do to keep my fluids cool in the bottle and discovered that if I did need additional water I could fill a second Swell Bottle or take an additional room temperature bottle with me and simply refill the bottle if I had added ice before leaving. On average an iced beverage can stay cold in the Swell Bottle for up to 24 hours or a warm one for up to 12 hours.
Something which set this bottle apart from others of similar nature which I have tested is the cap which prevents leaking and through its construction does not get stuck when tightened firmly. The opening itself is large enough for a standard ice cube to pass through without issue making it much easier to prepare for a hike or pour liquids into.
After testing this bottle out I went online and checked out a bit more information about the bottle because I was so pleased with the performance of the bottle along my hike only to discover that the company itself is supportive of a cleaner environment through creating a smaller footprint of plastics. The Swell Bottle has a unique construction which allows it to do all the things I had been searching for and though this is a hand wash only bottle, it is worth the extra couple of seconds it takes to clean it rather than throwing it in the dish washer.
The Blue Marble Swell Bottle is but one of many colors and textures available and while the color was the perfect tone for me personally I noticed there are 25 other collections of colors to choose from and 2 additional styles for those not just looking to hike but use these bottles in every day life.
I would give this product an overall 5 of 5 Bunnies for its perfect merger of function and style. Though I may be taking these on a hike, it is nice to know that I could easily transition this product into daily life by the various colors offered. I would love to see this technology continue to expand into an even slightly larger version so I would not have to refill along the way. So glad to have received this product and so happy to be able to share with others the awesome qualities.