Using A Hot Water Bottle To Stay Warm

**Youngblood** · 12-10-2008, 15:22

Originally Posted by smartcarpie

It does in a good thermos in a neg. 40 bag...in a Nalgene not super duper hot, but plenty warm enough to chug down while lacing up your boots!

I would think if the water bottle isn't insulated but is inside your sleeping bag, that its temperature would eventually settle pretty close to your body temperature. How close would depend on how much clothing you were wearing and where the water was located. Something less than 98F, maybe in the 80s if it was close to your torso? That should feel moderately warm. Now, if it was in your foot pocket it would likely be cooler. But still, like was mentioned, it would still be warm to drink.

**Preacha Man** · 12-10-2008, 15:32

That is what I did the night I tried it, I made coffee, and then it took nothing to get it a little warmer the next moring. It wasn't hot, just warm that morning, but after a minute on the stove it was good to go. I do not carry a thermos because of the extra weight, but I usually make coffee aytime my stove is out

It is just something I cannot live without (I have 6 bags hidden in my first aide kit just in case

)

Dwight

**slowhike** · 12-10-2008, 18:26

Hopefully everyone has already thought about this & will be when they pour, but it needs to be said (if it hasn't already).

Be "FOCUSED" when you pour hot water in the bottle.

Thankfully, I'm not saying this because it happened to me, but I always remind myself when filling a bottle that one thing that might be as bad, if not worse than a wet hammock, is a second degree burn while trying to sleep on a cold night

It's a good idea to think ahead... boil water & fill the bottle BEFORE you start shivering & getting that "desperate" feeling because you're so cold.

I usually set the bottle on a stable surface were it wont slide or tip & fill it. If it's a soft side, I would set it down & carefully hold the top steady, because it may move when you start to pour the hot water in it, causing you to miss & if nothing else, waste some of that nice hot water.
The soft sided canteens I have used (Nalgene), as well as some hard bottles, have an attached lid that I hold. That's helpful.

**smartcarpie** · 12-10-2008, 19:15

Good point about the hazard involved; it's also hard to 'escape' in the case of a spill in the confines of a tight winter camp. One caution about holding a Nalgene by the lid rather than the threads: I have had hot water soften the lid retainer enough that the ring loosens and slides off the bottle, resulting in a drop. Logan and I learned a lot about pouring technique when filling hot water bottles for groups of 8 kids and 3 instructors at a time. Line em' up, indented in snow if possible to steady them. I never let someone else hold a bottle I'm filling, as they are always nervous and moving a bottle and I end up "chasing" the bottle, not a safe situation. I usually hold my own by the threads and pour carefully, often with a waterproof shell glove on for protection and have never had more than a few drops hit my hand, even w/o the glove.

Sleep induced dumbness in action: Another hazard I discovered while camped above treeline in 60 mph winds and below 0 temps, when drinking hot Jello in the nite, make sure you are awake enough to do a good job of recapping when done. I was horrified to finish about a third of my Jello, zip it back into the cozy and stuff it into my bag before wondering where the extra Nalgene cap in my bag had come from. Nice...luckily I stayed warm until the tent failed just before dawn. I had however been counting on what was left of that to get me through the morning as cooking wasn't looking too good at that point! A great learning experience to say the least. No wonder I don't do that sort of stuff any more...

Christian

**pedro** · 12-10-2008, 19:58

Originally Posted by Just Jeff

I've also heard of people making their oatmeal at night and sleeping with it, so it was warm and ready in the morning. Don't know what kind of bottle they were using, but this would really reduce the risk of wetting your gear if you could find a suitable one.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it sounds like you would attract animals to your shelter by doing this.

**TeeDee** · 12-10-2008, 20:19

I'm sure that I'll be a voice in the wilderness, but I stopped using plastic water bottles very quickly for my excursions, since replacing damaged equipment is NOT an option.

Now I use ONLY the Klean Kanteen 40 oz bottle. I just weighed mine with a DIY webbing harness and steel loop top and it comes in at exactly 11 oz. My 32 oz hard Nalgene, also with webbing harness, comes in at 7.05 oz.

So for 4 oz more, I not only get a practically indestructible (which for me tops any priority list) and leak proof water bottle, but also one I can actually use to heat or boil the water (after removing the webbing harness of course) - pour in cold water, set over fire until desired temperature, stopper and ready to use. It's not exactly the prettiest water bottler around anymore (except to me

), but it it's still going strong after a lot of use and I have zero concerns about it leaking.

Great for stews and any other liquid which I desire to consume hot or warm. I have considered using the Klean Kanteen only and leaving even a very small pot home, but haven't convinced myself of that yet. Getting closer though.

I don't expect that many here will actually use something like the Klean Kanteens, but for those few of us for which resupply points are not available, it is a thought to consider.

Note that my only connection with Klean Kanteen is as a very satisfied user.

**slowhike** · 12-10-2008, 20:51

Those really are nice canteens TeeDee.
http://www.kleankanteen.com/

**Mule** · 12-10-2008, 22:29

Maybe I am naive but I have never had one of my four Platypus bottles leak at all. Are some of you having trouble with yours? Mule

**Mustardman** · 12-10-2008, 22:48

I'm a big fan of the kleen canteens. I also use aluminum bottles from sigg when I'm not planning to stick them in a fire. Very handy bottles. If you like the stainless steel, Bilt bottles are really nice too. I'd like to get one of those, because they have a standard Nalgene-style threaded cap, which means they would fit all my nalgene accessories, like my MSR filter.