Open main menu

Water Storage

Types of Water Storage

photo of a water bottle

Water Bottles

photo of a hydration reservoir

Hydration Reservoirs

photo of a bucket/sink

Buckets and Sinks

photo of a water storage container

Water Storage Containers

photo of a hydration accessory

Hydration Accessories

Top Picks

How we choose: The best water storage highlighted here were selected based on 410 reviews of 199 products. Our top picks are those that are readily-available in the United States and have received the highest overall ratings from reviewers.

How we test: Trailspace is powered entirely by our community of readers. The reviews posted here reflect the real-world experiences of outdoor enthusiasts just like you.

If you've used a water storage product that you think should be listed here, please share your experience.

Disclosure: Trailspace never accepts payment for gear reviews, product placement, or editorial coverage. When you buy through affiliate links on our site, Trailspace may earn a small commission, which helps cover the costs of running the site.

Top Water Bottle

Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic

user rating: 5 of 5 (2 reviews)

Keep your cold beverages cold and your hot ones hot...

Reasons to Buy

  • Easy to drink from
  • Keeps cold/hot all day
  • Lightweight for what it is

Reasons to Avoid

  • Dents easily
  • May find hard to wash
  • Some may miss a sport top

The Klean Kanteen Classic, available in many colors. I received my Klean Kanteen as part of a prize package. I've been using it almost daily for over a year now and I love it. I take it to work and to play.   Klean Kanteen is a family- and employee-owned, U.S. based company that's been around since 2004. They began the reusable, stainless steel water bottle revolution. They state, "From the very beginning, Klean Kanteens have been built with love— the love of adventure, the love of conserving wild places and the love of replacing single-use plastic." I think that says it all.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic reviews (2)

Water Bottle

Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle

user rating: 5 of 5 (8 reviews)

Nalgene 32 Ounce Wide Mouth Glow in the Dark (green) water bottle:

Reasons to Buy

  • Indestructible
  • GLOWS in the dark
  • Wide mouth
  • Good in winter camping
  • Good for hiking

Reasons to Avoid

  • The blue Glow in the Dark is rare
  • Not for use at -40° below expeditions

Front Rear I don't know how to get the camera to show glow in the dark. Capacity 32 oz (1 Liter?) Colors Green Blue (these are very hard to find) Ease of Use Can open with mittens on. Has a leash on the bottle top so you don't lose it. Water purification filters and Steripen work with it. FEATURES BPA-free Glow in the dark Wide Top with leash - you can torque it down for a good seal Construction & Durability I dropped one over 50 feet down the ledge and it wasn't cracked, chipped, or leaked.

Read more: Nalgene 32oz Wide Mouth Sustain Water Bottle reviews (8)

Water Bottle

Platypus Platy Bottle

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (11 reviews)

An essential piece of my gear and I never leave home for the backcountry without it. This simple water container has good capacity, is compact, and has proven to be reliable. It is also compatible with other gear like my Sawyer Squeeze water filter.

Reasons to Buy

  • Good capacity
  • Compact
  • Reliable
  • Inexpensive

Reasons to Avoid

  • A little difficult to clean

Why write a review about a water bottle? Well, for me, these Platypus 2 liter water bottles are some essential pieces of my gear that I never leave home for the backcountry without. I like to stay hydrated. These container come in various sizes from 1L to 3L. If find the 2L size ideal for my needs. If I need to carry more water, I just bring two 2L containers. The bottle has clear markings on the side so that it is easy to see how much liquid you are carrying at any time. The Platy is easy to use with a simple screw on cap.

Read more: Platypus Platy Bottle reviews (11)

Top Hydration Reservoir

CamelBak UnBottle

user rating: 5 of 5 (6 reviews)

Camelbak quality is great, and this is a super-versatile hydration solution for just about any application.

Reasons to Buy

  • Versatile use in a variety of situations
  • No leakage

Reasons to Avoid

  • Very hard to remove tube from bladder
  • A bit hard to remove bladder from sleeve

The Camelbak Unbottle, available in 2 or 3 liter capacities/sizes, is a cleverly designed piece of gear which allows you to add hydration in just about any situation. It consists of an outer insulating sleeve with four clip-on strap holders, a top clip-on loop, and a bottom strap.  The insulating sleeve holds the hydration bladder, which has a detachable tube with a mouthpiece on the other end.  The four strap clips allow you to clip this onto a backpack or any other implement which has straps, or you can supply your own straps and attach this just about anywhere you might want to.  Of course you can also drop it inside an existing pack, put it in a gym bag, attach it to your fishing tackle bag, strap it to your bike frame, strap it onto...

Read more: CamelBak UnBottle reviews (6)

Hydration Reservoir

MSR Dromedary Bags

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (17 reviews)

Indestructible, indispensable, 11th essential.

Reasons to Buy

  • Strong
  • Hangable
  • Versatile
  • Convenient
  • Packable

Reasons to Avoid

  • Weight

I bought the MSR 10 liter dromedary bag about 5 years ago because I wanted a versatile form of water storage that did more than just quench my thirst. I love backpacking around rivers a lot and was sick of walking to the river every time I needed to fill a bottle, wash a dish, wash my hands or fill my Jetboil for cooking. I also needed a reliable form of large capacity water storage for missions where water sources were far and few between. I came across this gem and couldn't find any negative reviews.

Read more: MSR Dromedary Bags reviews (17)

Water Bottle

Platypus SoftBottle

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (8 reviews)

The Platypus SoftBottle caught my attention as something practical for excursions requiring lightweight, tightly packed gear. I admit that I really thought I could get the bottle to leak. As it turns out, the bottle soared to the top of my list of water bottles to carry for any excursion.

Reasons to Buy

  • Durable
  • Lightweight
  • Small

Reasons to Avoid

  • It passed all my tests and I'm not going to make up something—there are no cons.

One liter equals about 34 ounces. In a Platypus 1L soft bottle, weighing in at a hefty 1.2 ounces, the total weight tips the scale at a little over two pounds. I suppose you could go lighter, like carry water in a plastic sandwich bag, but you will get wet. I bought the 1L Platypus (I’ll simply call it the 1L from here on out) for a mission trip to Alaska, wanting to pack a carry-on as lightly as I could. After handling it a bit and rolling it up, I wasn’t so sure that I could trust the keeping of water in it.

Read more: Platypus SoftBottle reviews (8)

Top Hydration Accessory

Klean Kanteen TKWide Cafe Cap

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1 review)

Paired with Klean Kanteen's Insulated TKWide bottles, the TKWide Café Cap is truly leakproof and gives you on-the-go access to your hot or cold drink with a simple turn of the lid. Together, this cap and bottle duo stand out as a well-made, everyday, versatile option, especially for coffee or tea drinkers.

Reasons to Buy

  • No leaks!
  • Durable and well made
  • Fits all sizes of Insulated TKWide bottles (12oz, 16oz, 20oz, 32oz, 64oz)
  • Can be bought separately, as well as other cap styles

Reasons to Avoid

  • Should take it apart fully to clean after non-water drinks
  • Works only with Klean Kanteen's TKWide bottles

My middle-school-age daughter and I tested and reviewed the 16-fluid-ounce Insulated TKWide bottle last year. Despite our extensive home collection of bottles she was excited to test that bottle specifically for its cafe style cap, as she had asked for a bottle with that type of cap for years. While the bottle you choose matters in terms of volume and insulation capability, its cap will be put on and taken off your bottle repeatedly and is key to preventing leaks. So, we figured this cap deserved its own review, because without a cap, a bottle is just a tall cup.

Read more: Klean Kanteen TKWide Cafe Cap review (1)

Water Bottle

Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (1 review)

Klean Kanteen's Insulated TKWide stands out among the plethora of vacuum insulated bottles on the market. It's non-leaking (with Café Cap or other leakproof options) and keeps drinks hot or cold for long hours. Made from stainless steel it's easy to keep clean and comes in a range of sizes and colors. In a world overflowing with water bottle options, the Insulated TKWide stands out as a good-looking, well made, everyday bottle for anyone on-the-go to work, school, errands, sports (if you're able to go anywhere), or for keeping drinks hot or cold while working or hanging at home.

Reasons to Buy

  • Keeps drinks hot or cold for hours
  • Wide mouth excellent for adding ice cubes
  • Easy to clean
  • No leaks with Café Cap
  • Durable and well made
  • Five sizes (12oz, 16oz, 20oz, 32oz, 64oz)
  • Looks good—colors and style

Reasons to Avoid

  • Cost (16 oz is $29.95)
  • Do you need another water bottle?

I actually assigned this 16-fluid-ounce bottle to my middle-school-age daughter to test. Middle schoolers are really into water bottles (no joke). She already has a large 64-ounce Hydro Flask she loves, but despite our extensive home collection of bottles has wanted a smaller bottle with the cafe style cap for years. So this review is from both of us. 16-fluid-ounce Insulated TKWide with Café Cap in melon punch The Bottle (What's so special about another water bottle?) I often think "not another water bottle!" when I hear about yet another water bottle on the market.

Read more: Klean Kanteen Insulated TKWide review (1)

Hydration Reservoir

Cnoc Outdoors Vecto

user rating: 4 of 5 (4 reviews)

A great, durable and practical water bladder for outdoor activities. It’s available in various capacities and has clever features: dual opening with large collecting easy, and the ubiquitous 28mm thread and optional 42mm beefed-up version.

Reasons to Buy

  • Tough, durable
  • Various capacities
  • 28mm thread (42mm also available)

  The 2L CNOC Vecto: compact and lightweight but robust and practical Outdoorspeople takes hydration seriously. Every part of the water system—collecting, treating, purifying, storing, drinking—must be easy, reliable and durable to withstand some level of abuse in the wilderness. It must also be practical.  Some prefer bottles and canteens, others use bladders. After using both types, I‘ve settled for bottles (and occasionally a straw) for mountain/road biking, and a mix of both for my backpacking, camping and trekking trips.  This makes collecting, filtering and storing much easier.

Read more: Cnoc Outdoors Vecto reviews (4)

Hydration Reservoir

Osprey Hydraulics 3L Reservoir

user rating: 4.5 of 5 (3 reviews)

Well designed, highly functional system that works in more than just Osprey backpacks! Multiple use options. Be sure to consider this AWESOME system as you compare options. And, for some, there's a learning curve.

Reasons to Buy

  • Well designed & quite durable
  • Best bite value action for flow and swivel rotation for shut off
  • Innovative carrying handle
  • Innovative upright pack support system (stiff backing and cord support)
  • Super handy magnet chest strap keeper for quick access when hiking
  • Options for winter/no-freeze use
  • Wide access cap, enables ice filling, easy emptying & cleaning
  • New plastics used in bag have NO PLASTIC TASTE
  • Replacement parts (bite valves, magnets, hoses) available
  • Bag marked for filling volumes and it's shockingly accurate!
  • Plastic bladder stays flexible on cold snowshoeing trips
  • In the 'on' position, can't explode if left in the sun, or taken from high altitude to sea level, or sat upon (bite valve will leak over pressure)
  • Comes in a few sizes up to 3 Liters (suggest go large, can fill less and keep options)

Reasons to Avoid

  • Magnet chrome surfaces too thin, corrodes off with long term use, especially for us saltier folk
  • Only comes in one color (but hey it's water blue!)
  • Hose might explode off if drastically change external pressure with bite valve on/off set to 'off' ... aka no more jumping on your pack to stuff more in.
  • Increased water self hydration results in increased side trips into the bushes
  • Some self learning on how to best use system, can occur (see bottom review section, for effect of misguided water)
  • It so easy to drink water quickly that one may need to learn to pace one's self

3 Liter System that I use has added an accessory insulated hose (photo left) for winter use, which provides an extra backup bite valve (photo bottom -- note my winter hose bite value does not have a magnet).  The system pictured has been used weekly for about 3 years on 3-6 hr most typically mountain hikes and snowshoeing). Insulated winter hose has zip cover and alternate clip system, not using a magnet, but rather hanging from the clip (photo center, a backpack chest clip is also provided with the winter hose).

Read more: Osprey Hydraulics 3L Reservoir reviews (3)

More Water Storage

Trailspace reviewers have shared 410 reviews of 199 different water storage. Narrow your search and view more specific water storage product recommendations in these categories:

Water Bottles

Hydration Reservoirs

Buckets and Sinks

Water Storage Containers

Hydration Accessories

All Hiking and Camping Gear

Other Types of Hiking and Camping Gear

Find more hiking and camping gear reviewed in these related categories:

Backpacks

Tents and Shelters

Sleeping Bags and Pads

+18 more types

Review Your Outdoor Gear

If you've found this site helpful — or if we've missed something important — please consider paying it forward by some of your favorite outdoor gear.

Why? From professional gearheads to outdoor novices, everyone has an important point of view to contribute. will support the outdoor community and help others find the best gear.

Trailspace reviewers are outdoor enthusiasts like you: hikers, climbers, paddlers, backcountry skiers, and trail runners who share our experiences with the gear and clothing we rely on to get outside. Learn more about Trailspace