Winter Backpacking: UL insulated water bottles

Can your jacket be the insulation? If not, the only insulated bottles I'm familiar with are thermos's, which are quite heavy typically.

Does it have to REALLY be insulated? If you could use something like this:

http://www.arcticzone.com/hydration/water-bottle/item/az-1l-hydration-bottle.html?category_id=84

It would probably be your best bet unless you want to go MYOG. I have something similar, but with a shoulder strap instead of clip. It's not really insulated, but the label says it is… I haven't weighed the outer sleeve since I don't use it, but I can't imagine the bottle+sleeve weighs more than 5-6 oz. I think it was about $7.

Take 2-3 of the cheap thin open-cell foam beer koozies (the kind they give away at events) and glue them on to the smartwater. The cheap ones are more stretchy and a lot lighter than the more expensive CCF ones.

Again, not sure if this will be insulated enough for the organizer. But it will be light and cheap.

Bubble wrap is the lightest, though not quite as efficient as a closed cell foam, like an old sleeping pad.

Just wrap the bubble-wrap around the bottle and hold it in place with tape. A very easy make it yourself job.

Fleece sock
Wool sock
Neoprene sock
Closed cell foam
Reflectix
Car windshield shade
Bubble wrap

This was brought up a month ago, here.

I will re-state my take on this:

Old wool sock. I took a sock that I retired from normal wear and repurposed it as a bottle cozy. Store bottle upside-down in pocket. Old sock is multi-use (cozy, emergency extra sock, mitten, pot grabber, etc.), as long as they're dry. Worked great into the teens on many trips. Have yet to test insulating abilities in the summer.

Also, the sloshing and movement of hiking should keep the water moving enough to really prevent some solid freezing. You probably know the other basics, like putting the bottles inside your sleeping bag – and boots too – during the night to prevent freezening.

How cold are they expecting it to be? It's almost April.

If you think your trip leader might get sniffy about the sock idea, the other thing to use is the silver foil covered bubble wrap available at home improvement stores. Looks more high-tech than just bubble wrap, and is still pretty cheap. Might have a higher thermal value with the reflective foil than plain bubble wrap, but I don't know for sure. Can also make pot cozies and zip-loc food cozies out of it. Needs a special heat-resistant tape if you are going to be working with temperatures around boiling, though. I'd make a tall cylinder with a circle taped-in on the bottom, but make the cylinder taller than your bottle on one side, and fold it over like an envelope. Use the adhesive hook-and-loop for a closure. That way it would be enclosed completely.

For winter trips I carry my 1 liter wine bota under my GTX mountain parka. It never freezes.

I changed out the carry strap for a 1/2 nylon webbing and QR buckle to sling over my shoulder. That way I can take it on and of without the need to remove my parka.

Also you can keep your hydration bladder warm in your pack with just one chemical handwarmer in the AM and one in the afterenoon it temps are very low. Keep the insulated drinking tube inside the pack if daytime temps are below zero. A friend can get it out for you to refill your bota.

At night the bladder & tube goes in a dry bag and into the foot of your sleeping bag.

Here you go Mikie…

This uses 3/8" closed cell insulation on the sides and bottom.

31 grams (1.09 oz) for a 0.5 Liter size. Probably less than 2oz for Smartwater and Gatorade bottles.