HydraPak Stow - Collapsible Backpacking Water Bottle (350ml, 500ml, 1L) - BPA Free, Ultra Light, Spill-Proof Twist Cap

Great little packable bottle! I’ve been using this for three months now regularly. Zero leaks and I have not been gentle. Hiking, cycling, traveling, and everyday walking. The carrying handle loop is sturdy and feels secure. I added a small carabiner which has been extremely helpful for clipping onto bags.The bottle did smell plasticky when it first arrived. The initial washing got rid of most of the smell and after about two more uses/washes, the smell was completely gone. This bottle is super lightweight and folds up to nearly nothing, easily tucking into its own carrying loop.Refilling is easy. The bottle is not slippery at all, even when it’s wet. It doesn’t stand up on its own, but is small enough to hold with one hand and also hold the loosed cap with your other hand.When drinking out of the bottle, you have to either suck the mouthpiece like a straw or squeeze quite hard. If you opt to squeeze, be prepared for a turbo jet stream of hydration. That is the price you pay for security so the mouthpiece doesn’t leak when the cap is flipped open. Fair trade.This bottle definitely gets condensation on the outside if you fill it with cold water on a hot day, but that’s no fault of the bottle.

I used this item yesterday at the Swim Around Mackinaw Island challenge. It worked perfectly!! I attached it to my swim buoy with a carabiner. It didn't leak. I unscrewed the top to drink out of it b/c it was easier for me to use it that way. I liked how it collapsed when there is no liquid in it for easy storage. Before you use it, I recommend you fill it with water and a few drops of lemon juice then freeze it. Then thaw it out and rinse it. This process takes out any plastic or any bad tasting substance that might make your liquid taste bad before you use it for the first time. I highly recommend this product. I bought the 17oz.

The first thing I want to point out is that there was no odor or odd taste that came from the flask. I have other bladder style hydration devices that do impart an odd taste to water, flavored electrolyte drinks, etc., but I don’t get that from this one. Why other reviewers have reported this is beyond me.The 500ml size is perfect for slipping into a decent sized cargo pocket. I hardly noticed it against my thigh on a 6 mile hike. The flask doesn’t leak, and the air can be squeezed out as you drink from it keeping sloshing noises to a minimum if that’s important for you. The flip top cover keeps the drinking spout clean. There is a .0021 second learning curve when it comes to understanding how to drink from it. Seriously, it’s easy to drink from.As for cleaning it, I just squirted a little dishwashing liquid in it, filled it about two thirds full with warm water, capped it and shook the devil out of it a few times. I rinsed it thoroughly and let it dry on one of those wooden plastic bag dryers. Easy peasy. It could also be hung from its carabiner attachment loop. Let all the remaining water from the washing collect in the bottom, then dump that out and rehang it. Evaporation will take care of the rest.Finally, the flask didn’t retain any odor or flavor from the powdered electrolyte mix I used in it. (I’m still partial to the original sports drink, without naming a brand. I don’t know if one brand or another might impart an aftertaste to the flask or not.) And if the flask begins to leak or the bladder fails within the next year, I’ll update this review.

I've been loving this hydrapak, been using it for about a year now. No leaks so far! It had a rubbery taste at first, but I washed it out with dish soap and hot water a few times, pretty thoroughly, and the weird taste has faded with time. Folds up real well and is great for air travel, hiking and skiing. Fits in the airplane seat pocket perfectly and I love being able to throw it in my backpack and jacket pockets without any issue. I actually bought a few and they made great gifts that I could fly with in my carry on. I purchased some carabeaners separately to gift with each bottle. My friend says they like to put theirs in the freezer for ice cold water! Love the squirty dispenser too - no more pouring water on my face! Just make sure to tip the water down into the cap when squeeze drinking so you don't squirt air in your mouth, it hurts!! And I like using it for cleaning when camping and need some water pressure. Knocked off a star because I find the cap difficult to put on, you have to thread it just right and the cap is not attached so it's easy to drop when filling. My friends have also complained about the rubber taste.

These seem pretty cool. I bought 2 for an upcoming trip. We plan to put them in the cooler to have extra water available for our hydration packs at the parks. But we don't go for a couple months. I will see how we can break them in before then!They seem to be good quality. Thick enough to be reliable. The support down the center keeps a canteen shape to the bottle when filled, so it isn't too big to manage. There is a solid ring around the top you can clip a carabiner to so it can be attached to a backpack. The lid screws on, has a cap, and is a pressure valve like a sports bottle (it looks like). After the trip we should be able to use them for sporting events and other activities.

Was really excited to find this, but unfortunately it makes the water taste DISGUSTING. My kids and I could not drink from it and makes me wonder what material is leaking into the water that we're ingesting.I took it on a ski trip and used multiple different sources of water, thinking it was the water itself. I used water from the ski resort drinking fountains, bottled water, tap water, filtered water, etc. After an hour or so, the water had a rubbery, plasticky, weird taste. every. time.I don't know how it's getting such good reviews, and maybe mine my lot of water bottles was defective, but definitely cannot recommend.