They're only necessary if you're backpacking. Then, the nalgene is great. They attach directly to water purifiers and have an anti-bacterial composition. Plus, they're more durable than a Poland Spring bottle. For the office or class, though, the poland spring bottle is all that is needed.

I just grab a bottle of Dasani or Aquafina and I'm good to go.

What, you want me to carry a canteen? I don't do Poland Springs because they tend to leak all over my appurtenances. And why 20somethings are obsessed with personal hydration is another matter altogether.

beats me -- i bought one for camping many years ago and still use it every day. of course, mine looks like it went through a train wreck, so i guess it's not "spiffy" enough.

actually, what i really like about them is that you can put anything in there, and the taste is really easy to wash away. thus, going from orange juice to gin and tonic back to water is a breeze.

I got one because my friends were all like 'what? you don't have a Nalgene bottle?' So they bought me one. I actually bought a second one for the car. The reason I like mine? It's big, 32oz. So when I'm at home I don't have to refill it as often. In the car it also does save on $$ some because that's a large one too, so I don't have to buy water at some convenience store.

They are pretty handy, and they do wash out real well, can handle a bunch of abuse, etc. Plus they come in some cool neon colors! ^_^

Not to mention that they are a #7 printed on the bottom, which guarantees that the chemicals in the plastic will not leach into the water.
Plastic is full of estrogen....just what I need...just what the WORLD needs...more estrogen...I think not.

Looks... bought it for the looks... keep it for the looks... Now it is spiffy looking, but it's true that the plastics Nal-Nunc uses don't absorb flavours, and they are pretty durable... but for my money - you can't beat the aesthetics and the kewl colors.

Antibacterial composition? That's rich - they don't even make that claim at the Nalgene website and you think they would if it were true. But go ahead and believe that... until you succumb to cholera or typhoid!

Estrogen leakage? Another myth to justify conspicuous consumption - if you want to avoid all exposure to plastics then stop eating and drinking at all. Have you noticed what your food comes packaged in? The water in your water bottle, if you refill it, spends less time in their than your special K spends on the grocery store shelf. Claims that PVC "leaches" endocrine disruptors (not estrogen) are entirely unsubstantiated. But if it makes you feel better to sip your water out of a ten dollar bottle... think what you like!

In my opinion, Nalgenes are a must for camping and hiking.
Here are the reasons I will use nothing else:
1) If you put them a little too close to the campfire or backpacking stove, they will not melt as easily as your standard soft plastic re-used water bottle. (Although I have "bubbled" a Nalgene, it did not melt and still holds water. A Dasani bottle would turn into a puddle under the same circumstances)
2) The wide mouth bottles allow you to put in freeze-dried foods to soak during the day or a couple of hours before you hit camp, thus reducing consumption of cooking fuel.
3) The measurements on the side are VERY useful for "I-must-follow-a-recipe-or-I'm-hopeless" camp cooks like myself.
4) If you drop it on a rocky outcrop (as I have, many times!), it won't shatter or crack like a re-used soft plastic Dasani (or similar)bottle. Been there, cracked many bottles, had a sucky hike thereafter...
5) Loop cap is attached; can't lose it in the wilderness. Losing the cap not only leaves your water uncovered, splashing and getting buggy, you also don't accidentally leave behind a plastic cap in the wilderness.
6) They cost more than your "free" Dasani or Poland Spring bottle. Thus people have assigned a value to it, trendy or not, and are less likely to leave it behind or try to burn it in a toxic campfire...it has value, even if it is status value, so they will take it with them when they leave.
7) Lexan does not leach into your drinking water or impart any taste to it. Granted, Sigg aluminum bottles also do not impart tase, but you can't see how much is left in a Sigg and you sure can't use it for measuring.
8) The big 32 oz size is useful...it holds enough for a long hike.
--Elisabeth
Former Park Ranger, avid hiker and backpacker.

...and it's not a "ten dollar bottle."
Campmor (in NJ...or see Campmor.com) usually has the normal-colored ones for $6.99 or so.
They charge more for the colored ones, as does everyone else (including Nalgene.com) because they can. America is about capitalism. That's what the market will bear, so that's what they will charge, and good for them.
Personally, I will stick to my old one with the bubble melted into it...but if I decide I need another for my dog's pack, I might go for the colored ones because I like their look. But mostly because it is a Nalgene wide mouth, loop-cap bottle. If it were ugly, I would still buy it because I know it works.

FROM BACKPACKER MAGAZINE:

"Nalgene Lexan Wide-Mouth Bottles

Easily cleaned, impossible to break, and the high-water mark of hydration technology.

By Steve Howe, BACKPACKER Rocky Mountain Editor, April 2000

Milky plastic bottles can get brittle with age or collapse when filled with hot drinks. Bladders and feeding tubes can freeze and dribble all over you. But the virtually indestructible Nalgene Lexan bottles just keep on chugging.

If the lid freezes, you can bang it loose without cracking the bottle. Stuff a hot one into the foot of your bag to thaw cold toes-it won't leak. The chemically inert Lexan handles everything from brandy to baby formula with no residual taste.

Water filters and accessories screw readily onto the standard-size threads. The top won't get lost because it's attached. Look through the smoked finish to view the level and condition of your beverage, the bugs swimming around in it, or the mold you really should wash out one of these days. Measure up recipes or divvy the last sips between survivors, using either the ounce or milliliter markings (no translation required).

And in the unlikely case you outlive your bottle, it's recyclable. Available in round or rectangular shape.

Bottom Line: The simplest, toughest, most neutral-tasting way to carry any liquid, hot or cold. "

The Naval Academy issues them to all midshipmen when they enter for Plebe Summer...the bottles must be durable and resist contamination in some way, because mids do NOT pay much attention to anything other than sheer survival during their 6 weeks of indoctrination in hot, humid Annapolis summers (i.e., they do not wash out the bottles. Ever. Or anything else, for that matter.).

Lots of people like Nalgenes because they are trendy. A few because they are practical. And perhaps most because they are both. Not being a camper/hiker, and being someone who detests most trendy things, I felt the exact same way you did, and prouldly displayed my recycled poland springs bottle, using the same one for months at a time. Here's what made me switch.

I read about how with repeated use, those bottles harbor a lot of bacteria. They are intended (and perfectly safe) for one-time use, but not repeated use. And, with repeated use, especially if you wash them (to remove all that bacteria), the plastic starts to break down, and toxins are released into your water, such as DEHA (which may or may not cause cancer).

That's why I switched to a Nalgene. I basically just wanted something that was intended for repeat use, and hence would hopefully be safe to use that way. Yeah, it's nice that they are virtually indestructable, and that they resist odors and flavors. It's nice the cap is attatched, so you can't lose it. It's nice they have a wide mouth, so you can do things like put big ice cubes in it, and that there are measurement scales on the side, if you need to know how much is in there. So given all that, a Nalgene seemed the only logical choice (you'd spend at least as much on any reusable water bottle, without all the features). And, since they last forever, at only $8.00 you will probably actually spend less money in the long run, as you are far more inclined to lose a rickety old poland spring bottle, knowing you can just get another one, cause they are so "cheap."

So that's why I, a regular guy like you, even bought one. Add to that people's love of trendy things, and/or their love of camping/hiking, and you can see why they are so popular. Hope that helped explain it to you.

Doesn't Nalgene support Animal Testing?

I just broke a Nalgene bottle a few weeks ago... hmmm I thought it was supposed to be bombproof. It hits the sidewalk... and boom! Split in half! Granted I did toss it probably 30 ft. in the air and it was filled with lemonade, but I've done that many other times and my Nalgene hasn't broken. This time was different though. I also emailed Nalgene, and they said that that isn't covered under their warranty. .... oh well

Well I bought one a while back because I went on a camping trip and my friend said it was a "must have." True it was. Aside from the fact that the colors are cool, I really just like it because not only is the cap ALWAYS there, but it's BIG. I drink a lot, and spending 8 bucks ONCE to have 32 oz of water with me at all times, is a lot cheaper than spending 3 dollars a day for the "cheap" poland springs. Those water bottles are not re-usable for clutzes like me, they break and get dented too easily. Hop on the bandwagon, buy a Nalgene.

I dunno....On all of my long backpacking treks through the Sierras, I've never had any problem with my 1 liter Aquafina bottle. Recyclable, relatively indestructable, and only 99 cents at your nearest grocer's. Comes prefilled, too!

i own 2 nalgene bottles, and I love them. I play sports and they are great to have so I dont have to spend money on buying my own later. Plus Nalgene bottles are cool. I love the look. It's fun to have these bright colored bottles and I usally lose my water bottles, but with my Nalgene, I always know where it is.

I love nalgene bottles i have like ten and a couple acessories for them. they r pretty indestuctable empty but i threw one into the air full and missed it on the way and it shatterd..

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I have 3 that I use religiously because they don't leave a bad taste in the water. I use mine where ever I go because I don't drink soda and everytime I go to a gas station I fill up with ice and water. Most water bottles don't have a whole big enough to fill with ice. I'm not a big outdoorsy person, however, when ever I do a few day hike, I don't go without my nalgene.

so ocassionally those poland spring bottles or dasani bottles get cast aside... ocassionally... maybe spending eight bucks for a reusable bottle is worth it. unless you like contributing to the throw away walmart society....

actually, for all you people thinking that nalgenes avoid the estrogen leaking, toxic leaking, etc, they don't. unless you get the special nalgenes made from HDPE plastic (i THINK that's what it is) which nalgene offers at a MUCH cheaper price. amazing...

i tell you what. we took a plain nalgene bottle. filled it up. slammed it against everything within eyesight. didn't break. SO. we ran the thing over with out car....it still did not break. ownage

I just did a little research about nalgene and animal testing.

Check: http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/about/whitepaper.html

The official site says that they do not test their products on animals. They, as a medical supplier, DO supply many facilities, some who test on animals.

They also have an FAQ/defense about the neccessity of animal testing (which I will not defend, but it's there.)

I was given both my Nalgene's as presents from my sister.
As a camper and someone who attends many music festivals, they come in very handy. Strapping a couple of them on your book bag as you head down to the main stage is a must do for me.
Also as everyone else has said 5x over, there is no taste from beverage to beverage. Beer to juice to water, could never even tell the other had ever been in the bottle.
I will direct you to a test a Canadian TV Show(CBC's Streecents) did, and you can review the results.
http://www.cbc.ca/streetcents/guide/2003/17/s01_01.html

I bought a Nalgene before I went to China, specifically so that I could put boiled water in it (it is NOT safe to drink the water in most places) without it melting down. It performed admirably and to this day goes with me everywhere. I agree that trends are stupid, but the Nalgene is just a superior product.