For years, I鈥檝e been searching for the best water bottle for travel鈥搊ne that lets me avoid plastic and single-use materials at every leg of every journey. This elusive bottle of my dreams needs to be leakproof and insulated. It needs a wide-mouth for easy filling and cleaning, but it also needs to be easy to drink from without dousing my face.
It needs to be compatible with cup holders. And it needs to be versatile鈥搒ometimes I want water, sometimes I want coffee, and sometimes I want a cocktail or glass of wine on the plane. One thing I never, ever want: to drink from a single-use container that will end up in the landfill shortly after I empty it.
In order to achieve this聽goal, I鈥檝e historically had to pack two containers: an insulated bottle for water and coffee and a cup for in-flight beverages.
But no longer. ($52, 1 pound, 5 ounces) is the bottle I鈥檝e been searching for.
Things I Love About the CamelBak MultiBev
It holds 22 ounces, making it the perfect size for me. Not too big to lug around, not so puny I need to refill every 20 minutes. The slim profile means I can slip it in the side pocket of my pack and every cup holder I鈥檝e encountered. According to my tests, it keeps tea hot for 12+ hours and water chilled for 48+.
Still, you might say, many bottles do these things.
The clincher for the MultiBev is that the bottom screws off and becomes an elegant 16-ounce cup鈥損erfect for a cocktail or glass of Merlot at 40,000 feet or ideal for a bedtime peppermint tea in my hotel room. Speaking of that peppermint tea, the cap of the MultiBev hides another neat feature: a foldable silicone sipper lid that fits neatly onto the cup for dribble-free drinking.
On a recent campervan trip in new Zealand, I discovered that the cup also doubles as a coozie for a beer can! I like a nice cold beer on occasion, and when I slip a can into the cup, it keeps it cool for a good long time, even in the hot sun.
I also like the little details: the easy-to-carry to handle, the non-slip rubber base, and the fact that the whole shebang is dishwasher safe.
The Impact of Using the CamelBak MultiBev on a 3-Day Trip
On a recent business trip from Boston to Boulder that involved air, bus, and Uber travel, I packed the MultiBev. I estimate that it allowed me to refuse about 34 single-use containers in 72 hours: six coffee cups and lids, probably 20+ plastic water bottles, and eight plastic airline cups.
Aside from travel, the MultiBev has become my daily bottle for around town as I try to avoid putting any single-use plastic to my lips. We all know plastic is everywhere these days. I鈥檝e written about some of the sneaky ways (like through laundry detergent and cutting boards) it gets into our environment and our bodies. Plastic is even .
But one thing鈥檚 for sure. From now on, I won鈥檛 be drinking it.
Doing right by the planet can make you happier, healthier, and鈥攜es鈥攚ealthier. 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 Head of Sustainability, Kristin Hostetter, explores small lifestyle tweaks that can make a big impact. Write to her at climateneutral-ish@outsideinc.com.