The Best Collapsible Water Containers

Survivor Filter Collapsible Canteens

Fuel up on fluids

These collapsible canteens integrate effortlessly with your gear and provide enough hydration for an all-day excursion.

Best Overall

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If the next water source is a full day’s hike away, Survivor Filter will help get you there safely with their Collapsible Canteens. They’re no-frills and all function with a plain translucent body made accessible with a trusty aluminum carabiner. Each canteen can hold one liter of fluids, weighs a mere 1.3 oz, and folds flat for easy storage when not in use. We love to pair this canteen with a water pump for big backpacking treks or a filter straw for ultra-light trail running. No matter how you enjoy the outdoors, Survivor Filter makes sense when minimizing volume is a priority and fragile, disposable plastic just won’t cut it.

Pros:

• Free of harmful chemicals and corrosion resistant
• The pull-push top keeps your water supply clean
• Top-notch customer service

Cons:

• The spout is somewhat delicate — try to avoid drops on hard surfaces

Fitly Flask150

Water without the weight

Ultralightweight marathoners and everyday athletes can agree that these containers are some of the fastest and most compact water delivery systems in the business.

Best For Exercising

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These flasks from Fitly are impressively tiny canteens that can handle bumps and bruises while providing you with essential hydration. If you spend your time thinking of innovative ways to lighten your load while trekking through the woods with barefoot running shoes and hyperlight packs, Fitly is a breath of fresh air. The design of this micro flask is optimized for quick use and storage. When you press your teeth down on the mouthpiece, the flask automatically unlocks, saving every drop for your consumption. The thick, opaque design will keep your water cool to some extent, and as you sip, the bottle shrinks. If you need your hands free on the run or want a quick pull while mountain biking, Fitly fits anywhere to fuel your wildest ambitions.

Pros:

• 5-oz total volume
• Highly durable silicone bladder
• A perfect pairing for running belts or running tights

Cons:

• Impractical for day trips or while hauling larger packs

Salomon Soft Flask

Preserve every particle

This container can handle a beating in your backpack and on the trail without leaving you high and dry.

Best For Hiking

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When you’re in search of an all-in-one hydration solution for conquering wild mountains and valleys, reach for Salomon’s Soft Flask. This decades-old business is a paragon of the backpacking community and constructs its products with care and steadfast integrity. The Soft Flask is similar to other collapsible water containers in that it shrinks as you drink and won’t splash back when you take a pull from the marvelous mouthpiece. But Salomon’s dissimilarities are just as attractive, with threading suited for direct integration with a water filter. This feature can tremendously reduce your filtration footprint and prepare you for the worst when water supplies are less than ideal in dry destinations.

Pros:

• Easy-to-clean materials
• Half-liter volume
• High flow valve for easy drinking

Cons:

• Rubber flavor takes a while to fade away

Vapur Flexible Water Bottle

Convenient carry-on

This container is top of its class in storage size and has a near-impenetrable cap to boot.

Easiest Storage

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Vapur’s Flexible Water Bottle makes up for its rigid construction with an ingenious anchoring attachment that shrinks your empty container down to practically nothing. If you’re concerned about having too much or too little hydration for your expedition, Vapur offers four sizing options to accommodate your activities, no matter the intensity. The mouthpiece can be unscrewed for easy filling and has an integrated carabiner for carrying while full and compacting when exhausted. While the latch-style cap can occasionally lead to unintended spillage while on the run, this bladder’s ability to stand up, accept filters, and integrate seamlessly with any equipment more than establishes Vapur as a top purveyor of hydration solutions.

Pros:

• Made in the USA
• Dishwasher-safe
• Over 20 colors and styles

Cons:

• The edges of the bladder are actually quite sharp

Nefeeko Collapsible Water Bottle

Puncture proof portability

When the ground is uncertain and water preservation is essential, this container can stand up to the toughest treks.

Best Silicone Container

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Taking chances on durability in a highly water-scarce setting can spell disaster with one ill-timed drop. Nefeeko’s Collapsible Water Bottle features all the strength of a traditional bottle while touting the space-saving style of a bladder. To start, ultra marathoners beware: this bottle comes in slightly over a pound, a dealbreaker for treks that require precise weight targets. The heft’s primary source is Nefeeko’s stainless steel cap, which provides temperature preservation over several hours for coffees to frozen beverages.  This bottle can be collapsed section by section, allowing for progressive shrinkage that becomes more convenient as you go. Overall, this plastic-free construction is a masterful solution for overexposure to the sun that won’t crack under pressure from machine washes or gravel trailheads.

Pros:

• Collapses to 50% of the total volume
• Silicone O-ring prevents leaks and stays strong for years
• High-quality heat resistance is hard to beat

Cons:

• The included carabiner isn’t the best quality — you may want to use your own

Frequently Asked Questions

How much water do you need daily?

Water is the lifeblood of every human activity and is the most essential ingredient to our being. The average adult male is recommended to drink 4 liters per day in average conditions, while the average female should drink 3 liters. In regards to exercise, the data is a little less clear. Humans can lose anywhere from 20 to 50 oz of water while exercising because of body type and intensity level variations. As a rule of thumb, it is advisable to drink around 8 oz before a workout, hydrate throughout, and another 8 oz post-workout to maintain equilibrium.

What’s the best way to clean a portable water container?

Cleaning a water container is similar to the process for most plastic food supplies. While mild dish soap is adequate, substituting lemon juice or baking soda is a simple DIY alternative. First, soak your container for approximately 10 minutes, rinse, and refill. This time, scrub the interior with a soft pipe cleaner or brush and set it to air dry once complete. It is essential evaporation takes place fully, so we recommend standing your bladder upside down with a cooking spoon overnight for a complete clean.