So if any of you know any just reasons why I shouldn't buy the Kleen Kanteens, let him speak now or forever hold his peace
...and...
This Kleen Kanteen is "US made" - it is actually manufactured in China from 18 / 20 stainless steel. It would appear that metal water bottles are more prevalent over there than here, with ALL the manufacturers sourcing their labour in China and Korea with the exception of one. One review claimed that Korea made the finest s/s in the world - do you think that's true? Dan's sure to know.
Hi Ian!
As the owner of three Kleen Kanteen bottles is various sizes and the caps to go with them over a period of years, I can speak from some firsthand experience.
I had great hopes for them and readily concede they are terrifically well-made bottles, but found some flaws
in my use,
for my needs that has caused me to not use them very much. They're mostly retired, but for what I paid, I haven't been able to part with them. They now live in the bottle pockets of my hip-packs for shorter day hikes.
So, what were the problems for me?
I found the bottles "taste" to my tongue and tastebuds. Not "taste" like old plastic water bottles do, but "taste" as in a new tooth filling or even a test-a-semi-dead-9-volt-battery-by-putting-the-electrodes-on-your-tongue sort of way, an electro-metallic taste that some people are sensitive to. Kleen Kanteen addressed this in their FAQ once, but my bottles do vary in this regard, so it may be one or more has a slightly different alloy composition.
It may not be the fault of my bottles. There is the matter of where I tour and the water supply. My favored Great Basin has no drainage to the sea, so salts and minerals concentrate to high levels. Much of the water is poisonous alkali that cannot be purified or rendered potable and I have to test it first with Ph strips to see if it can even be touched -- a few drops can cause severe skin irritation that itches for days if it spills on the back of a hand. Even "regular" water there can taste different. This is one reason why I sometimes prefer to salvage scummy water from cattle troughs and livestock watering holes, then zap it with the SteriPen. Though it can taste foul from the livestock, it will at least be non-alkali.
I can still sometimes "taste" water from the bottles if they're filled with really cold source-water from here in the Willamette Valley, but they're just not suitable for my needs in the Great Basin. To be fair, it is possible no stainless bottle would be suitable for my needs there.
I have since switched to Zéfal's Magnum 1l plastic water bottles, available in black or translucent. I have not used the translucent ones, but the black ones have never had a taste of any sort and no smell, either. They're been absolutely ideal for my needs, perhaps the best I have ever used. Much to my surprise, the black doesn't get as warm as I'd feared, and hastens the evaporation of water from a water-soaked sock I sometimes wrap around them for cooling. The nozzles seal very well, but the lids will leak unless screwed tightly. The trick is to hold the bottom and top and twist in opposite directions. To aid the process with wet, cold hands, I put a silicone wristband around the lid of each bottle to aid grip and traction when tightening.
As for composition, stainless steel is a bit like 6061-series aluminum in that a bit of "slippage" in the ingredients is allowed to still meet the formula, and slight changes can affect "taste". These changes can still be within tolerance at a given factory, yet still vary from batch to batch.
Lids are another matter, and one in which Kleen Kanteen and I are in perfect agreement: If you wish to have a truly leakproof seal, use only the screw-on top and make sure it is securely fastened. Kleen Kanteen have repeatedly advised in past FAQs and even on labeling, the Sports cap (with the pull-up nozzle) is *not* leakproof. It is made of a hard plastic and with use, whatever sealing it arrives with becomes nonexistent. In my experience, this means if a well-used bottle falls over, it will leak until the fluid level falls below the level of the spout.
I had not thought this to be a problem while cycling until I took the Nomad out on a tour in the remoter regions of Oregon's Coast Range last summer and the bottom bracket chose that time to die on me. Not wanting to exacerbate the damage, I rode to my little cabin on the coast, met up with some friends who happened to pass through and caught a ride home with them, taking my baggage with me. I went back the next day to pick up the Nomad and loaded it in the back of my Honda Civic hatchback. The bike was on its side and the bottles started to leak, unbeknownst to me until I got home. The water soaked through the carpet and into the insulating fluff beneath, and the lot was made sodden. I had to remove all the seats and the carpet and insulation and lay it out in the sun for a couple weeks, then reinstall. I then sent for and installed screw-on caps for each bottle, forswearing the "convenience" of the Sport tops.
As a last note, the Kleen Kanteen bottles are not built to the standard dimensions of most bicycle water bottles. They're a bit off in diameter but mostly in height; the "swell" at the top is a bit too tall to catch properly in many cages that will accept the diameter. I think this wouldn't be a problem when used with Profile cages, but do check dimensions first to be sure. Kleen Kanteen do make a bottle cage of their own design for some sizes and this can be used if you want to dedicate a pair of bosses to the task:
http://www.kleankanteen.com/products/accessories/klean-kanteen-cages.phpI think they're good bottles, but just weren't suitable for my own cycling needs as described above.
Oh! One last word: If you plan to use Kleen Kanteen bottles (or any metal bottle) in sub-freezing conditions, do leave room for expansion. Strong as they are, they can split if the water inside freezes on a cold night. On the other hand, I've lost some plastic bottles due to freeze-bursting on -10°C nights with the bottles in the tent with me.
Hope this helps.
Best,
Dan.
