The Camping Outfitter

Canteens are rigid or semi-rigid containers used to carry liquids, usually water.  These versatile containers have been in use in any environment where drinkable water was scarce, from deserts to swamps filled with stagnant, non-potable water.  Canteens are as widely used today as they were thousands of years ago, and with designs that would be familiar to even the most ancient of parched wanderers.

There have been many early types of canteens, like the hot pack realtree canteen, from hollowed out gourds to hides sewn together to tin bottles.  For this reason, early versions of the canteen were made from many different materials, each one specific to the materials available at the time.  Many native North American people used a hollowed out gourd with a stopper to carry water.  These gourds were water tight, small enough to carry, and best of all, naturally replenishing.  Leather canteens stitched along the seams to form a water tight seal were also common.  Even animal bladders could be cured and fashioned into useable canteens.

Since many ancient peoples were nomadic, a reliable canteen, like the green hot pack thermos, could often be the difference between life and death.  A lack of reliable maps meant a constant fear of death by dehydration.  Proper care and upkeep of your canteen could mean the difference between life and death for an ancient nomad.  Canteens made of plants or animal skins were always kept damp, as an empty canteen could easily dry and crack, making it no longer watertight.

In more recent history, canteens are used for the same reasons as in ancient history.  Soldiers, outdoor enthusiasts, and even shepherds still make use of this easy way to transport water for a single person.  In fact, Spanish shepherds even have a term, ‘zarrust,’ for drinking from a canteen or water-skin without touching one’s lips to the spout.  These Spanish canteen users call their canteens “bota bags.”

Soldiers in the field often cannot rely on a ready source of water and so carry their own in their standard kit.  Outdoor enthusiasts, like hikers and bicyclists, carry them to extend their ability to enjoy their trek in to the wilderness, or around the track, as the case may be.  All over the world, canteens are still a vital part of life.

Nowadays, canteens like the hydration pack canteen can be found made from many different materials.  Most common are plastic, as these are cheap and easy to make.  However, some health or environmentally minded people may prefer to use a metal or even glass canteen.  Health concerns over plastic make these metal or glass containers popular, not to mention being easier on the environment.

Commonly, a canteen will be purchased with a strap to carry it over your shoulder, or a clip to hang it from your belt.  Today, as in ancient times, canteens can keep a wandering traveler hydrated and healthy with clean, safe water.