A sticker-covered Nalgene is basically a secret handshake for hikers. But it’s not just for hydration… Here are 20 ways to use yours that’ll make you wonder how you ever camped without one.
You’ve seen them clipped to backpacks, wedged into car cup holders that are definitely too small, and smothered in enough stickers to qualify as a scrapbook. Nalgene drink bottles are basically the multi-tool of water bottles — indestructible, unapologetically bulky, and somehow always part of the adventure.
Sure, they carry water. But along with a ridiculous amount of side hustles, they’ve also somehow become a way to communicate that you’re a member of the legit outdoor community. Are you really a hiker if you don’t have a Nalgene somewhere? For the uninitiated this might sound a bit extreme, but I guarantee that now you’ve read this article you’ll start seeing them everywhere.
And outdoor status symbol they undoubtedly are.
For good reason too – these bottles are surprisingly useful in the outdoors. Could we just as easily use another bottle for most of these tasks? Probably, but you know it wouldn’t be the same.
I present to you: 20 ways to use your wide-mouth Nalgene Sustain drink bottle besides just carrying water.
Psst! We’re running a competition to design a custom WAE x Nalgene Drink Bottle and win $1,000! Check it out!
20 Ways To Use Your Wide-Mouth Nalgene Drink Bottle (That Aren’t For Hydration!)
1. DIY Hot Water Bottle for Frosty Nights
Boil water. Add to Nalgene. Carry delicately by the lid handle. Snuggle in sleeping bag. Whisper ‘thank you’ to it like it’s a very warm pet.
Will you burn your hands trying to carry it? Almost certainly. | @tim_ashelford
2. Campsite Speaker Amplifier
Drop your phone inside and hit play. Congrats, you just DIY’d a bush doof.
3. Noise Maker to Scare Off Wildlife
Heard a weird sound outside your tent? It’s amazing how much noise you can make with a Nalgene. Whack it against your tent pole (gently!), or chuck something solid inside and shake it like a maraca.
4. Cutlery Dishwasher
Chuck in water, a bit of biodegradable soap, and your spork. Shake like you’re making a cocktail, rinse, repeat.
It’s basically a mobile dishwasher | @jessfromoutside
5. Impromptu Foam Roller
Level up your post-hike stretching and use a full Nalgene to roll out your aching muscles. Way cheaper than physio.
6. Salad Shaker for the Ultimate Day Hike Lunch
Lettuce, dressing, a few cherry tomatoes, cheese if you’re feeling fancy. Shake, then eat directly from the bottle with a spork. Delicious!
7. Friendship Preserver 3000
Stuff your post-hike socks in your Nalgene, seal it tight, and prevent that drive home in a fog of collective foot stank. Ugh!
Turns out you can bottle the essence of a hike. Unfortunately, it smells terrible | @jessfromoutside
8. Waterproof Container for Literally Anything
Phone. Matches. Toilet paper. Your journal and pen. Store it all inside and splash through creek crossings without a care in the world.
9. Temporary Rubbish Bin
Forgot to bring a bag for your electrolyte wrappers and dehydrated meal bags? Or maybe you just don’t want to smell them for the rest of the trip. Chuck em inside your Nalgene, screw on the lid and deal with it when you get home. No Ziplock, no worries.
If your mess is messier than dry wrappers, line it with a plastic bag for easy cleaning | @jessfromoutside
10. Emergency Urinal
Yes, we went there (and we’re only on number 10!) When it’s freezing outside and you’re zipped tight in a tent, sometimes… you do what must be done. Just make sure you wash it really well before you drink from it again!
11. Emotional Support Object
Dropped your trail snack in the dirt? Weather turning and you forgot your pack cover? Just got overtaken by a runner and you were so out of breath your hello was more akin to a wheeze? Hug your Nalgene. It understands.
12. Conversation Starter at Literally Any Campsite
‘Oh wow, you put soup in your Nalgene too?’ Instant friendship.
That’s three new friends right there | Shot by Vanessa Hidayat
13. Flower Vase
Want to impress that special someone with a romantic picnic in the middle of nowhere? Leave a little water in the base, chuck in some dandelions, and voila – better than a restaurant.
14. Sticker Shrine
Is it a water bottle or your entire personality in cylindrical form? Hard to say. But if your Nalgene isn’t plastered with at least one sticker from a national park, an obscure local brand, or an environmental initiative you support — you might be doing it wrong. Bonus points if stickers are faded and worn.
The rattier it looks, the more legit you are… obviously | @mattiejgould
15. Biggest Flask You’ll Ever See
Fill it with wine. Or mulled cider. Or an entire cocktail. No one’s judging. You’re an adult — this is your happy hour hike.
16. Side Table For Ultralight Hikers
Turn your Nalgene over, drop your dinner on top, and pretend you’re not sitting in the dirt.
Call yourself ultra-resourceful then call it a day | @jessfromoutside
17. Ice Block for Your Cooler Bag
Fill it with water, freeze it overnight, and toss it into your food bag. It’ll keep your hummus cold and doubles as a hydration source later. Triple win.
18. Bug-Proof Snack Vault
Trail mix, jerky, emergency chocolate… pop it all in, screw it shut and stash it overnight without fear of ants, possums, or birds getting into it.
19. Lantern
Strap a headlamp to it (or just pop it inside!), and let the magic happen. Or get real fancy and leave some water inside, popping your phone underneath with the torch on. Suddenly your tent has lava lamp vibes.
Welcome to Club Nalgene. BYO electrolytes | @jessfromoutside
20. DIY Shower Head
Yeah ok, there’s no coming back from this one. Poke a few small holes in the lid, fill with water, and you’ve got yourself a very basic, very eco-friendly, and very short shower. But it’s more shower than everyone else has.
Final Thoughts
The wide-mouth Nalgene is so much more than just a water bottle. For a start, it probably has more personality than you do. It definitely has more side hustles.
It’s the duct tape of hydration and it belongs clipped to your pack, stickered up with pride, and routinely filled with leftover dhal.
If you haven’t already, go forth, experiment, and let your Nalgene live its best multifunctional life. Just remember to give it a good wash between soup and socks.
Haven’t got one yet? Grab one of the new 1L wide-mouth Nalgene bottles for $29.95 and join the cult.
Or, better yet, enter this competition to design a custom WAE x Nalgene Drink Bottle and win $1,000!
Cerulean is one of the newest colours wide-mouth Nalgene colours and it’s poppin’! The Amethyst is pretty gorgeous too | @jessfromoutside
More Bottled Magic
- The New Nalgene Sustain is Your Favourite Water Bottle But Better
- How To Clean Water Bottles, Flasks, and Hydration Bladders
- How Are Plastic Bottles Turned Into Outdoor Gear?
- Comparing Different Methods of Treating, Filtering, and Purifying Water on the Trail
