For me, pushing the boundaries is part of the outdoor experience. I like to see how much faster I can go, how much further into the wilderness, and how much fun I can pack into my outdoor adventures. A natural part of this pursuit is finding gear that empowers me to push the boundaries of the outdoor experience. If this sounds like you, you’ll want to check out titanium water bottles.
Titanium is great for many outdoor gear applications—but it especially shines in the world of water bottles. It’s non-reactive, doesn’t impact tastes, and has an otherworldly grey luster that casually whispers, “I am cool.”
Here’s a primer to buying the best titanium water bottles.
What is titanium?
Titanium is technically a “transition metal” that was discovered in 1722. It has an atomic number of 22.
Why is titanium awesome for water bottles?
Titanium is uber-strong.
Better than simply light-weight, titanium has incredible strength-to-weight ratio. This material is so strong, in fact, that it’s used to shield and protect the pilots of many military aircraft!
Titanium has a very high melting point.
Titanium melts at more than 3000 °F—that’s more than twice the melting point of aluminum. You’re going to have a VERY hard time scorching a pot made from titanium.
Titanium is non-reactive.
Titanium doesn’t rust, and doesn’t react with even the most acidic foods. Acids as weak as tomato sauce can discolor even stainless steel or un-coated aluminum cookware. Since titanium is non-reactive, it won’t leach anything into your food or drink—even if you’re boiling an acidic liquid in it for a prolonged period of time.
Titanium won’t leach.
Many people worry about plastic, lined, or aluminum water bottles leaching chemicals (like BPA) into their booze. Since titanium is non-reactive, it won’t leach anything into your booze. Just as important, titanium won’t impart any off-flavors to liquor. An expensive single-malt will retain the rich, unique flavor you paid for—and won’t taste rusty or synthetic.
Titanium looks awesome.
Titanium has a futuristic, dull gray sheen. Even to my jaded eyes, this material just screams “cool.”
How Does Titanium Compare to Other Metals?
| Melting Point |
Thermal Conductivity |
Young’s modulus (Stiffness) |
Mohs hardness |
Density | Cost | |
| Aluminum | 1220.58 °F | 237 W/(m·K) | 70 GPa | 2.75 | 2.70 g/cm³ | $ |
| Titanium | 3034 °F | 21.9 W/(m·K) | 116 GPa | 6.0 | 4.506 g/cm³ | $$$ |
| Stainless Steel* | 2552 °F | 16.2 W/(m·K) | 193 – 200 GPa | 4 | 8g/cm³ | $$ |
*All stainless steel characteristics are approximate, since there are so many alloys in use.
Information sourced from Wikipedia
What kind of water bottles are made from titanium? Which varieties are good for what uses?
As with many other outdoor products, there are many different types of water bottles. Here’s a quick overview of the several types of titanium bottles, so you know what features to look for, and what each variety is best suited for.
Single-Wall Slim Titanium Water Bottles
Single wall titanium water bottles are exactly what they sound like. They consist of a single sheet of machined titanium. This design is simple and the typically the least expensive. Because this style of bottle is so simple, it’s quite versatile. Single wall bottles are at home in the office, the gym and in class. They’re ideal for day-hiking, backpacking and other outdoor pursuits. Since they are single-walled, they are less suited for storing very hot or very cold liquids, or use in extremely cold climates.
Perfect For: Lifestyle use, the gym, outdoor pursuits, and home use.
Features to Look For:
- Titanium lid: The ultimate closure for a titanium bottle is a titanium lid. A pure titanium lid seals the bottle with the lightest, most durable and most biocompatible closure possible!
- Silicone O-ring: An O-ring provides the tightest possible seal for your bottle. Silicone is a completely neutral, flexible material that doesn’t leach or react with common beverages.
- Slim profile: A slim profile allows your titanium water bottle to fit into water bottle sleeves on most backpacks, and slide into a briefcase or gym-bag easily for everyday use.
Single-Wall Titanium Survival Bottles
Single wall titanium bottles are so simple, that it is easy to add other cool features without paying a significant weight penalty. Since water is essential for live, adding survival and bushcraft-oriented features is a natural fit. Single walled titanium survival bottle are ideal for backcountry use, travel, or casual use, and in any situation in in which you’d like to be prepared to survive!
Perfect For: Outdoor pursuits, survival, bushcraft, lifestyle use.
Features to Look For:
- Paracord: Paracord is the ultimate survival accessory. With it, you can create a snare, bind logs for a shelter, make a tourniquet, and hundreds of other common applications. Look for at least 6 feet of paracord for optimum functionality and minimum weight.
- Titanium Screw-Top Lid: The ultimate closure for a titanium bottle is a titanium lid. A pure titanium lid seals the bottle with the lightest, most durable and most biocompatible closure possible!
- Silicone O-ring: An O-ring provides the tightest possible seal for your bottle. Silicone is a completely neutral, flexible material that doesn’t leach or react with common beverages.
- Slim profile: A slim profile allows your titanium water bottle to fit into water bottle sleeves on most backpacks, and slide into a briefcase or gym-bag easily for everyday use.
- Water Filter Compatibility: Many water filters have standard thread sizes that allow them to seamlessly “mate” to a water bottle. Once the water filter is securely attached to the bottle, you won’t risk spilling a drop of your precious purified water. Make sure that your singe wall titanium survival water bottle is compatible with common water filters.
BOT
While some outdoor enthusiasts are familiar with mugs, cups and water bottles, most of us haven’t heard of the hybrid combination of these three—called a BOT. A conjunction of the words “bottle” and “pot,” this innovative hybrid water bottles is the ultimate in lightweight and space saving technology. A bot serves the functions of both a water bottle and a pot. During the day, for example, you can use it as a water bottle to store water. In the evening (or whenever you cook), you can use the same container to cook in.
Perfect For: Ultralight hikers, anyone that appreciates innovative water bottle with a cool story.
Features to look for:
- Graduated measurements: Measurements etched right into the inside surface of the BOT make it easy make a custom beverage or determine how much you’ve been drinking
- Double-purpose-lid: Look for a bot that has a lid deep enough to serve as pan.
- Water tight, heat resistant O-ring: Even the most carefully machined screw-top lids might not prevent a few dribbles of water from getting out. Look for a lid that includes an O-ring for a tight seal. With a heat-resistant O-ring, you can even store hot beverages!
- Slim profile: Look for a bot with a profile that’s slimmer than a standard cook-pot. With a slim profile, your bot will fit many backpack sleeves designed to hold water bottles.
Qualities to Look For in Good Titanium Water Bottles
Titanium is a relatively uncommon metal, and it’s so hard, durable, and non-reactive that it’s uniquely difficult to work with. Manufacturers need special techniques and experience to make the best of this material. Here are a few things to look for to make sure you get the best possible titanium flask.
Design
Titanium is a fundamentally different material than steel or aluminum—so you want to look for producers that design with the characteristics of this metal in mind. If you’re buying the titanium versions of a product that was originally designed as a aluminum product, ask yourself if you’re getting a product that uses this unique material to the max.
Experience
You don’t learn to work with titanium overnight. Look for a manufacturer that has a wide variety of titanium products, and has been working with the material for a long time.
Weld quality
Titanium is tricky to weld. Look for welds that don’t have a huge, bulky bead, are even, and don’t significantly discolor the material. Manufacturers that machine-weld get especially durable, consistent results with titanium.
Price
Expect to pay more for titanium products. This material is harder to work with, costs more to source, and lasts longer. If you’re considering the purchase of a titanium stove that costs suspiciously little, think again!
