Early on after I co-founded The Climbing Zine and started attending the Outdoor Retailer trade show I realized it’s easy to get free gear. Companies need us, the media, to get the word out about their products, and they are willing to give out product if you are going to write about it. But, as the saying goes, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”. Writing gear reviews is work, and for every great product there is a mediocre one (or ten). After getting force fed products like hand jammies and subpar socks we decided to revise our gear review procedures.
Before we got strict about our gear reviews companies would try to get us to review stuff like “hand jammies”.
These days our policy is strict. We only accept and review products that we think we’ll enjoy using, and you, readers, will also enjoy using. With that said, enter the Hydro Flask water bottle.
Hands down, this is my favorite water bottle I’ve ever used. It keeps cold water cold, and hot water hot. I find this especially useful in the summertime. Leave this thing in your hot car with cool water, and the water remains perfectly cool and refreshing. That’s the best part about it.
In addition to using this water bottle as my summertime staple, I’ve also used it as a thermos for keeping coffee and hot water hot during marathon drives, or for cold days at the crag. It has performed beautifully in these situations. On other occasions it’s served well to mix up White Russians to bring to a cocktail party, dirtbag style!
The 18 and 24 oz. Hydro Flask water bottles tagged up with Climbing Zine “Dirtbag State of Mind” stickers.
People don’t analyze water bottles for their technology, but maybe they should. Hydro Flask water bottles are vacuum-sealed, and are lined with food grade stainless steel, so no need to worry about BPAs. In addition to water bottles ranging from 12 to 40 oz., they also make a 64 oz. beer growler.
If this wasn’t enough to love about this Bend, Oregon based company, they also give back through their 5% back initiative. They support charities ranging from the American Cancer Society to the Surfrider Foundation. The consumer can customize each donation, and pick which charity they would like to support.
So, cheers to this incredible water bottle, and next up we may have to check out that growler. After all Winter Outdoor Retailer Happy Hours are just around the corner!
-LM
