I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stuffed those milk-jug-style gallons of water into the depths of my cockpit before shoving off for a weekend of kayak camping. Certainly enough times to appreciate that there must be a better way to carry fresh water in your kayak! Those gallon jugs bother me for a lot of reasons including that they’re liable to leak after being opened, not very collapsible when empty, and nearly impossible to stow anywhere except in that space in front of your footpegs. Thankfully, the folks at Platypus Hydration were on the same page and presented that “better way”!
The Platypus Platy Bottle is a 2 liter water storage system that will put a smile on the face of many kayak campers! The bottle features 100% BPA-free and taste-free polyethylene plastic that weighs in at up to 80% less than a hard bottle of equal volume. Empty, the bottle weighs a scant 1.3oz and fully collapses to about the size of place setting (fork, spoon and knife in a napkin). A threaded spout seals the contents in and accepts a variety of caps including the Platypus closure cap, hyperflow (sports bottle) cap, and drink-tube kit. At an MSRP of $13 they’re about the same cost as a standard Nalgene but with twice the capacity.
This water bottle seams simple but it’s a real dream for a kayak camper. First off, the threaded cap helps to prevent the leaks that happen all-to-often with the push-on caps of the gallon jugs. When coupled with the drink-tube kit the Platy Bottle can be utilized like a Camelbak for hydrating en route. Second, an empty Platy Bottle takes up hardly any space making it an attractive addition to your bail out kit. Finally, full Platy Bottles are small and flexible enough to stow in your forward and day hatches to better disperse the weight of your fresh water supply and to keep it from shifting around during the trip.
I’ve found the Platy Bottle to be a surprisingly durable and versatile solution to my freshwater needs while kayaking. They’re certainly far superior to hard-plastic bottles based on their high “packability.” The 2L size seems good for this reason but the downside is that you need to carry at least 2 per-person-per-day to meet your hydration needs. Larger groups may consider the more voluminous Platy Water Tank which is available in 4L and 6L sizes. I’m sure that wear and tear will catch up eventually but after one full season mine are still going strong. Also, I’ve only used them for water storage so I can’t comment on whether or not they retain odors if you were to put a sports drink or juice in one. I did notice that Platypus makes special bottles for wine but I understand this has something to do with keeping the wine fresh and free from oxidation more than anything.
Anyway, this is a great product and I highly recommend kicking those bulky, plastic jugs and picking up a Platy Bottle or two for your next kayaking adventure!
-Kayak Dave
Pros:Lightweight (1.3oz), collapsible, versatile, no leaks.
Cons: Questionable long-term durability, need a few to meet hydration needs.
Kayak Dave Rating:
