Apparently, there’s quite the “water bottle war” going on in the Salt Palace, according to Alex Strickland, a freelance writer who’s blogging from the week-long event. After running across nearly 12 different water bottle companies, Strickland writes: “The competition appears to be fierce, and each bottlemaker talked a fair amount of smack about his or her competitors; everything from claiming the others were lying about a lack of harmful BPA plastics to simply disparaging a lack of creativity in the burgeoning bottle scene.”

Whatever the competition might say, Hydro Flasks are guaranteed to be 100% BPA-free, and no one in their right mind would call our arriving-soon 64-ounce Growler unimaginative!

“Whether by replacing an old, inefficient plumbing fixture with a WaterSense labeled product or adopting more water-efficient behaviors, together we can help save water for future generations,” said Peter Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “WaterSense offers consumers simple tips that can help the environment and keep money in their pockets.”

The EPA’s WaterSense program is already having a positive effect on water consumption in the US. According to the EPA’s website, in 2009, the program helped consumers save more than 36 billion gallons of water and $267 million on their water and sewer bills.

There are already BPA bans in six states including Vermont, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maryland and Connecticut, but with a law now pending in New York, and with almost a third of the country living in NY and California, bans in these two states might be the tipping point that causes the industry to create a new plastics solution.

The ban on BPA is extremely expensive for the chemical industry, and after spending 5 million in California in legal fees, (according to the San Fransisco Chronicle) industry leaders may decide the more economical path is simply to come up with a new plastic solution that does not contain BPA.

It is great news to know that while federal organizations like the FDA, the EPA and Congress are waffling on the BPA issue, states are taking it into their own hands, and potentially changing the industry for the whole country.

One of the camping classics is rice and beans. This combination makes a complete protein containing all nine of the essential amino acids, which means you can get the same amount of protein as meat, fish, poultry and eggs with half the hassle.

Andrea Chesman wrote a sweet book called, 366 ways Delicious Ways to Cook Rice, Beans, and Grains, assuring that one could go for a year and a day without ever tiring of this age-old combination.

Check out her recipe below for Brown Rice and Lentils, and consider the possibility of cooking this up before your next big hike, adding a little water and storing it in your Wide Mouth Hydro Flask for the afternoon. It would be comforting to know at least the first meal was taken care of.

Brown Rice & Lentils:

(4 – 6 servings)

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 small, diced onion

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 finely chopped carrot

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon of ground coriander

1 ¼ cups uncooked brown rice

¾ cup dried brown or green lentils, rinsed

4 cups of water

1 teaspoon of salt

1 scallion, chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, cumin and coriander. Sauté until the onion is limp; about three minutes. Add the rice and lentils and sauté for another two minutes. Add the water and salt, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in the scallion and cilantro. Dry the lid, place a paper towel over the rice, replace the lid, and let stand for five minutes before serving.

We recommend adding a cup or two of hot water to this recipe before pouring it into your Hydro Flask to assure that is has more of a soupy consistency.

Bottled water is also ubiquitous on congressional spending reports, with most congressmen spending hundreds of dollars a year on a product they could easily get from the tap. Back to Virginia again: Rep. Randy Forbes spent $626.63, and Rep. Jim Moran spent $524.93, which accounted for 10% of his overall spending on supplies!

As more states and cities work to cut bottled water out of the bottom line for their budgets, it would be great to know that we have elected law makers who are conscious enough to drink from the tap.

Maybe we should send them a Hydroflask?

Internationally recognized water expert Peter Gleick just published at book last month called Bottled and Sold which is an in depth look the bottled water problem. Gleick conducted a substantial amount of research for this book including interviews and plant visits and he uses these insights to examine how water is found, pumped, treated, bottled and sold to the public that simply expects a container of cool, clean water.

But bottled water is far from simple.

Gleick does not stop his examination with pointing out the problems associated with this widespread phenomenon; he offers contemporary solutions by making a sound case for improving the public’s attitude towards safe, piped-in drinking water, purified by the natural cycle and consumed with reusable containers (like Hydroflasks ! )

In Bottled and Sold, Gleick traces the history of the bottled water industry – how water went from being a public, natural resource to one of the most commercially successful products of the century.

If you don’t have time to read the book, let these statistics speak for themselves:

-Every second of the day in the U.S., a thousand people buy a plastic bottle of water, and every second, a thousand more people throw these bottles away.

-There have been over 100 bottled water recalls in the U.S. – very few receiving any kind of public attention.

-It takes 17 million barrels of oil to produce the amount of plastic bottles consumed in the U.S. each year.

You can order Peter Gleick’s book here and most public libraries should have a few copies.

Tumalo Falls is a popular summer destination in Bend, Oregon.

Our Hydroflask headquarters are in Bend, Oregon and almost everyone that lives in town is celebrating the long awaited arrival of… SUMMER. It was a drawn-out, grey winter and an even longer, greyer spring, and now that the sun is out there is a tangible excitement and happiness in the air. Outdoor cafes are packed, everyone is out walking their dog at all hours and bikes are everywhere!

Flame throwers at last year's Summer Festival

Part of celebrating summer here in Bend is a slew of inspiring music and craft festivals that happen all over town, sometimes during the same days and times. The Bank of the Cascades Bend Summer Festival is one of the more anticipated of these events, drawing artists, street performers and musicians from all over the country.

One of the most notable acts performing for the festival is The Samples, headlining the Clear 101.7 stage this year. Mosley Wotta, recent winner of Central Oregon’s Last Band Standing competition heads up the local’s stage and the Jazz Stage features Todd Haaby and Sola Via.

There is even a special area for kids (and parents!) to cool off and have some fun playing water games, dancing on inflatables and creating arts and crafts.

If you are in Bend, Oregon this weekend, be sure to check out this event put on by C3. If you are not in town, this is definitely one of those festivals worth planning a vacation around. I’m sure your Hydroflask is looking for an adventure that combines cultural appreciation with outdoor activities!

TapIt is looking to take its vision across the U.S. and it always looking to partner with people looking to start a local water movement in their own towns. They support finding new and sustainable solutions for the 21^st century. Check out their website and blog for more information.

It seems we could easily make this happen in Bend, OR, where most residents are conscious of how precious our water is; that almost all water we consume comes directly from the Deschutes River, and that this river is noticeably smaller as it leaves down.

Anyone interested in helping me get something like this started, drop me a line a laurel@hydroflask.com.

Pictured above: the Deschutes River courtesy of the Daily Green.

Bottles that hold water are plentiful.  Bottles that won’t leak are fewer among the mix.  Still fewer are those that keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold for extended periods.  The latter group is where HydroFlask shines.  There is another category including those vessels that are also rugged, nearly indestructible. HydroFlask is rugged, though not indestructible, but practicallyindestructible. I suppose if I was to throw it, jump on it, or try to mangle it, I could do this.  I’ve not dropped it and plan to be careful so it does not drop in the future.  So, other than this kind of abusive treatment, this product should last a lifetime!

The model I have, the 24-ounce HydroFlask, is shown below, but with a flip-top cover sport sipping tip not shown on their Website.

BPA-free (that’s nasty stuff in some plastics that has fallen from favor and may be proven to have detrimental health effects), these double-walled insulated 18/8 stainless steel (18% chromium and 8% nickel, a perfectly fine grade of stainless steel) HydroSteel bottles have other benefits not immediately apparent.  If you’ve seen other stainless steel bottles or experienced them, you know that they “sweat” when filled with ice-cold water.  You know the surface becomes cold, too.  So, too, does the surface become hot to the touch when conventional stainless steel bottles are filled with hot liquid.  As these bottles have properties similar to those industrial-looking old-school vacuum bottles, they do not suffer from sweating or uncomfortable temps.

So, the functional benefits are simple.  There are none of the undesirable external “symptoms” of what’s inside.   By my tests, hot liquids stayed hot for 12 hours and ice cold liquid (with ice) stayed cold for 24 hours.

Now, it is up to you to decide if this form factor is what you want.  Choose from a sports cap or loop cap that screws in and out to reveal the contents.  Select from 18-ounce or 24-ounce capacities in red and silver in the look like mine above.  Both will fit in conventional cup holders.

New to the line are 21-ounce and 18-ounce Wide Mouth models, shown below.

If you’ve ever used a Thermos or Aladdin vacuum bottle, you’re already familiar with the main draw, the properties of HydroFlask.  The double-wall construction of these products is the key to maintaining hot and cold for extended periods.  Aladdin, Thermos and other old-school bottles contain a double-wall glass liner surrounded by and suspended within a metal outer shell that provides support and some protection from breakage due to roughness.  However, they’re rather large in overall size and not convenient for use by today’s mobile society.  They are primarily for users wishing to take along a quantity of hot coffee or soup to the workplace, where the bottle will remain stationary.

Contrast this with today’s on-the-go users who carry their bottles in hand, on bicycles and in holders in their vehicles.

My experience with HydroFlask has been outstanding.  In HOT weather, the bottle’s contents stay ice cold, WITH ice intact for up to 24 hours.  It just flat works, with no sweating.  I am one very satisfied HydroFlask fan! Get one or more, give one or more and join the club.  They are warranted for life, too, against manufacturer’s defects. Hit the link above or call these nice folks with any questions at (888) 584-9376.

By Steve Kruschen, The One and Only Mr. Gadget®
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