NO ONE MAKES VACUUM FLASKS BOTTLES LIKE THE JAPANESE. ALL THE BEST FLASKS COME FROM JAPAN; ZOJIRUSHI, THERMOS, TIGER etc AND EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AIMED SQUARELY AT TEA DRINKING OFFICE WORKERS AND SCHOOL KIDS, THEY HAVE A BUILD QUALITY THAT IS THE STANDARD FOR KEEPING LIQUIDS THE TEMPERATURE YOU WANT IT.
AS JAPAN’S MOST UBIQUITOUS OUTDOOR COMPANY, MONTBELL EVENTUALLY CAME ALONG AND PRODUCED A TRUE ALPINE SPECIFIC VERSION. THEY MADE IT TOUGHER, GLOVE FRIENDLY AND THERMALLY AS GOOD AS IS POSSIBLE – THESE BOTTLES ARE THE OLYMPUS MONS OF VACUUM FLASKS USING TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT PRIORITIZE INSULATION AND LOW WEIGHT ABOVE ALL ELSE, INCLUDING PRICE POINT, KNOWING ANYONE WHO HAS SPENT TIME IN SERIOUS COLD WILL KNOW HOW KEEPING WATER DRINKINABLE IS WORTH WHATEVER IT COSTS.
MONTBELL CLAIM TO HAVE A COPPER LINING THAT ENHANCES INSULATION BY ACTING AS A THERMAL REFLECTOR (JUST LIKE THE RAB MYTHIC ULTRA 360 SLEEPING BAGS) AND WHATEVER’S GOING ON IT WORKS, BUT THE MAIN THING THEY’VE DONE IS PROPERLY INSULATE THE LID. FOR ALL THE PROPERTIES OF THE BOTTLE ITSELF, A LID THAT BLEEDS HEAT RENDERS IT POINTLESS PRETTY FAST. MONTBELL HAVE USED A SCREW IN CAP WITH A SMALL-BUT-BIG-ENOUGH PRESS OPENING TO POUR THROUGH THAT MINIMIZES LOSS OF WARMTH WHEN THE BOTTLE IS OPENED TO DRINK. OVER THIS IS A LID INJECTED WITH INSULATION FOAM, THAT COMBINED WITH THE TRAPPED AIR SPACE LIMITS THE LOSS OF HEAT ADMIRABLY.
THESE BOTTLES HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO KEEP LIQUID THAT STARTS AT BOILING HOT FOR HALF A DAY AND ABOVE-FRIGID FOR WELL OVER 24HRS, A VITAL EQUATION WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT ABOVE 7000m WATER BOILS AT LESS THAN 80c AND TAKES A LOT OF GAS AND TIME TO PRODUCE.
HALF THE EQUATION IS ALSO HOW CARRYABLE A BOTTLE IS. THE ALPINE THERMO BOTTLES COME IN FOUR SIZES WITH THE 500ml AND 750ml VERSIONS FITTING MOST JACKET POCKETS (SEE THE IMAGE ABOVE OF A 750ml INSIDE THE OUTER POCKET OF THE MONTANE APEX 8000 DOWN JACKET). THEY HAVE COLOURS THAT MAKE THEM EASY TO LABEL AND FIND AND SILICONE BUMPERS THAT ARE NICE BUT NEED TO BE POPPED OFF AS THEY DO IMPINGE ON HOW EASY THEY LET THE BOTTLE SLIDE INTO A POCKET. THEY ALSO LACK A CLIP LOOP (VITAL ON ANY SERIOUS CLIMB), BUT LIKE THE BUMPERS, NOTHING SOME GORILLA TAPE WON’T FIX.
FUNCTIONALLY, THE TRADE OFF FOR THIS LEVEL OF KEEPING YOUR WATER DRINKABLE IS THE FIDDLING AROUND WITH THE LID, BUT IT’S WORTH IT. YOU CAN DRINK FAIRLY EASILY WITHOUT HAVING TO USE THE LID AS A CUP, AND THE DESIGN IS MADE TO WORK WITH GLOVES, THESE ARE BOTTLES THAT PRIORITIZE INSULATION AS STATED, AND FOR ANYTHING BELOW THAT THE ACTIVE VERSION THAT FORGOES THE SUPER-INSULATED LID FOR A REGULAR FLIP-TOP IS MUCH EASIER TO USE ON THE GO, BUT FOR EXTREME COLD WHERE THE OPTION OF MAKING MORE WATER IS NOT ALWAYS ON THE TABLE, THESE ARE THE BEST BOTTLES WE’VE USED.
