Platypus Plus Water Bottle
The Platypus Plus Water Bottle is an example of USA made ingenuity. With Platypus making this Plus water Bottle flexible, if gives you the ability to have a container for water (34oz capacity) when you need it, but not take up space and weight (1.3oz when empty) in your pack when you do not. I was never into the whole flexible water bottle phenomenon until a while back when I was talking to a fellow hiker at a spring along the one trail I was on, and he told me what I did not see for some reason. He said "When I need them they are there, and when I don't they roll up and disappear basically". I am unsure why it took me up until a few years back to understand this concept, but it finally clicked. So then I saw he had some of the Platypus bottles and they looked like they had been holding up for him, so upon getting home I got some Platypus PlusBottles.
Now this was my first experience with flexible bottles on the trail during my backpacking hikes, but not my first flexible bottle usage. I had in the past bought some Nalgene 96oz flexible canteens and threw them in some emergency disaster packs and never even thought to use them in normal life. So here I am with some newly bought Platypus PlusBottles, and I must say I was impressed off the bat. They are constructed very well, and the grip hole was hard plastic lined for a very positive grasp, and the bottom of the Platypus PlusBottle is created so it will stand up straight, yet when empty fold flat. This Platypus PlusBottle compared to some other flexible bottles on the market like the Vapur Eclipse and Nalgene Canteens is noticeably softer. Softer might not be the best word, but it is more flexible. Which gave me a good and bad feeling at the same time. Good in that I knew this would not have points where breaks in the plastic would happen, but bad in that I was concerned how they would hold up not being as perceived tough. But I was pleasantly surprised with how durable they have proven to be.
The main thing that attracted me to the Platypus PlusBottle line over others was the SlimeGuard feature. The Platypus PlusBottle has a silver-ion based anti-microbial treatment, which combats nastiness which are ever so present when we do not have the ability to fully dry out bottle. I have come to not have really too much flavor change when using this bottle, even though with almost any plastic hard or flexible bottle you will. As far as durability, I have my Platypus PlusBottles usually on the side of my pack, and have gone through thorn thick landscape from time to time and have yet to puncture one of my Platypus PlusBottles and have it fail. Now that is not to say it is not able to be punctured, it is, but it is relatively tough. The only really downside is the opening, which is tiny. The cap closure is the normal bottle sized, so adding ice and even water disinfectant/flavor tablets can be an issue. I would love to see Platypus change this around to have a wide mouth offering, or a wide mouth base and screw on tiny closure. They do have two options though, with one just being a closure cap and the other being the squirt top, but again they are both of the small variety.
I like it being clear as well, which helps with cleaning and seeing dirty water, etc. The Platypus PlusBottle is 11.5" tall and 6" wide when fully rolled out and is made of Polypropylene spout/cap material and Polyurethane/Polyethylene body. Everything is measured in one liter regarding filtration and hydration solutions go, so this being one liter is perfect. Made in the USA and a great option is all I have to say in closing.
