My solution to water freezing at night, or for any time is I usually take a couple hand warmers get them activated and tape 2 around my nalgene and have been good to go. I have done this at night before i go to bed and in the morning its still good. Not the cheapest way, but it works.
I was on Aconcagua this winter, and on summit day we duct taped hand warmers to the bottles, and camelbacks. This worked very well in below 0 fairenheit conditions. Also as a side note, I also had a OR insulator attached to my waist belt, and while it never completley froze, ice did start to form.
Why not just solve all issues of freezing and weight and get a .5L titanium thermos ??? 8.6 ounces compared to 10.6 for a Nalgene and an OR insulator !!! How the hell do yo beat that ? You just have to cough up a quick $130.
A very quick calc suggests that the freezing point depression from the _electrolytes_ in gatorade would be only about 0.1 degrees C. The sugars would add some more.
Thanks for the calculation. I imagine the freezing point would be decreased further if more electrolyte mix and/or sugar is added. In fact, I mix mine and usually make strong batches. But, I never knew how much it would make a difference.
Good tips. One I use is to heat the water up as you say and use the bottles as hot water bottles to keep me warm in my sleeping bag. They are cool by morning and never frozen. (If they were I would be in trouble). I just have to be sure they don't leak. (•: Thanks for the article. Cheers William
Another helpful tip is to not only blow the water out of your draw tube, but also blow a good amount of your own hot air into the bladder... This not only adds some small amount of heat to the mix, but adds some space for the water to agitate within. I have used this method for years and rarely experience any issues with freezing. (save for a little ice buildup in the bite valve, but stick that in your mouth for a minute and problem solved)
Very nice article! Great input with all the comments too. I'm liking the sock idea, but the least weight route using a hot drink wrapped in the spare layers you already have in your pack seems smart. Unless you can't afford to take off your pack, of course...
You can also bury your full water bottle in the snow, the deeper the better. Snow is an excellent insulator, and it will prevent your water from freezing overnight. On colder nights, you must go deeper in the snow. Place them upside down, just incase it gets colder than you think, and then as mentioned in the article any ice will then be at the "bottom" of the bottle.
Another easy, quick, and cheap cozy can be made from Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap Insulation. A 6 ft piece of 1 inch Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap Insulation costs only about $1.25, and one can make a very good bottle cozy out of it. In fact one can make multiple cozys out of one 6 foot length.
I cut three pieces each the same length as the height of a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. The insulation has a slit up one side that is sticky once you remove the plastic covering. So using the sticky edges I stuck two pieces together. Then I put a piece of duct tape over the connection (both inside and outside). Next I wrapped the two joined pieces around a Nalgene bottle and took a measurement for the width for the third piece. Cut the third piece, stuck and taped it to the other two pieces, and I had a cozy!!! Then I realized the circumference of the pipe wrap was enough to cover the bottom, so I cut out a bottom and taped that to the cozy. As good and as cheap as it gets!!! Took ten minutes to make, and its monetary value is maybe $0.50 (compare that to the approximate $18 for an OR Bottle Parka, and you just got a 97% discount).
evolution_star - Feb 14, 2007 8:11 pm - Hasn't voted
Try this, it works for me.My solution to water freezing at night, or for any time is I usually take a couple hand warmers get them activated and tape 2 around my nalgene and have been good to go. I have done this at night before i go to bed and in the morning its still good. Not the cheapest way, but it works.
HedUp - Feb 16, 2007 4:01 pm - Voted 10/10
Harsh!Haha..."Buttface"?
Deb - Feb 16, 2007 5:02 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Harsh!The person I was responding to (who is now deleted) had a butt smoking a cigar for profile shot. So it wasn't REALLY an insult. HAHA!
evolution_star - Feb 16, 2007 8:08 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Harsh!No worries, i took no offense to your post as i saw the individual you are referring to.
timfoltz - Feb 15, 2007 1:01 am - Hasn't voted
Hand WarmersI was on Aconcagua this winter, and on summit day we duct taped hand warmers to the bottles, and camelbacks. This worked very well in below 0 fairenheit conditions. Also as a side note, I also had a OR insulator attached to my waist belt, and while it never completley froze, ice did start to form.
gobriango - Feb 15, 2007 4:20 am - Hasn't voted
Problem solvedWhy not just solve all issues of freezing and weight and get a .5L titanium thermos ??? 8.6 ounces compared to 10.6 for a Nalgene and an OR insulator !!! How the hell do yo beat that ? You just have to cough up a quick $130.
MoapaPk - Feb 15, 2007 6:30 am - Hasn't voted
freezing point depression?A very quick calc suggests that the freezing point depression from the _electrolytes_ in gatorade would be only about 0.1 degrees C. The sugars would add some more.
lalpinist - Feb 16, 2007 10:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: freezing point depression?Thanks for the calculation. I imagine the freezing point would be decreased further if more electrolyte mix and/or sugar is added. In fact, I mix mine and usually make strong batches. But, I never knew how much it would make a difference.
dmiki - Feb 16, 2007 9:23 am - Voted 9/10
Handy article and commentsSome nice ideas I wouldn't have thought about - thank you!
William Marler - Feb 17, 2007 8:23 pm - Voted 10/10
ThanksGood tips. One I use is to heat the water up as you say and use the bottles as hot water bottles to keep me warm in my sleeping bag. They are cool by morning and never frozen. (If they were I would be in trouble). I just have to be sure they don't leak. (•: Thanks for the article. Cheers William
michaelyoblonski - Feb 22, 2007 2:00 am - Hasn't voted
Bladder ManagementAnother helpful tip is to not only blow the water out of your draw tube, but also blow a good amount of your own hot air into the bladder... This not only adds some small amount of heat to the mix, but adds some space for the water to agitate within. I have used this method for years and rarely experience any issues with freezing. (save for a little ice buildup in the bite valve, but stick that in your mouth for a minute and problem solved)
Kerstin - Feb 26, 2007 3:21 am - Hasn't voted
SocksNow I know what to do with my old, itchy wool socks!
lalpinist - Feb 26, 2007 3:08 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Socks:)
TorstenW - May 28, 2007 1:12 pm - Voted 10/10
Sock It Up...Very nice article! Great input with all the comments too. I'm liking the sock idea, but the least weight route using a hot drink wrapped in the spare layers you already have in your pack seems smart. Unless you can't afford to take off your pack, of course...
vanman798 - Jan 16, 2012 5:58 pm - Voted 10/10
Bury the Bottle in the SnowYou can also bury your full water bottle in the snow, the deeper the better. Snow is an excellent insulator, and it will prevent your water from freezing overnight. On colder nights, you must go deeper in the snow. Place them upside down, just incase it gets colder than you think, and then as mentioned in the article any ice will then be at the "bottom" of the bottle.
vanman798 - Jan 16, 2012 6:37 pm - Voted 10/10
Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap InsulationI love the old wool sock idea.
Another easy, quick, and cheap cozy can be made from Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap Insulation. A 6 ft piece of 1 inch Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap Insulation costs only about $1.25, and one can make a very good bottle cozy out of it. In fact one can make multiple cozys out of one 6 foot length.
I cut three pieces each the same length as the height of a 1-liter Nalgene bottle. The insulation has a slit up one side that is sticky once you remove the plastic covering. So using the sticky edges I stuck two pieces together. Then I put a piece of duct tape over the connection (both inside and outside). Next I wrapped the two joined pieces around a Nalgene bottle and took a measurement for the width for the third piece. Cut the third piece, stuck and taped it to the other two pieces, and I had a cozy!!! Then I realized the circumference of the pipe wrap was enough to cover the bottom, so I cut out a bottom and taped that to the cozy. As good and as cheap as it gets!!! Took ten minutes to make, and its monetary value is maybe $0.50 (compare that to the approximate $18 for an OR Bottle Parka, and you just got a 97% discount).
See some pictures here.
evanchristensen - May 19, 2012 10:47 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Polyethylene Semi-Split Pipe Wrap InsulationGreat idea. But I think the value is much more than the 50 cent cost when you are out in the cold.