What works - Ito En bottles for field canteens

 The simplicity of a repurposed water bottle is not a tough problem to cover. These Ito En green tea bottles are about the best of the lot. 

So, what is this genuine article? Have a look see below...

PROs

Cheap enough.

Durable and quiet, no "crinkle" sound in the pack or cargo pocket.

Positive seal on durable cap. No leaks ever, not ever.

Standard water bottle size, convenient size, suitable for field use.

Cleans up well.

CONs

Not readily sourced. May have to seek out an Asian Market for retail supply.

The delightful contents are only available for drinking once.

Discussion:

First found in Korea at a corner canteen over a bowl of noodles, and since I have been interested as a loyal drinker for decades. 

The durable bottle design comes from the formed sides that do not readily crush and crinkle with annoying sound. The added benefit of the positive cap seal is also a plus. It is simply overbuilt as a onetime use plastic bottle design.

These repurposed Ito En bottles have replaced all of the other small bottles that I might use for field canteens. They slip into ruck side pockets just right and they are resilient with rough field treatment. 

I keep a ready stash of repurposed bottles in rotation, but realistically I have many years use from any one bottle before I decide that it must "go".

Simple cleaning keeps things fresh. 

Not much more praise is required to make these Ito En bottles a standard in the What Works category of things.

FC