The Importance of Water When Travelling
Have you ever gone into travel where your budget runs out just because you have consumed it all for liquids and bottled water?
Well, if you are out in the wild with running water, you might be lucky – might be… if it’s clean.
Travelers have different priorities, and not everyone has the same things in mind when packing their bags.
Others might give importance to hand towels than having different foot wears aboard, some might overpack with clothes while others prefer to keep their bags loaded with food; but if you look closely to all those travelers, you might see most of them are holding a water bottle.
Travelling requires energy, and one thing to keep your body going is to keep it hydrated; but other than quenching your thirst, what are the other benefits of having an excellent trusty water bottle with you on your travel.
Here are some.
Plane Ride Buddy – If you are traveling through the plane, drinking ample amount of water is a good practice. Aircraft have lower humidity making the air drier than the desert, and the cold temperature adds up as a drying agent.Since our body is getting dehydrated, this causes us to feel heavy, weak and also results in jetlag. It also lessens the possibility of a heart attack while aviating. Keep Your Body Coping – Travelling needs exposing yourself to a new environment, and sometimes, it brings about physiological changes that result in a decrease in energy and an increase in stress.Water naturalizes your body from the new environment; temperature, humidity, and movement requirement are just a few of the things water could help your body cope up with. Less Stress, More Fun – It is not traveling if you stay grounded on the same spot, traveling will require you to explore and move your body. As you go out and do some activities; you sweat on, gets tired, and strips of the fun of traveling.The duty of water on this is to keep your body energized, regardless whether it’s cold or in a neutral temperature, water will regularize your body flow making you feel fueled for the next activities.
marta zabel –
I took this to Russia as an adjunct to a large stationary Berkey Filter system. I normally return with fatigue from intestinal parasites, but not this time! I used the bottle in transit and also to prime the larger Berkey filters I took with me. Having read another review saying that mold can begin to grow in the mouthpiece if sucked on, I chose to keep the bottle clean and always squeezed the water into another container. It does require some effort, but my health is worth it to me. Be aware that the bottle leaks at the top. This is normal–I even called the company to check–it is to get air back in the chamber so that squeezing will force water out through the filter. This means that you cannot fill the bottle and put it in your bag (maybe if you are meticulous about keeping the bottle upright); you have to transfer the filtered water to another container. It worked fairly well for priming the larger Berkey black filters, but for next time, I will follow the company’s recommendations and purchase the little squeeze balloon they sell expressly for priming.
Jennifer Gerbasi –
LOVE THESE BOTTLES! We go to Zimbabwe for an orphan program every year, […] , and the water over there is not drinkable for us. This bottle makes it possible for us to travel the country without worrying about where we are going to get water to drink. We supply each person on the team with one of these bottles and it really makes the trip more enjoyable.
Dahlia Alspaugh –
These are a MUST have for traveling.
For one thing, have you priced airport water? Holy moly it’s crazy expensive. They do have fountains of course but I’d rather drink filtered water and I trust the Berkey brand.
We’ve been using a big Berkey filter for our water for years, something like 5 or 6 now.
When we had to travel a couple years ago we decided to invest in some good filtered water bottles. We are big water drinkers, we don’t go any where without our refillable water bottles and I liked the sound of these filtered with built in straw option for our trip.
They were great!
I packed them, empty of course, in our carry on luggage, then once through security filled them at the water fountain stations.
WONDERFUL!
The squeeze feature of these bottles also means you can squeeze filtered water into a separate cup (for our purposes it was for making a vitamin c drink on the plane)
While on our trip we happily filled our bottles at the house we were staying, at other people’s houses etc. We didn’t have to spring for pricey bottles of water anywhere.
Two little things, not deal breakers but good to know.
The water while clean and filtered did have a…sort of, almost plastic taste…but…not plastic…hmm, hard to describe. It’s not as good as our regular Berkey filter. I wonder if perhaps the rubbery straw itself was imparting some flavour?
Anyways not a big deal, it was light just something I noticed.
One other thing is that if you get thirsty it can feel a bit like work getting the water. Since you’re squeezing the bottle to encourage water through the filter and up the straw as well as sucking on the straw it just felt a bit cumbersome and tiring at times.
Certainly a first world problem there eh? “oh my filtered water is a little slower than I’d like.” haha
I have no regrets and have used the bottles on several trips where we flew to the destination as well as for longer road trips.
A travel essential.
If it weren’t for the slight taste of the straw or plastic bottle or whatever it is I’d have given this a 5 star but it is certainly a solid 4!
Oh and I think getting to avoid buying 4 to 6 bottles of water at airports already more than pays for the price of this bottle. Something to think about.
On my last trip after we got off the plane and before we met our drive I topped our bottles up at the fountain.
Two different people using the adjacent fountain commented (a bit enviously) on the filtered bottle as the refilled regular (most likely airport purchased) plastic water bottles.
Ernest Schettini –
I have a Big Berkey at home so I was familiar with Berkey products. When an opportunity to travel to India on business came up I knew I needed a way to filter their water to keep from getting sick while over there. I ordered the Sport Bottle because it packed easily. I spent over a week in India drinking the hotel tap water filteres with this Berkey and am happy to report that I did not suffer any stomach ailments (you know what I’m talking about) while there or afterward!
Earl Conner –
I bought this for a trip to southeast Asia. I’ve yet to go on the trip but wanted to post initial impressions. I love this and am giving it four stars because I hate to drink out of plastic, BPA free or not. Also, instructions for the initial filtering are really bad. To clean out the filter before first use, fill the bottle, then hold the bottle upright over a sink or outside and squeeze repeatedly until bottle is empty. Repeat one more time. My bottle also has a 3 on the bottom, so I contacted Berkey to make sure the seller is an authorized dealer and inquire about the 3. Their response is that the 3 refers to the lot number, not the type of plastic. In addition, my bottle is super easy to drink out of. My 3 year old will have no problems. Other reviewers noted that they had to squeeze really hard, but this is not the case with mine. It’s as easy to drink out of as any of my other, non filtering, sport bottles. I’m happy to have this for our trip. I also purchased a SteriPen to use for things like water at restaurants and water in the hotel room for brushing teeth and the like.
Althea Braddy –
Disappointed
Recently purchased this product a little over a month ago and loved it, especially the filter portions, until a couple of weeks ago….
I read in other reviews that they had issues with mold growing in the straw, but I have not had that issue by just routinely rinsing it out and letting the bottle and the filter with the straw air-dry separately overnight in between using. I also occasionally, maybe every 2 weeks, use one of those water bottle straw cleaners (pipe cleaning time looking device) and scrub with either a diluted bleach or peroxide solution….No issues there.
My major issue now is with the straw…when I slide the cap back to expose the straw, the straw was getting caught in the crease and I would have to lightly tug it out, this was starting to happen over the past couple of weeks. For the past few days, due to the straw getting caught in the crease (probably) it has developed a small tear in the straw tubing, which I haven’t seen water leak from yet, just air…. so now it sounds like someone is constantly farting when you are pulling the water through the straw. Not something I want to bring with me to the office now……Very disappointed.
Carolyn Wittneben –
The Berkey water purifier bottle does what it claims, making water safer to drink. The positive is the filtration is wonderful and you have a piece of mind with almost any water. The negatives are two, it takes a bit of used to because you have to squeeze and suck through the straw to drink and it’s not an easy effort like drinking a large pop soda, the other more serious one is I’ve seen cases where the straw on top has “mold” develop, YUCK. The straw inside the bottle is easy to replace if necessary but not the top one. This is over time as you use the water bottle. Sure you can wash the inside of the bottle and replace the inside straw but you can’t do anything for the straw on top outside of the bottle and it’s not replaceable so you end up having a filter that can last and last, but you’re sucking on the same dirty straw for months. 🙁
Until Berkey decides to fix it, it’s just okay (3 stars). I like the filtration but it’s not a product I have rave or heavily recommend. I suppose a q-tip with bleach may work and you just flush out water through it a bit but Berkey should really reconsider resolving the issue.
Terri Jones –
There are two different Berkey Sport Bottles sold here on Amazon, each slightly different, and I have bought both. The filtration is the same on both but the straws are slightly different. The bottle from New Millennium Concepts has a slightly larger straw. It’s easier to drink out of because the diameter is larger allowing more water to flow through, but that also makes closing the top more difficult. I’ve found that the straw often gets all jammed up in the cap when you slide it open and closed. The straw is also a different type of plastic than the other brand, and does not come on and off easily for cleaning. However, I’ve had less spillage from this bottle than the other one, which is a plus.
Frances Adler –
Love, love, love this bottle… would give it 10 stars if I could because I carry it everywhere for clean water no matter what’s going on around me. Yes, it’s hard to squeeze out by hand, but easy enough to suck from the straw. Yes, the straw doesn’t detach for cleaning, so you have to just periodically rinse and wipe every few days, which goes for the whole thing. I put a lemon in there to see what would happen and it filtered the flavor right out… no taste of lemon. Bummer for me, because I love lemon water, but fantastic for knowing how good the filter is. Definitely recommend!
Pairay Thusu –
I take this bottle everywhere I go now. Its nice to know you can drink any water without worrying about if its safe. our shop was on a well for years and no we are on city water. The water is not something to you like to drink here. Now i can fill up from the tap and have better water then the bottled stuff. It even makes bottled water taste better, Amazing how this works. This is an awesome product and I recommend it to all of you
Dot Gregory –
Let me start by saying… this is an outstanding product! I toyed with the idea of purchasing one of these for almost 2 months. I read reviews, visited websites, explored other options… and all signs kept pointing back to Berkey. I was apprehensive due to reviews stating “the bottle is not water-tight” and “hardly anything comes out of the straw” or “the material is flimsy”… ultimately, I went with my gut and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. It all boils down to this: the Sport Berkey Portable Water Purifier is designed for survival in the great outdoors. It is not meant to be your workout bottle at the gym or a thermos to take to the beach… you cannot gulp huge amounts of water at once to quench your thirst after a strenuous athletic event. It is not to put in your kids lunch box so they can enjoy healthy, purified water at school. Nalgene and Camelbak suit those needs. One look at this thing in person will unveil its true purpose…. to remove 99.999% of evil nasties from suspect water sources! The filter on this thing is HUGE! It’s 1/5 the size of the entire bottle… It means business! The material is plenty rugged; unless you plan on storing it in a bag of open hunting knives…… if you take the time to line up the lid up and thread it on evenly and give it a modest, snug twist at the end, it will not leak water. And the flow of water is more than adequate to stay hydrated throughout the day! Take this advice… when you first get your Berkey bottle, fill it with water, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then keeping it upright, start squeezing the water out in short 5 seconds bursts, allowing the bottle to regain its shape between bursts. When it is almost empty, refill it and do it again. This will take a mere 30 minutes of your time. Now your bottle is primed and ready to go! Enjoy! Just keep in mind: this bottle is for emergency hydration maintenance and not for looking savvy at the health club.
Jim Thony –
I have never tasted such pure, clean water. The difference is undeniable. To experience what I did…
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS.
First, before first use, you need to cycle about 40oz of water through the filter. If you don’t, you won’t like your first taste.
Second, this is a SQUEEZE bottle. You have to squeeze it while you use the straw or you won’t get much out.
All of this is clearly explained in the product description and in the instructions. Enjoy!
Julie Lissner –
The Berkey water purifier bottle does what it claims, making water safer to drink. The positive is the filtration is wonderful and you have a piece of mind with almost any water. The negatives are two, it takes a bit of used to because you have to squeeze and suck through the straw to drink and it’s not an easy effort like drinking a large pop soda, the other more serious one is I’ve seen cases where the straw on top has “mold” develop, YUCK. The straw inside the bottle is easy to replace if necessary but not the top one. This is over time as you use the water bottle. Sure you can wash the inside of the bottle and replace the inside straw but you can’t do anything for the straw on top outside of the bottle and it’s not replaceable so you end up having a filter that can last and last, but you’re sucking on the same dirty straw for months. 🙁
Until Berkey decides to fix it, it’s just okay (3 stars). I like the filtration but it’s not a product I have rave or heavily recommend. I suppose a q-tip with bleach may work and you just flush out water through it a bit but Berkey should really reconsider resolving the issue.
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Ahmed Elsafty –
I’m so disappointed by this. I’ve heard mad reviews about Berkey and I was very excited to get this bottle. As soon as I got it home I filled it up…. I had to suck so hard to get any water out I thought my cheeks might touch! I will be returning this!
Lona Madine –
Product description seems like quite the most independent way to purify water while you’re on the go. I used it while visiting my children and friends, this way always carrying the quality of water I demand for myself. I’ve always preferred to drink from a glass and getting used to drinking from a straw is tedious (I constantly squeeze the bottle to accelerate the flow).
Big surprise though: my 15 month grandson experienced drinking from a straw with this bottle for the first time, he carries it around with him, hydrates 3 times more than usual now, and is so proud to be independent (not to mention the peace of mind for his parents and me).
The water tastes pure water, I like it so much that I am now decided to buy the big stainless steel Berkey for my home and use it for everything, from tea to coffee, to cooking. The plus of this water filter? It has a spigot, and teaching my grandson again is going to be a breeze…
marta zabel –
I am a Berkey fan and had a trip to China scheduled. While trying to reduce my footprint and I ordered this bottle to take with me. I am thankful that I had it, but I was unable to use it as much as I would have liked.
The perk is that you can drink any water!!! It’s also very hydrating.
The downfall is that it leaks and the water is air-y. Even Berkey’s website states that it is “leak resistant NOT leak proof”. I am accustom to bottles I can close and toss in my bag. Even keeping the bottle in an upright position it still leaked. To filter the water, you squeeze the bottle to get the water pushed up through the filter and straw. You can also suck through the straw but it’s not as quick as squeezing at the same time. As the water gets lower, a noticeable amount of air would come up with the water. Hence I would sometimes feel bloated with air as a result.