From collaborations with high-fashion brands to apparel made with graphene and Kevlar, there were plenty of cutting-edge gear innovations this year. However, sometimes innovation comes from rethinking the simplest things. Take, for example, the humble water bottle. In 2025, creative advancements have helped replace one of backpacking’s most ubiquitous pieces of gear: the disposable Smartwater bottle.
Thru-hikers have long loved this simple $2 water bottle for its easy storage and ultralight profile. Pick any popular long-distance trail, and you’re bound to see a handful of Smartwater bottles tucked into hikers’ packs.
However, the arrival of more sustainable alternatives may finally spell the end of this single-use item’s popularity.
Why Use a Smartwater Bottle?
I used to think this disposable plastic bottle hiking hack was silly. After all, I have plenty of Nalgene bottles that store the exact same volume of water. Then, I got a new Osprey Ariel Pack and tried using my Nalgenes. They were too round and wide for the pack’s dedicated water bottle sleeves. Trying to get it into the side pocket was like trying to push a round peg through a square hole. It took a lot of effort.
Even when I managed that, drinking on the trail was even more awkward. There was no way to access the bottle without removing the entire pack. They didn’t work with my Gregory Maven or Gossamer Gear Mariposa packs either.
On a trip to Joshua Tree National Park, where I would need to carry as much water with me as possible, I finally caved and bought four Smartwater bottles. They’re much taller and thinner than Nalgene or Hydroflask bottles. They fit in damn near any pack. They weigh just 1.2 ounces, are compressible, and, at the end of their useful lives, they’re recyclable too.
I could easily fit two in each side pocket, making it convenient to carry 4 L of water at a time. The height of the water bottle also allowed me to reach back, access it, drink, and put it back, without taking my pack off or feeling like I was going to dislocate my shoulder.
The Smartwater bottle’s small opening allows you to screw on filters, such as those from Sawyer or Platypus. That isn’t possible with most Nalgene bottles.
I also find drinking out of wide-mouth bottles to be pretty hard while moving. Unless you can unhinge your jaw like a snake, there’s no way to get your mouth all around the opening. Usually, that means stopping to take a drink. The small spout of a Smartwater bottle, by comparison, makes it easier to take a swig while hiking.
The Cons
There are several known drawbacks to the Smartwater bottle that most thru-hikers and backpackers ignore in favor of the bottle’s convenience.
There’s the obvious fact that they are disposable, single-use plastic bottles. Even if you remember to recycle the bottle, studies show that only 5-6% of plastic in the U.S. is actually recycled into new things. And each year, the world produces 57 million tons of plastic pollution.
Even if a Smartwater bottle lasts a long time, it still has a shorter lifespan than a reusable bottle. And while a single Smartwater bottle only costs $2, if you’re buying them trip after trip, that adds up.
The Alternatives
This year saw several upstart brands break onto the scene, promising all the benefits of the Smartwater bottle without the waste.
Mazama
The Mazama M!GO ($19) has a traditional small spout that’s easy to drink out of, but also unscrews to access a wide opening for easy cleaning. It’s BPA-free and weighs just 4.6 ounces.
Mazama already has die-hard thru-hiking fans. Not only do they like the reusability of this product, but some also claim that they don’t hold onto the aftertaste of electrolyte powders.
CNOC
On a recent trip to New Zealand, I brought along two ThruBottles from CNOC Outdoors ($13), which weigh 3.1 ounces. These bottles easily slid in and out of my Mariposa 60’s pockets. When I had a rough fall onto some rocks after a slip, they escaped entirely unscathed.
I also appreciated the tethered cap. I’m pretty clumsy and am prone to losing the cap of any water bottle if it isn’t attached. And just $13, this bottle costs about the same as seven Smartwater bottles, but will last much longer.
Igneous
The lightest weight (and most expensive) replacement is Igneous’s NOBO bottle ($22). It only weighs 2.3 ounces (0.1 ounces lighter than a Smartwater bottle). Igneous claims that its use of “food-safe HDPE reduces microplastic shedding.”
All of these bottles offer something the Smartwater bottle doesn’t. They have ounce and mL measurements on the side, so you can measure out exact amounts of water. That can help to avoid overly dry or mushy rehydrated dinners.
It also comes in handy when you’re rationing your water supply on hot or dry hikes, where water resupplies are few and far between.
A Turn Toward Sustainability
When I used Smartwater bottles on the trail, I struggled with the implications of it. If I, as an outdoors person, profess to follow Leave No Trace Ethics in nature, how can I justify using a product that will, eventually, leave a trace somewhere else? For those who believe our responsibility and stewardship of the natural world extends to all of our purchasing choices, we’re beholden to stop using the products that aren’t sustainable.
The rise of Smartwater alternatives like these is a sign that the outdoor industry is embracing more sustainable choices. It’s also incentivized by cost savings. If you backpack or hike often and burn through Smartwater bottles, these reusable alternatives could save you money in the long run.
Bottles from brands like CNOC, Mazama, and Igneous are examples of how small innovations and changes to a standard product — the water bottle — can help consumers make more environmentally friendly choices. I, for one, will be using my CNOC for years to come. I’m happily leaving my Smartwater bottle days behind me.
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