I’ve often said it’s the little things that make the difference and I stand by it. And sit by it too, it’s the knees you know. Water carrying is what you make it, volume is one thing, too much and it’s extra weight and the associated tears and snotters, too little and you’re stopping at every burn and lochan or running dry at camp. I like to carry a couple of bottles, one in my pack side pocket to drink on the move and one big one for camp which I keep full in summer and often carry empty in winter as I can pick up water easier near camp or fill a half empty bottle with snow and sit it inside my sleeping bag to melt it.
I’ve tried all the options, including a long but doomed romance with roll up bottles and I’ve decided that 1 litre wide-mounted bottles work best for me. Aye, they’re a bit bulky, but nights in the dark trying to fill up a container to make a midnight cuppa have shown that big openings are easier and quicker, simple to pack with snow and a piece of piss to keep clean.
So, when a bunch of GSI kit came in for test, the Dukjug was going to have to trip on its shoelaces to snatch defeat from a certain victory.
Luckily, the Dukjug didn’t disgrace itself. It’s got the basics right and adds a few wee interesting tweaks. Its 188g, which isn’t much in your hand at all when it’s empty, filled up of course it’s like a pre-cemented breeze block ready to lay on a wall. Anyone who’s worked with a filled-up fat bodied 1 litre bottle will know how easy it is to drop it, especially when it’s wet and you’re wearing liner gloves. Wet sleeping bag, another walk back to the loch, sadness/despair etc
The Dukjug has a waist above it’s squared off hips and on that waist is a silicon webbed belt. The silicone is grippy anyway, but the web squishes around making it even grippier. It’s well set into its groove so it doesn’t pull off too easily. Mind you, they say you can remove it and wrap emergency duct tape around it. That’s as may be, but I don’t want a sticky waist after I’ve used my tape, so as nice a idea as it is, they can keep it.
The body has volume markings, handy for getting your dinner rehydration amounts right and it’s made of polypropylene, no bad BPA to make you sterile and forgetful and the other stuff it does, I forget what.
The opening has a little removable lid/spout which makes for controlled pouring and sipping without spilling down the side of your face like a caveman drinking from a coconut. The opening itself is 2″ wide, it fills quick and takes UK standard (defined during the ASDA versus Tesco courtcase back in ’07, remember the headlines?) dish washing brush no problem.
The lid is shaped and ribbed for grippiness and is attached to the bottle with a wee bit of cord and a collar. I keep meaning to make the cord longer, but the fact that I haven’t got around to it means it’s probably not as annoying as I think it is.
I’ve dropped it and it didn’t break, I’ve filled it with Robinson’s lemon and orange at various times to no great lasting effect and it’s replaced my old purple Nalgene bottle as my standard issue litre bottle. Quite a feat for something not purple to displace something purple in my book.
Like I say, sort the little things and your time is ever more free of niggles and the Dukjug is a great little thing. Recommended.
