Klean Kanteen for Boiling Water and Melting Snow

I wrap wire around the bottle's neck below the threads so as not to interfere with closing the lid, but there are many ways one could accomplish this, including adding a permanent wire bale.

The bottle comes in both a wide and narrow mouth version, but I have found the wide mouth to be by far the easiest to use if one intends to do any cooking in the bottle, or to melt snow.

Hash browns and hot chocolate--a fine morning in camp!

Water can be brought to a boil in under a minute by surrounding the Klean Kanteen with coals and flaming sticks.

Heading out for the day...

Stainless steel water bottles are great, and I carry them year round, even using them to melt snow to replenish my water supply during winter expeditions.

Carrying and using stainless steel in cold weather, however, can really draw a lot of heat out of your hands and even increase the risk of frostbite under some conditions, so when not cooking/boiling water in my stainless bottles, I like to keep them wrapped in a flexible, rubberized bandage product to provide a warmer, more grippy surface for the hands.

Similar products are sold under a variety of different names--self-adherent wrap, adherent athletic tape, etc--but I've found the most affordable source to be farm, ranch or veterinary supply stores, which sell it as "vet wrap."

The wrap, of course, must come off before using the bottle again over a fire.

Klean Kanteen and other stainless steel water bottles are lightweight, durable and heat-resistant, providing a great solution for those of us who like to carry gear with multiple uses. If you want a bottle which can be used to carry water, brew up a cup of tea or hot chocolate on the trail, boil and purify water from creeks and streams when you're out backpacking and cook your meals, consider trying a Klean Kanteen or similar product, and you won't be disappointed!

All photos taken by the author, unless otherwise noted.