Using my UV-C bottle for gym and weekend hikes

I brought mine on a short flight and a weekend away, useful but I’m not totally convinced it’s worth the extra weight long-term. Battery got me through a couple days, so for multiday trips you’d need to carry a charger or it just acts like a regular insulated bottle.

Pretty handy for keeping things fresh, I like the auto-clean, but I’m skeptical it’s worth the extra heft for every trip. Battery’s fine for short stuff, not something I’d rely on for long backcountry outings. Still nice to have around for everyday laziness.

Like it for quick outings, keeps the bottle from smelling and I don’t fuss with it. For multiday trips I’m meh, charging and extra weight make me usually grab a plain insulated bottle instead. If I’m car-camping or can charge easily I’ll bring it…

I think it really depends on what kind of trip you’re doing. For a weekend hike where I’m just filling up from a stream or a tap I don’t fully trust, the UV part gives me a little peace of mind. But for a longer trip or a flight, I’d probably leave it at home.

The weight thing is real. It’s not heavy, but it’s not nothing either. When I’m packing for a few days I start counting grams and the regular insulated bottle usually wins. Plus, I don’t love the idea of needing to find a charger halfway through a trip. I’ve had enough moments where I forgot to charge something and it died at the worst time.

That said, the no-smell thing is the main reason I keep using it. I’ve had other bottles get that sour smell after a day or two, and the self-clean mode actually fixes that. For gym use it’s perfect because I can just leave it in my bag and not worry about it getting gross.

If I was doing a long trip with actual questionable water sources, I’d probably bring it anyway and just deal with the charging. But for normal weekend stuff, I’d rather save the space and bring something lighter. I guess it depends on how much you care about the sterilization part versus just keeping the bottle fresh.