I use one of those Nalgene cups. Usually resides in my "recce" MOLLE belt with a Nalgene in it, but it's my usual camp cup, too. Excellent piece of gear. I'll have to look into the bottle.

I've heard that, but I'm just a lowly EMT-B who lives in the parched wastes, so I don't pay attention to keeping fluids from freezing much.

Sounds to me, not being a SME, that that's the way to go.  Hard plastic carriers, with tubes/bags of solution within.  Warmed, and inside Care-Giver's outer garments.

Suitable, body-conformable flasks, perhaps like the GI "Pilots" flask, but adapted to IV fluid applications.

USGI "Pilot's Flask"

Carriers to match, for cold-weather applications, and training to use them, after testing.

If we can all see various "reasonable" solutions to this possibly upcoming problem, than possibly others might see it.

Let's hope reasonable items will be tested and produced before they are needed.

IOW, what was "Good Gear" in recently past environments just might not be "Good Gear' in very different environments.

NOT an SME, but Ray Charles can see this coming.

Ranger green

https://lbtinc.com/collections/sale/products/6151arg

This isn't thread drift at all.   Sometimes the original question is about hardware but the solution starts with the software.

One of the most important lessons I picked up decades ago as a Boy Scout - which in turn served me well in the service and later - was that simply knowing what order to do certain actions with the same equipment made the difference between being miserable and being comfortable.  It usually wasn't even hard work, you just had to know what to do.

trioxane fuel bars will work in extreme cold. You can get a surplus fold out trioxane stove for like $6.

Much prefer metal canteens that can be heated to thaw contents.  In the best of worlds, not necessary, but sometimes needed.

Double insulated canteens a bit harder to freeze, but likewise also harder to thaw.  Strongly suggest removing caps from metal canteens to be thawed, lest contents, being capped, explode the container.    

it's nice to have options.

Heatable metal canteen cups are also suggested, plus fitted lids or same, which decrease heating times considerably.  Fuel and heating time are both resources; best to not waste either.

I still keep some USGI metal canteens, cups, fitted lids, and "stoves" for use.  YMMV.

On a related note, my boss was telling me about a guy making hard case water carries that fit into your PC.  This might be a solution to keeping water from freezing.  Will post when I get more info.

So, I was watching some "B-Roll" videos footage of USMC training in Norway just a few days ago and prior to that some video of them in Iceland.  They were carrying Stainless Steal Nalgene bottles on their chest rigs and really large vacuum insulated thermos bottles they hooked to their rucks. They also used the MSR stoves the USMC has issued.

I thought it was interesting that they were wearing chest rigs in some of the footage not body armor.  Although in some footage they had armor on as well.  



Just FYI though, you SHOULD NOT heat up a vaccum double walled thermos. Tossing it into a fire or over a fire would be a big mistake.

Yeah lots of takeaways there.  The body armor is gonna depend on lots of stuff, incl mission, SOP, threat levels, and simply being able to hump it with all the other shit.

At least one metal wide mouth makes a lot of sense.  

An insulated thermos is life.

And this shit is definitely for the young and the stupid.  At least I'm still 50% qualified.  

The new hard shell canteens I've been referring to are called Qore Performance.  They are 1.5L and shaped like a SAPI plate. I will be getting my hands on some shortly. Seems the gist of their marketing has been as a cooling canteen in hot weather, but I think it could work just the opposite quite well.  We will see.

This is interesting:

'New style' (1988) Cold Weather Canteen at Sportsman's Guide

Yeah, you still need a non-insulate wide mouthed metal canteen to heat the water and then pour it into the vaccum double walled insulated thermos, because you can't directly heat those insulated thermoses. Looks like they used both.  

Definitely comes a point where you've got to go without the body armor.  Any serious field endeavor honestly is just not body armor friendly.  Extreme temps either way, hot or cold, or just having to carry a ton of sustainment gear means that body armor had to get voted off the island.

Dont know if you're still looking but fire force gear has canteen pouches in multicam. Don't know if they're insulated but they usually respond to questions by email.

https://www.fireforcetactical.com/molle-ii-1-qt-canteengeneral-purpose-pouch.html

Another view of same item, showing its' unique cup and OD nylon carrier:  New Style USGI Arctic Canteen  

It appears that the entire plastic cap and its' neck (all designed to be resistant to freezing) can be unscrewed from the metal canteen, thus providing a somewhat wider neck for breaking ice with a bayonet, and allowing heating the canteen without risk of damage to the plastic parts.  Clever idea. Carrier appears to have Alice clips; such can be replaced with appropriate Small Malice clips.  IIRC, the carrier has some sort of synthetic "Fur" lining for insulation, but not enough to be very useful as insulation.

Note the Rectangular, rounded-corner shape, which might lend itself to being stashed inside outer garments and/or sleeping bag.

All offerings of this item appear to be quite pricy, and seldom come as a complete set.  While a number of pouches might work, the (usual) absence of the unique cup is a serious drawback, IMHO.

Just guessing, but it's possible that the Mil might re-investigate these items and produce another iteration in the future.  No telling when such items will be available to non-Mil people, but it will be instructive to see what is produced.

Is the mouth wide enough on the newer USGI Artic Canteens to get a knife into?

I like the looks of it, I like that the plastic is removable. Now they need to make the insulated pouch in OCP.  

As per text in some adverts, the metal mouth of the flask, once the plastic items are removed, is wide enough for insertion of a bayonet in order to break the ice.  
As far as I can see, the newer Arctic canteen is a simple, non-insulated metal flask.

Assuming typical, rather slender M-7 USGI AR-type bayonet, but previous versions of GI bayonet, seen on M-1 Carbine, M1, and M-14 rifles have virtually identical blade profiles, and so should work as ice-breakers.  Not at all so sure about later, and wider-bladed bayonets, such as the M-9.  I would hope that modern iterations of this canteen would have a wider metal mouths suitable for wider modern bayonets.

Since this item and its' carrier are no longer in production, perhaps another suitable MC pouch would serve.

Further info, along with NSNs:  http://www.gear-illustration.com/2016/03/10/arctic-insulated-canteen-1990s/

I'd be willing to pay some reasonable money for the complete ensemble: Canteen, Cup, and Carrier.

So far not found.  Links to complete ensembles, or even the unique canteen cups alone, would be much appreciated!

These oval plastic Swiss Mil canteens (plus cups) might serve if carried under the user's outer garments:  Swiss Military Canteens

Simple 1-qt canteen carriers with PALS attachment loops could secure these canteens to a FLC or other PALS platform worn under user's outer garments for very cold conditions.

IDK if US Milsurp gas-mask compatible caps will fit these canteens.  Some late-issue Swiss canteens had such caps, but unsure what type of gas masks the Swiss canteen caps were compatible with.


ETA: 2-pack of Swiss canteens finally arrived.   Canteens looked new, but aluminum cups were obviously used; cleaned-up OK. Canteens had caps which are compatible with drinking tube on Swiss Mil Gas masks, but not likely US Mil gas masks.  US caps will fit on the Swiss canteens, and >>seem<< water-tight, but I don't trust them. YMMV.

The "Upgraded Tactical Drawstring Molle Water Bottle Holder Tactical Pouches" (Brand: R.SASR) on amazon seem well-made, and fit the Swiss Canteen+Aluminum cup assembly well.

These aluminum 18-Oz Canteens  might serve, assuming user could rig up a way to carry them inside outer garments.  Unlike plastic canteens, these can be heated over flame after cap is removed to thaw them.

It would be a nice thing if the screw-on caps were identical to easily available Sigg caps.

I spent 3 years with the army in Alaska, and 6 months with the northern warfare training center on the army’s Denali climbing team.

Here is what we did.

Each person carried two Nalgenes or 1qt hydro flask upside down in the outdoor research insulated containers. Those were generally filled up at night and used to add some warmth to the sleeping bag (one at the feet and one at the groin) then consumed by morning and refilled with fresh boiled water. I personally carried two (plastic) nalgenes and had a 1 qt hydro flask in my sled.

We also carried 1 quart of water per “team” in a hydro flask, which was used to prime or start the pot of water for boiling snow at the next stop. Even in ~-20 a hydro flask stays liquid for about 18 hours.

The medic and most folks used a hillpeoplegear kitbag next to the skin to keep meds,  electronics, and batteries warm.

We used MSR XGK stoves to boil water. Jetboils don’t work well in the cold.

ETA we used a 2 stove/pot system. One to melt the snow, and then once it was melted it was transferred to the other stove where it was boiled.  The pots had custom made heat shields for efficiency.

I have slept outside with no shelter other than sleeping bags and hot Nalgenes to -40. As well as in snow shelters, tents, army arctic tents, igloos, etc.

Feel free to ask any questions.

Your opinions on wearing multiple small, oval-shaped water bottles inside outer clothing, perhaps on a FLC vest, requested.

Understood that doing so is different from your previous experiences.  That said, others will not likely find themselves in your particular past environment; perhaps acting as individuals, or very small teams, perhaps without sleds.

Just asking for expert advice, and not starting any sort of argument.  I reckon you know more about this aspect of things than I do.

Outdoor Research Insulated water bottle pouches currently at $60 per item, perhaps more affordable alternatives might be welcome.

I have the Camelbak. It's nice.

Used to make our own using ensolite sleeping pads and duct tape.

I also did extensive hunting with buddies in the winter, which is probably closer to what a “normie” would do:

In general, we would wear a wind proof layer (think hill people gear wind cheater, or OR ferrosi) with water bottles and electronics (phone, rangefinder, gps, headlamp) in interior pockets.  

I don’t think that keeping un-insulated water bottles in a FLC would be enough to keep from freezing- if under clothing or in an insulated pouch are not an option, wrapped in something insulated inside your pack would be a next best thing.

When we stopped moving or were going down a hill (not exerting ourselves) we would throw a puffy on over the top.

I personally saw someone faceplant from dehydration/exhaustion in -20 weather because their water bottles had frozen, and they hadn’t told anyone. When we got to them, they waved us on and said they would “catch up later.” Actually they would have died. They also had not been taking their puffy off when going up hills, and it had frozen solid like cardboard.  Scary situation.

The stakes are much, much, higher in an arctic environment.

If the OR insulated pouches are too much money, I have had excellent luck with 1 quart hydroflasks which are much cheaper.

There are also neoprene sleeves for bottles which work for shorter duration/day trips if you start with hot tea or coffee in the bottle.

My dad and his buddies did this for mountaineering in the 1970s. Extremely cheap and effective.

Anyone can make "sleeves"/containers out of GI sleeping pad material.  Use stout tape to construct them.

The question is how to carry such water bottles inside one's outer garments whlie in extremely cold environments.

Suggest smaller, oval-shaped water bottles might be optimal containers, but open to suggestions.

See posts above for some suggestions.  Other suggestions are most welcome!