Klean Kanteen is a company based in Chico, CA that produces a line of reusable food-grade stainless steel "kanteens". The company bills their product as the safe and sustainable way to lug around water and other liquids. They can be bought all over Chico and some stores such as Collier Hardware sell bottles with their logo on them. Klean Canteens come in many sizes from .35 liters to 1.1 liters but share the same general bottle shape. The company offers several different styles of caps such as the default "loop cap" and "sports cap". The 1.1 liter bottle costs about $20. These bottles can be seen all over Chico and surrounding areas being carried by Chicoans and others.

While Klean Kanteen is based in Chico, CA, the bottles are made "responsibly" in China. Their FAQ notes that they audit factories 4-5 times a year to check for responsible operations. However, since the kanteens are made in China, one must consider the carbon footprint of the water bottles. In addition to that, the processing energy required to produce stainless steel (from ore to food-grade metal) should be taken into account. These factors can easily be ignored if you actually use the canteen regularly and are no longer using disposable containers (paper or plastic).

A very good quality of stainless steel containers is that there is little to no chance of chemicals leaching into contained liquids (such as Bisphenol A from some plastic bottles). Furthermore, one of the biggest complaints of plastic water bottles is remedied: foul tasting water. However, some have said that they can taste a "distinct" metallic taste in their water.

Where to get Klean Kanteens

• Chico Natural Foods
• Collier Hardware
• Cottonparty
• Mountain Sports
• North Rim Adventure Sports
• Radio Paradise
• S&S Produce
• Sports Ltd

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Comments

2008-10-03 07:55:33   Klean Kanteens work as promised (how would they not?). But if you're hiking in rocky areas such as narrow stream valleys and have to stoop over a lot, be sure the kanteens are secure. The stainless steel has an annoying ability to deform easily when banged against rocks or dropped onto any floor. The other thing I should note is that since they're kind of a sensation in Chico, it's best to differentiate your kanteen by putting durable stickers or other art on the steel surface. Otherwise you might grab the wrong kanteen! Water, to me, tastes fine and not metallic. The loop cap I have holds about 1/4 cup of water (iirc) so it can be used to measure out water when camping. When you first drink from this product without a sports cap you might be surprised by a torrent of water due to the bottle's wide opening. I don't recommend drinking from them while driving without a sports cap. It's a good investment if you know you won't lose it since they are kind of expensive for a bottle. —RyanMikulovsky