International Header

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

CNOC unveils the ThruBottle as a direct upgrade to the Smartwater bottle.

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Last updated:
October 15, 2025
|  5 min read

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

YouTube video highlight

CNOC unveils the ThruBottle as a direct upgrade to the Smartwater bottle.

Read more about the project

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Hakuna vipengee vilivyopatikana.

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Mwandishi wa Blogu ya Picha
Mwandishi
Nathan Pipenberg
Nathan’s work focuses on travel, the outdoors, and environmental issues.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Mwandishi wa Blogu ya Picha
Mwandishi
Nathan Pipenberg
Nathan’s work focuses on travel, the outdoors, and environmental issues.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
browse all articles
Hapa kwenye Sawyer
January 8, 2026
6 Min
KBTX: College Station Virtual Golf facility Combines Indoor Entertainment With International Charity Work
Read More

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

This EPA-approved picaridin formula is safe and effective, and it comes in a bottle that’s better than that of competitors at spraying evenly and accurately.

Wirecutter Staff
Staff Writers

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

The Sawyer stayed with me the entire way and I didn’t have to replace it.

Ranger
Hiker

Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari

This attachment also allows you to back flush your filter.

Purple Rain Adventure Skirts
Tovuti
<<  Previous Post
No previous post!
Check out our Directory
Next Post  >>
No next post!
Check out our Directory