I discovered the Platypus several years ago when I was looking for a large water container that was *not* a hydration bladder. My original Platypus lasted me about 5 years without a single leak; I decided to get a new one because the plastic on the old one was starting to turn white and wrinkly after all those years of use. But I'm sure it could have lasted much longer. The new bag is BPA free.

Best things about this water container are it's (1) simple without all the hoses, etc. of a hydration system and (2) tough and physically flexible, occupies minimal space.

The best thing about this product is the price you pay for a large, transportable water container. Where products like camelbak can be horrifyingly overpriced, you can purchase this guy and put it in a back pack.

It's also quite durable, I've filled it with water and dropped it onto the floor from several feet above and it just won't bust, it's clearly made to last.

However, the most troubling thing about this product is really the mouth piece. It's tiny, and therefore hard to fill and clean. I'm not sure who imagined that having a small opening for a water container would be practical but it clearly isn't. To tell you the truth I wouldn't even consider buying a second one unless that was changed. Oh, and maybe if it had a handle, that be great too.

In the meantime this product does serve it's purpose, I have taken this thing around everywhere and it does well, it's durability does surprise me.

Bought 4 of these for Philmont in July where extra water storage is a must. I've used them 2X so far for weekend 20 milers and found they are durable and work just like they were intended. They are lightweight and easily fold up and store out of the way when not needed. I also have the 1.8L version with a drinking tube and was able to eliminate carrying Nalgene bottles, which are heavy and not always accessible from the pack side storage pockets. I highly recommend these bottles for all hiking/backpacking ventures.

I used the bottle once and washed it--and the little nondescript cap got lost--probably tossed in the trash like all other plastic caps. A replacement is $3.00 plus shipping. It's also tricky to wash and air dry--hard to get a bag dry inside.

This holds 80 ounces, a little more than 2 liters (hence, the 2+L) and fits fairly well in my pack's reservoir pouch. The fit is a little tight, but since it's just a pouch it crumples up easily. I would strongly recommend buying the Platypus Drinking Tube. One thing that surprised me is that the plastic is different than I thought it would be. I thought it would feel like a really strong zip lock bag, but the plastic is harder and much stiffer. That's for the best though since that makes it more difficult to puncture. I could probably drop this on some rocks from 5 or 10 feet and it wouldn't bust.