I keep losing smartwater bottles off the side pockets of my ULA circuit.

Is there some kind of device or mcgivering I can use to attach the bottle to my pack, like a ring near the cap?

How about a loop of cord, attached to the neck of the bottle with a cable tie?

Tie a thin piece of cord in a 6" loop and clove hitch it under the neck of the bottle, then clip that with a carabiner.

Andrew

What I'd like is something to attach the cap to the bottle! I've lost caps on two trips in a row!

Any specific reason you use Smartwater bottles? I haven't had any problems with 32 oz Gatorade bottles, even with some scrambling thrown in.

@Mary -- I've used the caps off of an Evernew water bladder. There is also Mike C's tip of carrying an extra cap...

Edited by jdw01776 on 12/28/2011 20:50:03 MST.

I figured out a neat trick for this. You will need (or improvise):

Thin cord
Awl or small hole making tool
Knife to cut cord
Lighter to singe cord
Chisel ground flat head driver to pry
Silicone sealant optional

Or multitool to use in the above fashion.

Take off the cap, look inside. There should be a blue gasket inside the cap. This is what seals the bottle. Carefully pry this out and save it.

Now, Awl out a thin hole in the center top of the cap, just wide enough to pass the cord through. Pass the cord through and create a stopper knot on the inside. Check that it holds tight and won't pull through. Trim the excess cord and burn the frayed strands.

Dab a tiny bit of silicone above the knot, and pull it through the awled hole, to create a sort of seal. This is just to keep dust out if you're a germophobe. Apply from the outside as well if you must.

After it all dries. Replace the blue gasket, check that the bottle seals and holds pressure. The gasket seals the bottle, not the plastic cap.

Use the other end of the cord to knot it to the bottle. Use another loop as the biner clip, don't use the newly made cap retainer as one.

Carried a bottle just like this for a couple weeks, no problems.

Edited by LaVista on 12/28/2011 21:17:13 MST.

Thanks, Jeff, I'll try this. I do toss in a couple of extra caps, but they do tend to pop out of hands and down steep slopes!

Yes, there is.

Take about 6" of cord, maybe 1/8" dia and make a loop somehow, tie the ends in a figure 8 knot or something, doesnt matter.

Slide the loop thru a cordlock toggle, now you have a loop on each side of the toggle. Or you can tie the loop to the carabiner, or crimp it with a sleeve to look professional, etc.

snap small carabiner around the end that has your tied knot.

Stick bottle neck thru other end, and slide cordlock up to cinch it tight around bottle neck under ridge. Snap carabiner to anything.

Outdoor products used to make these and was sold at Walmart, but I havent seen them in several yrs, they were $2, but can make your own for cheap. I will snap an .5L bottle to my beltloop for short hikes this way.

Edited by livingontheroad on 12/29/2011 15:26:44 MST.

http://store.ekusa.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_14&products_id=130

coupla different sizes availble

I attach a cord to my bottles. It uses a hitch on one end to allow it to get very tight around the bottle. The other end usually have a figure eight loop. I might have a mitten hook in the loop if I'm attaching it to a thick enough cord on my pack, otherwise I'll use a micro biner or the smallest night ize biner to clip it to my pack.