There are many reasons why Iron Flask travel bottles are a must-have for your packing checklist when you’re venturing away from home. Here are some useful tips on how to get the most mileage out of your reliable travel water bottle:

All-day Hydration

The best travel water bottle you can bring on your trip is one like Iron Flask made with premium stainless steel, which holds up to everyday wear and tear. It also never rusts and it's easy to keep clean and sanitized. Compared to plastic water bottles, which for many are the go-to for travel convenience, an insulated travel bottle keeps drinks hot or cold for many hours. If you're traveling to a destination that has clean, safe water, you can easily refill your water bottle throughout the day. For places without potable tap water, another option is to buy large jugs of filtered water and use them to refill your bottle.

Iron Flask’s non-toxic bottles with BPA-free lids provide healthy hydration on all your adventures, whether you're traveling between locales or exploring on the ground at your destination.

Save Money

Hydration is important when traveling but so is staying on budget — another reason why a reusable water bottle should be on your packing list. Plastic water bottles can be expensive when you're traveling, especially at the airport, where they cost upwards of $4 apiece. It might not seem like much money, but these costs can quickly add up over the course of a few days or weeks. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of the cost plastic bottles have on the environment.

It's Good For the Environment

Speaking of the environment, reusable travel drink containers are just plain better for it. Bringing your own bottle helps reduce the number of plastic bottles that inevitably end up in landfills or bodies of water. When you're traveling, finding a recycling bin can also be a challenge, another reason why you should pack a reusable travel water bottle. Stay hydrated with your own bottle and ditch plastic bottles at airports, exploring the streets of a new city, or on long journeys where you may not be able to stop for a drink. Use your own stainless steel bottle for a cool drink that doesn’t rely on single-use plastic bottles.

It Has Many Uses

An insulated travel water bottle like Iron Flask’s can be used in many ways, not just for hydration (although that’s our personal favorite application). For those traveling with furry companions, use a reusable water bottle to refill your pet's travel water bowl. It also works to transport hot or cold foods and keep them at temperature if needed, with its double-walled vacuum insulated bottle.

You can also get creative with the product’s uses. For example, if you're driving through a remote area, a water bottle can also be used in a pinch for topping off engine fluids such as coolant or windshield wiper fluid. It will help you with a ton of situations like this!

Travel Packing Tips

So now that you know a reusable stainless steel bottle is a must-have for your travels, what else do you need to know? Here are a few of our best travel packing tips when bringing your bottle along:

Keep it sanitized

A water bottle is a moist environment, which means that germs and bacteria can easily set up shop and thrive. Whether you're traveling or on the go, it is essential to clean and sanitize your water bottle at least once a day. Wash with hot soapy water and a bottle brush, which will prevent it from cultivating harmful bacteria like E. coli. The bottle brush is important because it quickly scrubs away any bacteria that can accumulate in hard to reach areas such as corners and around the lid. With a clean and sanitized water bottle, you can rest assured that your water is safe to drink. After all, you wouldn’t want to risk getting sick, especially when far from home. For more tips, check out our Care page, which outlines other sanitizing and cleaning methods.

Save space

Since TSA guidelines require water bottles to be empty during flights, you can use it to store other essentials like your toothbrush and toothpaste. Not only will these packing tips for air travel help you save space, but it also gives you easy access to your toothbrush, which is especially useful when you're on the long haul.

But it doesn't have to be limited to storing a toothbrush. You could fill your water bottle with any important items that you need quick access to throughout your travels. Practical add-ons like a paracord handle with a carabiner also allow you to save space by conveniently clipping it to the outside of your backpack or other gear.

Keep out of the freezer & microwave

Keep in mind that an insulated water bottle is designed to maintain hot or cold temperatures, regardless of the external temperature. This is why you should never place your bottle in the freezer or microwave since it has no effect on the temperature. In fact, a stainless steel bottle in a microwave can cause damage to the appliance. You should also hand wash only because a dishwasher can damage the exterior coating.

With a reusable water bottle on your packing list, you can stay hydrated and also be ready for anything. From the Iron Flask team, the makers of a bestselling stainless steel water bottle, bon voyage!