Leaking liquid containers when driving (walking) over passes

[Lucas Vogelsang]

I’ve used various small containers for oil, sunscreen and DEET. I’m currently traveling through South America and doing a few hikes in Peru. The mountains passes you drive over here are quite extreme and I’ve had issues with containers leaking before even hitting the trail head. It’s quite common that you go from 1500m to 4000m within a couple of hours of driving. If you have air inside of your container and the container is not standing upright, the pressure buildup is high enough to push liquid through pretty much every sealing container I’ve used: Muji’s small travel containers (http://www.muji.us/store/pet-spray-bottle-12ml.html), 35mm film roll containers, my Dr. Bronners soap, the only thing that never leaked were soda bottles which are obviously made for storing pressurized liquids but way too big for anything..

Even the original Repel 1oz bottle (https://www.amazon.com/Repel-Insect-Repellent-Spray-Bottle/dp/B000LGN3Z2/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495629992&sr=8-4&keywords=deet+repel) is not leak proof.

What are containers have proven to never leak for you?

[Steve K]

It should be sufficient to squeeze out some portion of the air of all of your containers before capping them. The slight vacuum will equalize the higher air pressure inside the bottle when you go to a lower air pressure area.

[Michael]

What Steve said … I do it when flying for items in checked bags as well.

[David Thomas]

Yes to pre-squeezing the containers.

You can’t guarantee they’ll stay upright, but try to pack them that way – snugly in a zip-lock bag.  With a paper towel in there.

Nalgene brand containers have a wedge-shaped ring molded into the cap that fits around and tightens on the top of the bottle.  I’ve gotten 1-ounce and 1/2-ounce Nalgene containers in different colors for different liquids and goos.  I haven’t had a problem with those at elevation.

Whatever you think might work, fill with cooking oil and leave it upside down on a paper towel for a few days.  Staining on the paper towel will show if any leaked.

Or test your containers without making a mess but squeezing some air out and tightening the lid.  Come back in an hour, 8 hour, a day and several days.  See how long each was able to hold that negative air pressure.  You will find a wide variation.

[Ben C]

Many baby food companies now package in flexible, bladder-like containers.  They are relatively small, and you can squeeze virtually all the air out before capping.

Like this:

[Lucas Vogelsang]

The baby food bottles are intriguing if you can clean them well enough it’s probably a good idea for oil. Still need to find a solution for a DEET sprayer bottle.

@David, the Nalgene bottles have worked well for you? Have you stored something more prone (higher viscosity?) to leaking (such as alcohol or deet) in them?

I usually just put all my liquids in a zip-lock and then deal with the oil, syrup & vinegar mix every time I open it.

I’m mostly concerned though about the DEET container. I’ve ruined plastics before with DEET. Has anyone found a solid sprayer bottle or are all of you just applying it drop by drop with your hands?

[Lester Moore]

If carrying something that must not leak, like olive oil in a bear canister full of food, it’s always in a Nalgene bottle. They handle the pressure changes and rarely leak unless the cap or the ring on the bottle top get severely dented, cut or soiled with gritty dirt. For years I’ve carried DEET in a small Nalgene bottle with negligible problems, but it always goes inside a zip lock (a new one before each trip) just in case.

Never tried the baby food containers – if they hold up well, have a leak proof cap and are lighter than a comparable sized Nalgene, seems like a good alternative.

[Joseph Penney]

I avoid DEET all together and use a small Sawyer Picaridin pump.  Eliminates issue with DEET and plastics.  I cannot comment on it’s ability to withstand pressure build-up.  The tube is rigid, so you wouldn’t be able to pre-squeeze.

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/sawyer-picaridin-spray-tube-insect-repellent-16sawu5zpcrdntbxxodr/16sawu5zpcrdntbxxodr?camp=CSE:DSG_pg29286_ecom_PLA_452

[Ian Rae]

For larger volumes, I’ve had great luck with baby bottles with storage lids.  I use these for whiskey, raw eggs (for the first morning of trip if the weather is cool,) etc.  Madela makes 5 and 8 OZ capacity bottles.  For smaller containers, I’ve had really good success with nalgene bottles (which come at least as small as 1/4 OZ.)

Edit: I read some of the recent reviews of these Madela bottles, and it sounds like they have changed recently, and may not be as sturdy.  If you can get ahold of the older ones, that might still be an option, or I’m sure Nalgene makes stuff in the larger sizes, but the Nalgene stuff is definitely heavier.

 

[Dondo .]

I’m mostly concerned though about the DEET container. I’ve ruined plastics before with DEET. Has anyone found a solid sprayer bottle or are all of you just applying it drop by drop with your hands?

Repel Sportsmen Stick is an alternative that won’t leak.  It works best if you mostly rely on physical barriers and just need something for your face, neck and the back of your hands.

[Roger Caffin]

Nalge bottles. They do not leak.
I have been using them for 30+ years.

Since they are used in chem and biol labs, they really have to guarrantee their no-leak claim. This is a bit different from consumer stuff.

Cheers

[David Thomas]

Yes, Nalgene containers have worked for me with DEET.  Nalgene is HDPE – high-density polyethylene as are the original factory containers by Repel, Ben’s, REI, Off, etc.  The downside of the Nalgene containers versus the factory containers is that it’s harder to dispense.  I put a finger over the top, invert it, then spread those few drops from my finger tip around on my skin.  Wash, rinse, repeat.  Whereas the factory containers have either a pinhole opening or a manual spray head.  So usually I refill the smallest factory container I have – the Ben’s 1.25-ounce is pretty easy to find.  Their 0.5-ounce spray is harder to find.

As Lester says, as long as the ring in a Nalgene lid isn’t bunged up from cranking down on sand/gravel, I’ve had them function for a very long time.  After about 30-35 years the sidewalls can get brittle and if it doesn’t flex nicely before a trip, I just toss it.  Yeah, there’s lifetime warranty, but 30 years seems like a great service life.  And lots of them I’ve gotten free from a laboratory, etc.

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