Initially we thought that this was impossible. A collapsible, synthetic material water bottle you can boil water in? We caught wind of the alleged bottle from a friend, picked up a sample on Amazon, and set out to see if it was true.
What is the bübi?
The bübi bottle is described as a better bottle by its umlaut-loving owners, and it just might be. The drinking vessel is BPA free, mold resistant, lightweight, reversible for cleaning, and will retain its shape no matter what. The bottle can be put in a microwave after removing the included clip and plastic cap, where it can boil water or heat up your favorite beverage. It will survive a trip inside your freezer or dishwasher, and can handle pretty much anything except punctures. The company claims,
“In a unique field test recently, we had an alligator chomp on one of our bübi bottles for 10 minutes. Result? No punctures.”
We can’t confirm that, but it does makes for some good marketing. We didn’t baby our sample during this test, and while our testing had no alligators in it, we did faily to puncture the bottle.
The bübi bottle is small and light enough to stuff in a cargo or back pocket when empty, and clipped to a belt or bag when full. The cap of the bottle is made from plastic, and uses a unique “cork” type fitting to maintain a water tight seal when closed. With the cap removed, the bottle is little more that a rubbery sleeve. We tried it out as a pod holder on a cast iron skillet, as the material is somewhat similar to silicone pod holders we have used in the kitchen. Although awkward as hell (and not recommended), it worked and failed to burn through.
People are also using this bottle for hot and cold compresses, and to warm their hands, boots and sleeping bags. Additionally, the larger versions can be used to waterproof electronics such as your cell phone (which is pretty cool). These are all things we’re interested in, but all we really cared about was ‘will it survive an open flame?‘
We’ve slow boiled water for purifying before, using nothing more than a regular disposable water bottle. This is as much an art as it is a science, and can be a little tricky if not practiced frequently. For those who don’t want to boil water in plastic bottles and are looking for a durable, multipurpose bottle for their survival kit, this might be worth a look. So the question stands: what happens if we put it over an open flame?
We headed out to the woods with our sample, the smaller 14 oz. bübi bottle in grey. We set up a small tripod from branches and a little cordage, and proceeded to get a fire started. Now we’re no Terry Barney or Norseman Williams (and really, who is?), but we can start a fire in only a minute or two. After we got a decent flame, the test began.
We suspended the bottle over the open flame and watched. To keep flames from creeping too high and melting the aluminum ring above, we had to make a few adjustments to the height during the evaluation. The result? A nice, rolling boil! Granted, this took about ten minutes, but still was a success. After the test the bottom was black as a coal miner’s lungs, potentially hiding any damage that might have occurred. The carbon removed in easy flakes, and after a good scrubbing back indoors it looked as good as new. This proves the bübi bottle is a viable option for a survival kit.
The bootle has proven its worth to us, and we intend to buy a few of the larger, 22 oz models for our kits. We have used it day to day, and like how it rolls up and stows inside the round carbine clip when empty. It’s about as cool as a water bottle can be, so check it out and let us know what you think.
Don’t Bubi’s come in pairs?
Just asking.
Sounds fantastic, but I have to wonder about the plastic leaching chemical when heated over a flame.
Is ther any possibility of you sending some water samples to a testing lab and comparing the results? Same water sample, just one from the bottle ore-boil, and the other post-boil would be fantastic.
Mad Duo, What a great article, and so well tested by active outdoor enthusiasts. Yes, I was there when the gator bit the bottle and recently we shot the bubi bottle with a 9mm and 308 rifle, Shooting a steel and bottled water and the bubi bottle, The bottled water, splashed as expected, the steel bottle lost its cap and ripped a hole in front and a gaping hole in back and the bubi bottle with 10 shots, self healed. only leaked when squeezing. We have videos.
the gator video, https://youtu.be/qW0e2ruUOew