Canteen (bottle)
Encyclopedia
A canteen is a drinking water bottle designed to be used by hikers, campers, soldiers and workers in the field. It is usually fitted with a shoulder strap or means for fastening it to a belt, and may be covered with a cloth bag and padding to protect the bottle and insulate the contents. Many canteens may also include a nested canteen cup.
Primitive canteens were sometimes made of hollowed-out gourds, such as a calabash
, or were bags made of leather.
Later, canteens consisted of a glass bottle in a woven basket cover. The bottle was usually closed with a cork stopper.
Designs of the mid-1900s were made of metal — tin
-plated steel, stainless steel
or aluminium
— with a screw cap, the cap frequently being secured to the bottle neck with a short chain or strap to prevent loss. These were an improvement over glass bottles, but were subject to developing pinhole leaks if dented, dropped or bumped against jagged rocks.
Current designs are almost exclusively made of one of several types of plastic
s, especially polyethylene
or polycarbonate
. They are typically as light or lighter than their metal equivalents and are quite resistant to developing leaks, even when dropped or severely bumped.
Hunter-gatherer
s in the Kalahari use ostrich eggshell as water containers in which they puncture a hole to enable them to be used as canteens. The presence of such eggshells dating from the Howiesons Poort
period of the Middle Stone Age
at Diepkloof Rock Shelter
in South Africa
suggests canteens were used by humans at early as 60,000 years ago.
Primitive canteens were sometimes made of hollowed-out gourds, such as a calabash
Calabash
Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
, or were bags made of leather.
Later, canteens consisted of a glass bottle in a woven basket cover. The bottle was usually closed with a cork stopper.
Designs of the mid-1900s were made of metal — tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
-plated steel, stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
or aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
— with a screw cap, the cap frequently being secured to the bottle neck with a short chain or strap to prevent loss. These were an improvement over glass bottles, but were subject to developing pinhole leaks if dented, dropped or bumped against jagged rocks.
Current designs are almost exclusively made of one of several types of plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
s, especially polyethylene
Polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
or polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
. They are typically as light or lighter than their metal equivalents and are quite resistant to developing leaks, even when dropped or severely bumped.
Hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s in the Kalahari use ostrich eggshell as water containers in which they puncture a hole to enable them to be used as canteens. The presence of such eggshells dating from the Howiesons Poort
Howiesons Poort
Howiesons Poort is a lithic technology cultural period in the Middle Stone Age in Africa named after the Howieson’s Poort Shelter archeological site near Grahamstown in South Africa...
period of the Middle Stone Age
Middle Stone Age
The Middle Stone Age was a period of African Prehistory between Early Stone Age and Late Stone Age. It is generally considered to have begun around 280,000 years ago and ended around 50-25,000 years ago. The beginnings of particular MSA stone tools have their origins as far back as 550-500,000...
at Diepkloof Rock Shelter
Diepkloof Rock Shelter
Diepkloof Rock Shelter is a rock cave in Western Cape, South Africa in which has been found some of the earliest evidence of the human use of symbols, in the form of patterns engraved upon ostrich eggshell water containers. These date around 60,000 years ago.The symbolic patterns consist of lines...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
suggests canteens were used by humans at early as 60,000 years ago.
See also
- Bota bagBota bagA bota bag or wineskin is a traditional Spanish liquid receptacle. Typically, it is made of leather , and is used to carry wine, although any liquid will do.- Construction :...
- CampingCampingCamping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
- Hip flaskHip flaskA hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.-Description: Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel...
– similar design and function - Hydration packHydration packA hydration pack is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waist pack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands-free...
- NalgeneNalgeneThermo Scientific Nalgene is a brand of polyethylene plastic developed and manufactured by Nalge Nunc International originally developed for laboratory storage containers. It is now used in the manufacture of water containers, vials, bottles, bags and carboys for packaging, shipping, and storage...