Yeti Rambler 26oz Bottle with Chug Cap review: a bulletproof bottle that takes no prisoners

Yeti Rambler 26oz Bottle with Chug Cap: first impressions

Yeti’s reputation for building robust, practically bulletproof drinkware continues with the Rambler 20oz bottle with chug cap. Made with stainless steel, this double-wall vacuum water bottle keeps your drinks hot or cold, though we found it didn’t keep our tea hot overnight and prefer it for keeping beverages icy. The screw lid has a convenient carrying handle (though if you drop it, it probably won’t dent), and under the lid is a screw on plastic chug cap, which is basically a drinking spout which makes it easy to drink out of this without dumping water on your face.

When you want to fill it or clean it, just remove the chug cap and the wide mouth gives you plenty of access. It’s also dishwasher safe, which is a huge plus. It doesn’t sweat when it’s full of cold liquid, and doesn’t leak when it’s rolling around in your backpack.

This is a heavy and bulky piece of gear compared to other hiking water bottles, so we prefer it for car camping and picnics, and it doesn’t come cheap, but if you’re looking for something that will last a lifetime of adventures, this is your bottle.

Yeti Rambler 26oz Bottle with Chug Cap: in the field

Starting with what I like about this bottle, it’s really good quality and robust, which is good because my water bottles tend to take a beating. I’ve dropped it a few times and it still looks brand new. I do like the carrying handle on the lid a lot. Not that I’d walk along a trail carrying it in my hand, but just for generally moving it around, I’ll admit that it’s useful and means I’m not causing a stir by dropping it loudly wherever I go. 

It also doesn't leak inside my backpack, which is great when I have spare clothes and my phone in with it. I've also put electrolyte powder in this and I'm pleased to say that it doesn't taste of it for months afterwards.

My problem with other water bottles of this dimension is that the mouth is too big, so if I’m not paying attention (which I never am) I end up with water all down my front. Not cool. I love the chug cap, and don’t know why more brands don’t do that. It makes it easy to drink from and I can remove it for cleaning and filling and for those two purposes, I love the wide mouth.

What I don’t love is mainly that it doesn’t keep drinks hot for as long as I’d like. It definitely keeps them piping hot for four to five hours, so for a picnic it’s no problem, but the very first time I used it, we were leaving at 6pm to drive down south. We were stopping half way and sleeping in the van, so I filled it with tea thinking it would be nice to wake up in the morning and have a steaming cup by the sea. We were quite shocked that at 7:30am the drink was tepid at best. I’ve tested it at home and it definitely starts to cool by eight hours, so if you’re looking for something to keep drinks hot for a long time, this isn’t it. But, it’s great for shorter periods and keeps drinks cold practically forever, with no condensation on the outside.

The Yeti is a great-looking bottle and seriously sturdy, but while I love it for a road trip or car camping, I find it a little heavy and bulky for hiking.

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