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Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

CNOC unveils the ThruBottle as a direct upgrade to the Smartwater bottle.

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Last updated:
October 15, 2025
|  5 min read

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

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CNOC unveils the ThruBottle as a direct upgrade to the Smartwater bottle.

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Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

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This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Writer
Nathan Pipenberg
Nathan’s work focuses on travel, the outdoors, and environmental issues.
Media Mentions

Backpacker: This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

This Year’s Hottest Ultralight Upgrade Costs Just $13

Ultralighters and thru-hikers love cheap gear, and nothing represents that ethos better than the Smartwater bottle. Its appeal is trifold: First of all, it is very cheap. Depending where you buy it, the one-liter version costs between $3 and $5. It’s very light at just over one ounce. And most importantly, it works flawlessly with water filters like the Sawyer Squeeze and Platypus Quickdraw—no adapters needed. It’s flexible enough to squeeze, but robust enough to last hundreds of miles on trail.

CNOC, well known for its ultralight water bladders and soft-sided bottles, is the first brand to really take on the challenge of de-throning Smartwater as king of water carry for weight-conscious ultralighters and thru-hikers. The long-awaited ThruBottle shares the basic design that makes the Smartwater bottle so popular: Slim, tall, with a 1-liter capacity, and with a 28-millimeter thread compatibility for squeeze filters. It costs $13, or about the equivalent of four disposable bottles. So is it just a Smartwater clone, or a worthy upgrade? Let’s dig into the details.

Continue reading to learn more about CNOC's new ThruBottle, written by Nathan Pipenberg.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Writer
Nathan Pipenberg
Nathan’s work focuses on travel, the outdoors, and environmental issues.
Media Mentions
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