Easy and Cheap Bottle Insulation

I recently went on a backpacking trip and I needed a water bottle. I wanted a nice insulated, 32 oz., water bottle that I could get for a decent price. I picked up a conversation where a man said that most of the extreme backpackers don't buy insulated water bottles they usually just cover them in duct tape. So I decided to give it a shot.

Materials

Your materials will depend on what you are trying to do. I was trying to keep water cold, so I used reflective tape to reflect heat and non-black duct tape so it wouldn't absorb heat. If you wanted to keep your drink hot then you could use black duct tape.

These are what I used/would use:

Cold insulation:
tin foil
light duct tape (not black, white is ideal)
Reflective duct tape (optional)
Water bottle

Hot insulation:
Tin foil
Black or dark duct tape
Water bottle

Adding Foil to Insulate

Now just take strips of foil and duct tape them to the water bottle as shown in the picture. I used three strips that were about 1 inch thick each. They were placed about 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches apart. Then I duct taped over it.

Using Duct Tape to Add More Insulation

Now you want to add a couple layers of duct tape around the whole cup. Probably around three or four layers will work. Then, on the bottom, do another 3 or 4 layers but only on the bottom 1 1/2 row. (Refer to pictures) and then do the same to only the top row. This adds an indention for more comfort for your hand to hold the bottle.

Putting on the Reflective Tape for Maximum Insulation

Now you just need to add the reflective tape on. Add it to the top row and the bottom 1 1/2 rows only (just like the last step). I don't recommend layering this duct tape but I guess you can. The regular duct tape adds a better grip than the reflective duct tape so I recommend leaving the spot where the indention for your hand is.

Now you are done. I hope you enjoy your new insulated water bottle and have fun with it