The 40-plus pounds of water that the 5-gallon Smart Bottle holds provides an effective weight for trimming a small boat.
Ben Fuller
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Thanks Ben. I, too, needed to upgrade my water containers for the upcoming season. My previous hard-shell containers were awkward and the spouts leaked. In looking around in the stores and online, I never found the Smart Bottles, but I did find a bag called AquaSto, by Seattle Sports. I bought three 5-liter bags. They are rectangular, about 14.5″ X 11″ when flat, with the opening at one corner. They are narrow enough when full that they can be tied up alongside my CB case and not get in the way.
I figure with 3 bags, if any one of them springs a leak, I won’t be totally hooped. They also come in 8-liter size.
Duckworks Boatbuilder’s Supply and Small Craft Advisor have the 1 gallon in stock. A great product.
Simeon
SCAMP #11, NODDY
For several years now I have been using some surplus black rubber 5-gallon bags that retailed for $9.95 (on some sites they listed for as high as $29), because I could not find anything else that wasn’t shaped like a “hard” plastic jug. I carried them while canoe camping on Puget Sound. They worked well as dead weight to help balance the boat, but I am really tired of the rubber taste the water has. The Smart Bottles will serve the same function but will let me enjoy the trip more in the future. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
Wow, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for! Our kayak platform winters in a marina where the water smells like sewage and tastes like blood. We drain the tanks every fall and need a handy way to refill them in the spring before we launch. Twice now, I’ve dropped expensive folding bags lugging them up the ladder because the handles gave way. They burst like rotten pumpkins.