Skip to main content

MIRA Insulated Water Bottle

My cat has a lot of pretensions. She prefers to drink water directly from the faucet. Her next resort is to drink out of a glass. I leave two pint-sized glasses full of water for her but this never stopped her from drinking from any unattended glasses. So, I just use water bottles. 



I have tested several, as I have a few important criteria. The ability to drink lying down is of key importance because I get thirsty at night. This means that the bottle needs to have a fairly narrow opening/neck. I also want a decent amount of volume. Finally, I prefer cold water and want to be able to fit ice cubes into the bottle.

At first, I used an early model the Camelback Chug (see below):


This water bottle met all of my initial qualifications, and I really liked the shape of its lip, which seemed made for the prone drinker. The cap was quite easy to take off with a few twists but it also came loose easily in my bags. That was obviously a problem.

Eventually, I started noticing the prevalence of insulated water bottles and switched to the MIRA. I load it with a little ice and it keeps my water cold for about 12 hours even with the lid off.  I have been immensely happy with it.  While brands like Yeti charge around $40, the 25 oz MIRA can be had for only $15.95 (the smaller, 17 oz version is $13.95).



Most importantly, when I wake up in the morning, I have cold water waiting next to me that my cat hasn't drunk from... 



*These opinions are my own and I receive no sponsorship or compensation, as a result of them.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

On Leisure: Part 1

I am never less at leisure than when at leisure, nor less alone than when I am alone.  -Scipio Africanus It occurred to me that it might be well worthwhile to define what I mean by leisure . First and foremost, I think of the quote above. This sense of leisure reaches back to the Greeks and the concept of schole , as in school . Leisure, or schole, is associated with learning, self-cultivation, philosophy, and freedom. In this sense, " Leisure is not the cessation of work, but work of another kind, work restored to its human meaning, as a celebration and a festival ."  This conception of schole is represented in the notion of a Sabbath, a time set aside for contemplation and reflection. In an article titled, "Learning and Leisure: Developing a School of Schole," Christopher Perrin writes:  " In 1948 the German philosopher Josef Pieper wrote a small book (about 130 pages) entitled Leisure the Basis for Culture .  Classical educators need this book.  Pieper does ...

Lighting: Part 1

How often do you think about the quality of your lighting? It can make a big difference in the quality of your environment. Lighting is mostly noticed when it is unwanted. There is little consideration given to the degree of quality in one's light source. As with most things, our attention is given to the liminal states.  Direct vs. Indirect Direct lighting proceeds directly from the source (bulb) to a surface without diffusion or reflection. Indirect lighting is diffusely reflected. As illustrated below. The design of the pendant lamp below combines direct  a nd  indirect lighting. Light is projected directly downwards and reflected off the inner walls expanding the light's circumference of reach. The surface will be brightest directly below the lamp and further out it will soften.  This kind of design can be useful. It might be great for a desk lamp, but in general, I prefer more diffusive light. Diffusion is accomplished through an opaque fi...

Fountain Pens

The renaissance of fountain pens might be compared to that of vinyl records in several ways. Both the fountain pen and the vinyl record were eventually felt to be obsolete technology. Nevertheless, each maintained a steadfast cult of aficionados. Additionally, like the vinyl revival, the fountain pen frenzy seems to be a response to the desire for a "hands-on experience" and a preference for quality over convenience. Fountain pen owners enjoy the experience of drawing ink into the pen, wiping the nib, etc. The appeal of multiple fountain pens relates to the variety of their nibs and one can affix different nibs to a given pen to customize the feel. In similar fashion, many people rotate between different phono cartridges to modify the sound of their system to taste. The golden age of fountain pens occurred in the early 20th century and ended with WWII. I have read that many collectors focus on pens from the 1920-30's, which featured luscious gold nibs and luxurious materi...