A Guyot Gription For My Nalgene Bottle
I’ve been using a big wide-mouth Nalgene bottle for probably about a decade. I often use it when camping with Scouts—it’s not the best to hike with, but it’s great for around camp. Quite a while ago I saw this thing called a Guyot Designs Gription when I was at EMS. I finally bought one a few months ago.
2005/09/25 Update: I wrote a review of the new model, which addresses several points I make below, and basically improves upon the model. If you want to buy a Gription, I recommend reading the Guyot Designs Gription Mark II Review.
The Gription is a replacement lid for wide-mouth Nalgene bottles. There’s a handle to make the bottle easier to hold, and a hole in the handle for a carabiner or whatever to hook to your bag. (In the photo above, I have a carabiner through the hole.) Pressing the orange button opens the sipping valve so you can drink out of it. When closed, it seals as well as the regular lid. The valve works pretty well, though I wish its opening were a little larger. It also solves the problem of “splashback,” which always happens with wide-mouth bottles. The whole thing comes apart for cleaning, too.
There’s also a little silver locking slide button on the Gription. “Locking” the bottle prevents the orange button from being depressed, so the valve can’t open and water doesn’t leak out when you don’t want it to. It’s a good idea, however I think it’s been poorly executed: mine’s already broken (or atleast, it doesn’t work well). Since it can be easily disassembled, I could see that the lock only has a tiny nub to lock against. The nubs on mine don’t look to be worn down, it’s just that they don’t provide much resistance in the first place. Actually, I’m left wondering at the usefullness of the lock in the first place—the shape of the Gription offers some protection from accidental presses while the bottle’s on its side.
Regardless of the lock’s shortcomings, I think the Gription is a nice product for use around camp or wherever. (Of course, hiking with this thing adds quite a few unnecessary ounces!) I just have a little trouble paying more for a Gription than the Nalgene bottle it goes on!
Comment from Sloan Russell on August 13, 2005 at 12:50 PM
Dear Dan,
I am so happy to see a review of the Gription on your blog. I wanted to let you know that we have completely redesigned it, and it is vastly more functional than the version that you have. Would you like me to send you a new one to try out? I am more than happy to.
All the best,
Sloan Russell President, Guyot Designs
Comment from Jake Valera on September 4, 2005 at 9:55 PM
Dear Dan, Ive have the same lock defect that you described and kinda dissapointed coz i thought it was the ultimate for my nalgenes. If I may add that the spout with its large cavity can trap dirt or debris when you have it in the open while climbing.I imagine that contamination is likely when the lock fails or the spring weakens. I wish I had the very kind response you got here from Mr. Russell but I dont even have an address from Guyotdesigns or know where to send my old defective Gription for repair or exchange. Their web page has no return info or customer service. I like the Gription alot despite its few shortcomings.Please let me know if you have any info. Sincerely, Jake
Comment from Sloan Russell on September 8, 2005 at 1:44 PM
Hi there,
Anyone who has a Gription that needs help can feel free to reach me at Sloan@guyotdesigns.com. We are more than happy to help out. Jake, just let me know where to send it and it is off.
All the best,
Sloan
Comment from Jake Valera on September 16, 2005 at 2:45 PM
Dear Dan,Sloan, Thank you so much for your help.
I got my new Gription today,{first class and fast delivery} and WOW its much better than before. My old Gription is still in use though its been through h--l and back.
Lately Ive learned to let my 7yr old son
do the durability testing of some of my survival equiptment..well he couldnt break it
and I even saw my wife use the Gription/Lexan-Nalgene combo as an effective impact weapon! Griptions glass filled nylon is tough. Now im afraid I have to buy several more . My wife took the new one.. Sincerely, Jake
Comment from Larry Wolfgang on September 16, 2005 at 8:56 PM
My comment is that based on Dan showing me how neat the Gription is in had mentioned it as a neat idea for a birthday present. Dan's youngest brother Chris bought me one and I took it with me to the Boy Scout National Jamboree in late July. I've tried several different hydration methods at the three previous Jamborees I have attended. I've used a military canteen and web belt, a Camelback bladder and even a plain Nalgene bottle. The Gription was a great way to keep water handy during those very hot 100 + degree days at this year's Jamboree. As a staff member of the K2BSA Amateur Radio demonstration staff, and an assistant coordinator for the Radio Merit Badge, I knew there would be water jugs with ice available at our program areas.
To carry my Nalgene bottle and Gription top I started with a small key-ring carabiner through the hole in the handle, and then clipped the biner to another biner on my belt. After taking the bottle off for a drink two or three times I realized that the handle would fit into the key ring on the biner. This turned out to be the perfect way to carry water at the Jamboree! I could simply lift the water bottle off the key ring, have a drink and drop the handle back into the key ring. It was easy to carry everywhere I went at the Jamboree. The only "problem" was that if I didn't pay attention when sitting down on the seat of a shuttle bus I sometimes popped the bottle off the key ring.
I'm not sure how that carry method would work for real hiking, but it sure worked good at the Jamboree.
Since I was at the Jamboree when Dan wrote his review I was unaware of the problem he had with the locking mechanism not working. But by about the third day at the Jamboree my Gription would no longer lock. That didn't really turn out to be a problem because a little spilled water on my shorts felt good in the heat wave of Northern Virginia in July/August!
It sounds like the new design has solved that problem. I definitely add my thumbs up to Dan's recommendation. If anyone is thinking about buying a Gription, I definitely think it is a worthwhile investment.
Comment from Craig on January 11, 2006 at 8:09 PM
I'm with you. My lock gave up the ghost... and QUICK! I head up a Social Studies department at a high school outside Atlanta. Teachers talk a good bit so you always need to wet the whistle. I go through a good deal of fluid in a day, so I carry a Nalgene to school. (If you drank that much Coke your kidneys would fail!) I bought the Gription so I could clip it to my laptop bag from car to classroom, but also to have something to hold onto for drinking. In those respects it worked fine. But I always locked it (don't want to get tests wet, right?) Well within a few days the lock cashed in its chips. I now have to put the handle of the Gription through the handle of my desk drawer.
Comment from Bryan Hansen on February 26, 2006 at 10:05 AM
I purchased a Gription several weeks ago and like the idea but have found that slight pressure on the orange lever causes water to pour out, even when locked. The lock is ineffective, to say the least, and is getting looser by the day. I wrote to Guyot Designs through their website soon after my purchase and received a prompt reply from Sloan Russell. He indicated that he would rectify my problem by sending me a new one. I wrote back, thanking him for his customer service. It has been several weeks now, however, and in the last couple of weeks I have attempted to contact Guyot Designs three more times through their website to follow up, as I have not yet received anything from them. I am gravely disappointed in this company, and in particular, Sloan Russell. Either a lack of integrity or a slip-shod approach to customer service is at the root of my problem with Guyot Designs, and I am interested in receiving a reply from them as to which it is. Below, I am going to paste in a copy of my correspondence with Sloan Russell for informational purposes.
Bryan and Celia Hansen wrote:
Greetings,
Your customer service is unexpectedly prompt, courteous, personal, and superlative in every way. If I was not impressed with your company before, I certainly am now. Thank you very much and I look forward to hearing from you.
Bryan Hansen
----- Original Message -----
From: Sloan Russell
To: bryancelia@msn.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: Gription leakage
Hi there,
I am terribly sorry about the problem that you are having with the Gription. I will be happy to send you a new one with the hopes that it's lock is much more secure. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity to make it right.
All the best,
Sloan Russell
President, Guyot Designs
bryancelia@msn.com wrote:
Hello,
I recently purchased a Gription for use with a Nalgene wide-mouth polycarbonate bottle. I really like the design, however, the locking mechanism doesn\'t seem to work all that well. It is still possible, with little pressure, to open the valve enough for it to pour out, not just dribble out. Any suggestions?
Comment from joms_backpacker on March 15, 2006 at 9:37 AM
I bought a Gription bottle last month in HongKong, and by this time, I want to sell. I really dont know about this guyot gription, i just admire its shape and I bought one. but when i used it in my nalgene, i was really disappointed that it does not perform as what i expected. If there's anybody who want to buy my gription, you are welcome, and honestly, i will not buy again.
Comment from Paul S. on June 12, 2006 at 8:19 AM
JOMS_BACKPACKER........how much do you want the gription that you mentioned you would like to sell? Thank-you.
Comment from Northernblades on July 7, 2007 at 10:56 AM
not quite a review one the gription, but I came here because I knew I saw Sloan Russell here in the past.
I recently bout one of the stainless bottles.
got t home, and immediatly place my favourite sticker on it.
filled it with watter. and it leaks. like a siv.
out of the main righ (roughly where the rope ties.) I can see where the machine marks on the inside of the opening, grouve into one side, they cut clean through.
Comment from Northernblades on July 7, 2007 at 7:33 PM
Well. Thus far very impressed. I contacted Guyot, and got an Immediate responce. And an offer to rectify the problem. I will see if everything goes through, but as of this moment very very impressed.
Now My oly grief is that the "splash gaurd" has to fit too low in the stainless steel bottle, as opposed to right on the top edge (of nalgene bottles)
this is a result of the lid of the guyot having a significantly bigger ledge on the inside of the bottle.