Military Water Bottles / Canteens

Military Water Bottles

Features  / Collection highlights  

The story of military canteens is an evolution from heavy, organic materials to the ultra-lightweight plastics and advanced hydration systems used today.

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Military Water Bottles / Canteens - an intruduction (Read)

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Military Water Bottles

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Object Type   -    Water Bottles

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History

The story of military canteens is an evolution from heavy, organic materials to the ultra-lightweight plastics and advanced hydration systems used today.

The Organic Era (Ancient World – 18th Century)
In early history, soldiers used what they could find in nature. Ancient Greek and Roman troops often carried water in animal skins (goatskin or pigskin), gourds, or pottery. Wooden "drum" canteens, constructed like tiny barrels with iron straps, became common in the 18th century; they were favored during the American Revolution because wood provided natural insulation and was cheaper than metal.

The Metal Revolution (19th Century – WWII)

As manufacturing improved, metals replaced organic materials for increased durability:Tin and Glass: During the American Civil War, oval-shaped tin canteens often covered in wool or "jean" material (to keep water cool through evaporation) became the standard.

The M-1910 Aluminum: In 1910, the US Army shifted to aluminum, introducing the iconic kidney-shaped design meant to sit comfortably against a soldier's hip.

The WWII Material Crisis: 

During World War II, aluminum was prioritized for aircraft. This forced the military to experiment with stainless steel, porcelain enamel, and even early plastics like Bakelite for canteen caps.

The Plastic & Modern Era (Vietnam – Present)

The transition to plastic was driven by the need for silence and lighter loads:Vietnam War: The introduction of the M-1961 plastic canteen was a major turning point. Unlike metal, plastic didn't rattle against other gear, which was critical for stealth in the jungle.
NBC Protection: In the 1970s, caps were redesigned with special valves so soldiers could drink while wearing a gas mask.
Hands-Free Hydration: In the 1990s, the "CamelBak" style hydration bladder began replacing the traditional canteen for many frontline units, allowing soldiers to "sip while they fight" without taking their hands off their weapons.
Despite these advancements, the classic metal canteen cup remains a staple because it is still the most reliable way to boil water or cook a meal over a field fire.

One of the most common items of individual equipment for ground troops is the military canteen.In military terms, 'canteen' was not originally a piece of equipment.The word referred to a place where refreshments and entertainment were provided for members of the armed forces. By the 19th century, canteen also came to mean a portable container for water, carried by infantry.

European Military Water Bottles

Iraqi Armed Forces Water Bottles

Chinese Army Water Bottles

All Water Bottles by Country



US Military Canteens / Waterbottle
European Military Water Bottles


Alphabetical Order


1937 Pattern Web Equipment (UK)
1944 Pattern Webbing (US)
51 Pattern Webbing (Canada)
1961 Pattern Webbing (South Africa)
1970 Pattern Webbing (South Africa)
M-1971 Webbing Set (Greece)
1972 Pattern Webbing (UK)
82 Pattern Webbing (Canada)
88 Pattern Webbing (Australia)



Albanese AAF Plastic Canteen (Chinese Army)


Austrian Army WW1 Water bottle
Austrailan Army Canteen Pouch 1968
Australian Army Vietnam Era Water Bottle and Cover
Australian ADF LAND 125 Water Bottle
Argentine Army 2-Quart Water Canteen
Argentine Army Plastic Canteen (US M-61)


Bulgarian Army WW2 Canteen
Brazilian Army Plastic Canteen
Brazilian Army Canteen and Cover
Brazilian Army Operational Canteen Pouch
Brazilian Army Plastic Canteen and pouch


Chinese Army Type 87 Water Bottle
Chinese Army Type 10 Water Bottle
Chinese Army PLA Everest Thermos Canteen
Chinese Army PLA Type-50 Canteen
Chinese Army Thermos Canteen
Chinese PLA Army Canteen Type 05
Chinese PLA Army type 87 Canteen
Chinese PLA Early Plastic Canteen
Canadian Army Thermos Canteen
Canadian Army WE'51 Canteen
Chilean Army Canteen 30s
Chilean Army Canteen
Czech Army Canteen CSLA
Czech Army Canteen Mod. 2005




Danish Army Glass Canteen Mod 1873
Dutch Army Canteen 70s
Dutch Army Plastic Canteen


East German NVA Canteen
Ecuadorian Army Plastic Canteen
Estonian Army Canteen M40


Finnish Army Plastic Canteen 1L
Finnish Army Plastic Canteen 0,65 L
Finnish Army Experimental Canteen
Finnish Army Plastic Canteen 1 L
Finnish Army Plastic Water Bottle
French Army Canteen M-51
French Canteen M-1877


German Canteen Mod.55 1st Model
German Army Canteen 3 Piece Set
German Border Police Canteen
Greek Army Plastic One Qt Canteen



Hungarian Army Canteen M 34
Hungarian Army Canteen 1951


Italian Army Canteen NBC-R
Italian Army Canteen M-75
Indonesian Army Canteen
Iraqi Army Plastic Canteen
Israeli IDF Canteen w / Cup
Israel Army IDF Rare Metal Canteen
Israeli Army IDF Canteen w/Cover and Cup

Israeli Army IDF Canteen Squared Plastic Canteen

Israeli Army IDF Aluminium Canteen
Italiam Army Canteen Mod. 1933
Iraqi Army Canteen New Type
Iraqi Army Metal Canteen and Cup
Indonesian Army Canteen
Indonesian Army Plastic Canteen (US M-61)


Japanese Army JSDF Aluminum Water Bottle
Japanese Imperial Army Aluminum Water Bottle
Japanese Imperial Army Rubber Canteen
Japanese Imperial army type 94 water bottle
Japanese Imperial Navy Water Bottle


KIFARU


London Bridge Trading
Lowe Alpine




Mexican Army Aluminium Canteen

Norrona


North Viet Nam Army NVA Plastic Canteen with Star
North Vietnamese Army Vietcong Plastic Canteen
OSKAR



Portuguese Army Canteen M64

Russian Army Plastic Canteen PE-1,5



SADF Water Bottle 2 Litre
SADF Patt 61/64 Water Bottle
SADF Patt. 70 Plastic Water Bottle
SADF Patt. 70 Plastic Water Bottle
SADF Water Bottle 2 Litre

SADF Army Patt 70 Water Bottle and Fire Bucket
Spanish American War Canteen
Spanish Army Canteen (1970 - 80)
Swiss Army Canteen M-32

Swedish Army Canteen Mod 1939
Swedish Army Canteen M90
South Korean Army ROKA Alum Canteen
South Korean Improved Spherical Water Bottle
Spanish Army Plastic Canteen
Spanish Army Canteen 50s-60s
Spanish Army Plastic Canteen 80s
Spanish Army Canteen 40s

Turkish Army Aluminium Waterbottle
Turkish Army Waterbottle
Turkish Ottoman Empire Metal Water Flask






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US Army Plastic Canteen M-1961
Us Army Ethocel Canteen
U.S. Army Arctic Canteen Video
US Army Arctic Canteen
US Army Cold Weather Canteen CRS
US Army Wyott Arctic Canteen

2-Quart Collapsible Water Canteen

Army Water Bottles of Middle East and Africa
Asian Pacific Region Military Water Bottles
SDF Camouflage Canteen & Cover


https://webbingbabel.blogspot.com/2017/07/canteen-test-pag-3.html

Israeli Army IDF Squared Canteen Plastic Water Bottle '85

Water Bottles

IDF Squared Water Bottle

1985

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This is a  

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TITLE

 

ISRAEL ARMY POLYMER FLASK

Part Number

 

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Date 

 

1985

nSN

 

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MATERIALS

 

Plastic

Contract

 

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OBJECT TYPE

Water Bottle

LOT NUMBER

 

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NASA ID

 

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London Bridge LBT Rare Silver Tag 804 Prototype 300 Win Mag Sniper Stock Pouch

PERSON DEPICTED

 

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DIMENSIONS

 

image size: 7 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.
paper size: 8 x 10 in.

CREDIT LINE

 

The Jack Shear Collection of Photography at the Tang Teaching Museum

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Vintage IDF/ZAHAL green olive water canteen – 80’s
Unique shape vintage water canteen. Usually used by Golani forces.
Canteen material: Plastic.
Measures:
Height ~ 26 cm (~10,23''), Width ~9.5 cm (~3,54''), Thickness ~ 6 cm (~2,36'')

Engraving famous sigh of the IDF army (ZAHAL) - צ
+ signed in Hebrew “For the drinking only”
Made in Israel

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ISRAEL ARMY POLYMER FLASK
מימייה צבאית

East Germany DDR Canteen Blumentarn Camo 1960s / Blumentarn Feldflasche

Mike Webb Collection

DDR Canteen Blumentarn Camo

1960s

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Nomenclature

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COLLECTION

Mike Webb Collection

ACQUISITION

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REFERENCE

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Description

History / Summary

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The least common piece of NVA Blumentarn gear I have is the Feldflasche or canteen. The canteen is the first in a series of three plastic water bottles that followed the M31 style Feldflasche adopted by the NVA and MdI. The earliest bottles, the M31s, were very nearly identical to the WW2 issued canteens. Between 1958 and 1961 a Blumentarn Feldflasche was issued that had a crossed stitching on the clothe cover. That model also had a grey/green colored strap and a chromed snap link. This style rivets holding the strap loop of the cup was continued into the next version, below. It is important to note that this cup does not have the folding handles seen in following versions.

The style shown here were issued between 1962 and 1970. They included an aluminum cup with folding handles. This cup is similar to the M31 cup in that it has two rivets holding the strap loop in place. The cup is painted field grey like the M31 cup as well. At the bottom of this post you will see another Blumentarn Feldflasche that has a welded strap loop like the next version that uses the Strichtarn or rain pattern camo cover.

Blumentarn camo covered DDR NVA Feldflasche with canteen cup, front and rear. The cup has folding loop handles. When compared with the later Strichtarn Feldflasche, the paint on the aluminum cup of this canteen has a greener hue to it, the later being more grey in appearance.

 

This is a good view of the snap link that holds the Feldflasche to the bread bag or Brotbeutel. You can also see the steel stud that holds the loop to the canteen cover. The black plastic, pig skin leather texture embossed strap has anthoer layer beneath it that is whitish plastic.

These images clearly show the rivets in the strap loop and the handle bracket. The later versions are spot welded and the strap loop is considerably closer to the buckle than on this version.

The top of the cup is marked with a maker’s emblem which is a little difficult to make out. I’m not an expert on DDR canteen makers, so any input my readers have info I am hoping you will share it.

Here you can see the graduation marks on the cup that are hidden under the strap. Below you can see the rivets from the inside of the cup.

The bottom of the Blumentarn cover is a separate, oval shaped piece that is reinforced with an “X” in stitching. Later models do not have this feature. Below you can clearly see the four snaps on this cover. Strichtarn models have only three snaps. The snaps are painted black.

The snaps are reinforced with a “pleather” disk. The inside of the top female snaps on this Feldflasche are marked “OL55.” I do not know if 55 indicates 1955. These covers were introduced in 1958.

The inside of the bottom male snaps are marked with a pattern that resembles a snowflake. The inside of the Feldflasche cover is a white felt material. In the pic below you can just make out a small purple colored marking that I cannot determine. In the center you can see the rivets that hold the strap. You can see the pleather reinforcements.

The water bottle itself is plastic with a plastic, screw on cap and a thin steel chain. This is the first plastic water bottle introduced to the NVA. The model previous to this one (M31 style) had an aluminum water bottle. This bottle has a 0.65 liter capacity. That is pretty small by US standards. The standard US military canteen is 1 quart, which is 0.95 liters.

The cap is sealed with a red/brown colored seal. My Feldflasche still smells a little musty after all these years.

This is a photo of a Blumentarn Feldflasche that I found on the internet. The cup on this version is spot welded and not riveted. Based on the placement of the strap loop and the spot welds, I think this Feldflasche has a later version cup like those on the Strichtarn Feldflaschen.

Feldflasche Trinkflasche Flächentarn 1960er Jahre

Swiss Army SIGG M32 Field Canteen with Cup '41

Mike Webb Collection

M32 Field Canteen with Cup

1941

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This is a rare 

Brand

 

SIGG

TITLE

 

Schweizer Armee Feldflasche mit Becher M32

Part Number

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Date 

 

1941

nSN

 

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MATERIALS

 

Aluminium 

Contract

 

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OBJECT TYPE

Canteen / Water Bottle

LOT NUMBER

 

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NASA ID

 

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London Bridge LBT Rare Silver Tag 804 Prototype 300 Win Mag Sniper Stock Pouch

PERSON DEPICTED

 

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DIMENSIONS

 

image size: 7 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.
paper size: 8 x 10 in.

CREDIT LINE

 

The Jack Shear Collection of Photography at the Tang Teaching Museum

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Schweizer Armee
Feldflasche mit Becher M32

Schweizer Armee Feldflasche mit Becher M32 SIGG