All our products have been concepted and designed in our studio in London. We pride ourselves on creating innovative, unique and functional pieces, and want to communicate the level of detail, heart and soul that goes into each and every one of them. Welcome to the Behind the Design series, where you can learn more about the process behind our products, starting with our newest member: The Explorer Bottle.
Our largest and most durable bottle has launched, and it is truly made for the great outdoors.
How it started…
The concept for the Explorer Bottle started over 2 years ago, when we saw that there was a gap in our range for a bottle designed specifically for people who like to get outside; the hikers, the climbers, the campers. It’s made from high quality stainless steel, double walled and vacuum insulated, and is 100% leak proof. It’s been designed to cope with anything you throw at it.
It has several features which make it unique to us, but the consistency with the rest of our range still stands. It’s been designed in London and is made to last.
The Lid
What’s really special about this design is that the body, and the lid specifically, are completely plastic-free – most steel bottles you’ll find available have a plastic thread in the lid construction, as a way to connect the lid to the bottle, but we didn’t want this. We wanted to find a new way.
What actually started as a conversation on a train on the way to our manufacturers between our founder, Dan, and one of our product designers, Adam, turned into a real possibility.
“We started talking about the idea of a full-steel lid in the morning as we were waiting for the train,” said Adam. “It was actually quite lucky that we were meeting with our engineers that day, because we could discuss the idea then and there with them. Over the course of a few hours, we had the foundation to know what is possible, which then enabled us to come back to our studio to begin designing it.”
Adam Crossman, Product Designer.
Using model making, rapid prototyping and 3D software, and continuing to work closely with our engineers, we were able to test out a few different ideas to get the result we wanted. This can be a bit of a long process to make sure the design is exactly right, but it’s always worth it in the end.
What this means for the lid of our Explorer Bottle is that when you remove the silicone for cleaning, you’ll find a really nice, full steel, completely plastic-free area that is really easy to clean. The silicone seal also can be replaced back in the lid really easily and there’s no-plastic contact with the water either.
Another really great feature of this bottle – and actually all the bottles in our range – is the “inside thread” where the lid is secured. Although a little hard to explain, it makes a world of difference to your drinking experience.
Most bottles have this thread on the outside of the bottle neck, but not ours. On our bottles, the thread is on the inside – this creates a really smooth surface around the edge of the bottle which is very comfortable to drink from. It also means that when you screw the lid back on, the rim is protected from dirt, as it sits snuggly underneath the lid.
The Body
So what makes this bottle so robust? Well, it’s these vertical ribs we’ve added to the outer wall. Not only do they reinforce the strength of the bottle, they also give you a better grip.
You’ll also notice the shape of the bottle is quite wide and squat, this is to make it more stable on rough and unstable surfaces. This keeps the weight low and makes it less likely to topple over.
This wider form also means we were able to achieve the greater volume without making a hugely tall bottle. This is our biggest bottle at 850ml, but you wouldn’t know that immediately from first looking at it. And, particularly when comparing it to other bottles available, the design of the Explorer Bottle is incredibly space efficient.
Finally, we’ve got the mildew and mould resistant carry loop, which can be secured to your backpack with a carabiner or fits well in the side pocket. But also, it’s also just really easy to carry the bottle by its cord.
The Explorer Bottle is available in our 3 signature colours: Olive – Ocean – Orange. It’s big, it’s strong, and it’s ready to come with you on all your adventures.
DESIGNED IN LONDON. MADE TO LAST.