How can I make a waterproof label for my water bottle, canteen, or mess kit?

Question

Both as a U.S. Boy Scouter and simply an individual concerned about proper hydration, I've often found myself carrying water bottles and/or mess kits in situations where they might be easily confused with similar bottles/kits owned by others. However, given that both of these items are regularly soaked, and often scrubbed, I have thus far found no more satisfactory means of labeling my own items save by scratching my initials into the material.

Has anyone figured out a reliable sort of labeling material and adhesive to use on regularly-washed items of aluminum, Lexan, or other commonly-used plastics?

Answer 1

I just use waterproof stickers on my Nalgene bottles to distinguish them from others'. One has a boat load of climbing stickers on it, one has my Philmont Staff sticker and a VT Republic Flag sticker, etc. etc. Use whatever you like to personalize your stuff.

If you are really concerned about having your name on it, you can engrave it with a DIY electric engraver or use a sharpie and then cover the marker writing with cellophane packing tape. (I do this to Nalgene bottles with cool logos I don't want chipped off.)

I eat off a frisbee that has my name on it. I used a sharpie. When it wears off I'll just rewrite it. My sierra cup is engraved as are my lexan utensils.

I use a 3-color code on a lot of my gear as well. Climbing gear especially. I use a green-red-green electrical tape code on my carabiners, cams, ATCs, etc. Our COPE course uses a 2-color code system and the instructors all mark with 3-colors. Everyone's colors are logged so we know who's gear is who's.

I've also found my mess kit, water bottles, etc don't need a lot of scrubbing. Usually a good wipe with a sponge does the trick. I rarely have to rewrite my name on anything. Maybe try laying off the SOS and Brillo Pads.

Use one waterbottle for drink mixes and save your others for just water. You'll never really have to clean those with anything other than a good hot rinse. I generally have no food leftover and lick my plates, cups, etc clean. I use very little soap. Just enough to remove the grease, then rinse. Before my next meal, I boil a pot of water and sterilize all of my stuff pre-cooking. In 20 years I've never got sick. I did it for 21 days in a row in the Philmont Backcountry and never got sick then either. Overcleaning is overrated.

If you are really brave, do what my scoutmaster friend did...put a Girl Scout sticker on his waterbottle. No one EVER picked that up by mistake!

Answer 2

For my Nalgene bottles - easy trick. I stole a move from river rafters, and it's come in really handy. I keep 5-6 wraps of duct tape around the bottom of my bottle. For one, I can always find my bottle, and two, I've needed the duct tape to fix gear while out on a trail or river trip.

If the Mess Kit is in a canvas or nylon case, try stitching some brightly colored thread through it somewhere. If you need to mark the aluminum directly, then you could try this:

http://www.shoplet.com/office/db/SAN13601.html

It's a Sharpie INDUSTRIAL permanent marker. Says it withstands harsh chemical washes, UV light, and extreme heat. That might be your answer. :)

Answer 3

have you ever tried paint-markers? they're great for these kind of jobs. i'm not sure about USA but in japan, they're pretty popular - especially on ships where, believe me, there's always scrubbing and washing going on.
if you dont have paint makeres or think they're not good enough, a nice dot of enamel paint should do the job though you may need to retouch periodically (which the paint marker will also need i suppose, nothing is forever!)
or for short term, howz about plain permanent marker with a layer of transparent scotch tape?

hope it helps =)

Answer 4

There are a couple of different ways:
1. For metal, just etch the name on it using one of those etching tools (I know you said you didn't want to do this, but it is permanent).
2. Duct tape and a permanent marker. Just put the duct tape on the material and write your name on it. Every so often you will probably have to rewrite your name on the label, but it should be good enough for weekend trips.
3. On water bottles, I put stickers on it - like places I've been. It makes it distinctive enough that I know which water bottle is mine (for instance, I have a "South Pole Station, Antarctica" sticker on one of my water bottles - no one confuses it with theirs).

Answer 5

on a hard surface the simple and cheap way to do it is just use a sharpie and let it dry and cover it with clear nail polish this is also used and autographed baseballs and stuf but on a like canvass surface just a sharpie should work

Answer 6

I just use water safe sharpie pens. Works great for me.

Answer 7

ought to be. if its only one thing you opt for for to do. then no. its not ocd. yet whilst it replaced into any different way. and it bothers you to the component to like..you experience like your going loopy. and you purely wanna scream. and you experience like heated interior. like your gonna explode. then its ocd. like me, on my bookshelf. each thing is a definite way. all of the time. whilst human beings touch it, it bothers me.......plenty....yet i understand its not the component to ocd.