MicroLite 1000 and MicroLite 500 by GSI Outdoors

MicroLite 1000 and MicroLite 500 by GSI Outdoors

Staff Editor: Johnny LeMaster

Just the Facts:

MicroLite 500 Flip Product Specifications:

Major Dimension: 17 Fl. oz.

Weight: 7.9 o.z.

Demensions: 3” x 2.6” x 9.2”

Product Intended Use: Backpacking, Day Use, Car Camping

Includes: Locking, Push Button Lid, 500 ml Vacuum Bottle

MicroLite 1000 Twist Product Specifications:

Major Dimension: 33 Fl. oz.

Weight: 13 o.z.

Demensions: 4.7” x 3.6” x 8.3”

Product Intended Use: Day Use

Includes: Lid, 1 L Vacuum Bottle

These incredibly lightweight, vacuum-insulated bottles provide hours of hot and cold retention while being 1/3^rd lighter than traditional designs.  Impossibly thin, 2 mm walls are actually thinner than most single wall plastic bottles for an amazingly compact foot print that fits anywhere. Mad out of 18/8 Stainless Steel that Boasts unrivaled purity and durability.

My Story:

I will be honest, when I first received the MicroLite 1000 Twist and MicroLite 500 Flip, I wasn’t super excited about it.  Sure I like to have another water bottle around, but really how many do I need.  I already have a decent collection of bottles.  Well the answer to that question is; two more.  These two water bottles quickly found themselves to the top of my usage list.  Both bottles are stainless steel construction vacuum insulated with a rubber pad on the bottom for slip resistance.  But both bottles vary in other aspects and applications.

I started out trying the MicroLite 1000 twist as my daily water bottle both at the office and in the field.  Each day prior to going out in temperatures anywhere from 90˚F to 111˚F, I put ice and water in the bottle and head out.  I was first impressed with the bottle when after forgetting the bottle in my truck with the windows up all afternoon and night I came back the next morning and there was still ice in the bottle.  This is something I am not typically used to.  My previous daily use water bottle that this replaced would keep the water cold in these conditions but rarely if ever would there still be ice left in the bottle.  I was very impressed with the durability of the bottle.  It took a fair amount of abuse before denting.  The rubber leash between the bottle and the lid is a great aspect.  Many cheaper bottles use a plastic leash that after brief usage will break.  The rubber leash not only keeps your lid from getting lost but makes a great place to clip a carabiner to when hanging the bottle from the outside of your pack.

Impressed by the 1000 I was eager to see what the 500 flip would do.  Now this bottle has a locking flip lid and a pour spout.  Making for a quick one-handed opening, and slower drinking.  This is especially nice when drinking coffee on the go.  The bottle does what it claims, keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot.  Although it does not last as long as the 1000, it is still a great bottle in a much more compact travel size.  This bottle has become a great dual-purpose bottle for me.  It fits perfectly in my water bottle holder on my bike, making it ideal for taking riding on these hot summer days.  When it is not spending time on the trails I have found it is great for keeping coffee in.  It keeps the coffee hot for hours and protects against spills when getting tossed around in my backpack or on the seat of my truck.  The compact size makes this bottle ideal for travel.

After using these two bottles for some time, I wanted to see just how well they really live up to the claims for retaining hot and cold.  The 500 claims to be able to provide 10 hours of hot and 20 hours of cold retention.  The 1000 claims 18 hours of hot and 32 hours of cold.  I started out by filling the two bottles along with a 40 oz Hydro Flask full of ice and kept them in a controlled environment, room temperature between 70˚F to 75˚F.  I checked on the bottles approximately every 8 hours to observe just how well they both did and compared to the other well know brand.  After 24 hours there was almost no noticeable loss of ice in the 1000, maybe 10% loss, and the 500 along with the Hydro Flask maintained approximately 75% of the ice.  Right away the 500 was exceeding my expectations and claims by GSI.  After 48 hours the 1000 had retained approximately 60% of the ice and the Hydro Flask and 500 still had about 30%.  Now the 1000 has more than exceeded the claims.  I decided to keep the experiment up for one additional day to see just how well the water bottles worked.  After 72 hours the 500 had run out of ice, but the liquid left behind was ice cold.  The 1000 still had about 25% of the ice left. The 1000 greatly exceeded all expectation and out performed my Hydro Flask.  The 500 exceeded my expectations as well and actually kept pretty good pace with the Hydro Flask.

I believe for the price you will have a very hard time beating either of these two bottles in both construction and performance.  I know I will be using them for some time to come.  The MicroLite 1000 has become come my favorite bottle for my day to day use.  The Microlite 500 is my new favorite water bottle for biking, and “thermos” for on the go.

Find It Here:

https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-MicroLite-Superior-Backcountry/dp/B07B1FYWGH

https://www.amazon.com/GSI-Outdoors-Microlite-Superior-Backcountry/dp/B074R7N7XV

What Could Be Done Better:

Honestly I am happy with the two water bottles exactly how they are.  There is nothing that I feel could be done better at this time.  I would give them 5 Stars.