CrazyCap 2 Water Bottle Review – Perfect for Travelers and Hikers
Last Updated on January 30, 2024
The CrazyCap 2 water bottle is an ingenious way to treat water while hiking in the backcountry or traveling with questionable tap water, but how does it perform? Is it worth it? Absolutely! I recently had the opportunity to start using this fantastic water bottle and water sterilization system, and I hope to answer all your questions.
I’ve used UV light as my preferred way of treating water in the backcountry and traveling for many years so I was really excited to try this out.
It’s a convenient and affordable option that also has a massive benefit to the environment by saving a ton of money (and waste) not buying single use plastic water bottles while still having safe, delicious and cold water!
I was sent the CrazyCap 2 water bottle for free to review. All opinions in this post are my own.
This post contains affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
- What is the CrazyCap 2 water bottle?
- Does the CrazyCap 2 really work?
- Is the CrazyCap 2 worth it?
- How do you use the CrazyCap 2 water bottle?
- How long does the charge last for the UV light?
- Pros of the CrazyCap 2 water bottle
- Cons of the CrazyCap 2 water bottle
- Where to buy the CrazyCap 2
Related: What to Pack for Alaska, What to pack for Seattle
What is the CrazyCap 2?
The CrazyCap 2 water bottle is primarily an ultra violet (UV) water treatment device, which comes with a high quality water bottle. The cap also fits many other water bottles, but it comes with an excellent one.
When you attach the cap to the bottle and push the button, the UV light sterilizes the water in the bottle in 1-2 minutes depending on which mode you use (more on that below).
You can also use the cap by itself to sterilize surfaces, such as airplane trays and doorknobs, by using the UV light a few inches away from the surface and pressing the top, which is awesome!
Does the CrazyCap 2 water bottle really work?
Yes!
Though the cap technology is relatively new, UV technology for treating drinking water has been around for over 100 years.
The UV light effectively kills over 99% of bacteria and viruses in the water, making it safe to drink.
Make sure to use “crazy mode”, which is the longer exposure to UV light, when treating water in the backcountry or or any other water that may have harmful bacteria (such as giardia)
It’s important to be aware that UV technology does not remove chemicals from water or particulates. A filter is needed for this.
Is the CrazyCap 2 water bottle worth it?
Absolutely!
After using the CrazyCap for several weeks, I say this is an excellent piece of gear, especially for hikers and travelers
First of all, it’s incredibly convenient. You can’t lose the UV light because it’s in the cap of the bottle. You can also take it off to sterilize other surfaces (especially handy when traveling). The bottle it comes with is very high quality and keeps cold water cold and hot water hot for many hours.
The CrazyCap is very affordable as a UV sterilizing system. If you compare it to other UV sterilizers, it’s less expensive. It is also less flexible because you can only use it on a water bottle that fits the cap. I say this is a small compromise for an affordable, durable and excellent product.
Using the CrazyCap eliminates the need for single use plastic waterbottles in many circumstances, which is another big benefit.
How do you use the CrazyCap 2 water bottle?
Using the CrazyCap is about as easy as it gets when it comes to treating water in the backcountry or traveling!
The first step is to charge the cap (charger and the USB cable are included).
Next, fill the bottle with water and screw the CrazyCap 2 lid on the bottle. Make sure you only put water in the bottle. This is important because the UV light only works to sterilize water if the water is clear and doesn’t have anything else in it.
Once the lid is secure, tap the circle on top of the cap TWICE for normal mode.
If you are treating water in the backcountry (from a creek, stream or lake) or you are treating tap water that might not be safe to drink or may be contaminated with bacteria, make sure to tap the top of the cap FIVE times to activate Crazy mode. It’s also important to make sure to clean the rim of the bottle if the water needs treatment to be safe to drink. You can do this by removing the cap and shining the UV light in crazy mode around the rim of the bottle (or you could use a disinfecting wipe).
The blue light on top of the cap will pulse while the water is being treated, when it goes out you’ll know it’s ready!
How long does the charge last for the UV light?
Of course it depends on how much water you are purifying and how much you’re using the light. The manufacturer estimates it will last approximately a week with average use. I’ve found it lasts longer than that, but if I were using it to filter creek water in the backcountry multiple times a day it would have depleted the charge faster.
If you intend to rely on it in the backcountry or for an extended time without being able to charge, I recommend a home test to see how many charges in “crazy mode” it gets before needing a charge. The charger is small and easy to carry so this is probably not necessary if you’re going to have access to charging every few days.
You can check the charge anytime by tapping the top of the cap once and it will turn a color to indicate battery life. If it’s green, it has more than 50% battery left, orange indicates 25-50% and red means less than 25% of the battery remains.
Pros of the CrazyCap 2 water bottle
There are a lot of benefits to the CrazyCap that I’ve already discussed, but to review the biggest benefits:
- Affordable and highly effective water sterilization system
- Fast way to sterilize water (1-2 minutes)
- The metal water bottle it comes with is high quality, keeps cold water cold and hot water hot for hours and is easy to drink out of
- Doesn’t require an extra piece of gear (the UV light is in the lid!) – unless you are going to be away from home long enough to need the charger cable and charger
- Excellent 10 year limited warranty – it’s limited because if you get to crazy with it and destroy it or abuse it in some way, it’s not covered but anything that goes wrong with the technology is covered. Warranty protection is a big deal to me because a strong warranty signals a company that knows they have a high quality product and will stand behind it if something goes wrong.
Cons of the CrazyCap 2 water bottle
The cons of the CrazyCap are not really problems, more like trade offs for using one water bottle or water treatment system over another. A couple of things to note:
- A water bottle with a narrower opening is easier to drink out of but harder to fill, because you have to get the water through a smaller space. This is a trade off with any type of water bottle. I have filled the CrazyCap in a small stream and while it’s a little more tricky to get water in, it’s by no means a big deal.
- It’s easy to bump the lid and turn the light on when you’re holding it in your hand, which exposes the light unintentionally. Take care to put your hand around the lid instead of on top of it when attaching it or taking it off. As I got used to using it, this was less of an issue.
Where to buy the CrazyCap 2 water bottle
I recommend buying the CrazyCap 2 directly from their website, which gives you the full range of options and lots of information about the product and can answer any additional questions that come up.
You can also buy the CrazyCap 2 on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend the CrazyCap 2 water bottle, particularly for travel and day hikes. It’s easy to use, affordable, durable and a safe and fast way to sterilize water from bacteria which contaminate drinking water.
Keep in mind that if you are treating water that is very silty (such as glacier melt) or that is contaminated with chemicals, the CrazyCap UV technology won’t get the job done and you’ll need a filter instead.
Overall, this is a fantastic product and I highly recommend it!
