For years, we have been told about the merits of proper hydration, especially through the hot summer months. For that reason, I really enjoy my stainless steel travel mug. Before running errands, I will fill it up with ice and filtered water and leave it in the car for the duration of my outing. Given its insulating properties, I love being able to return the car and taking a sip of the refreshing, cool water in between my stops along the way.
The only issue is that when my water bottle is full, it weighs one and a half pounds. That is why it tends to stay in the car rather than being something I carry with me.
It’s not that I am a weakling by any sense of the imagination. It’s just that for someone with recurring back issues, carrying the equivalent of a small dumbbell of extra cargo in my messenger bag is probably not a recipe for good back health. Over time, I have learned that when combined with the other essentials I might be carrying, the extra weight can become the literal straw to break the camel’s back.
As past experience has revealed, it’s not always the big, heavy tasks themselves that can throw my back off balance. A small, easy task (after a series of awkward or load-bearing movements) can be the one to send shockwaves through my spine.
However, I appreciate the value and the security of having some water with me if I should break out in a spontaneous coughing fit, which strangely, seems to happen more frequently as I get older. A sip of water helps to calm things down.
The solution seemed obvious: carry a smaller quantity of water in my messenger bag and leave the travel mug in the car. However, trying to find a small, light bottle seemed like a tall order. As I perused the aisles of nearby stores, there seemed to be an abundance of bottles and mugs in 16, 32 and even 64-ounce sizes, but very few compact options unless you count the baby bottles.
Why would that be? Do store buyers think that everyone wants to carry an entire day’s supply with them? I accept that in certain professions, it would be impractical to run to a water fountain every hour to refill. But in this world with limitless shopping choices, a smaller water bottle shouldn’t be so hard to find.
Despite my best efforts to support businesses closer to home, I ran out of options as the shopping around became a less-than-sustainable project itself.
After taking to the web, I was able to find a solution in the form of a sleek and small travel mug lined with stainless steel, in a size that more accurately reflected what I was looking for… 5 ounces! I got a giggle out of the product description touting it as being suitable for women and children. If this is the target audience for smaller bottles, I happily count myself in good company!
Either way, I have put my new mini travel bottle to use recently and found it to be exactly what I needed. Weighing in at about half a pound (when filled), it enabled me to roam freely with a small quantity of water without endangering the stability of my aging back.
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Have a great day,
André
ANDRE BEGIN 
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