nalgene bottle bottomThe number 7 is unlucky if you find it stamped in the bottom of your water bottle — it means the bottle contains may contain Bisphenol A, a component in lots of plastic bottles.

Nalgene insists there’s no evidence that it’s dangerous, but it’s pulling all BSP bottles because of customer requests (such as, “I request you stop selling bottles that cause my 6-year-old daughter to grow pubic hair”). The furor over BSP is mainly over evidence that it causes strange things to happen in lab rats … the chemicals industry insists humans are in the clear (despite our many ratlike qualities), but the industry kinda/sorta has a vested interest in believing that.

I rounded up some links to help y’all make up your minds:

One thing I noticed about some plastic bottles I use regularly: I filled them with a Gatorade-clone sports drink, and I still taste vague hints of that drink in my water months later. Other bottles have imparted a taste that has made me wonder how much of the plastics are getting into my water.

I’ll definitely be looking into the metal alternatives. Your thoughts are welcome.

UPDATE: This thread has lots of good info on SIGG and Klean Kanteen bottles.

UPDATE II: Gear Junkie Stephen Regenold notes metal bottles are very slippery compared to plastics.