Introduction: Water Bottle Carrier (WCOA)

About: I like to tinker, That is what I like to do. Sometimes I drop a rhyme, Along with a tool or two. I use what I have on-hand, I keep projects super simple. I do not need more stuff, What I do have is ample. Draf…
Introduction
Have you ever forgotten to bring your water bottle when you went hiking, backpacking or walking?  Have you forgotten you water bottle and are going to work on a roof, ladder, scaffolding?  If you have then you have to stop at a store to buy a standard 16.9 oz water bottle or 24ozGatorade.  Where do you put it?  You want to have water by your side.  The water bottle you were going to use had a handy dandy cord that could tie on your wrist or belt loop for easy carrying.

Do you need or want an easy hands-free way to carry a standard store bought bottle of water or Gatorade?  Do you want to know what WCOA means?  Do you like to save money and have cool devises that catch peoples’ eyes?  Continue reading to answer these questions and more.

The Story
Last summer I was in a variety store at the beach.  One of the money sucking touristy items, that caught my eye, was a water bottle holder, which clips onto your belt, belt-loop, waist band, etc.  I thought it was cool.  I picked it up and looked it over.  I put it back down because I didn’t like their design.  The primary design flaw was it came with a cord stopper which is a poor choice for this application.  Sure they are easy to remove from the bottle neck, but they are weak under a load.  Furthermore it was being sold at the beach so it was overpriced.  I knew I could make a better designed and less costly one when I returned home.  Here is my rendition of a Water Bottle Belt Hanger, or what my daughter calls WCOA (pronounced Wa-CO-ah) Waterbottle Carrier of Awesomeness.

The benefits of this design are:
1)  It is easy to make with on hand items.
2)  The Arbor knot is easy to loosen, tighten (See Step 6) and sits completely around the neck of the bottle, where as the cord stopper is a loose fit.
3)  The Arbor knot will not slip off should you start to run, jump or shake around.
4)  It can be modified to fit a multitude of bottle neck sizes from standard 16.9water bottle to 24oz Gatorade.
5)  Can be used on a roof, ladder, scaffolding, biking, walking, hiking or anywhere you want to have store bought water or Gatorade by your side.

Step 1: Materials

Materials:
1)  About 11” of Cord - Shoe lace, Paracord, string,
2)  Spring Link (aka A Carabiner) or Snap Hook and
3)  Water bottle.

Tool:
Scissor or Knife (not shown)

Skill Level:
Easy

Time to Complete:
3-5 minutes

Step 2: Arbor Knot Part 1

Begin the Arbor knot by first tying a knot.

Step 3: Arbor Knot Part 2

Finish the Arbor knot

Step 4: Noose Knot

Tie a Noose knot.

Step 5: Spring Link & Noose Knot

Slide the Noose knot over the Spring Link.

Cut off Excess cord.

Step 6: Add Water

Slide the Arbor knot over the neck of the water bottle and tighten

Step 7: Clip and Go

Clip the Spring Link on your belt-loop, pants pocket, purse, laptop bag, lunch bag or whatever.  And Go, Go, Go.....

Step 8: Observations & Summary

Observations
The benefits of this design are:
1)  It is easy to make with on hand items.
2)  The Arbor knot is easy to loosen, tighten (See Step 6) and sits completely around the neck of the bottle, where as the cord stopper is a loose fit.
3)  The Arbor knot will not slip off should you start to run, jump or shake around.
4)  It can be modified to fit a multitude of bottle neck sizes from standard 16.9water bottle to 24 oz Gatorade.
5)  Can be used on a roof, ladder, scaffolding, biking, walking, hiking or anywhere you want to have store bought water or Gatorade by your side.

There is something to keep in mind.  Depending on how you drink from the opening.
1)  With your lips pressed on top of the bottle or
2)  With your lips around the opening.

If you put your lips completely around the top you may taste the string, yarn, Paracord or whatever you use to hold the bottle to the Spring link.  One of my testers put their lips around the opening and didn’t like the taste or strands of string in their mouth and the string became wet.

Summary
I am satisfied with the results.


Hear advice, and receive instruction, so that you may be wise in your latter end.