How To Fix a Broken Nalgene Strap

The first thing to break on almost every Nalgene Bottle is the lid strap, especially if you use it to carry the bottle around or clip a carabiner to it and hang it on your backpack.

But a broken lid strap doesn't mean it’s time to replace the entire bottle! In fact it's really easy to fix a broken Nalgene strap or just get it replaced.

Nalgene lid straps can’t really be repaired. Once the LDPE strap is brittle enough to crack or snap, there’s no saving it. Nalgene does, however, replace broken lid straps for free under their generous lifetime warranty.

However, If you’d prefer to just repair the lid yourself or want a more durable strap to prevent the problem from happening again, paracord lid straps will last for years and can be bought or DIYed. 

I have a few Nalgene Bottles that are well over ten years old and still going strong. But one thing they all share in common is that the lid straps have all broken at some point along the line.

I’ve gotten replacement caps from Nalgene with no problem and have even replaced a few with DIY paracord bottle holders that my kids and I made.

Because they’re so easy to replace, a broken lid strap is nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

Get A Free Replacement Strap From Nalgene

While you can’t reasonably fix a broken Nalgene lid strap (unless you try to melt the plastic back together), it’s easy to get a free replacement. 

Nalgene offers a lifetime warranty on all of their bottles that covers defects as well as damaged bottles. 

The entire process only takes a few minutes, you won’t need to send your broken lid in, and Nalgene will cover all the shipping costs for you. 

To request your replacement Nalgene lid or lid strap:

1. Head over to Nalgene’s contact page. 
2. Choose Warranty Replacement from the drop menu. 
3. Provide a picture of your damaged lid strap, your shipping address, and a description of the problem. 
4. Submit the form and you’re all set. Replacements typically arrive within two to three weeks.

You never know, you may even get lucky like Redditor u/thatjournalist, who requested a replacement lid strap and was sent a box of hundreds (results not typical…).

Buy A Replacement Cap

If for whatever reason your warranty claim is denied, Nalgene does sell replacement caps (at Amazon)for just a few bucks.

The only things not normally covered under their warranty are fire damage (keep your bottle well away from campfires), damage from freezing (only fill your bottle about ⅔ full before freezing), and damage from chewing (the most relevant to the lid strap).

You probably won’t ever have to worry about Nalgene denying your claim though.

Their customer service is notorious for being incredibly generous, even sometimes when it comes to “uncovered” damage. 

However, in you live in a country without easy access to Nalgene for a replacement, or you don't mind spending a couple of dollars, it can be a lot easier to simply purchase a replacement cap.

There are a variety of caps from 3rd parties or Nalgene sell replacement caps themselves (which I prefer).

Replace Your Lid Strap With A Paracord Strap

If your strap broke because you use it to carry your bottle, a plastic replacement is likely to wear out just as quickly. 

But if you’re stubborn (like me) and don’t always want to carry your Nalgene Bottle another way, replacing the standard strap with a paracord strap can make a big difference. 

Paracord lid straps are much more durable than the standard LDPE straps that come with Nalgene Bottles, and can easily withstand being carried or hung from a carabiner for years.

You can buy a paracord lid strap on Amazon if you don't want to be crafty. These are a great way to carry your bottle without putting stress on the lid.

However, if you’re the crafty type, or you want to make a lid strap that connects the lid to the bottle (not just a bottle strap) you can make one yourself.

My kids and I had a lot of fun making ours.

To do this:

1. First remove any remnants of the plastic lid strap. You may need to cut it off.
2. Tie a tight fisherman’s knot around the flange in the Nalgene’s lid. Give it a pull or two to make sure it’s secure. 
3. Attach the other end of the paracord around the neck of your bottle using a figure eight knot. You may need to experiment with length.
4. Thread a cobra braid up the length of the paracord strap, working toward the lid. 
5. Once you’ve reached the lid, tie off the working end, cut off any excess, and seal the knot using a lighter.

If you want to personalize it even further, you can add a D-ring for a carabiner or shoulder strap pretty easily. 

Replace Your Nalgene Lid with a Different Brand Lid

While I love my Nalgene bottle I also have CamelBak, Contigo, HydroFlask and other brands of bottles.

Did you know that many of these lids fit on a Nalgene?

This is one of the best Nalgene hacks I discovered because I can take my favorite lids from other brands and voila! I now have a straw lid or chug lid or I can use the Autoseal lids from Contigo which allow for easy one-handed drinking.

I’ll often use a Contigo AutoSeal lid with my Nalgene Bottles because it’s so simple and easy to use. My kids love the CamelBak Eddy+ lid because of the flip out straw (and I love it because there are fewer spills).

How To Prevent Your Nalgene Lid Strap From Breaking

If you want your strap to last longer, there’s really only one solution.

Stop carrying your bottle by the strap.

Stock Nalgene straps aren’t meant to bear the weight of a full bottle.

They’re made of LDPE, a type of plastic known for its high resilience (meaning it can bend without permanently misshaping) but low tensile strength (the amount of weight it can bear before snapping).

I know Nalgene Bottles are a bit chunky and tough to carry otherwise, but there are plenty of other ways to carry your Nalgene that won’t damage the strap.