Monday, May 18, 2009

Camelbak Podium ChillJacket Water Bottle

The CamelBak Podium ChillJacket water bottle is my new favorite water bottle.

Camelbak Podium Chill Jacket It was pretty warm this past weekend in northern California, with high temperatures in the 90s F / low 30s C. Heat radiating from the road surface quickly warms any beverage sitting in a bottle just 20 inches from the ground in a bicycle bottle cage.

Enter CamelBak's Podium ChillJacket water bottle. When I saw the thin foam insulation built into this bottle I was skeptical, but it kept my water cool for most of my two hour ride in Santa Cruz County last Saturday. The polypropylene plastic (unlike the low density polyethylene used in almost every other bottles) doesn't impart that icky plastic taste to my water.

CamelBak brags about their no bite valve -- you just squeeze and the water comes out. I kept finding myself biting the valve and trying to pull it out. I suppose I'll get used to it.

CamelBak Podium ChilJacket water bottle.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

I bought the podium and while it is a good bottle I am not amazed by it. The no bite feature is nice, but not mind blowing. It did have a down size in that the bottle was actually hard to squeeze. I don't have small hands either. Any body else have an opinion or review on the bottle?

MarvinK said...

I've been using camelbak lids on polar bottles... going to try the real thing. I like that they don't leak when left open--but I don't think they are easier to drink out of. I'd say marginally better than regular bottles.

Tony said...

I've been using the Podium Bottle for about a year now and they rock. I used the Chill Jacket version this weekend at the Davis Double and I will have to say that my liquids stayed cold for about 2 hours in 100 degree heat. I would fill with ice and then add my beverage. All of my other riding buddies were complaining of hot beverages as I sipped my cold refreshing drinks. This is a must for the summer months.

bikesgonewild said...

...damn...talk about buyers response...

...i'd never heard of the "chill jacket" podium bottle until i read fritz's post this morning...

...went for a great ride this afternoon w/ my two usual c-back podium bottles & i finished up w/ a stop at the l.b.s. to pick up a 'chill jacket'...

...i'm w/ tony on the podium bottles...been using them since they came out & they work just as advertised...water tastes like water, not plastic...sport drink tastes like sport drink & if you forget to wash your bottles immediately, the anti-microbial aspect really does work...

...i find them easy to squeeze, i dig the soft valve (the most comfortable i've ever used) & i dig the lock on it...

...& now, w/ the new bottle, i'm looking forward to having cool water & sport drink on hot summer days...

...i don't work for or have any affiliation w/ camelbak whatsoever but now & again a product works as advertised & i'm damn glad...

SiouxGeonz said...

I'm looking for a bottle I can squeeze and squirt at dogs, since I sawit done really well last week. Sounds like this is too hard, though.