Or worse, you ran out of water miles from home since you did not know how much was left in your pack and you did not ration your water accordingly? The Flow Meter from CamelBak might be the drinking aid for you.

(Video after the jump)

The Flow Meter is a simple device that is installed between the water reservoir of your CamelBak and the bite valve – the rubber piece that you stick in your month and drink through. You select the location on the tube that is convenient for you, you cut the tube and slide the Flow Meter into place. Once installed, you program in the size of your reservoir and the digital display counts down the amount of water you have consumed until it reaches zero. Along with this main feature, Camelbak has also added a program to allow you to know if you are achieving your ‘target hydration goal per hour’ based on your body weight that you enter into the Flow Meter. Elapsed time and an ‘estimated time to empty’ that is calculated based on the rate of consumption and total volume are a couple of other features.

One thought that entered my mind as I was looking over the Flow Meter was how do you clean this thing, especially if you sometimes put a sports drink into your reservoir? On the Flow Meter website, CamelBak does offer a detailed set of cleaning instructions under the FAQ tab. It does specifically state that the Flow Meter can not be submerged under water.

The CamelBak Flow Meter is certainly not new to the market, but it is a product worth mentioning as we head trough Spring and enter into the sweltering days of summer. The Flow Meter retails for $30 and is available at most major outdoor retailers that carry the CamelBak product line. Drink up, and let it flow!

CamelBak Official Website

In truth, this could actually solve an increasingly worrisome problem. Dehydration remains an issue for many players, especially in southern states and on those sunny and warm fall days. The Hydromax system could just be the key to keeping athletes hydrated for those times when water remains on the sidelines – so close and yet so very far away.

The armor-protected water supply can be worn on the back much like a CamelBak or other hydration systems, where wearers can get a drink thanks to a flexible feeder tube. Unlike most hydration systems the bladder can expand up to eight times its normal size without bursting, thus it can survive fairly intense impacts while fitting under the player’s jersey.

About the only issue for players might be refilling it, so maybe the water boy’s job is safe after all.

Hydromax Official Website
[Via Gizmag: Hydromax wearable water supply for football players]

CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw.I’ve used water filters at home. I’ve had a few Britta pitchers with charchoal filters, and currently have a filter installed in my kitchen sink. I know that sometimes water takes a while to go through the filter, somehow it takes longer as the filter ages. When I saw online video about the Groove I wondered how the water would come up the straw through the filter. Would I have to fight resistance to get hydrated? Then the bottle showed up and I got some hands on time with the bottle. It’s like drinking from the Better Bottle and Bite Valve. Just bite and sip.

Out of the box the Groove is easy to put together. All the pieces except the filter can go in the dishwasher. I put everything in for an initial wash. The bite valve and two straw pieces went in the silverware caddy so they’d stay put during washing. When everything came out I ran the filter under water for about 15 – 30 seconds. I put the filter in the straw and snapped the two pieces of the straw into the bottom of the lid and then filled the bottle with tap water.

Bite and sip. There’s nothing more to it. Water tasted like clean water. The manual said the first few sips could contain little pieces of the charchoal filter, but that didn’t happen. The charchoal is a filter and not a purifier. It improves the taste of water by reducing chlorine in potable tap water at levels far exceeding NSF 42 standard. It works for three months or about 300 refills. The bottle comes in a .6 liter size in the Titan plastic for $25 and stainless steel for $35, each bottle comes with one filter. Replacement filters are available for about $10 for a two-pack or a six pack for $25.

One concern I had was that with some charcoal filters you don’t want the filter to dry out. With this filter, because it’s solid and made for intermittent use, you can let the filter dry out and then insert it back in the bottle and fill with water for use. You don’t need to run the filter under water another time or anything. You still should replace the filter about every three months. If you last used your filter a year ago, you want to replace it before putting your bottle back in action.

While you may get more use out of the Groove in warmer months, the practical nature of the bottle will probably keep it in action throughout the year. It’s great for outdoor activities, but just as good to tote along for other activities.

One thing to note. While the bottle prevents spills through the straw, if you don’t close the cap securely it will leak. I set the bottle down in my car and water spilled onto the car seat even though I had screwed the bottle shut. I’ve checked a few other times and the water stayed sealed inside. Though in general, it’s probably best to keep the bottle upright rather than throwing it in a bag and expecting all its contents to stay dry.

CamelBak Groove bottle

Back in the 1970s the drink mix Tang was advertised as being “what the astronauts drink,” which somehow meant it was better. Why an orange drink mix would be better because it was consumed by astronauts remains a bit confusing. And we’re still not sure how the powder was mixed with water in zero gravity, or why powder would be ideal over a liquid drink in the first place – after all the water still has to make the trip (we hope they mixed it with water anyway).

The idea that it was used by astronauts remains intriguing however. But what is even more impressive is a product that is so good on Terra Firma that it can head to outer space. Enter the CamelBak Big Bite Valve, which has been integrated into the NASA spacesuit because it was easy to use, self sealing and of course could stand up to extreme conditions. No one needs liquid floating around in zero gravity. And while the astronauts have special suits, the valve system for the drinking system is actually the same one found on each and every CamelBak water bottle and hydration pack.

Sound won’t travel in a vacuum we know, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get thirsty while in high orbit. So if you plan to take a trip up beyond the heavens he Big Bite Valve will let you can take a sip of a cool drink under the stars.

CamelBak Lab Official Website

Over the past month we rode, we drank, we tested. We tried out many water bottles and wrote up the findings. Here is a recap of Brian O’Connor’s hands on tests of this year’s water bottles:

Nalgene ATB Bottle with Black Closure
The 32 oz version didn’t fit many cages, but the wide neck opening of the bottles made dropping in an ice cube no problem at all. Read the full review.

Specialized Purist
No bad taste, just pure water with this bottle, which mostly rinses clean. Read the full review.

BioGreen ProX
Want to use the same water bottle in a century? Most of the time you can, as the bottles aren’t so biodegradable - but the BioGreenX is made from 20 percent post industrial recycled plastic and should biodegrade in just two years. Read the full review.

Hydrapak Gel-Bot
Like a burst of energy with some gels? The Hydrapak can supply water and gel from one bottle. Read the full review.

Polar Insulated Bottle
On a hot summer ride nothing is better than a cool drink. Too bad most bottles let the liquid heat up to a temperature resembling bath water. Not the Polar Insulated Bottle. Read the full review.

Clean Bottle
Getting a bottle clean can sometimes be no easy task. Wouldn’t be easier if both the top and bottom came off? Oh wait, with the Clean Bottle they do! Read the full review.

CamelBak Podium Bottles
Ready to make a dash for the finish line. The CamelBak Podium Bottle might just have you on the podium. Read the full review.

Nalgene Bottles
Are you tired of the same old bottles? If so consider the variety offered by the Nalgene Bottles that are made from Tritan plastic. Read the full review.

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

Time for another dash to the finish line, and this one might just be the water bottle to help you on the long ride to the podium and beyond. And we hear it’s good for the casual group ride too.

CamelBak Podium Description: Step up to the Podium. The New CamelBak Podium Bottle incorporates Jet Valve, a revolutionary self-sealing valve into a taste-free bottle with a high flow rate.

CamelBak is the official hydration sponsor of Team Garmin-Transitions, and proud to support the team’s 100% Clean initiative for untainted sports performance.

Bottle Sizes: 21oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $8 (21oz) and $9 (24oz)

Basic Standards:

1. Both bottles did not leak when squeezed
2. Both bottles did not leak when they were turned upside-down with the Jet Valve ‘unlocked’
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: I had recently evaluated the CamelBak insulated bottles mainly focusing on the amount of time ice would remain frozen inside the bottles. I only used water during those evaluations, but I thought that I would now focus on the TruTatse polypropylene to see how it could handle the Accelerade sports drink.

Though I have used the CamelBak Hydration Packs since they debuted years ago, this was the first time that I used a CamelBak brand bottle. CamelBak Podium bottles use the self-healing Jet Valve which is always ‘open’ unless the Lockout feature is used. The Lockout is designed to ‘close’ the bottle during transportation…just twist the Jet Valve 90º and it is ‘closed’. This always open, self healing or self closing valve is now being featured on more bottles, but since CamelBak’s lockout feature twists shut instead of pushing the valve down, it took a few uses to adjust my habits. By the time I had gotten around to testing the Podium bottles, I was use to the Jet Valve through the evaluation of the CamelBak insulated bottles and had broken the habit of trying to pull the bite valve open with my teeth.

For this evaluation, I filled the 24oz bottle with orange flavored Accelerade and the 21oz bottle with water. I headed out on a ride lasting about two hours. Following their insulated brothers, these bottles functioned without incident…the valves functioned perfectly and no leaks were detected. The water in the 21oz bottle tasted the same as if it was drank from a glass and the valve on the 24oz bottle was not fouled by the Accelerade. When I arrived back at home, the typical Accelerade residue was left on the inside of the bottle.

I cleaned the 24oz bottle out with dish soap and a soft bristle brush, and the residue was easily removed. To my dismay though, the smell still remained in the bottle – as bad, if not worse than the Specialized classic bottle. I then proceeded to use a sanitizing solution to try to rid the bottle of the smell and now the bottle has a minty, orange smell. This does not seem to affect the taste of water, but I will probably just use this bottle now exclusively for sports drinks.

For water uses, all of the CamelBak bottles worked great, but when Accelerade was used in the bottles, there was residue from the sports drink visibly left in the Jet Valve. The Jet Valve is difficult to clean especially when CamelBak recommends not disassembling the valve. I really did like how these bottles functioned and will continue to use them, I just have to make sure to take the time to clean these valves after each use with a sports drink.

CamelBak does manufacture a product called Elixir. This product is an effervescent tablet that the user drops into a bottle filled with water to create a drink full of electrolytes. Since Elixir is sugar-free, no residue is left behind. I was able to taste-test the Elixir at the Dirt Demo during InterBike and it did live up to the residue-free claim. This is probably a better choice for the CamelBak bottles that have the Jet Valve to avoid the issue inside the valve.

Likes: The Jet Valve.

Dislikes: The Jet Valve has tight areas that are difficult to clean the residue from sports drinks.

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses…cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc.; but you may want to think twice before adding a sports drink, other than Elixir, to the bottle.

CamelBak Official Website

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

The company that invented the backpack with a water bladder built-in has some new offerings in the water bottle category too.

CamelBak Chill Description: The CamelBak Podium Chill Bottle is a soft, lightweight, easy-to-use insulated bottle. Keeps beverages cool for hours. Perfect for cyclists, runners, and other outdoor athletes. With great thermal performance and innovative features, the Podium Chill Bottle sets a new standard for insulated bottles.

CamelBak is the official hydration sponsor of Team Garmin-Transitions, and proud to support the team’s 100% Clean initiative for untainted sports performance.

CamelBak Ice Description: The ultimate insulated bike bottle, the CamelBak Podium Ice bottle keeps water cold four times longer, to maximize your performance and keep you focused on your ride.

Bottle Sizes: 21oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $12 (Chill) and $20 (Ice)

Basic Standards:

1. Both bottles did not leak when squeezed
2. Both bottles did not leak when they were turned upside-down with the Jet Valve ‘unlocked’
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: CamelBak is currently offering two different insulated water bottles – the original Chill bottle and the new Ice bottle which keeps liquid colder four times longer than a normal water bottle.

For my evaluation, I decided to take both bottles out on a 80 mile road bike ride climbing up to 9000’. The night before, I filled both bottles up with 1-1/2 cups of water and froze them solid. In the morning, I topped them off with cold water and headed out for my ride. It was about 85ºF at 5400’, but dropped to 65ºF at 9000’

Though I have used the CamelBak Hydration Packs since they debuted years ago, this was the first time that I used a CamelBak brand bottle. CamelBak insulated bottles use the self-healing Jet Valve which is always ‘open’ unless the Lockout feature is used. The Lockout is designed to ‘close’ the bottle during transportation…just twist the Jet Valve 90º and it is ‘closed’. This always open, self healing or self closing valve is now being featured on more bottles, but since CamelBak’s lockout feature twists shut instead of pushing the valve down, it took a few uses to adjust my habits. Each time I grabbed the bottle for a drink, I gripped the bite valve with my teeth and pulled…20 years of using a Specialized bottle was immediately obvious.

Once I was used to the Jet Valve, I started to really like how it functioned. I would just grab one of the bottles, grip the bite valve in my teeth and squeeze. The bite valve is a semi-rigid rubber which was a good design and size for gripping with my teeth while drinking. I drank from both bottles during the ride making sure to jiggle the bottle each time to listen for ice still frozen in the bottles. The ice in the Chill Bottle lasted for approximately 2 hours and 5 minutes. The ice in the Ice Bottle did not last that much longer…it only stayed frozen for about 2 hours and 30 minutes. At that point I was up to 9000’ in a town that has a natural spring to refill the bottles.

I continued on my ride and finished up a few hours later – the remaining water in my bottles was still cool from the spring that I filled up about three hours earlier. The water was not ice cold, but still more refreshing than the 80ºF temperature that it could have been during the ride back home on the plains at 5400’.

During all stages of the evaluation, the water tasted that same as drinking from a glass and no plastic tastes or smells were noted. Both bottles performed as advertised, but I do have one concern regarding all of the bottles offered by CameBak that feature the Jet Valve. For water uses, they all worked great, but when I evaluated the CamelBak Podium bottles, there was residue from the sports drink that I was using visibly left in the Jet Valve. The Jet Valve is difficult to clean especially when CamelBak recommends not disassembling the valve. I really did like how these bottles functioned and will continue to use them, I just have to make sure to take the time to clean these valves after each use with a sports drink.

CamelBak does manufacture a product called Elixir. This product is an effervescent tablet that the user drops into a bottle filled with water to create a drink full of electrolytes. Since Elixir is sugar-free, no residue is left behind. I was able to taste-test the Elixir at the Dirt Demo during InterBike and it did live up to the residue-free claim. This is probably a better choice for the CamelBak bottles that have the Jet Valve to avoid the issue inside the valve.

Likes: The Jet Valve and insulating properties of both bottles.

Dislikes: The Jet Valve has tight areas that are difficult to clean the residue from sports drinks (as noted during the evaluation of the CamelBak Podium bottle)

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses… cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc… just leave time to clean the valve after each use with a sports drink.

CamelBak Official Website

Osprey Raptor 6

Dehydration on the trail is not an option. One, maybe two bottles tucked into cages on your bike only supply so much fluid. A backpack hydration system such as the Osprey Packs Hydraulics line Raptor Series gives you 2- and 3-liters of H20. The Raptor Series is focused on mountain biking and trail running, giving you a few pockets to stash gear in a streamlined design. Osprey puts a great deal of design into its pack.

Start with the water reservoir. Three of the four Raptor styles come with 3-liter reservoirs; the streamlined Raptor 6 has a 2-liter capacity. The reservoir is built with a plate that aligns with the contours of your back so the water doesn’t barrel. You won’t feel the shape of water as it all buckles at the bottom of the tank while you ride. The framework of the straps are constructed by perforated molded foam to create a lightweight and flexible support. The same foam is ridge molded to create a ventilated back panel. Lightweight webbing adds reinforcement surrounds both the straps and back panel. The A LidLock helmet clip straps through the vent holes on your helmet — when you’re off the bike — so the two stay together and ready to pick up and go. The bite valve rotates to an open and closed (no leak) position, and has a magnet so the sip portion stays in a handy location on your sternum strap instead of flying around with every bump on the trail.

Features are too many to go into. Research, trials, and serious evaluation went into the development of the Raptor Series hydration packs. Every pocket, strap, and tab is built for a specific need while the unnecessary bits of a backpack were left out to keep the pack lightweight and streamlined for a more enjoyable ride.

Osprey Raptor Series ($79 to $119)

CamelBak Better Bottle

What do you get when you go for a bike ride with just any water bottle? Bisphenol-A (BPA) and phalates, a chemical that has been linked to obesity, neurological disorders, cancer, and a number of other health problems.

CamelBak makes BPA-free bottles from a material called Tritan, that doesn’t allow properties to leech in the water and compromise taste and health. KineticShift took a look at three of CamelBak’s bottles, two made from BPA-free materials, and one stainless steel. Here’s what we found.

Better Bottle, 16 oz ($12)

A clear bottle, you can see the liquid. It has a cap with a bite valve and straw so you bite and sip water rather than tipping it and squeezing like other bottles. The cap is what differentiates the Better Bottle from others on the market.

You bit a silicone nipple and then draw water like sipping through a straw. When you’re not drinking, the bite valve flips down into the cap, a more protected position. The cap won’t spill, even in the open position.

Better Bottle Stainless, 24 oz ($24)

CamelBak Better Bottle Stainless

Made from medical-grade stainless steel and no inner liner, this 24 ouncer

has the same straw and bite valve as the Better Bottle. This has a larger capacity, and is sturdier for taking along on treks.

Stainless steel offers mild cooling properties, but don’t expect your drink to be ice cold after hours in the hot sun.

Podium Chill, 21 oz ($12)

Podium Chill is the closest bottle to the classic bottle used by most cyclists, though with some updated features that makes it worth it. It’s made from TruTaste polypropelene.

CamelBak Podium Chill

It has the same properties of not leeching chemicals into your water. The Podium Chill has a thermal insulation sleeve between two layers of bottle to keep beverages cool on hot days. It also has a new twist on the old spout cap that’s leak-proof.

It has an on and off position, so when you’re riding you can keep the spout on the on position and not worry about contaminating your water. When you have the bottle in a bag or your car you can turn it into the off position so it won’t leak.

Comparison

All three are great bottles for keeping hydrated during  your workout, or to carry water any other time. The Better Bottle is the most basic and doesn’t claim to keep your drinks cool. Of the other two bottles, the Podium Chill kept water slightly colder than the stainless bottle, but not by much. Neither held water poured in from the filter in my refrigerator particularly cold for very long. After a few hours it was getting close to room temperature. It’s still good to have some defense against a really hot day.

Both the bite valve cap and pour spout are great improvements on the typical water bottle. Both tested well against spills. Washing is the only issue. You can put both caps in the dishwasher, but all of the bottles wash better by hand. It’s hard to wash the bite valve thoroughly, and I worried that there might be some residue in the valve. If I drink something other than water I will want to get that part washed for sure. Drying out was a bigger issue. There was water inside all three caps the following day. You’ll have to be a little vigilant before putting these bottles and caps away if they’re still wet.

I’m happy to add a CamelBak water bottle (or three) to my rotation when I ride and workout this summer. The water tastes like water instead of water in a plastic bottle. I feel better about the materials not corrupting my water. And maybe my water will stay just a little bit cooler on a hot day.

• CamelBak
• CamelBak Better Bottle
• CamelBak Better Bottle Stainless
• CamelBak Podium Chill

CamelBak's Better Bottle is BPA-free.

CamelBak is on the lookout for unconventional teams outfit with its bottles and hydration systems. It began its search with the “Official Water Bottle Of” campaign last week. CamelBak will provide BPA-free Better Bottles and t-shirts with the team logo and have water-carrying rights at the teams’ sanctioned events. It will also promote the team on the CamelBak Web site and its Facebook fan page.

Unconventional sports on CamelBak’s radar include dodge ball, roller derby, and underwater hockey. They’ll be happy to hear about more quirky sports, and so will KineticShift. So far Santa Cruz Derby Girls and San Francisco Sea Lions Underwater Hockey are charter members of the search.

CamelBak began years ago as a hydration system built into a backpack. It now offers a line of backpack hydration systems, clothing, and hands-free bottles.

CamelBak

CamelBak “Official Water Bottle Of” page

CamelBak Better Bottle