All About The Podium^® Bottle by Camelbak

Although Camelbak is best known for its hydration packs – the mobile hydration systems used by all kinds of athletes as well as soldiers and rescue personnel – the company also offers a full range of bottles as well. Using the same talent for innovation that has made them the global leader in the hydration pack market, their various water bottles are effective whole new hydration systems in their own right. The old days of having to improvise and compromise performance in order to accommodate the needs of your water bottle are long gone with the advent of the various Camelbak bottle systems.

Camelbak offers a range of different bottle systems, but the Podium^® line has been one of the most popular since it was originally introduced. Coming in either twenty-one or twenty-four ounce sizes, this line of bottles was specifically designed for mountain bikers and are also popular with motocross riders. The most popular feature of this bottle is the Jet Valve™, which allows users to either squeeze the bottle or suck on it in order to get the water out, but at the same time does not leak – even when left open – when not being squeezed or sucked. This effectively eliminates the entire process of having to bite the top to open it and then slamming it on your hip to close your bottle.

Obviously the number one characteristic of a good water bottle is that it should be tough to avoid leaks and the valve should not leak water either. Not only does the lack of leaks mean you get the maximum benefit of the water you are carrying with you, it also means that drinking results in less water being wasted. Made from TruTaste™ polypropylene, the plastic is both BPA-free and tougher than most water bottles, which makes it a bit less flexible, but much more reliable. This plastic is also specifically designed to eliminate the “plastic’ flavor that comes with using most water bottles, making your water – or other liquid – taste better. Finally, like many of their hydration pack reservoirs, the bottle is treated with the HydroGuard™ protectant, which retards the growth of microorganisms - bacteria, mold, and fungus – that can result in discoloration or bad flavors and odors.

In general, you can use any sort of sports drink as well as water in the Podium^® water bottles. Obviously if you use drinks other than water, cleaning becomes more of a priority after use, but this should not be a big problem for most people. Further the bottle is usable with carbonated drinks as long as the lockout valve is open. Leaving the lockout valve open allows the bottle to vent any excess gas that is built up in the bottle. Generally speaking, allowing gas to build up in the bottle does not cause any problems, but can result in an expected expulsion of gas when the bottle is opened. The one limitation on the types of liquid that can be put in the Podium^® bottle is that you should not add very hot liquids. While warm liquid is acceptable, adding any liquid that is too hot to drinking comfortably at the time is too hot for the bottle and may damage the bottle.