View Full Version : Water Bottles -- CamelBak vs Polar
Keith A
10-07-2009, 11:24 AM
I've been a longtime user of the Polar water bottles and they have served me well...especially living on the central coast of Florida. So I read with interest the VeloNews bit from their Interbike coverage (http://www.velonews.com/article/98536/) regarding the new CamelBack Podium ICE. They already have the Podium Chilljacket, but the ICE is supposed to out perform this. Here's part of the article from VeloNews...
Now, CamelBak introduces Podium ICE, an insulated bottle that should keep your water cold up to four times as long. Podium ICE uses Zero-Loft™ extreme aerogel, a highly effective insulator with the lowest thermal conductivity of any solid. This water bottle will cost $20, weighs about 120 grams, and will be on shelves this spring.Has anyone tried the CamelBak Podium Chilljacket? How does this compare to Polar's bottles? I know their drinking valve is different from the standard ones, is this a good or bad thing?
maversa
10-07-2009, 11:48 AM
I recently switched from Polar to Camelback, and love them. I think that the flow from the mouth piece is much better, and it feels like its easier to squeeze the bottle to get a drink. Being in South Florida, insulated bottles are almost a must for me, and the Camelback seems like it stays colder longer than the Polar. Myonly complaint is that the Camelback bottles hold 21 oz instead of the 24 of the Polar.
Elefantino
10-07-2009, 11:52 AM
I think Polars are overrated. I have about six or seven of them but find that I enjoy reguar bottles better because they're easier to squeeze and get more water quickly. And I haven't found all that much of a difference in keeping water cold.
I like free water bottles. I use them, lose them and just go get more. LBS love the advertising and will generally throw in a water bottle with anything I buy.
93legendti
10-07-2009, 07:32 PM
I think Polars are overrated. I have about six or seven of them but find that I enjoy reguar bottles better because they're easier to squeeze and get more water quickly. And I haven't found all that much of a difference in keeping water cold.
I like free water bottles. I use them, lose them and just go get more. LBS love the advertising and will generally throw in a water bottle with anything I buy.
I have 2 Camelback Podium bottles and found them too hard to squeeze- they actually bothered my "drinking arm" on a long, hot ride.
fourflys
10-07-2009, 07:33 PM
I think Polars are overrated. I have about six or seven of them but find that I enjoy reguar bottles better because they're easier to squeeze and get more water quickly. And I haven't found all that much of a difference in keeping water cold.
.
The Camelbacks are SO much easier to squeeze than the Polars... I'm a convert!
jharsha
10-07-2009, 08:35 PM
This summer I ran several tests of ChillJacket vs Polar. ChillJacket won hands down on keeping water cooler longer in 105-110 heat! I even froze them both and put them in sun ib my backyard at those temps and it was no contest. Several times I would carry 1 frozen ChillJacket and 1 with just cold water, after about 2-3 hours I would still have ice even when on the road temps were hitting 110+.
Volant
10-07-2009, 08:42 PM
+1 for Polar; although I always seem to have trouble with getting out that last bit of water. I really have to tilt the bottle for that which can be hazardous.
BumbleBeeDave
10-07-2009, 09:04 PM
It's a water bottle, fer Chrissakes. It's not a decanter of dom Perignon.
Man up and just drink the damn stuff and ride. Next thing you know you'll be texting back and forth on your Blackberry's on the road agonizing over who has the last foil packet of Grey Poupon . . .
(Well The Jerk left. Somebody had to say it! :rolleyes: )
BBD
-dustin
10-07-2009, 09:07 PM
tried Chilljackets and thought they sucked at what they were supposed to do and held less water than the normal Podium bottle. I'll stick with the plain Podium bottles.
Keith A
10-07-2009, 09:29 PM
It's a water bottle, fer Chrissakes. It's not a decanter of dom Perignon.
Man up and just drink the damn stuff and ride. Next thing you know you'll be texting back and forth on your Blackberry's on the road agonizing over who has the last foil packet of Grey Poupon . . . For me it DOES make a difference when riding during the summer here in Florida. By mid-morning the temperatures can be near 90º with the heat index over 100º and the humidity so thick you can cut it with a knife. So having cool water or your favorite sports drink chilled helps the body stay a little cooler. My wife even uses them when running errands.
I can take all the name calling you want to throw at me...if I can find an even better insulated bottle, then I'm a happy mustard eater :D
PBWrench
10-07-2009, 09:33 PM
I'm with the Bee man - does it really matter? Warm water is still wet and that's what matters for hydration. Of course I do most of my riding in Minnesota. . .
jeffg
10-07-2009, 09:48 PM
I'm with the Bee man - does it really matter? Warm water is still wet and that's what matters for hydration. Of course I do most of my riding in Minnesota. . .
It is an added benefit since cold water helps cool your core temperature.
Still, the real godsends are things like ice cold springs (Geysers or backside of Mt. Hamilton come to mind in CA, where dunking your head after climbing 10% grades in triple digit heat makes you feel like you got a new set of legs.
That being said, my water is generally too precious to dunk over my head, so I freeze one bottle overnight (to melt and drink later) and one just with ice to drink right away. A few weeks ago a Polar bottle kept the Enervit ice cold for the assault on the merciless grades and heat of Skaggs Springs Road. It felt great and was a great mental boost! The last time I went over Skaggs it was over 115 and drinking hot water just felt horrible ... glad I brought the Polar but I should have brought a hydration pack!
Dekonick
10-07-2009, 09:50 PM
Goodness - I usually just use either stainless steel (can't squeeze em - but they are easy to clean and never have that plastic funk smell) or Costco generic sports drink in the bottle. Used to use generic bottled water (deer park or similar) but they have changed the shape so they no longer work with H2O cages...
Demmit!
Ever just try freezing cylinders of ice (just get PVC pipe and cut to length and then cut a slit up the side for expansion. toss a few slugs in your bottle to keep it cool...)
Ti-Boy
10-08-2009, 04:15 AM
It's getting toward the cold season here. So, how does the CamelBak mouthpiece hold up in freezing temps?
Elefantino
10-08-2009, 04:25 AM
It's a water bottle, fer Chrissakes. It's not a decanter of dom Perignon.
Man up and just drink the damn stuff and ride. Next thing you know you'll be texting back and forth on your Blackberry's on the road agonizing over who has the last foil packet of Grey Poupon . . .
(Well The Jerk left. Somebody had to say it! :rolleyes: )
BBD
Somebody is Mr. Grumpypants.
BumbleBeeDave
10-08-2009, 06:08 AM
Somebody is Mr. Grumpypants.
:no: :butt: :argue: :crap: :rolleyes:
The Camelbak valve is impossible to clean and gets really gross... I had two of them and ended up tossing them prematurely for fear that I was going to get sick from it.
I'll stick with the good old conventional ones...
It's a water bottle, fer Chrissakes. It's not a decanter of dom Perignon.
Man up and just drink the damn stuff and ride. Next thing you know you'll be texting back and forth on your Blackberry's on the road agonizing over who has the last foil packet of Grey Poupon . . .
(Well The Jerk left. Somebody had to say it! :rolleyes: )
BBD
Yeah, well, maybe for the three weeks that the ice cap retreats from upstate NY it's all good, and I'll grab any darn water bottle for a quick ride, but when there's actual summer weather I'd rather have the water stay cool for more than ten minutes.
But getting back to the actual question, the camelback water bottles are better in every way.
The Camelbak valve is impossible to clean and gets really gross... I had two of them and ended up tossing them prematurely for fear that I was going to get sick from it.
I'll stick with the good old conventional ones...
Hot water and dawn in the bottle? Shake it up and squeeze the water through the valve? Then drop the bottle and the top into the dishwasher? Kind of what I do with all of them.
Yah it didn't work on these... even doing an extra pass trying to jam a soap-soaked Q-Tip through (which Camelbak says not to do) doesn't seem to get them clean.
The internal shape of the valve seems to create a low pressure area when water is squeezed through and stuff builds up in that area. I'd get these black deposits inside the valve.
Also unlike a normal valve, when it's closed mud/water/road salt/whatever can get into the valve since it still forms a cavity on top.
Funny that a company that solved the contaminated water issue on the trail makes a bottle that is far worse then the status quo in this respect.
Elefantino
10-08-2009, 08:56 AM
Water bottle.
http://prodimages.branders.com/img/custom_Specialized_Big_Mouth_Water_Bottle_Transluc ent/Mugs_Drinkware/Specialized_Big_Mouth_Water_Bottle_Translucent-23116_bs.jpg
fourflys
10-08-2009, 09:39 AM
Goodness - I usually just use either stainless steel (can't squeeze em - but they are easy to clean and never have that plastic funk smell) or Costco generic sports drink in the bottle. Used to use generic bottled water (deer park or similar) but they have changed the shape so they no longer work with H2O cages...
Demmit!
I stopped buying bottled water a LONG time ago (have a Brita water tank thing in the fridge).... Now, if you resuse your bottled water bottles, then good for you but if not.... wow, what a landfill issue...
OK, off my hippie, environmental soapbox now :D
stephenmarklay
10-08-2009, 09:42 AM
Polar bottles are made in USA. Camelbak bottles are not. I use Polar for that reason.
SEABREEZE
10-08-2009, 10:38 AM
I'm with the Bee man - does it really matter? Warm water is still wet and that's what matters for hydration. Of course I do most of my riding in Minnesota. . .
Living in the extreme heat of the deep south is signifigantly different than living in Minn.
Yes water hydrates, but cold is needed to bring the core temp down.
Guaranteed, spend a day at Disney in Orlando on the long lines and just have air temperature water vs chilled water. its a no brainer. the air temp doesn't do it for you
Imagine, thats a non physical thing, factor in riding in the same heat index. chilled is a must to bring down the core temp + hydrate.Thats just the way it is in the south.
Dekonick
10-08-2009, 06:52 PM
I stopped buying bottled water a LONG time ago (have a Brita water tank thing in the fridge).... Now, if you resuse your bottled water bottles, then good for you but if not.... wow, what a landfill issue...
OK, off my hippie, environmental soapbox now :D
I re-use some - then to the green bin with the three arrows in a triangle... they don't go to the landfill.
Dekonick
10-08-2009, 06:56 PM
Living in the extreme heat of the deep south is signifigantly different than living in Minn.
Yes water hydrates, but cold is needed to bring the core temp down.
Guaranteed, spend a day at Disney in Orlando on the long lines and just have air temperature water vs chilled water. its a no brainer. the air temp doesn't do it for you
Imagine, thats a non physical thing, factor in riding in the same heat index. chilled is a must to bring down the core temp + hydrate.Thats just the way it is in the south.
No doubt - we have cool vests for haz-mat as the suits will cook you alive...
Having said that, I just have a few stops along the way where the option to stop and get ice/water exists. Don't they have 7-11 or gas stations in Fla? I know they have Mc Donalds... can always stop and fill your bottle with ice...
Not saying Fla isn't hot and nasty humid - it is. I lived in Orlando for a year. Flat, hot, humid, crappy cycling. HUGE mosquito's too!
roguedog
10-08-2009, 08:40 PM
+1 camelback.
did a 2 day ride through 100+ degree heat. had 1 camelback and 1 polar. camelback kept the water cooler longer. twas a great thing to have on the ride.
1 day.. not many mcd's or 7-11's since it was country backroads. 2nd day was thru more populated streets and roads. jus' saying .. not always near easy places to fill up water and believe me i was looking!
the subway was like the oasis in the desert.. esp the AC!
Keith A
10-08-2009, 09:08 PM
Don't they have 7-11 or gas stations in Fla? I know they have Mc Donalds... can always stop and fill your bottle with ice...On most Saturdays I do a 60 mile group ride with some of the fastest cyclists in the county...they don't stop at any 7-Elevens until the ride is over.
Dekonick
10-08-2009, 09:37 PM
Guess I drink too much water.
fourflys
10-09-2009, 11:47 AM
I re-use some - then to the green bin with the three arrows in a triangle... they don't go to the landfill.
that's better than most, just realize (and I'm sure you do) it's not a 1 for 1 exchange when a water bottle is recycled...
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.