While most of Camelbak’s pack range sees little change for 2014, the hydration company has made a number of changes to their Podium and Podium Big Chill bottles to make them easier to use- and to clean. As nice as the original Jet Valve is, its design left a few nooks and crannies that were hard to get clean. The fact that few knew that the bite piece could be removed made for more than a few funky bottles- and prompted the redesign. More after the break…
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With a sleeker new “Velocity” shape, the small and large Podium bottles maintain their 21oz and 24oz capacity but get smoother and slightly shorter. The change makes for a bottle that not only looks better on aero frames but is easier to squeeze. The self-opening Jet Valve has been moved to the cap, which can now be removed more easily thanks to a pair of pull tabs.
Despite the upgrades, prices for the single-walled Podium and insulated Chill bottles largely hold the line at $9 and $10 for uninsulated models and $13 and $15 for insulated models.