If you ask us, the Camelbak Podium series is one of the best bottles around. But that doesn’t mean they were perfect. If you uh, neglected your cleaning duties and the inside of the bottle became a science project, getting the valve assembly clean could be a complicated affair. Not to mention that depending on the bottle cage, some made it a bit more difficult to get the bottle in and out while riding. That’s where the Podium 3.0 comes in.
After redesigning their entire line, Camelbak is ready to take the Podium to the trails and streets in 2019. There will still be four different models – the standard non-insulated, non-insulated Dirt series with a mud cap, the insulated Podium, and the double insulated Podium Ice. All four will be available in 21oz bottles, while the standard non-insulated and the insulated will also be available in a larger 24oz size.
In order to make the bottle shape more user friendly, Camelbak says that they bought just about every bottle cage they should get their hands on to test. The new shape will supposedly work better on the Euro-style cages without a split in the middle (which often didn’t work at all on the Podium 2.0 insulated), and it should make the bottles easier to grab from the cage, and put back in the cage while riding.
In addition to the new profile, the bottles have redesigned cap that keeps the original functionality of the Jet valve but should be easier to clean.
The system can now be broken down into three pieces for easier cleaning with the main cap, the jet valve assembly, and the crud guard.
The crud guard is a removable plug that keeps anything large that gets past the Jet Valve from entering the bottle. You can also just remove this plug for easy cleaning of the inside without actually removing the Jet Valve assembly.
But if you really need some deep cleaning, the Jet Valve assembly is removable and easier than ever to clean.
The new bottles should be available in January, and pricing is expected to be similar to the previous series. You’ll also have the option for the new Podium Flow Belt which is a new hip pack specifically designed for the Podium Dirt Series which we’ll have full details on in the next post!
Pricing
- Podium 3.0 21oz – $10
- Podium 3.0 24oz – $11
- Podium 3.0 Insulated 21oz – $14
- Podium 3.0 Insulated 24oz – $16
- Podium 3.0 Ice 21oz – $25
- Podium Dirt Series 21oz – $14
