ExamineHealth

 

I have made a recent discovery in the water bottle department and I'm really quite surprised.

 

I've never had a problem drinking out of regular water bottles, whether they be classic Nalgene or the disposable water bottles that you buy in the store.  I've never been a huge fan of the sports bottles that have the tiny flip cap that you tilt up and squirt into your mouth, but aside from that, a water bottle is a water bottle, right?  

 

Chalk this up to a case of not knowing what you're missing until you stumble across it.  I was introduced to the Camelbak Better Bottle with Bite Valve the other day by a friend.  At first I scoffed at it, "A nipple for your water bottle?  Really?"  To each their own however, I let them get away with a brief teasing and left it at that.  However, at the end of the weekend, said water bottle was given to me, so I took it home and started using it.  Wow.

 

This water bottle is basically like your standard Nalgene water bottles, made out of polycarbonate (all of them are BPA-Free at this point) and colored gently in various pastel colors.  I think you can find them in over 15 different colors, with special edition versions having various stamps or prints on them.  They are very conveniently labeled in case you need to measure your liquids.  And of course they come in several different sizes - .5 Liter, .75 Liter and the full Liter.  They sport the standard wide mouth circumference that is a standard for all camping water bottles.  So they'll fit your filters and other caps that you have lying around.

 

The big difference is in the cap.  The cap has a flip-up bite valve 'nipple' that allows you to suck your water up through a straw.  Now this is where the genius is.  The silicone bite valve is easy to work, it's the same design used on the rest of Camelbak's water bladders (used in backpacks and hydration packs), it won't get bite marks on it, and it's removable for easy cleaning.  The nipple is attached to a small lever, so that you can flip it open and closed with a single finger.  When closed it folds flush with the top of the bottle and seals off the straw for leak-proof transport.  However, it really doesn't leak, even when flipped open, due to the bite valve.  

 

So, what you end up with is a water bottle that you no longer need to unscrew the cap from.  Yes, that means completely one-handed operation from completely closed, to open and dispensing water with a single hand.  This is perfect for the car, especially since you don't need to tip your head back to take a pull.  Eyes stay on the road, water bottle happily resting on your lips.  Did I mention that they are small enough to fit into most cup-holders?

 

This is the ultimate on-the-go water bottle.  The cap is also outfitted with a sturdy rubber loop that allows you to carry the water bottle around in the crook of a single finger (even with both hands full), or hook it to a backpack with a carabiner.  Or hook it to anything that you want to!  

 

This water bottle goes everywhere with me now.  It has taken precedence over all other water bottles and even glasses in a lot of cases.  It's a great tool for helping to monitor your water intake.  I rock the 1 Liter around and make sure I drink at least two of them each day.  You'd be surprised how easy it becomes when the water is just a quick grab and sip away.  I really never would have thought that something as simple as unscrewing a cap was detracting from my water intake, but now I can say that it definitely was.  It's always made me nervous keeping an open water bottle on my desk with all the computer equipment I have running, but not anymore.  This spill-proof wonder has changed my world.

 

I can honestly say that I am drinking significantly more water each day, just by switching to this bottle.  And in a way, my stress levels are down as well.  Stress that I never even knew I carried about standard water bottles.  This thing has really surprised me by it's impact on my life.  I never would have suspected that I would love a water bottle so much.

 

So if you're intrigued, and you want your water drinking experience turned upside down, run out and grab yourself a Camelbak BPA-Free Better Bottle with Bite Valve.