In 2013, I set off on a magical journey with my spouse. Our vacation spot? Electrical Forest in Rothbury, MI. For individuals who don’t know, that is an unimaginable music competition that amongst many different issues entails three days tenting out within the forests of Western Michigan whereas listening to top-notch bands, dancing within the bushes, and consuming loads of beer. Whereas packing for this journey the primary merchandise on our tenting guidelines included a M.U.L.E. CamelBak. We purchased this helpful little backpack with hands-free hydration only for the competition.
And fingers down (get it?), we will confidently say it has been the most effective purchases we’ve ever made. Significantly, since then we’ve gone on to take this backpack to the mountains of Denver, CO, for a Zedd’s Useless live performance at Pink Rocks, to Europe for a two-week backpack journey to Amsterdam, Berlin, and Copenhagen. Heck, we even simply take it out on the path in Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley, CA, once we take our pet out for hikes on the weekend.
The truth is, I’m this pack proper now as I write this piece, actually hanging on our coat rack by the door. Prepared for us to seize and go, whether or not we’re simply getting groceries on the native grocery store or touring all the way in which to Washington, D.C., for a beer competition.
Backside line, we’ve dubbed this CamelBak a household heirloom. It’s lasted us for nearly ten years already and can most likely survive for many years to come back. Fairly merely it’s one in every of our prized possessions as a result of it’s sturdy, time-tested, and effectively, cool.
So once we discovered that CamelBak had lately designed and constructed a brand new backpack cooler with its telltale water pouch, we knew we needed to be taught extra.
And check out one out ourselves.
What Is CamelBak?
First off, in case you haven’t been exterior of your property in over two years (oh wait), CamelBak has turn into synonymous with hydration and innovation. It’s an organization constructed on a quest to quench thirst. And on the again of adventurers.
Actually.
In 1989, CamelBak founder and avid bicycle fanatic Michael Eidson competed within the “Hotter ‘N Hell 100” bicycle race in Texas. The competitors took athletes by a 100-mile street course over 4 days within the stifling summer season warmth of Wichita Falls, TX.
As you may think about, staying hydrated turned essential. However the race solely offered just a few pit stops alongside the way in which. And people water stations meant a racer would want to take break day to cease and drink or refill their water bottles.
So Eidson got here up together with his personal revolutionary resolution utilizing his expertise as an emergency medical technician.
He took an IV bag, stuffed it with water, positioned it right into a tube sock, jammed a hose in it, and threw the MacGyvered hydration pack on his again.
Voila…
The primary rudimentary CamelBak was born.
For the following thirty-three years, CamelBak turned the go-to supply for hands-free hydration whether or not you’re canoeing down a river, hanging out on the seaside, and even simply attending a three-day music competition within the forests of Michigan.
“CamelBak is all about bringing hands-free hydration the place you want it,” says Tony Vontz, director of product administration, tender items at CamelBak. “Being that invisible hand that helps superior enjoyable outside whether or not biking, climbing, path working, and now with the ChillBak extra chilling.”
Now these leaders have taken issues a step additional, crafting the first-ever backpack cooler with built-in hydration referred to as the ChillBak.
Why Did CamelBak Make the ChillBak?
Identical to Eidson noticed a necessity for one thing new available in the market again in 1989, the present CamelBak crew seen an area to place their very own particular person touches on an rising development.
Backpack coolers have turn into sizzling, particularly within the beer business. The thought is easy: Present craft beer drinkers with a snug, sturdy approach to take their favourite beers into the wild, whether or not that’s the forests of Oregon or the city jungles of New York.
However CamelBak has put a wholly contemporary spin on the cooler class. One which utterly fits their model and model.
“We felt we had one thing so as to add to the cooler house, world, and story,” says Vontz. “Once you go to the seaside or any exercise, most individuals carry a ton of water with them. What if we might take away the water and have house for the enjoyable stuff like beer?”
So CamelBak got down to create this all-in-one journey software. A backpack cooler that features not solely house for as much as twenty-four cans of your favourite beverage (plus fifteen kilos of ice) that may keep chilly for as much as seventy-two hours…
…but in addition a separate reservoir for as much as six liters of water.
“It’s that après expertise that received the ChillBak going,” says Vontz, who lately took a visit to Bend, OR, together with his household to place the ChillBak into motion. “I noticed that in actual life folks have been out driving within the Deschutes Nationwide Forest all day, however then ended up down by the river consuming beers; that’s the place the ChillBak will reside.”
With the ChillBak, CamelBak has seamlessly built-in its trademark know-how right into a pack confirmed to be reliable for all of your adventures.
ChillBak Rigorously Examined…And Examined Once more
A cooler of this caliber didn’t simply come collectively in a single day. CamelBak took their time to get The ChillBak proper.
The unique concept truly got here up some time in the past. However solely after two years of thorough design concepting together with lab and person testing did CamelBak lastly launch the ChillBak to the general public mid-last 12 months.
“[The ChillBak] has been fairly rigorously designed, vetted, examined, and considered for a really very long time,” says Vontz. “We arrived at one thing very dialed in and regarded in design and use case.”
As an illustration, CamelBak examined the ChillBak repeatedly in an precise warmth chamber of their lab at their workplaces in Petaluma, CA.
The purpose?
“Insulation was an enormous key,” says Colin Belisle, affiliate model supervisor at CamelBak. “On the naked minimal, the [ChillBak] lasts a full weekend in a automotive tenting…we declare seventy-two hours with ice.” Which means CamelBak assures that your cans of beer will keep chilly for as much as three days even whereas out within the wild.
It’s simply one of many options that makes this elevated backpack cooler the most effective now out in the marketplace.
The 4 Greatest Options of CamelBak’s New ChillBak
Attempting to slender down our favourite options of the ChillBak is sort of like attempting to cycle the “Hotter ‘N Hell 100” race with out water—almost unimaginable.
Fortunately, we’ll do our greatest.
Fingers-Free Hydration
Proper off the bat, one of the vital distinctive options of the ChillBak is its hallmark hands-free hydration.
Fairly merely: No different backpack cooler in the marketplace provides a method so that you can retailer and drink water proper out of your again.
The reservoir folds out of the backpack after which zips again up in a separate compartment on the again. You may pull as a lot or as little water as you need from the spigot. Extremely, the pouch holds as much as six liters of water. Sufficient for a whole group, whether or not you’re tenting within the woods, picnicking within the park, or climbing up a mountain collectively. “It’s no joke,” says Vontz. “You’re not going to go thirsty with this factor.”
CamelBak constructed the reservoir with water in thoughts, however as this editor can personally attest to, generally of us may use the pack for different drinks (however that’s a narrative for an additional time).
Loads of Room for Chilly Drinks
Talking of beer and chilly drinks, lest we neglect that is truly a backpack cooler, the ChillBak holds as much as twenty-four 12oz cans, together with fifteen kilos of ice. Better of all, CamelBak ensures your beer or different drinks will keep chilly contained in the ChillBak for seventy-two hours.
Tremendous Powerful and Sturdy
Whereas the reservoir and cooler are the primary differentiating elements, just a few others fly beneath the radar.
In accordance with Vontz, CamelBak put an EVA molded boot on the underside, basically an excellent sturdy materials that helps the cooler so it’ll sit upright when positioned on the bottom. “It’s padded sufficient to maintain every little thing secure with out jostling round,” says Vontz. “The way in which [the ChillBak] slides out and in of the automotive and tetrisis in and round different gear is superior.”
On Vontz’s current journey to Oregon, he says, “We put a few bottles of wine, lots of beer, and slightly little bit of ice [in the ChillBak] whereas driving up so it will be prepared once we received there and every little thing felt safe and packed in with nothing collapsing on high of it.”
Following CamelBak’s mantra of sturdiness and sturdiness, the ChillBak incorporates ripstop development that, in keeping with Vontz, is “as burly because it will get.” He laughs, “This factor is totally bomb proof.”
However critically, the top-notch structure ensures which you could take the CamelBak into the hardest environments understanding it’s going to survive.
Enjoyable Options
Another enjoyable options embody a pair stretch mesh pockets on the aspect to shove all of the stuff you need to hold dry. As an illustration, Vontz makes use of these areas to retailer his churchkey, wine screw, bottle stoppers, or cellphone.
And the rolltop closure ensures that every little thing stays chilly whereas a trapdoor that sits on high is ideal for making a separate house to retailer gadgets you need to hold dry. As an illustration, a throw or blanket.
All in all, “the ChillBak has CamelBak DNA for positive,” says Vontz.
That is an extremely well-constructed backpack cooler with trademark CamelBak touches.
And similar to Eidson’s concept was solely the start for CamelBak, the ChillBak is simply the beginning for this avant-garde firm in coolers.
What’s the Way forward for the ChillBak?
In accordance with Vontz, the ChillBak is simply the primary transfer of a multi-year roadmap for constructing out a whole cooler household.
Whereas on the time of publication Vontz and Belisle couldn’t share an excessive amount of extra info, they did guarantee us that the ChillBak household might be rising. Particularly since CamelBak is on this house to remain.
“Transferring into the longer term you may’t simply be a cooler anymore,” says Vontz. “It’s not sufficient to be insulated and hold beer chilly. What else are you able to carry to the celebration?”
CamelBak has dedicated to staying forward of the curve, persevering with to write down its personal narrative with coolers over the following few years.
With an acclaimed award-winning model like CamelBak now making revolutionary, ingenious backpack coolers full with hands-free hydration, we’re undoubtedly holding our eyes peeled for what’s to come back.
Within the meantime, we’ll be taking our ChillBak on a lot of our quite a few upcoming adventures.
The place Can I Get a CamelBak ChillBak of My Personal?
You may in fact go straight to the supply to discover a ChillBak of your personal. Try the ChillBak product web page to be taught extra.
Vontz and Belisle additionally advocate stopping by Backcountry.com or your native regional and unbiased bike and outside retailer.
