By: Patrick Gensel
Hydration experts Camelbak are at it again with a water bottle that provides its own filter built into the straw. The Groove provides a replaceable cartridge filter that will keep your water tasting great. Camelbak states that it will filter about 378 bottles worth of water. Keep in mind that this is only a taste filter and will not remove harmful bacteria from water found in the backcountry, but it does do a great job at making tap water taste extra pure.
The Groove also uses a double wall to keep water cold and has Camelbak’s flip up bite valve to keep you sipping in spill free style. As is common with most Camelbak bottles, the Groove features a loop to clip into with a carabiner on the screw off lid.
I took the Groove out with me on a short kayaking trip on Puget sound and the filter did its job of providing a clean taste to the tap water I added to it, and the double wall insulated the water well keeping it perfectly chilled. This bottle isn’t available yet, but look for it soon at your favorite outdoor retailer. Check out more on Camelbak here.
Cool new bottle! Gaelyn had one of the regular ones but after a year, the flip up bite valve didn’t work. We took that sucker back to REI. I don’t know if Camelbak has changed the valve or not, but it wasn’t as durable as a good old Nalgene.
Another thing I was thinking about is the double wall insulation. I have a Starbucks cup like that and the glue is weak that holds the two bottles together. I’ve dropped a couple and they broke. The inside would separate from the outside. You should toss that thing on the ground and tell us how it holds up!
Keep us posted on the durability of this bottle over the next few months. Thanks man!