Thanks for tuning in this is The Sweet
Cyclists and today we're gonna be reviewing
the CamelBak Podium Flow Belt 21 oz.
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Here we have CamelBak'ss new Podium
Flow Belt, this is designed to be a
minimalist mountain biking solution for
cargo and hydration and as you can see
it comes with a 21 ounce
Podium 3.0 Dirt Series bottle and up
to two liters of storage. Fanny
packs aren't cool but we've seen a big
resurgence of these from different
companies as they provide a really nice
solution for those who don't want to
carry heavier backpacks or just going
for shorter rides. Although it's
designed for mountain bikers it can
definitely be used by runners or any
other activity where you need a little
extra storage and don't want to carry
something bulkier. In terms of
specifications this is $45 and includes
the 21 ounces podium bottle. This has
a little dirt cap here which is
removable for a little extra cleaning
ability and prevent gunk from getting
into the nozzle. As I mentioned you get
two liters of storage so you have the
water bottle cage here and you have a large
zippered secure storage area here with
two little mesh panels that can hold
tools or food or anything else you might
have. You also get the little carabiner
for your keys. It is really large in here
and you also get a secondary smaller zipper
here for additional storage such as
credit cards or anything else. You get
reflective elements on the back for
nighttime visibility and an adjustable
waistband here with these nice plush
mesh panels to ensure you don't overheat
and are comfortable with a basic plastic
buckle which is adjustable to really
secure it to your waist. Now
let's take a second and look at the
weight of this pack, the bottle by itself
comes in at 86 grams while the pack
comes in at 184 grams. Now lets take a
closer look at the fit and finish of the
Podium Flow Belt. There's been a big
resurgence with waist packs
despite the uncool history as it is a really
nice way to carry additional
storage without the bulk of a backpack
or armbands, or anything else. Because
it's on your waist you don't really
notice it once it's really secure. What I
really like about the Flow Belt is that it comes
with one of CamelBaks best bottles,
their Podium 3.0 Dirt Series
21 ounce bottle. This is a 13 dollar
bottle and features the 3.0 improvements
that been done to all
the Podium bottles. It has a little
removable dirt cap here it's just a
little rubber thing you can pop off
that's a nice thing for mountain biking or
any other sport that has a lot of junk
or dirt so you can really protect the lid
and especially even if you're
transporting this.
The big thing here is with these
bottles s that they're a lot easier to clean.
This is lockable so if you're doing any
transportation or anything you don't
want it to leak you can just lock it.
It's a lot easier to clean, you see how
large this nozzle is and it's easy to fully
disassemble which is a really nice
feature of these bottles. I'll put a link
to my full review of the Podium bottles
in the top right corner. This whole
valve assembly is removable and
cleanable, and what really sets apart the
Podium bottles from other water bottles
on the market is their patented jet
valve. This is a self sealing valve
and you can hear that it has a little
gasket on the inside that means a it
won't leak if you hold it upside down
until you apply a little pressure so
really easy to use you don't have to
pull up a valve up and down. Back to the
waist pack, this is the black version
and they have more colorful versions
available but this one is really easy to
use and comfortable. You can see you have
an angled bottle holder and this
makes it really easy to grab the bottle
and put it back into place.
Material wise it's really nice,
you have two big pockets and you have the
side pocket here which is good for
little snacks or quick access items. You
have the reflective elements on here,
especially if you're doing early morning
runs or nighttime rides that's a nice
feature. Really big storage on the inside
with these two pockets and these two
mesh panels will prevent any
contents from flying around or jumping
around. I also really like the addition
of the key carabiner this is a really
nice way to have your key secure and
make sure you don't lose them
when you try to pull something else out.
In terms of comfort they've really added
a lot of soft and mesh panels in here to
prevent it from getting too hot to make
it really comfortable you can see here's
a little strap to hang things off of on
the back side. You have this really plush
and mesh panel section which
prevents discomfort on
the back of your waist. You have basic
plastic buckles here to adjust the fit
to adjust the fit, you just have to move
these elastic bands and then adjust it
as needed, so really simple design.
With these nice little elastic
bands here you can adjust those and then
secure any loose ends to prevent it from
flopping around. Now let's take a look at
the Flow Belt in action. I tried it both
running and cycling and found that the
zippered storage pockets as well as that
bottle holder. It worked really well as a
minimal solution to avoid carrying a
backpack or other storage containers. The
angled water bottle cage also worked
really well and made it easy to stop and
grab a sip of water and especially with
that little mud flap it prevents any
debris from getting in the bottle. Now
let's give the Podium Flow Belt 21 oz
a final score.
We're grading it on four different
categories: design, storage, comfort
and value. Design wise I've given it an A-, it is
pretty well built and thought-out but
has limited color options. Storage-wise I
would give it an A, the two zippered
pockets
and up to two liters of storage capacity
means you can carry a wide variety of
gear. Comfort-wise I would also give it an A.
It has mesh padding that really makes it
soft and comfortable against your back
so you don't have any hot spots or
discomfort.
Value-wise I give it this an A-, it's a
great minimal solution and with the
included 21 ounce bottle and it makes this a
great option for any kind of hobby even
beyond cycling. Whether you're walking
on trails hiking it's a great way to
carry some cargo without a bulky
backpack. Thanks for watching this review
and don't forget to like and subscribe to
the channel. If you want to see more
content from us you can visit our
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@thesweetcyclists. This is The Sweet Cyclist
reminding you to enjoy the ride!
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