Sportline HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle Save 15% off

My experience:

The Hydracoach is a great concept, but I don''t think it''s a very reliable piece of equipment. When you receive it you go through a very simple programming process, similar to setting a watch. You enter in your weight, the time and date, and your desired water intake per day. Then you start it and as you drink it''ll track your progress towards your goal. Within the first two days I noticed that the LED would randomly reset itself...this would require me to go through the programming process again, as well as completely lose track of my water intake, thus entirely defeating the purpose and rendering it useless. I just reprogrammed it a few times and endured, but it continued to do this so I followed the return proceedure and shipped it back to the company at a cost of $7. Their return policy indicates that they pay for S&H on returns if it''s for a defective product, however I was never reimbursed. They did send me a replacement within a week or so and it''s been more stable than the original, but not without problems. The LED reset again within a month and the "low battery" icon started flashing. I found myself really disatisfied with the product at this point...considering that the LED is as simple as a wrist watch, and offers no backlight, the battery should last for at least a year or more. I had to replace the battery which cost about $3. The Hydracoach worked pretty reliably for about 4 months and just recently reset itself again with the "low battery" icon. I know this can''t be the battery, so I re-programmed it and it''s continued to work well since. I''ve come to the conclusion that this random reset is just an issue with the software and will just have to be put up with once in a while.

So here is the BAD:

$29.99 for the product, $7 to ship the return, and $3 to replace the battery...I just paid $40 for a freaking water bottle. The product has ultimately been more of an inconvenience than it''s worth, and I think it''s way overpriced.

The 22 oz. size, although convenient to hold and carry, is rather small for someone who has a hydration goal. You will easily chug a full one of these and it will therefore require several refills through the day to reach your goal.

If the lid is screwed on too snug it will make sipping from the bottle nearly impossible. This isn''t a negative as much as a note. It took me a while to figure out, but don''t tighten the lid all the way in order to get maximum water flow.

The software is unstable and will randomly crash which renders this as good as a plain plastic water bottle from time to time.

Overall: It''s simply not worth the money. If you can muster just a little extra motivation you can keep track of the amout of water you drink throughout the day without this, and honestly all you really need to do is approximate.

Now the GOOD:

+ I will say that when this was working properly it was really helpful in meeting my hydration goals.

+ Being able to see your water intake percentage throughout the day is really great for keeping you motivated and helping you pace your water intake.

+ I can see where it would be nice for someone who is on a very strict diet or has a required water intake due to doctor''s orders, or a medical condition.

My wife produces kidney stones like the local movie theatre makes popcorn. One of the best defenses to kidney stone formation is drinking proper amounts of water. Half a person''s body weight in ounces is the daily target. My wife does not like drinking water. This is a problem.

We have tried cajoling, rewards, encouragement, exhortation and rebuking to get her drink more water. Not happening.

I bought her one of these for Christmas. Now it''s a game to see she how much of her daily water that she drinks. Way cool!

I bought one for my daughter and myself. Now it''s a game with competition. Even better. Every day she is trying to beat us and in the process drinking the proper amount of water. (If you want some info on water consumption order the book "Your Body''s many cries for Water" here at Amazon. It will blow your mind.)

I can''t recommend this highly enough. It is an answer to prayer.

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Wonderful item for those of us who try and drink a certain volume of water each day. This takes the guess work out of "is this my 4th or 5th glass today". Now you know each day what you have consumed. Lives up to it''s claim

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My wife and I have had our HydraCoach water bottles for a couple of years now. It is a great idea, but due to the nature of how you have to drink and the overall inaccuracy of the product, it needs a lot of improvement and the hassle of using it outweighs the benefits. You need to train yourself before you can use this. You have to suck through the top a certain way and it takes a lot of effort. Essentially, you are sucking water through a small turbine that spins and then through a one-way valve. That creates quite a bit of resistance that you have to overcome by sucking harder than is comfortable. If you take small sips all the time, the turbine won''t spin enough and won''t register enough water flow and will be very inaccurate. If you take large sips and drink a lot of water in a short amount of time it will be relatively accurate. The idea of a turbine to measure water flow seems rudimentary at best. Based on the technology out there for measuring liquid flow rates you''d think there would be a much better option, albeit I suppose this is the cheapest.

Also, you MUST take the top apart and clean the turbine device often or it will clog up with gunk and eventually stop spinning (and stop registering flow). This is especially true if you don''t use filtered water or you put sugary sports drinks in it, which is not recommended. I just soak everything in a scalding hot 50/50 vinegar/water mixture, the same way you clean the scale out of the inside of a coffee maker. This is especially true if you don''t use filtered water or you put sugary sports drinks in it, which is not recommended.

Another thing that really bugs me is the LCD screen. When the stopwatch timer is stopped or paused, the LCD should go blank after a few minutes like modern day cell phones. The LCD screen stays on permanently until the battery dies and of course drains the battery that much faster. If you leave the timer running all the time it will also drain the battery much faster, so I always start it before I drink, then stop it right after, which is also inconvenient.

Overall, the idea of the product is great, but it needs a LOT of refinement for it to work well enough to where it isn''t so inconvenient that it''s not worth using.

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I LOVE my hydracoach and I do not go anywhere without it. I even pack it in my suitcase for travels!

I saw a few negative reviews on this product and thought I would add my own opinion.

First off, I have not had a problem with the battery at all. I bought this water bottle about 10 months ago and it came with a battery in it. I have not had to replace the battery even once. In any event, the battery that it does use sells at my local Dollar Store at a price of two batteries for $1 so it''s really cheap to replace the battery.

Yes, you need a little screw driver to unscrew the cap to insert and take out the battery but what other design could the company come up with to securely hold a battery in place and prevent water from going in the battery compartment? I also bought the little screwdriver set from my local dollar store so you don''t need anything expensive to open the battery compartment. It''s probably the same screwdriver you use to tighten the hinge in your eyeglasses if you have one.

As well, I don''t think tightening the lid on the bottle makes it more difficult to suck out the water as one reviewer had said they did. It''s easy to assemble and take apart if needed for cleaning.

I know some people may not like that it only holds 22 oz or about 500 mL, but that''s the same as any regular water bottle. Your hydration goal could be 2-3 L depending on your weight so yes, you will have to refill the thing if you want to reach your goal. But honestly, do you really expect a company to sell a water bottle holding 2-3 L? That would be quite heavy to lug around in my opinion.

The only problem I had was that at one point it was not registering my usage. The took apart the tubing and blew into the tubing as well as washed it out. That did the trick and it was working again.

I can honestly say it makes me very aware of how much water I am drinking and this is really important for health reasons. I was definitely not drinking enough water prior to this purchase and it''s one of the best things I have bought for myself in the past year. Every friend I have given this water bottle to has been thrilled with it. It makes a great gift.

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Innate Reservoir Slip for Fresco

Okay, first up it doesn''t come even close to the color shown. They say charcoal, what they really mean is a medium to light gray.

Second, not sure why the lady thought that a slip cover for a 29 oz bottle wouldn''t be hard to get on a 40 oz bottle, but that is her problem.

I used mine on a Guyot Designs 32 oz Backpacker, which is similarly shaped, and it went on fairly easily. As the first reviewer commented though, it doesn''t insulate that well. I think if they made it thicker it would work a lot better. As it is though, you will get better results with a neoprene sleeve or cover. This by itself just doesn''t do it.

I bought this cover for my 29 ounch Innate Fresco V2 hoping it would add a little insulation & perhaps keep it from sweating as much. After using it a week or two I would say it adds at most a few minutes of insulation and moisture still condenses right through it.

What''s worse, I''m starting to notice some dark spots under the silicon cover which I fear may be mold. I tried to peel the cover back to check them out, but the slip fits very snugly (it took several minutes to put on & seems even harder to remove).

Another minor gripe: it doesn''t quite match the light green Innate Fresco lid. It''s close, but not quite the same green. Coming from Innate I was expecting it to be the same color.

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Innate Reservoir Slip for Fresco

I got this beautiful lime green slip for my Mega Fresco 40 ounce stainless steel water bottle. It was very pretty and took an act of God to get the slip on the water bottle!!! Once on, it didn''t fit the bottle right. It leaves a space on the bottom, and the top for water to get in it! I called the company and the lady on the phone said "well I slipped mine on just fine!" NO offer to send a bigger one or anything! I pulled on the slip to get it on the bottle, my friend pulled on it and finally my Husband pulled on it and got it on. It says to wash with soap and water, but, to get it on after that, you best have a STRONG man to pull the darn thing on and then be prepared that it does not fit a 40 ounce bottle! Most disappointing!

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American Trails - Insulated Water Bottle Holder Save 51% off

I am very happy with my American Trails Insulated Water Bottle because it keeps the water cold for hours. This bottle holder has become an extension to my body during the hot season. It is wonderful as it does what it says it does--keeps liquid cold for hours. This item was highly recommended to me by a friend. SDavis

this is a good all purpose belt, I dinged it a star because it takes 2 hands to get it back in the carrier and you can''t just push it in and bypass the fabric top. I do like that it keeps dust and dirt off the bottle top and it doesn''t fall out if I bend over to pick up after the dog.

The belt itself folded in two after one use.

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I didn''t want a shoulder style water holder nor a larger waist pack. This was exactly what I was looking for to comfortably wear around my waist for morning dog walks. I can keep my arms free and it is comfortable to wear. For heavy-duty hiking I suggest a larger backpack but for simple walks when you want to be able to stay hydrated, this perfectly fits the bill!

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bought two of these to wrap around my tank bag on the motorcycle. put them on the same belt, and fit very well... bottles are o.k. qualitygood seal and no leaks, but fear they will not last too long due to thin plastic. but the belt and holders are very well made and were much better quality than i expected for the price . highly recommend

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This water bottle holder will be perfect for our cruise. This will keep our hands free for all the picture taking. We will remove the generous size bottle from the holder and insert a icy cold bottle of water.

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PlatyPreserve by Platypus

The platypreserve works as well as it says it does and is a very convenient and economical way to preserve and transport wine.

It works much better than the vacumn pump systems and is much cheaper to buy, operate and maintain than the expensive electronic wine lockers systems or even the argon gas system.

Cons:

* You have to be somewhat physically capable of squeezing the platybag while simultaneously screwing the cap on without shooting wine all over yourself.

* It''s not the classiest way to serve wine. But if you''ve got company, it''s most likely that you would open a new bottle anyways.

* The platy-bags resemble detergent/shampoo refills in Europe.

* Some people cannot mentally accept wine out of a bag.

* Bag is not opaque to prevent light detriorating the wine.

Pros:

* Preserves wine better than all other affordable systems.

* Can be used as a safe and lightweight way to bring wine while traveling, hiking.

* Space-saving design excellent for small fridges where a normal bottle would not fit. (Can be safely stored on its side)

There is no plastic taste or scent and the wine seems to be perfectly preserved for a week. (Haven''t tested it for longer). As the platybag is not opaque, keeping it in a cool dark place would further prevent sunlight from deteriorating the wine.

Recommended for: singles living alone, couples who like to drink different wines, travelers, spacesavers, picnicers.

I use mine almost every day. I am surprised that the bag is still holding up well, I have used it a lot. It keeps the wine fresh for a week or two depending on how much you open it and how good of a job you do of getting all the air out. If you pour a bottle of wine in it and get all the air out and you don''t open it then I think the wine will be totally good for 2 weeks, maybe more. I told the company that makes the Platypus that they should put a one way valve on top of it instead of the screw cap. To close it up you need to put the cap on partially so that air can be squeezed out of the bag but, don''t let the cap be too loose. Then squeeze the air out, when you get a little wine coming out of the top, tighten the cap the rest of the way. It takes a little practice to get good at it but you can do it unless you''re not good at doing things. Do it over the sink because you will probably spill a little.

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We came to find the PlatyPreseve bags when we decided to take a home wine course and had to open 3 or 4 pricey bottles at one time. The problem is obvious not that we didn''t want to drink it all, lol. So after using these for a year, here''s what we think:

1. The bags are BPA safe and very sturdy. They seal well and are easy to clean. BTW, the instructions say "no soap" for good reason. Use soap and you may have an aftertaste if you don''t rinse them repeatedly.

This is no problem because the material used is non-staining, semi-stiff and doesn''t seem to absorb wine or color. We always wash them right after we finish the wine just fill two or three times with fresh water, agitate, pour out, and leave them in the dishrack to drain, cap down. Works well.

2. They seal well. There is no need to "crank down" the caps, they seal reliably by just snugging them down lightly.

3. They pour safely and easily. One poster had trouble pouring wine, but it''s actually easy. Just support the bag in one hand, just under the cap with the other. The bag is semi-rigid and this works every time. Takes two hands, that''s all. You can''t pour with one hand.

4. Filling is best done with a small funnel, but in a pinch you can fill the bag without spillage if you use the same technique as for pouring, except this time the bottom corner of the bag is supported by the table, and the top with one hand. Of course the other hand holds and pours from the wine bottle.

Just lightly support the opening of the wine bottle on the bag opening, with a slight overlap. The bag is supported, and you simply pour slowly.

5. One problem you may have is expelling the air when there is not much wine left in the bag. Platy describes a technique, and we do it this way. Bag sideways, cap up and screwed on loosely (to let air out). Push the sideways bag, sideways against a flat vertical surface with the flat of your hand, applying pressure first to the bottom of the bag, then forcing the wine up toward the opening.

When the wine has almost filled the entire opening, then just use your other hand to snug the cap, and voila! You may spill a drop or two, but not ususally and this removes all the air, or nearly so.

Bottom line: a lovely, effective system. We''ve tossed these bags into our cooler for the beach, in the fridge for extended storage, etc. Have dropped a few from chest height. They are indescructable. Oh, and we like that they are clear, but still number them so we can remember what wine is in which bag.

Great product. I see them for $8 to $10 each, $27 to 29 for four. We got four.

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I have figured for a long time the perfect wine preserver would be a refillable version of the "box of wine", Since I haven''t been able to find such a thing, this seemed to be the closest in concept. As other reviewers have noted, this is not the easiest thing to fill unless you have a funnel. Ok, so you CAN get it filled, but then you have the problem that every time you want to close it you have to precariously squeeze it so that all the air comes out, but you don''t wind up with a wine fountain. If you master that, and then how to quickly put the lid on tightly while still holding it with the wine at the brim, you sit it down and watch as the poor seal still allows air to get back in. If it just had a TAP near the bottom, you could fill and seal it once, and then wine would only come out through the tap and no air go back in. Now that would be convenient. I would recommend a tried and true boda bag over this thing. I used it once and it will either go in the trash, or maybe into the glove box for an emergency water tote.

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My mother is the avid camper and also wine lover. I got this 4 pack as a Christmas gift and she really loved it! No longer does she have to worry about carrying glass into the woods , or losing the quality/flavor of wine by placing it into something else. Also these are re-usable so they have a positive effect on the environment.

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Timberline Stanless Steel water Bottle (26 ounce) Save 26% off

This is their new re-designed cap style bottles. I can not speak to the new style (although I think I would prefer it). We have the older Sport style caps and bottles. However, I did want to share my experience. We bought a 3 pack of the older design bottles last year. My 12 yr old was flipping the bottle in the kitchen and broke the plastic top when it hit the concrete floor. He was upset as it is his favorite water bottle. I wrote to their customer service department by e-mail to ask if it was possible to get a replacement cap. I would have been willing to purchase one as the bottle was no good without it. I received a reply within 12 hours and they graciously sent 2 replacement caps for free, which I had within the week. We are back in business! They stand by their product and have great customer service!

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NFL Green Bay Packers Two Piece Rocks Glass Set

I bought these glasses as a gift for my cheesehead hubby. He loves them. The glasses are a good weight and feel good when holding. The emblems are nice, no blemishes any where. The packing was great and they arrived very quickly. Would not hesitate to purchase again.

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CamelBak Better Bottle Bite Valve and Straws

The bite valve and straws work perfectly with the Camelbak water bottles. It is necessary to note, because the listing doesn''t say at the moment. One size fits all bottles. You cut the straw to the correct size for smaller bottles.

After about four months it''s time to change the bite valve for sure. As gunk builds up in the valve.

We love the CamelBak bottles (no spill!), but the kids have a bad habit of biting tiny holes in the bite valves and then they don''t work as well. I was glad to find that we could replace the valves without having to buy new bottles, but I wish that they would sell the valves with out the straws we are now up to about 12 straws that we do not need!

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I was in need of a replacement for my water bottle & it''s a great replacment. I just wish it would have come with one straw and 2 tops, since that''s what I need more of!

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REI sells just the bite valves (multicolor pack of 5 for $10). I know at least in my house, we need the bite valves and not the straws, so buying from REI works out better for us.

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I clean my bite valve regularly, but eventually the rubber itself gets stained and retains smell/taste. The straw, being hard plastic, is much easier to clean fully and AT MOST I would need 1 straw for every 2 valves. Fortunately, camelbak sells a 5 pack of valves on their site, though I''m not sure why it''s not on Amazon yet...

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Mcnett Frontier Emergency Water Filter

This system is much like everyone mentions. It''s light, weighing about as much as 5 quarters. It''s compact, about the size of a roll of pennies. The filtration unit seems pretty sturdy and would probably not crack if dropped. The straw seems OK, about the same quality as the flexi-straws you get with $10 plastic water bottles. I''d worry that the straw might crack with repeated use, but it should be fine if you use it only for emergency purposes (i.e. rarely).

As with all carbon-based filters, this one has a lot of dust when you first use it. I forgot this detail and was surprised by the straw full of coffee-colored water on my first draw. There is a note on the unit that warns about this dust (which I didn''t notice until later). The note implies that all of the dust would disappear after the first draw. That is not true. I''ve drawn about 4 cups of water through the system, yet there is still very noticeable dust in the water. It''s no longer the color of coffee, more like weak tea. I''m OK with this, but my wife and daughter would complain (of course, they probably wouldn''t complain too long if there''s no other water).

In sum, I think this is a good product and recommend it for emergency use. But I suggest drawing a few cups of water to remove the carbon before you store it in your emergency kit.

I bought the Aquamira filtration straw as a lightweight way to keep safe and not get sick from water-born illnesses (Cryptosporidiosis and Giardiasis being the two major ones) while abroad. I still carry water filtration tablets while abroad as a "just in case" item, but let''s face it that''s a pain to deal with and you need to be planning ahead. Sometimes you just need to drink now.

I really can''t get over how light this thing is. It weighs less than an ounce, and fits easily inside of any pocket you can think of. The collapsible straw is a bonus. The straw is rated at being able to filter around 20 gallons of water before it''s discarded.

The price and size make this a "must have" for any hiker/camper/traveler/survivalist. Sure, you''ll probably not use it, you''ll be glad you have it.

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This thing is great. You can drink from a mud puddle and it still taste clean. One time I was camping and it started raining so I threw up the poncho and put my metal cup out to collect water. Well pigment from the poncho came off since it hadn''t been used before, as well as smoke that had collected. I tasted the water pre filter and it was foul, undrinkable. but with the filter it was clean and cold. My friend tried the filter and said yeah taste like water, then I had him taste the unfiltered stuff and he just about puked lol

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ok, here''s the deal. put this in your wish list...next time you need some $$ to get up to the free shipping...add one. then keep doing that until everyone in your family has one of these for their emergency pack.

Tablets are great and light, but still a pain to use. boiling is best, but sometimes you just can''t. this is less than an ounce! It''s not perfect, but it''s so small and light...it will be WITH YOU when you need it. better safe than sorry. It will taste bad initially (carbon) but just spit out the first few draws and you''ll be fine.

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I got these for my emergency kits. I admit the straw is a bit flimsy but I don''t plan on using it only for emergency which I hope is never. It is very lightweight and looks just like the package. I do wish that it came in a small tube (both filter and straw) as it is they are separated and you''ll need to rubber band them together or find some sort of little tube to put them in so they don''t break or crack.

I def. recommend them and you do need to clear the filter a few times to get the coffee look to go away. I actually am planning to buy another with my next purchase they are so light weight it is well worth the money for some piece of mind and beats the tablets when your dying of thirst. Great for backpacking, emergency car kits and 72 hour kits. I pack this along with some coffee filters in case the water has some dirt or other sediments that may clog the device.

Update: I have 4 of these filters now and all of the straws but one has cracked at the bottom and one at the top too. It appears these straws dry out and become brittle easily esp. here in Arizona. I have been able to turn the surviving straws over and use them upside down but it doesn''t give a good water flow. I also tried taping the cracks but I fear it is just not reliable enough if your life depended on it.

I''ll try coating the 4th straw with Vaseline but at this point it seems somewhat futile. Buy at your own risk.

Check out the FEMA website for additional water filtering methods:

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STAINLESS STEEL BOTTLES (KYLE)

My son is 5 and he loves this water bottle. It''s the metal kind that all the adults are using and it has his name on it, so he doesn''t get it confused with all of the gatorade bottles the rest of his team uses! I''ve bought one for each of my 3 kids!

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Camelbak Tahoe LR 50 oz Hydration Lumbar Pack Save 8% off

Bottom Line: I recommend this item if you can deal with the negatives and price. I would purchase it again.

I purchased the Camelback Tahoe for long runs (5 to 30+ miles). I completed 8+ mile runs so far with no major issues. I was concerned it wouldn''t be comfortable, however it is not cumbersome. I did not want a backpack style due to weight and heat. Gel packs, id, phone, and keys will fit in the pockets. I believe it will hold other items about the size of an average man''s palm in the large compartment with the water bladder. After drinking you need to tighten the waist strap. The bladder holds about 48 ounces of water. I have no major complaints.

The positives:

I have water and shortens recovery time.

Side adjustment straps.

Carries almost everything I need.

The negatives:

The waist strap loosens over time and distance. (w/o drinking) I plan on taping the strap into place and using the outer white straps to adjust the pack. This happens more often while filled to full capacity.

The water hose slides out from the main compartment and flops around. (annoying) I plan on creating a small bungi cord to fix this issue.

I recommend Camelback adding a small compartment in place of a gray pocket to carry a small book or granola bar ETC.

Price: I would expect to pay about $50 USD vs $70 USD w/SH

Camelbak Tahoe LR 50 oz Hydration Lumbar Pack

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