CamelBak  Podium Big Chill Insulated Water Bottle - 24 fl. oz.

Comparing this 21 fluid ounce variant to the 24 ounce variant. The do hold different volumes, and this one forgoes those 3 ounces of thermal insulation in favor of water capacity. In testing water from the same starting temperature on the same day, the 21oz unit kept the liquid appreciably colder than the 24oz variant; the 24oz's water had equilibrated to ambient temperature after about 2hr cycling outdoors (~20°C, mildly sunny), while the 21oz's water remained cool. As the 21oz variant, this one fits well within my Specialized water bottle cage, securely but also easy to remove from the correct angle. The nozzle is easy to clean, including the inner faces of the spout jet. The inside of the lid is a simplified design over CamelBak's design from 10y ago, and is markedly easier to clean. There is a removable element that greatly eases cleanup. The twist-to-seal function works as expected, and I am satisfied with it. Both this and the 24oz. variant are good products; one holds more water, the other holds its cooler for longer.

the new Cap closure system is way too tight when opening or closing. I assumed it was just the two bottles I bought at the LBS, so 2 replacement caps were mailed to me under warranty. They are even worse. They're so tight that, when moving the dial to open while in the cage, the whole cap unscrews, plus they are also very uncomfortable to turn. If I leave it in the open position, the valve leaks from road vibration when the bottle is full. I'm guessing no one ever field tested the new version.I happily switched years ago to Camelbak and ride about 600 miles a month. The rest of the upgrades were on track, but the cap is a deal breaker. Time to find a different option .

I used the water bottle for 2 weeks and it drove me and a friend crazy. After you take a drink and leave it in the "open" position, it makes a clicking noise as the air tries to escape. It sounds like a ticking clock, and goes on for 20+ minutes every time you take a drink. Also, the twist cap is really hard on fingers in normal life settings, can't imagine using on a bike. I have only returned a few items to REI for failing at their basic function, and this was one of them. I would avoid. Heading back to my cheaper and more functional Polar bottles for the few times I used a plastic bottle.

I bought this mainly for the insulation, color, and size. The color and size are great (it matches my matte bike better than any other bottle in my opinion and fits in the bottle cage with adequate clearance). The insulation is good, but not great. It doesn’t keep my beverage cold for very long when I’m out on a 25+ mile bike ride in moderate weather. However, it is comparable to other insulated bottles. I feel that all insulated bottles are lacking in this area. At least I haven’t found one that meets my expectations. I have a love/hate relationship with the lid. I love that it seals well (I haven’t had it leak), but I wish it were easier to use (especially with one hand) like some other lids.

The "squeeze to let out contents through the jet valve" sounds like a great idea. Except you can't squeeze it from the from anywhere on the bottle. There are some spots where you simply just can't squeeze it like the upper portion of the bottle. This is where you grab the bottle from the cage and you can't squeeze that part. You'll have to reposition the bottle so it can be held and squeezed by the lower part of the bottle. May not be a big deal to some but I'd like to be able to just grab and squeeze.

This is very well made and a good bottle to keep cold liquids in. The side twist arrangement to open it for drinking is excellent. This is far better than the usual pull up system that most bottles have. The only thing I would like would be having sides that were ridged or otherwise rough. We saw that on a similar but slightly smaller bottle sold in a bike store and which was under the Camelbak logo. That would make holding it while biking somewhat easier. It would also reduce the chances of dropping it when pulling it out or replacing it. Other than that we like this one a lot.

I picked up this bottle on a bit of a whim hoping to keep my water somewhat temperate on hot (90+) afternoon rides. This bottle is much better than a non-insulated bottle in maintaining a level of coolness in your refreshments over 1.5-2 hour rides. The lock out top is a bit tough to move between the open (pour) and shut position while riding, but maybe this will improve with more use. I typically fill my water bottle to the top with ice before adding the water and this has allowed the water to stay cool enough to provide some refreshment up to a couple of hours while exposed to direct sunlight on my bike. As long as your are not expecting miracle cooling, this bottle will help over a non-insulated one.

Love this bottle have used them for several years.

The only thing I found that I don’t really care for is the nozzle’s. They seem a little too big but I’m sure I’ll get use to it.

Use this along with others bottles for hiking. Like the convenient twist to open for water. Adding ice also helps to keep water chilled in this unit but not as good as a metal one (that might also be heavier.