Relay This: A Summer Giveaway from CamelBak!

It’s summer, and for me, that means staying as hydrated as possible during these long sunny days spent outside. I don’t always do the recommended eight glasses of water a day though; sometimes I drink less, depending on where I am and what I’m doing. Did you know that oft-repeated and generally accepted slice of…

Linda Ly

Written by Linda Ly

A summer giveaway from Camelbak

It’s summer, and for me, that means staying as hydrated as possible during these long sunny days spent outside. I don’t always do the recommended eight glasses of water a day though; sometimes I drink less, depending on where I am and what I’m doing. Did you know that oft-repeated and generally accepted slice of wisdom is actually nothing more than a myth with no medical basis?

Proper hydration relies on several factors, including your age and physical condition, level of activity, intensity of the weather, and what else you’ve been eating or drinking that day. It just makes sense that if you’re hiking at high altitude on a hot summer day, you’ll need to drink more water than when you’re just sitting in front of your computer in an air-conditioned office all afternoon.

CamelBak gets it, and the company teamed up with the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute to create a hydration calculator that helps you determine your ideal level of hydration. (My average results recommended 1.5 liters of water per day, which is actually less than eight glasses.)

You know what else CamelBak gets? That most of us with these types of water pitchers — the ones that filter water from the tap — don’t like waiting around for them to fill up when we’re thirsty.

So from this company, a true innovator in the industry and the maker of my favorite hydration pack when I’m out adventuring, comes a household item that anyone will find useful.

I used to have one of those other pitchers, and refilling it meant turning the tap on to a slow dribble and walking away for 10 minutes while it filtered, drop by drop. Now I have one of these pitchers, the Relay from CamelBak, and refilling it means by the time I’ve grabbed a glass from the cupboard, the water’s already been filtered.

I’m not kidding. And today I’m teaming up with CamelBak in this new giveaway so you have a chance to see for yourself!

I first got my hands on the Relay back in March, when Camelbak started rolling out the new product and offered to send me a pitcher. I’ve had these last few months to try it out, and it’s exceeded every expectation.

The Relay is an 80-ounce (10-cup) water filtration system that filters water “at the speed of your faucet,” according to the company.

It’s made with BPA-free plastic and has a snap-tight locking lid that doesn’t drip. At the top is a simple dial for helping you remember when to replace the filter.

Camelbak Relay replacement reminder

The filter itself lasts up to four months on average and is packed with plant-based activated carbon, which removes 97 percent of chlorine, taste, and odor. The secret to its speed is the pleated design, which increases the amount of water that comes in contact with the filter at one time.

Camelbak Relay filtration system

Camelbak Relay filtration system

Refilling the pitcher takes about 45 seconds from start to finish. Seriously! (You can watch a cool video of that happening on CamelBak’s site.) One of my friends filled the Relay for me when I wasn’t around, and told me later that she didn’t think she did it right, because the water just flowed straight through without the usual drip drip drip that most of us are accustomed to. I had to laugh; the speed and ease of the Relay truly makes it game changing in the kitchen.

Refilling the Relay pitcher

Camelbak Relay pitcher

Now if you’re anything like me, you probably have a few water bottles laying around the house for hydrating on the go. One of my favorites from CamelBak is the Eddy Glass, a sturdy glass bottle that doesn’t retain odors or tastes. (Ever drank from a plastic bottle that’s been sitting in a hot car all day? Not pleasant at all.) The Eddy Glass comes with CamelBak’s signature bite valve, and a silicone sleeve that protects against any potential impact. I’ve been using mine hard for over a year, taking it everywhere with me from camping to kayaking, and it shows no wear or damage on the surface.

Camelbak Eddy bottle

The Relay and the Eddy Glass simply go hand in hand here — filter water from the tap with your pitcher, and use the pitcher to fill your bottle with fresh-tasting water.

That’s why CamelBak is offering both the Relay and the Eddy Glass (a combined value of $62) in this giveaway. And the package goes to not one, but three lucky winners this week! (Colors of items may vary depending on availability.)

How to enter: Leave a comment below and tell me how else you like to stay hydrated in the summer (and no, it doesn’t have to be water… let me know your favorite drinks!). To receive an additional entry, follow @theGardenBetty on Twitter, and leave a second comment below indicating your Twitter username. You have two chances to win! (And three winners will be drawn at the end of the week, increasing your chances of winning considerably!)

The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM Pacific Standard Time on Friday, July 11, 2014. Winners will be drawn at random and announced the following week. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules

  1. Giveaway begins July 7, 2014 and ends July 11, 2014.
  2. No purchase is necessary. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post.
  3. Only US residents ages 18 and older are eligible to enter.
  4. Two entries allowed per person.
  5. Odds of winning are based on number of entries received.
  6. Winner will be drawn at random.
  7. If winner does not respond within 48 hours after time of contact, that entry will be forfeited and a new winner will be drawn.

This post is brought to you by CamelBak. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that support Garden Betty.

Update: A big thanks to everyone who entered!
This giveaway is now closed. The winners are Kristi from Kentucky, Sarah from Florida, and Christabel from Washington, DC.

Linda Ly

I'm a plant lover, passionate road-tripper, and cookbook author whose expert advice and bestselling books have been featured in Time, Outside, HGTV, and Food & Wine. The National Parks Cookbook is my latest book. Garden Betty is where I write about modern homesteading, farm-to-table cooking, and outdoor adventuring—all that encompass a life well-lived outdoors. After all, the secret to a good life is... Read more »

128 Comments

  1. Um… how can this giveaway end a month before it begins? I would assume you meant that it will end in August this year or maybe June of 2015? I would very much like to be included in the drawing by the way.

  2. I have been making different flavors of kombucha with strawberry being my favorite. We also milk goats and raw goats milk is pretty much a summer drink/food around here. My husband swears he.could just about live on goats milk alone. I would love a filter that didn’t take a year to filter 10 cups of water. Thanks

  3. I’d love to try this. I hate tap water. I blame my uncle. He lived on a spring fed lake and there was only spring water at the cottage. He would row out to the source and fill a 5 gallon milk can and row back to the cottage. I spent a lot of time there and became totally spoiled.

  4. Linda/Garden Betty – I LOVE your blog & posts. Am currently fermenting my chook food & have introduced some of your recipe to see what they like & what they leave. Just an FYI your post states (July 7, 2014 and ends JUNE 11, 2014) unless you can reverse time (which I would LOVE to learn) could you let us know when this actually ends?

  8. I like drinking water ~ and sometimes even better when it’s infused with lemon, lime, cucumber or mint. 😀

  10. Mostly filtered water sometimes flavored with slices of cucumber, ginger, lime & a sprig of mint.

  11. Looks like 2 great products, I hate drinking out of a hot plastic water bottle, YUCK!`

  13. I follow you on Twitter under @loclovinyogini. I really appreciate your gardening tips and travel updates

  14. My favorite hydration beverage is a tie between good ‘ole fashioned coconut water and my new fave, strawberry tarrogon iced tea.

  16. I have been enjoying homemade herb water (mint, lemon verbena and sage).

  17. I like to freeze a mixture of water with a dash of gatorade until it is “slushy” consistency. Very refreshing after working out in the heat/humidity.

  19. we have been experimenting with different flavoured ice-lollies for fruit juices, yoghurts and smoothies 🙂
    @emmav6

  20. I stay hydrated by eating watermelon and other fruits and veggies with a high water content. This looks like an amazing product.

  21. Whoa! This is gorgeous – even if I don’t win I have this bookmarked for a later purchase!
    My favorite way is to start the day hydrated… 20+ oz of water at waking, smoothie breakfast, iced coffee after, and more water water water before lunch!

  22. I drink lots of water all day. But sometimes I will add a squeezed orange a lemon to add flavor.

  23. Love the water bottle. I have 2 Camelbak Podium Big Chill bottles that are always filled with water and at least one is with me all the time. I have others that I use when I go cycling. I use Cytomax then. I’m a water drinker and that is about it. It has to be filtered too.

  24. Favorite summer drink half and half. Half lemonade, half ice tea. Great for adding fruit or mint leaves.

  25. Thank you so much for this offer. I hate to drink water but I do. I have one of those “other” pitchers and the first week the lid broke and now it is very messy to use. I also try to eat lots of Texas fruit to stay hydrated.

  28. Garden Betty…you provide the BEST info!! Thank you for doing what you do! A huge pet peeve of mine is the slowness of filling our ‘other’ pitcher, but I do it religiously to provide cleaner water for my family. We are water drinkers, especially my daughters! Water with lavender buds and lemon steeped in a beverage dispenser with lots of ice! Beautiful & refreshing!

  31. I have been cutting branches off my peppermint plant and adding them to a glass pitcher of water I keep in the fridge. Would love to have the Camelbak pitcher to unfuse with mint!

  33. My favorite summertime way to stay hydrated is icy cold water with a squirt of lemon juice too. I have a plastic camelbak and I carry it with me everywhere! 🙂

  34. Cucumber lemon infused water is a favorite, but just plain ice water is great too 🙂

  36. Definitely a big water drinker! Drink a ton of water throughout the day. If I’m out hiking or cycling hard during the hottest part of the day, I like to use Skratch Labs mix.

  37. Well, I’m a water girl. If anything I’ll squirt a biit of lemon juice in it. On occasion, I’ll make some sun tea to take out on the boat!

    @billiehiser

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