# CamelBaks have no place in urban society **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 3, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193 "2006-05-03T02:57:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/41 "2006-05-04T14:19:21Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Well, that’s true but how do you get it to match your wardrobe every day? Believe me, it matches my fashion, to a tee. Tripler Green is in this year, people! ---
**Author:** ![Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Throatwarbler\_Mangrove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Throatwarbler_Mangrove)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/42 "2006-05-04T16:11:45Z")
Another regular camelbak user here. I only use it for running or biking, but the thing is, I run and bike _everywhere_, to the store, school, if I don’t have to drive I won’t. So I will have it with me even whe I don’t look like I’m “excercising”, because It’s a Lifestyle ™ ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/43 "2006-05-04T16:18:48Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > High tech trail shoes? Ummm…maybe they’re comfy? I don’t see why I should be colder or less comfortable around town than I am on a trail just to make Even Sven happy. Even if she is the self-appointed arbiter of good taste in Oakland. I needed some ridiculously expensive high tech trail sandals. They needed to be waterproof, trail-capable, closed toe and very comfy. For reasons of budget, these also had to double as work shoes. I chose [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/3086886/c/51.html) because they are appropriate to wear to work and in general city situations without making me look too dorky. I passed up [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/1439754/c/31790.html) because they are trail shoes and not appropriate for wear in civiliazation. One makes you look like a civilized person. The other makes you look like and asshole who wants to make sure everyone absolutely knows her weekends are X=TREME! ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/44 "2006-05-04T16:27:19Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I ride my bike a lot. My shortest ride typically is 50km. I take a water bottle with me. On hot days, I fill it with a sports drink like Accelerade to help avoid dehydration and provide a little energy. On a really long ride, I will refill with plain water on the return ride. For a century ride I take a couple of sports gels along. I rode century in NC in August in pre-camelbak days. I went through 11 large water bottles filled with half water/half Gatorade, as well as numerous bananas, fig newtons, etc. When I finished I was barely sweating and I didn’t pee for hours. Your fluid/fuel requirements are not necessarily universal. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/45 "2006-05-04T16:28:57Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > I rode century in NC in August in pre-camelbak days. I went through 11 large water bottles filled with half water/half Gatorade, as well as numerous bananas, fig newtons, etc. When I finished I was barely sweating and I didn’t pee for hours. Sounds like me every year when I ride the “Hotter’n’Hell” in Wichita Falls, Texas, also in August. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/46 "2006-05-04T16:41:42Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > One makes you look like a civilized person. The other makes you look like and asshole who wants to make sure everyone absolutely knows her weekends are X=TREME! You forgot the “In my humble opinion.” You \*\* always \*\* forget the “In my humble opinion.” Your SD persona would be much more pleasant if you weren’t so damned absolute. In \* my \* humble opinon, the first pair you linked look absolutely dorky with that almost Puritan buckle. \* Chacun a son gout \*. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/47 "2006-05-04T17:32:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Am I missing something? It’s a bottle. No it’s not. While CamelBak makes bottles too, I believe that we’re talking about the back-pack with a bladder that they also make. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/48 "2006-05-04T21:50:44Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > I needed some ridiculously expensive high tech trail sandals. They needed to be waterproof, trail-capable, closed toe and very comfy. For reasons of budget, these also had to double as work shoes. > > I chose [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/3086886/c/51.html) because they are appropriate to wear to work and in general city situations without making me look too dorky. I passed up [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/1439754/c/31790.html) because they are trail shoes and not appropriate for wear in civiliazation. One makes you look like a civilized person. The other makes you look like and asshole who wants to make sure everyone absolutely knows her weekends are X=TREME! I have those very same sandals, **even sven**! I got 'em in Hawaii because the sneakers I brought with me were Too Damned Hot for the tropical climate, yet I needed something that would guard my toes from getting lacerated on lava. Wimpier flip-flops weren’t doing the job. The Keens are extremely comfortable and I love them. Given the weather this week, I think it’s time to get 'em out of my closet for the season. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/49 "2006-05-04T23:16:19Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > I’m not sure what taste tests prove. Mix in a bit of giardia, \* e. coli \*, and a dollop of lead and I bet you still couldn’t tell the difference. Your faith in public water supplies is touching and but not [completely justified](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3276234&dopt=Abstract). Now that’s what I called informed opinion making! A single, twenty year old example of one jusrisdiction where 1.8 percent of the population experienced symptoms of infection which certainly could be due to inadequate civil water treatment. Damn, those government thugs! This was probably a conspiracy! Certainly does justify a thousand fold increase in the cost of drinking water, yep it does! Uh huh. Dat’s right. Way to fight ignorance, Fin. ## Tris Rule of Reason: “If nobody uses it, there’s a reason.” ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/50 "2006-05-05T00:45:27Z")
> [@even sven](#): > > I chose [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/3086886/c/51.html) because they are appropriate to wear to work and in general city situations without making me look too dorky. I passed up [these](http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/1439754/c/31790.html) because they are trail shoes and not appropriate for wear in civiliazation. One makes you look like a civilized person. The other makes you look like and asshole who wants to make sure everyone absolutely knows her weekends are X=TREME! In my opinion, the first ones don’t look much better than the second pair. Then again, I don’t see anything objectionable about the second pair either. I wouldn’t wear either, but that more my sense of style. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/51 "2006-05-05T01:07:28Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > Now that’s what I called informed opinion making! > > A single, twenty year old example of one jusrisdiction where 1.8 percent of the population experienced symptoms of infection which certainly could be due to inadequate civil water treatment. > > Damn, those government thugs! This was probably a conspiracy! > > Certainly does justify a thousand fold increase in the cost of drinking water, yep it does! Uh huh. Dat’s right. > > Way to fight ignorance, Fin. > > ## Tris > > Rule of Reason: “If nobody uses it, there’s a reason.” Thousand-fold increase? Britta filters are mighty pricey where you come from. Don’t know where you live, but a lot of communities have [aging water distribution systems](http://www.house.gov/transportation/water/04-28-04/04-28-04memo.html). Public water supplies \* are \* generally very safe and carefully monitored but as my cite demonstrated, stuff does occasionally slip through. If this were Great Debates or GQ, I suppose I could have been arsed to dig up more cites for you. In MPSIMS, was I wrong in thinking that it was OK to just point out that it’s not a totally effete gesture to drink filtered water? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/52 "2006-05-05T04:42:28Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Thousand-fold increase? Britta filters are mighty pricey where you come from. Your comparison was bottled water vs municipal tap water, not Britta filters vs bottled water. In my town, water cost $6.50 per thousand gallons or less. That works out to 0.00005 cents an ounce. In 20 ounce bottles, drinking water runs 8.8 cents an ounce, not counting delivery. Oh, my, you are right, it was not an thousand fold increase, but rather a 1700 fold increase. My bad. But, hey, you and your money are not going to be out there competing for things I value, so, go for it. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/53 "2006-05-05T06:17:32Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > Your comparison was bottled water vs municipal tap water, not Britta filters vs bottled water. That wasn’t my comparison. But Tripler was talking about filtering water and putting it in his camelBak. That was the original context. But hey, if you feel that bottled water is morally wrong, I ain’t gonna argue with you. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/54 "2006-05-05T11:07:50Z")
I’ve lived in places where the tap water tasted as good as bottled water, and I’ve lived in places where it really, really didn’t. So living in a place where the tap water tastes fine doesn’t really put you in a great position to say that everybody across the country has tap water that doesn’t taste like dirt or chlorine or worse. ---
**Author:** ![fluffyemu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@fluffyemu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluffyemu)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/55 "2006-05-05T12:36:58Z")
What does it say that my first thought upon reading the thread title was “racism” and my first instinct upon clicking the thread was to check if the OP had been banned? _coughs_ ---
**Author:** ![Zulema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/db5fbb/32.png) [@Zulema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulema)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/56 "2006-05-05T13:05:33Z")
Tap water does not always taste the same as bottled water. Around here I can tell what city a restaurant is in by the taste of the water. I can’t even drink the water in my home city, we have a filter on the fridge. I’ve never seen a camelback on person just going about an average day but it can’t be any more annoying than the people constantly making little sucky noises while drinking out of their water bottles. Forget about Generation X or Y or whatever, this is the generation of “The Constantly Hydrated”. I’ve got friends who can’t drive to the store without having a water bottle. Sheesh. They’re like baby bottles or pacifiers. SUCK SUCK GLUGGLUGGLUG SUCK SUCK Camelbacks are good for all day excursions of any sort, filled with ice and water they really can make a hot day more bearable. ---
**Author:** ![fluffyemu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@fluffyemu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluffyemu)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/57 "2006-05-05T13:22:49Z")
I agree. Water quality varies from city to city, but even in mine, I can taste the difference enough to predict whether someone’s given me tap or bottled. Filtered’s a good middlepoint in a pinch. I wholly recognize that bottled water probably has more pollutants than tap and not as healthy (especially if you live in California where they put fluoride in the water) But I honestly just can’t stand the taste of tap. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/58 "2006-05-05T13:52:30Z")
> [@me](#): > > Your comparison was bottled water vs municipal tap water, not Britta filters vs bottled water. > [@Finagle](#): > > That wasn’t my comparison. But Tripler was talking about filtering water and putting it in his camelBak. That was the original context. But hey, if you feel that bottled water is morally wrong, I ain’t gonna argue with you. First, I made no mention of, nor even a veiled reference to morality, whatsoever. Your decision to make that accusation is transparently illogical, and incorrect. > [@even sven](#): > > In any case, in a recent blind taste test, nobody could tell the difference between tap or bottled water- much less filtered. > [@Finagle](#): > > I’m not sure what taste tests prove. Mix in a bit of giardia, e. coli , and a dollop of lead and I bet you still couldn’t tell the difference. Your faith in public water supplies is touching and but not completely justified. I responded to your comment, made in reply to **even sven** mentioning tap and bottled water, which mentions that filtering alone is touchingly insufficient to your enlightened understanding. It was this particularly egregious bit of pseudo documentation I wished to heap scorn upon. Even MPSIMS is a place to fight ignorance. Drinking bottled water is an affectation. It’s harmless, and generally benefits those who make their fiscal choices reasonably by removing fools money from the market place. Dreaming up dangers which one can pretend to avoid by drinking bottled water is a self justification. Publicly advocating that this opinion is based on some sort of rational facts is disinformation. In this particular venue, heaping scorn on stupid ideas is pretty much habitual. ## Tris “You can go wrong by being too skeptical as easily as by being too trusting.” ~ Robert A. Heinlein ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/59 "2006-05-05T14:12:29Z")
> [@fluffyemu](#): > > I agree. Water quality varies from city to city, but even in mine, I can taste the difference enough to predict whether someone’s given me tap or bottled. [Can you?](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/22/BAG33HS4DG1.DTL) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193/60 "2006-05-05T14:19:56Z")
That thread title really fooled me. [I thought you were referring to one of these bridges.](http://www.historicbridges.org/concrete/7mile/index.htm) I thought gee, they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but no place in society is a bit harsh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/camelbaks-have-no-place-in-urban-society/355193.md?page=4)