Camelbak Antidote is the latest and most up-to-date series of reservoirs from Camelbak, combining all the latest developments of the company in one product.
We already talked about Camelbak's Omega Water Beast reservoir earlier, and today we would like to talk about its younger, but very technically advanced, brother - Camelbak Antidote reservoir. The manufacturer did not stop at what was achieved in the Omega Water Beast line and continued to develop with the goal of making its tanks even lighter, stronger, more functional and easier to use. The results of these developments were embodied in the Camelbak Antidote line, whose products got the following features.
- Simplification and lightweight construction.
- A jumper inside the tank to give a low profile.
- Simple and quick closing of 1/4 turn of a cover.
- Integrated valve at the outlet port of the tank.
- Big Bite Valve mouthpiece cap included.
- Main material: thermoplastic polyurethane film.
- Available colors: Coyote.
- Dimensions: 20.3 cm x 43 cm x 2.5 cm (width \ height \ depth).
- Weight (with hose): 242 g.
Further in the review we will get acquainted with the Camelbak Antidote 3L Long tank of the military series in the only Coyote color available at the moment. In addition to the Long version, the Short version is also available in the Camelbak Antidote line, which holds the same volume of liquid, but has a larger width and a lower height. If you already have a hydration pouch for standard-sized tanks, you will most likely need a Long version, but if you plan to place the tank inside a universal backpack or directly on the back cover of a platform vest, you should pay attention to the Short version. Another available version is the Lumbar, designed for Camelbak lumbar bags and rucksacks, aimed primarily at cross-country running and similar sports.
Camelbak Antidote 3L Long is packaged in a cardboard box, in front of which there is a transparent viewing window that opens the grip of the transport handle and lid for access to the inside of the tank. We will talk about its features a little later. The back of the box is made entirely of cardboard and lists some of the key features of the tank.
The tank with full dimensions of 20.3 cm x 43 cm x 2.5 cm (width \ height \ depth in the filled state) is made mainly of polyurethane food film with a thickness of 0.41 mm. with the addition of durable plastic in places most subject to mechanical wear (neck and cap, hose valve). Such a design provides the tank with sufficient strength to withstand mechanical loads of intensive field applications and lightness, because the weight of the product (together with the hose) does not exceed 242 g. The film layers are bonded together using ultrasonic brazing, which allows you to be calm for their reliability and durability. On the inner surface of the film has an antibacterial coating that prevents the development of microorganisms and unpleasant odors.As can be seen in the photo above, for ease of filling and tracking the residual water supply on the front of the tank, measured scales in ounces (oz. In increments of 16, 32, 48, 64, 100) and liters ( in increments of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3).
A wide round neck with an inner diameter of about 9.5 cm is responsible for filling the tank. With its help, the tank can not only be filled with water, but also easily cleaned and maintained, because the hand easily passes through the neck. Lock the neck with a plastic lid. On the inner surface of the lid there is a silicone ring seal that seals the connection when the lid is completely closed. Silicone, unlike rubber, does not have an unpleasant odor, and does not give water a taste after prolonged use.
At the bottom of the neck is a handle for filling and carrying the tank. Camlebak Antidote has small decorative holes throughout the handle, designed to lighten the structure and reduce the overall weight of the product. To the center of this handle, by means of a small jumper, the lid itself is fixed, which prevents its loss during storage, drying and transportation of the tank. On the other side of the handle on the neck there is also a small hook for hanging the tank inside pouches and backpacks.
Unlike the Camelbak Omega Water Beast, the Camelbak Antidote lid is not threaded and does not require full tightening. Instead, to lock the lid, it is enough to rotate one quarter of the circle clockwise between the two marks on the neck (see photo above). In this case, all the protrusions inside the neck fit together, and the silicone ring seal firmly closes the connection. This locking method has several advantages. Firstly, much less plastic is consumed, which, again, facilitates the product and makes the neck flatter. Secondly, the ability to tighten the thread, deforming and thereby destroying the seal ring, is absent as such, which only positively affects the increase in the life of the tank. Also in the photo above, you can see that the jumper inside the neck was also reduced, leaving only two protrusions, which was also done for the sake of relief.
And if everything is extremely simple and understandable with the neck of the tank, then with the port for the hose I was in for a small surprise. If you remember, at Camelbak Omega Water Beast a small plug was included in the delivery package, which closes the port when a hose is not connected to it (see photo above). Camelbak Antidote does not have this plug, but it is not required either. a water blocking valve is already integrated in the port itself. That is, when you detach the hose using the Quick Link HydroLock connector, the water supply automatically stops. Further, the tank can be transported separately from the hose, which is very convenient when your hose is already fixed to the straps of a backpack or platform vest, and the tank needs maintenance.
But the surprise was not so much the presence of the built-in valve itself, which flawlessly is a step forward compared to the previous line, but that despite the fact that the port is still called Quick Link HydroLock, its connectors are not compatible with the hose from the line Camelbak Omega Water Beast. The point here is that the port for the hose on the Omega Water Beast tank was made by a “dad” type connection, on which the “mum” plug was actually worn. The hose, respectively, also began with a connection type "mother". At Camelbak Antidote, in the place where the hose is connected to the tank, there is a female connection equipped with an automatic valve, and the hose starts with a male connection. In addition to changing the direction of the connections, their depth also changed, but we will return to this a little later, after I talk about other key differences between Camelbak Antidote tanks from the previous line.
Another quite significant difference between Camelbak Antidote from the previous line is the overall dimensions of the product. So, in the photo above it is clearly visible that the new line at the same capacity has a slightly shorter length, but a wider one. This feature allows you to more evenly distribute the contents and its volume over the area of the tank.
In particular, the photo above clearly shows that in a vertical position, most of the liquid in the Camelbak Omega Water Beast reservoir flows into the lower part, which leads to an uneven distribution of depth. As a result, the lower part is inflated, while the upper part has a flat shape, and a slight profile height. In Camelbak Antidote tanks, due to their lower height and wider width, the profile along the entire height of the tank is more uniform, therefore, the weight of the transported liquid is better distributed over a large area, just like the load on the tank itself, in the event of a fall on its back, etc. d.
The most significant, in my opinion, Camelbak Antidote difference, a vertical separator soldered inside the tank along its center line, plays an important role in the uniform distribution of fluid over the surface of the tank. If for other tanks that do not have this technology, it is difficult to predict the final depth and profile, because Since they are highly dependent on filling, in the case of Camelbak Antidote you can be sure that the depth of the tank will not exceed 2.5 cm, regardless of whether one or all three liters of water is filled in it.
But back to the hoses, connectors and the differences between them, because the lack of backward compatibility, I can say, was upset. In the photo above you can see all four hose connectors from the Camalebak Antidote tanks (left) and Omega Water Beast (right). It is easy to distinguish them by the color of the sleeve that protects the hose itself from damage and ultraviolet radiation, as well as preventing the multiplication of bacteria inside it. At Omega Water Beast, the hose was offered exclusively in black, and Camelbak Antidote got a grayish transparent hose 106.7 cm long. In the sleeve about 101.6 cm long and in coyote color. In my right hand I hold the connectors going into the connector on the tank. The photo clearly shows that these are connectors like “dad” for Antidote and “mother” for Omega Water Beast. The QL HydroLock valves, by which the water supply is turned on, are the same in both tanks, but the QuickLink connectors, where the Bite Valve mouthpieces are connected, also have differences. By the way, the cover for protecting the Bite Valve mouthpiece from dirt, dust and damage from the Camlebak Antidote is included in the delivery package, while for Camelbak Omega Water Beast I had to purchase it separately.
As for the differences in Quick Link connectors, there is a difference in their sizes. In the early lineup, a male connector going into the junction had a large length and a wide width of a movable element blocking its position inside the connector. Both of these parts are smaller in Camelbak Antidote tanks, which again violates backward compatibility. Well, this difference in the length of the connectors can be seen when connecting to the hose of the filter Aquamira Frontier Pro Military, shown in the photo above. If it was connected directly to the Omega Water Beast hose without any adapters, then for Camelbak Antidote, due to the reduced depth of the connector, the CQC sealing spacer from the filter delivery kit is already required. Previously, this spacer was only required for compatibility with Source tanks.
In general, my impressions of Camelbak Antidote were twofold. On the one hand, the addition of a separator inside the tank, facilitating and simplifying the operation of the lid, the presence of an automatic valve along with the addition of a protective cap for Bite Valve in the delivery set are unconditional advantages, and characteristics that Camelbak frankly lacked. On the other hand, the lack of backward compatibility between hoses and connectors has overshadowed the situation. However, if Camelbak Antidote is your first tank, or you do not have a Camelbak Omega Water Beast for comparison, this fact is unlikely to upset you. Both tanks themselves remain reliable and high-quality products in their classes, whose ability to withstand the stresses of harsh field operation is beyond doubt. But unfortunately they cannot be combined into one system, which is worth remembering when moving from one product line to another.
The Camelbak Antidote tank, presented in the review, was purchased at punisher.com.ua store, where you can always familiarize yourself with the current value and availability.
Source: https://secretsquirrel.com.ua/snaryazhenie/obzor-rezervuara-camelbak-antidote/
Author: MAD
