Masters of this little kingdom are Kevin and Chris. They have a full machine shop back here, with metalworking, plastics, rapid prototyping and a full sewing facility and are able to knock up prototypes in short order to test an idea. In a matter of a day or so, someone can say ‘Hey, how about…’ and be trying it out on the trails to see if it actually works.They also run the machines that test, tweak and tear prototypes and production models to make sure they can stand up to constant use. Do you know how many bites a bite valve can sustain? I don’t either, but Kevin does…
And, at the end of the Secret Test Lab tour, if you’re good, and ask nicely, the guys will show just how durable their polyurethane Antidote bladders are. The seams are sonic-welded and are so strong that it’s nearly always the material that gives out first – but even that takes a while. Kevin inflated a regular 2L Antidote bladder until it was the size of a Space Hopper… then the hose blew off, so we had another go and eventually the bladder gave out with a huge pop. Looking at the remains, the internal baffle (which went pop well before the bladder did) didn’t fail at the seam, but some way across the material, confirming Camelbak’s confidence in its material and welding choice.
So, after the big bang, it was time to leave them to fiddle and prod and invent bonkers things to do with water and hydration (and, occasionally, guns) and head off back to catch my plane. We’ll be seeing the new 2012 stuff at this year’s Press Camp press launch in late June – expect to see some new freeride packs. some great matching colours and some new materials. Quite what they might be, well, they’ve not finished blowing them up yet…
Thanks to Seth Beiden, Kevin, Chris, Nyri and everyone else at Camelbak. Sorry about the noise…
With 23 years as Editor of Singletrack World Magazine, Chipps is the longest-running mountain bike magazine editor in the world. He started in the bike trade in 1990 and became a full time mountain bike journalist at the start of 1994. Over the last 30 years as a bike writer and photographer, he has seen mountain bike culture flourish, strengthen and diversify and bike technology go from rigid steel frames to fully suspended carbon fibre (and sometimes back to rigid steel as well.)
Yep, I had one of those early light blue bladders, came with my mid-90s CamelBak KIMM Sac… was that the first rucksack with a hydration system? Wish I still had mine.
i was part of the original camelbak R&D… well – i had the first type available here, and had my mum sew on some straps and bungies to attach pumps, tubes etc, guess the camelbak teams mums did the same, as they soon started to bring out baks just like it ;o)
I had one of the original rectangular ones and must’ve got through a bladder every few months. As soon as the blue ones came out I never had a leak until a few months back when one got stabbed in transit by something sharp.
I had to buy a new one and could only find Deuter, which in all fairness is nowhere near as good.
Yep, I had one of those early light blue bladders, came with my mid-90s CamelBak KIMM Sac… was that the first rucksack with a hydration system? Wish I still had mine.
Wow – really in depth – thanks.
Interesting how lots of these companies are in really unassuming buildings. (e.g. Yeti)
And they all seem to have a big lunch break to go out and ride the local trails! (yeti again).
i was part of the original camelbak R&D… well – i had the first type available here, and had my mum sew on some straps and bungies to attach pumps, tubes etc, guess the camelbak teams mums did the same, as they soon started to bring out baks just like it ;o)
Have my original KIMM SAC somewhere, and have one the later KIMM Sa’s that I use on every ride !!
I had one of the original rectangular ones and must’ve got through a bladder every few months. As soon as the blue ones came out I never had a leak until a few months back when one got stabbed in transit by something sharp.
I had to buy a new one and could only find Deuter, which in all fairness is nowhere near as good.