 | |
| Industry | Sports equipment |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Michael Eidson |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Greg Williamson (President) |
| Products |
|
| Owner | Vista Outdoor |
Number of employees | 51–200 |
| Website | camelbak |
CamelBak Products, LLC is an American outdoor equipment company based in Petaluma, California, best known for its hydration products, such as hydration packs and water bottles. CamelBak is also a supplier of protective gear and other products to the U.S. military.
In 1989, CamelBak founder Michael Eidson was competing in the Hotter 'n Hell 100 bicycle race in Wichita Falls, Texas. [1] Eidson, who was an emergency medical technician by trade, filled an IV bag with water and stuck it in a tube sock. He then pinned the tube sock to the back of his jersey, pulled the tube over his shoulder, and secured it with a clothes pin. Within a few months, he brought the idea to Roger Fawcett, who tested it in scientific studies, and began selling the first CamelBak product, the ThermalBak. This product failed to catch on at first because cyclists thought it looked "geeky". After almost giving up, Fawcett decided to spend his last $50,000 on an advertising agency and marketing the product. Barbara Mizuno came up with the slogan "Hydrate or Die", and sales skyrocketed. It is now one of the most popular water bottle companies for mountain bikers. [2]
U.S. troops took CamelBak products into battle in the Gulf War and they quickly became a popular product at military exchanges. CamelBak's defense sales grew further during the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. U.S. and foreign government contracts made up about 40% of CamelBak's business as of 2012. [3]
CamelBak was sold to San Francisco toymaker Kransco in 1996 for $5 million. Bear Stearns Merchant Banking bought it for $210 million in 2004. [3]
In 2006, CamelBak expanded into the water bottle business. The company differentiated its bottles by making them taste-free, using bite valves designed to stop leaks while allowing easy sipping. Eliminating the use of BPA In 2011, water bottles accounted for about 31% of CamelBak's sales. [3]
Compass Diversified Holdings, a private equity firm, purchased the company in August 2010 for $258 million. [3]
In February 2015, CamelBak filed a patent-infringement suit against Osprey to protect its hands-free reservoir hydration systems. The suit was settled in July 2015 on confidential terms. [4]
CamelBak was purchased by Vista Outdoor in July 2015 for $412.5 million. Vista Outdoor was to integrate CamelBak's 300 employees into its outdoor products division. [5]
CamelBak moved to Petaluma, California, in 1999. As of 2017, about 150 people work at its headquarters there. The company converted its rented office space into a LEED-certified facility. All CamelBak products are designed and tested in Petaluma. The company manufactures its products at other locations in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. [3] Greg Williamson, formerly of Arctic Cat and Black & Decker, became president of CamelBak in July 2018. [6]
CamelBak's hydration packs come in capacities of 1.5 to 3.0 litres (50–100 US fluid oz) in a backpack style primarily for biking, hiking and other outdoor activities, with smaller belt-type 0.83 to 1.3 litre (28–45 US fluid oz) packs designed for runners and walkers.
CamelBak also makes bottles, general purpose backpacks, and some specialized military and law-enforcement gear, ranging from simple back-worn water reservoirs with little to no cargo capacity, to large rucksacks with various accessories, even PALS webbing to accommodate MOLLE gear. [7]
One of CamelBak's military lines features reservoirs that resist chemical and biological weapons; they are designed to be used with gas masks. [3] The United States Army approved the use of CamelBak CBR X hydration packs in November 2015. The Army's office of the Product Manager-Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment and the Army's Test and Evaluation Command approved the three-liter CBR X after exposing it to nerve agents for six hours, after thirty days of use in the field, and then verifying that the water inside remained uncontaminated, and, performing numerous other tests since 2006. [8]
In January 2012, CamelBak started selling its All Clear portable water purification system which uses ultraviolet light to make untreated water potable in about one minute. [3]
In 2014, CamelBak released a filtered water pitcher called the Relay. CamelBak claims that the Relay filters water ten times faster than competing products; this is fast enough to keep up with the flow rate of a kitchen faucet. The Relay uses large pleated filters that last about four months. [7]
In 2021, CamelBak introduced a new line of filtration water bottles and reservoirs in a partnership with LifeStraw. The product line includes Vacuum Stainless Steel and Tritan Renew water bottles, and a 2 liter reservoir filtration kit. [9]
Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass that has a relatively high water content, typically formed by the hydration of obsidian. It occurs naturally and has the unusual property of greatly expanding when heated sufficiently. It is an industrial mineral, suitable "as ceramic flux to lower the sintering temperature", and a commercial product useful for its low density after processing.
A backpack—also called knapsack, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but it can have an external frame, internal frame, and there are bodypacks.
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from water. The goal is to produce water that is fit for specific purposes. Most water is purified and disinfected for human consumption, but water purification may also be carried out for a variety of other purposes, including medical, pharmacological, chemical, and industrial applications. The history of water purification includes a wide variety of methods. The methods used include physical processes such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation; biological processes such as slow sand filters or biologically active carbon; chemical processes such as flocculation and chlorination; and the use of electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet light.
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not. Sizes range from small single serving bottles to large carboys for water coolers.
Grey Goose is a brand of vodka produced in France. It was created in the 1990s by American businessman Sidney Frank, who sold it to the multinational company Bacardi in 2004. The Maître de Chai for Grey Goose is François Thibault, who developed the original recipe for the vodka in Cognac, France.
Nalgene is a brand of plastic products developed originally for laboratory use, including items such as jars, bottles, test tubes, and Petri dishes, that were shatterproof and lighter than glass. The properties of plastic products make them suitable for work with many substances in various temperature ranges.
A hydration system is an apparatus used in recreation and other sustained outdoor activities. It is intended to help its user carry liquid, to support the physical effort involved in the activity, without the need to use one's hands or take off the pack. Such systems for consumers were first sold to cyclists, and by the 1990s had also found a substantial market among hikers. Familiar commercial models can also be recognized occasionally worn by western military personnel in southwest Asia.
A water bottle is a container that is used to hold liquids, mainly water, for the purpose of transporting a drink while travelling or while otherwise away from a supply of potable water.
Brita GmbH is a German manufacturer of water filters headquartered in Taunusstein near Wiesbaden, Hesse. The company's manufacturing facilities are located in China, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Brita products are distributed in 69 countries.
Helen of Troy Limited is an American publicly traded designer, developer and worldwide marketer of consumer brand-name housewares, health and home, and beauty products under owned and licensed brands. It is the parent corporation of OXO International Ltd., Kaz, Inc., Steel Technologies, LLC, and Idelle Labs, Ltd, among others. The company is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, with U.S. operations headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The company is named after the historical or mythic figure Helen of Troy.
A hydration pack or drink bag is a type of hydration system built as a backpack or waistpack containing a reservoir or "bladder" commonly made of rubber or flexible plastic. The reservoir contains a capped mouth for filling with liquid and a hose that allows the wearer to drink hands-free. Most hoses end with a "bite valve" that opens when the user bites down on it; the valve may be protected by a dust cover. Some hydration packs are insulated to keep water from freezing or becoming warm.
LifeStraw is a brand of water filtration and purification devices. The original LifeStraw was designed as a portable water filter "straw". It filters a maximum of 4,000 litres of water, enough for one person for three years. It removes almost all waterborne bacteria, microplastics and parasites. A bottle was later developed which incorporated a LifeStraw cartridge into a 650-millilitre (22 US fl oz) BPA-free plastic sports water bottle. In addition to these portable filters, the manufacturer produces high-volume purifiers powered by gravity that also remove viruses. These are designed for family and community use.
The Improved Load Bearing Equipment (ILBE) is a United States Marine Corps program that had included individual load carriage equipment, individual hydration systems and individual water purification.
Karrimor is a British brand of backpacks, outdoor and sports equipment, and clothing.
Hiking equipment is the equipment taken on outdoor walking trips. Hiking is usually divided into day-hikes and multiple-day hikes, called backpacking, trekking, and walking tours.
Donaldson Company, Inc. is a vertically integrated filtration company engaged in the production and marketing of air filters used in a variety of industry sectors, including commercial/industrial, aerospace, chemical, alternative energy (windmills) and pharmaceuticals. Also the company's research division, located in Minneapolis, Minn., participated in defense-related projects for various military applications.
Lowepro is a brand of carrying bags for cameras, laptops, imaging accessories and portable consumer electronics with corporate headquarters in Petaluma, California. It is part of Videndum plc.
Vestergaard is a company headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland that manufactures public health tools for people in developing countries. Founded as Vestergaard Frandsen in 1957 as a uniform maker, the company evolved into a social enterprise making products for humanitarian aid in the 1990s. It is now best known for inventing the LifeStraw water filter and the PermaNet mosquito net.
Vista Outdoor Inc. is an American designer, manufacturer, and marketer of outdoor sports and recreation products. It operates in two markets: shooting sports and outdoor products. It is a "house of brands" with more than 40 labels and subsidiaries. It trades under "VSTO" on the New York Stock Exchange.
Source Vagabond Systems Ltd. is known in the outdoor, trekking and sports market for sandals, hydration systems, packs and accessories and in the tactical market for hydration systems, packs, and its SOURCE Virtus Soldier System.
