I don’t like to consider myself materialistic, but if there is one invention in modern society that I cannot live without, it is my Camelbak. As far as water bottles go, I know the concept is not too complex but this beautiful plastic creation is in a class of its own.

    I think the luster of this water bottle comes not just from the multitude of colors it is available in, but its unique yet simple design. The container part is standard, Nalgene-like in appearance and now BPA free for individuals wishing to avoid cancer. Its true brilliance comes in its bite- style sipping valve, which makes drinking water legitimately fun and spilling water on a new shirt a thing of the past. This Camelbak is also great in that it features a straw that nearly reaches the bottom of the container so that the classic head “tip back” is not necessary, an advantage to those who like to drink (water) and drive. This bottle has gotten me through many a boring Pre-Calc classes through the pure entertainment that comes from drinking it.

    Being a high school student, I know firsthand that keeping up with healthy habits and overall well-being is nothing less than a challenge on top of schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Every day when I return home from a lengthy swim team bus ride and face my jammed packed homework agenda, the last thing that’s on my mind is how many calories I have eaten or which vitamins I should take. I do feel, however, that the recent introduction of a Camelbak water bottle to my life has helped me to subconsciously improve my health.

    Health experts say that every person should consume eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day but to many, including myself as of late, this standard seems daunting if not impossible. I have always carried a water bottle around with me to class and probably drank more water than a lot of my close friends but I was never e able to reach the eight glass ideal. My new Camelbak, lime green and wonderful, has made this goal a breeze. I often find myself surpassing this number on a regular basis, filling up its 24 oz. capacity at least two to three times each day and definitely feel a difference in my energy level and overall health because of it.

    My Camelbak has made keeping up with my daily water consumption less of a chore and more of a joy. In fact, its popularity is growing; I recently noticed many students at SHS (mysteriously all female) joining the movement. There have been several classes in which I look up and see a rainbow of bottles sitting at the corners of my classmates desks. I am delighted to see the growth of this trend and anticipate that soon a Camelbak will be as common as a backpack to SHS students.

    Words cannot describe my love for this simple object and in its true brilliance; I have accepted my level of materialism. I am drowning in my Camelbak’s wonderfulness and never wish to be saved.