Too early for gift ideas? Nah. Especially when the item is so useful you may want to get one right this minute. Pay attention as I rant about this thing Chums sent me to try – you’ll see. It is a find, whether you’re a hiker or a gym rat or a tourist.
Chums Fjord Bottle Sling. I absolutely love this thing. It’s one of the most useful and best-designed gadgets I’ve ever seen – and it doesn’t involve technology of any kind!
Start with the fact that it’s expandable and will fit many different sizes of water bottle. Then move on to the included adjustable strap with which you can hang it across your chest, drape it from your shoulder, clip it around your waist, or attach it with carabiner-type clips to a backpack. You can also use the loops on the back to attach it to your belt or a luggage band or other strap.
Are you getting this? You can use it in whatever way(s) are convenient for you.
The quality of the materials is excellent, and the construction is very good. I love the fact that the bottom of the holder itself is made of strong mesh with large holes – no liquid is going to soggy your holder up in case your bottle springs a leak. Comes in three different sporty colors/designs.
I keep an empty reusable water bottle in the holster (yes, I wear it around my waist, drape my exercise tunic around it, and feel like a gunslinger from the old West – with just the holster, not the gun. When I get to the gym, I fill the bottle up and use the strap to attach it to the nearby racks that hold our giant blue exercise balls. After many sad times of leaving my water bottle behind – on the sink while I wash my hands, in the gym when I’ve finished my class – I don’t have to lean over to pick up my water, and I have stopped losing my water bottles!
The only slight caution I have is that the attached carabiner clips – which are designed with a little bump to keep them from accidentally getting opened – can be tricky to open when you’re trying to un-attach them from the strap, especially with arthritic thumbs.
Chums, you’ve changed my gym life. I can’t speak for other similar items on the market; I’ve only seen this one and I’m impressed. It’ll work for almost any event (well, probably not a formal dance) so you can be sure to keep hydrated, not have to keep buying bottles of water, and not lose your darn water bottle.
Thanks. Chums. ~$20 and worth every penny.