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Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Kenmark Sports Armband Water Bottle > Test Report by Erin Marie Hedden

KENMARK SPORTS ARMBAND WATER BOTTLE
TEST SERIES BY ERIN M. HEDDEN
INITIAL REPORT
November 12, 2012

TESTER INFORMATION

NAME: Erin M. Hedden
EMAIL: tookieblueeyes@live.com
AGE: 34
LOCATION: Southeastern Colorado, USA
GENDER: F
HEIGHT: 5' 9" (1.75 m)
WEIGHT: 153 lb (69.40 kg)

Backpacking Background: I have been backpacking since 4 years of age, taking long trips into the mountains with my family. I hike various terrains from mountains and plateaus to grasslands and prairies. My excursions can be a day hike with a light-weight waist pack, a loop trail taking up to 5 days on which I keep my pack as light-weight as possible, or an in-and-out trip for a night or two where my pack can be heavy. Slow and steady is my pace and I use a tent or a hammock depending on weather and terrain.


INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

IMAGE 1
Courtesy of Kenmark Sports


Manufacturer: Kenmark Sports
Year of Manufacture: 2012
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.kenmarksports.com/#!
MSRP: $29.99 US
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 18 oz (510 g) (Aluminum Bottle with cap, armband and detachable pocket)
Listed Volume (Aluminum Bottle): 16 oz (473 ml) Liquid
Measured Volume (Aluminum Bottle): 16 oz (473 ml) Liquid
Color: Aluminum Bottle is a dark blue; armband and detachable pocket are. black
Available Colors of Water Bottle: Red, Dark Blue & Black
IMAGE 2
Courtesy of Kenmark Sports

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Kenmark Sports Armband Water Bottle with detachable pocket came to me with a blue 16 oz. (473 ml) aluminum water bottle with a black twist off cap. The twist off cap has an attachment point hole through its center so that perhaps a carabiner could be clipped onto the lid and the water bottle could be used all on its own, maybe clipped onto a backpack or belt loop. The cap also has a smaller hole in the top corner of the lid for a lanyard or length or cordage to be threaded through for another carrying option. The aluminum water bottle has a wide mouth and Kenmark Sports has a claim that it is an "Eco-friendly bottle for years of continuous use" printed on the cardboard the armband water bottle was packaged with. On the bottom of the bottle itself I found a sticker that branded the bottle as being made by Discount Mugs.

The armband itself is made of two separate bands that are a soft material that stretches and is attached using a hook and loop material. Both bands are adjustable.
IMAGE 3
The water bottle cover is made of a soft neoprene material that is covered with a hook and loop material all along the front portion of the cover so that the flap that secures the water bottle itself fastens in place, as does the detachable pocket. The flap has the Kenmark Sports logo printed in white on the front of it and a hole for the top of the water bottle to fit through when securing the bottle in its cover.

The detachable pocket offers storage and easy access to items such as an MP3 player, a phone, credit cards, keys or cash. It has a see through plastic front so that you can see what is in the detachable pocket and a hook and loop system of attachment to the neoprene water bottle cover. The top of the detachable pocket is left open and does not close shut. The only way of closing off the top of the detachable pocket is to close the flap of the cover itself.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

Inside the cover of the Kenmark Sports Armband Water Bottle was a small strip of white paper with care and use instructions for their product.

The instructions of care and use are as follows:
- Wash all parts in warm soapy water before using.
- It is not for microwave use.
- Do not use bleach or cleansers containing chlorine to clean.
- Hand wash only. dishwasher may damage.
- Do not overfill. Hot liquids can scald the user.
- When filled with hot liquids keep out of reach of children.
- When drinking hot liquids, please allow to cool to a drinkable temperature before securing the lid.
- CAUTION: Hot liquids will increase temperature of exterior wall.
IMAGE 4

TRYING IT OUT

The wide mouth of the aluminum water bottle made for easy filling and drinking and the armband is easily adjusted to the girth of my arm and the straps were quick release. I am not used to having things strapped to my arm so it took some getting used to but besides that it did not chafe against my arm or side while in use. I found that using the flap to secure the water bottle in its cover was easy to put in place and tuck behind the water bottle when I wanted easy and quick access to the bottle, however, the lack of a way to close the detachable pocket causes me a little concern. I had my MP3 player fall out of the detachable pocket on a couple of occasions when I had to lift my hands up over my head, but strangely enough, the water bottle stayed in place. This leads me to believe that I will not be trusting this pocket with holding my keys, credit cards or money unless I have the flap in place at all times.

SUMMARY

Overall Kenmark Sports seems to have a nice design for their Armband Water Bottle and after getting used to the feel of having something strapped to my arm it has so far not given me any discomfort of chafing to my arm or to my side. I have already been able to use it on four separate occasions, two while riding my mountain bike and two while on a hike, and so far my only concern is the detachable pocket and its lack of a sealable top. To seal off your items in the detachable pocket the top flap of the cover itself needs to be in place and even then a loose key or some change would still find its way out and onto the ground if I needed to lift my hands up to high. This is a little bit of a concern for me and I feel that it might be better if the detachable pocket had a zip lock type seal to it. It would also be better for MP3 players or some smart phones if there was a small hole that I could feed the headphone cord out through the bottom since my MP3 player's jack is at the bottom, like most smart phones and MP3 players.
IMAGE 5
I would like to thank Kenmark Sports and BackPackGearTest.org for the chance to test the Armband Water Bottle. My Field Report will follow in two months.

This report was created with the BackpackGearTest.org Report Writer Version 1. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

Read more reviews of Kemark Sports gear
Read more gear reviews by Erin Marie Hedden

Reviews > Hydration Systems > Bottles > Kenmark Sports Armband Water Bottle > Test Report by Erin Marie Hedden



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