The outdoors is my gym, but it wasn’t always like that. For years I worked out at an actual gym pumping iron with the meatheads, and mindlessly running nowhere on a treadmill. After every workout, I would have a protein shake when I got home, basically some chocolate whey protein powder mixed with milk that I stirred with a spoon. The dry mix would always remain clumpy and never dissolve completely. Boy could I have used a BlenderBottle during my gym days.
I’ve since quit going to the gym and haven’t been back in several years. The outdoors is now my workout facility. But one thing I carried with me through my divorce with dumbells and elliptical machines is my post-workout protein drink. After a mountain bike ride, trail run or session on a climbing hang board, I immediately made my recovery shake. But I still used a glass and spoon to dissolve the mix. That is until I got my hands on a BlenderBottle Sport Mixer, and I’ll never look back.
BlenderBottle is a unique utensil created by Sundesa LLC, a company based locally in Pleasant Grove, Utah. They’ve marketed to the “indoor gym” crowd for years, but recently have expanded outside the gym and into the outdoors with the Sports Mixer. It’s rugged, plastic bottle that looks like it can take a beating on the trail. It features a flip cap that closes tight and includes a loop that can be clipped to a carabiner. It also has a rubber grip, ounce and millimeter markings for easy measurements, and the plastic is BPA-free.
What makes the BlenderBottle work is what’s inside – a round, wire whisk called a BlenderBall that mixes pretty much anything that needs to be blended. All you have to do is shake the bottle and the BlenderBall does all the work. I’ve been very happy with how well dry protein mix dissolves in milk. It makes the drink taste creamy, and the mixing action creates a flavorful foam.
The lid is a nice design with grippy materials, that carabiner loop (not yet tested) and a snap-top closure that really “snaps” closed so you know it’s sealed tight before you start shaking. Without that reassuring sound, you’re liable to splash protein drink all over the ceiling.
While I haven’t yet taken meal replacements on outdoor adventures, I can see how the BlenderBottle could be used for other things as well. Camping? Why not fill it part-way with dehydrated eggs then add water in the morning after a night spent sleeping under the stars? A minute of shaking and you’ve got scrambled eggs! One could also do the same with pancake mix or anything else that you just add water to… even instant oatmeal.
But of course, recovery drinks are the mainstay of the BlenderBottle, and in addition to meal replacement shakes, the bottle is good for energy supplements, smoothies, and electrolyte mixes. After a few months of using (and loving) the BlenderBottle Sport Mixer, I find it hard to believe I ever used something as rudimentary as a glass and spoon to mix my protein powder.
For more information, check them out at www.blenderbottle.com