MTBMaven

I am working on a design idea for a bottle like container for carrying powder nutrition (think Hammer Heed or Sustained Energy, etc.), which is able to dispense the powder one serving size or scoop at a time.

Why? My riding tends to focus on endurance events and I typically carry a resupply of my own nutrition, even for supported events. Like others I carry my resupply in a zip lock bag. I have figured out a way to open the bag just enough to get the powder in the bottle but never know exactly how much I dump in. Additionally during race events this process takes a while.

I wanted a product that could quickly dispense a more accurate amount of my favorite powder nutrition product (which is my custom Infinit Nutrition blend). Unfortunately I could not find anything on the market so I designed one.

I am curious if anyone else would find value in a product like this? And hopefully buy one. Thanks for your feedback!

jmX

I simply carry 4-5 pre-measured 'snack' sized ziplocks rather than one big one full of powder. Each bag makes one bottle. A slicker solution would be nice, but I'm not sure it'd be something that people would want to pay too much for.

csnyder

How about something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/Philips-AVENT-...dp/B0006BAJIG/

ArtM

I used to carry powder drink mix in plastic 35mm film canisters. One scoop per canister.

Carbonfiberboy 

Another Ziploc bag person here. For a 400k, I'll pack three baggies, each with 1 pt. of powder = 750 Kcal. That's about half my total calories. I like that the baggies pack tight and take up no more space than the powder, and that they go away when empty. I wouldn't give up a cage that could hold fluids.

MTBMaven

That's a good point to note. I would envision this as something that fits in a jersey pocket. I wouldn't give up a bottle cage either.

Good feedback so far. Thanks!

MTBMaven

More tube like. Think something like a sunscreen container but the top is a small container the size of a scoop.

UberGeek

What about those single-serve drink packs? They are packed in a heavy plastic container, in 10-packs.

ks1g

The typical snack-size ziploc (like the ones I use and assume jmX and cfb use) opens along the long end - not a good fit for dumping into a water bottle (even a wide mouth bottle). I see crafts items and small electronic parts packed in similar-size bags that open on the narrow end - would work much better; unsure if they need to be "food grade" or not (asusming different plastic compounds are used). I've thought about recycling prescription pill bottles, and 35mm film cans (if I still had any) are about the same size. Both take up more space than a baggie and I'd hate to toss them or carry them for the rest of a ride.

I've wondered if the sports mix makers have considered selling single servings of their powders in a pull open package (like gels and blocks are sold) that would easily pour into a water bottle. Or they could press it into a dissolvable pill like nuun (?). Speaking of nuun, the tube their product comes in is a good diameter, needs a cap+spout that captures one scoop-full of powder and keeps water out of the container. It absolutely has to fit in a jersey pocket, and really long shelf life so I could stash one in a seat bag would be nice. Agree I'm not giving up a bottle cage.

From a price comparison, it's tough to beat the snack size bags. Prepackaged & convenience argues for single-use packaging from the factory.

MTBMaven

The basic design right now looks something like this. Bottle size is approximate right now.



Note on signature: I actually didn't think of this while riding my bike, rather on a beach in Nicaragua. I was thinking about riding my bike however.

ks1g

MTBM - That design concept looks cool - intended to hold up to 6 scoops? Is the lever on the cap to control a diaphragm to avoid spills? I sort of recall spill-proof lids measurers in some of the infant/toddler/kiddie products we had when my children were young. Might be worth a look. Overall size approx 1.75" x 5"?

I rode a century (Reston VA) Sunday, and carried single scoops in zip-lok snack bags of EFS powder for bottle refills. Because the mouth of the bag is significantly greater than the bottle diameter, a lot of powder got spilled trying to empty the bags. I did some web & Amazon searching and found a number of smaller size bags that might work. Although many are sold for hobbyists and for packaging small parts and may not be food-safe. Then I found The Pill Bag. Vitamin Shoppe sells them locally, so I picked up a pack of 100 bags on the way home.

Each bag measures 3" x 2", with the mouth along the 3" side. Reasonably rugged plastic, and you can write down whatever the drink mix is on the outside with a regular ballpoint pen or pencil, or use a Sharpie for sweaty jersey use. The bags are OK for sports drink mix - one will just hold a scant scoop of Cytomax or EFS powder, with some care required to close it. I filled 2, tossed them into a larger snack baggie to control any leaks or spills, and put them in a jersey pocket for this morning's commute. No leaks so far. I'll see later today how easy it is to pour without making a big mess .

These bags could work for drink mix - I'd prefer if they were slightly larger for easier closure, had the openning on the short side for better fit into a bottle. If the internal volume was slightly more than double, the "2 scoop of powder per 24oz bottle" would fit. Not a big deal for me. Your idea has the advantage of simpler packing and access, probably easier to fill and pour vs individual baggies. Easier to keep clean for reuse - I expect the bags become throw-aways if they get moisture inside.

The bag size is perfect for carrying supplements in pill/tablet/capsule form (no surprise - it is a "Pill Bag"), especially if I plan to take them on a schedule during/immediately after a long ride.

Carbonfiberboy 

When dumping Ziplocs into bottles, only open about 2" of the bag on one end. Then gently shake the bag. The powder goes in the bottle with little or no spillage. I always do this outdoors, just in case. Then carefully flick the powder from the grooves on the Ziploc so it will reseal. I seldom empty a baggie when refilling, since I try to keep a known number of calories in the bottle and hence per swig. When sealing a baggie, leave one end a bit open and carefully roll the baggie up, driving out the air. Then seal the last bit of the baggie seal. If you leave air in them, they'll pop in your saddle bag when packed.

I'd prefer a soft bottle that can be squoze and a narrow neck, no measuring cap. invert container over bottle, tap and or squeeze while watching marks on translucent bottle side.

Machka 

You know the little hammer gel flasks? On long rides, I bring one with hammer gel and one with powdered HEED. It is the perfect size for about three 1-litre bottles of HEED, which is lots for a 200K or 300K randonneuring event.


I used to use ziplock bags and similar, but I found them too messy on the really long rides.

ks1g

cfb: I once again am failing the dexterity test (no surprise!); I get powder everywhere, even when I very carefully try to open just one end. And I use wide-mouth bottles. I've considered checking camping/backpacking stores for collapsible funnels, or use a coffee filter cone with the end cut as a funnel (but how to keep it dry from sweat?).

I was thinking more about this during my bike commute home yesterday - extrapolating from the design of my Nissan 24oz coffee thermos, a simple screw on-cap the same size as a "scoop" is sufficient as a measuring cup. A soft squeezable bottle may be even better - need to check what I can find in the house or stores to test. Maybe a recycled Nunn/fizz electrolyte tube, assuming it holds more than 1 scoop and I can pour about a scoop at a time (this ain't precision chemistry here).

My 1st try using the pill-bag zip lok bags was successful - while it's the 3" side that opens, the bag still fits within the top of a wide mouth bottle. No powder spills. The almost-too-small capacity is so far the only issue I've encountered. I was hoping to try them out on a long ride this weekend, but Hurricane Irene may have other ideas. A long ride test may have to wait.

Machka's suggestion is interesting - I'll have to ask a runner friend if I can borrow a gel flask to test with the powders I prefer.

Garfield Cat

This is the thing that the manufacturers of nutrition products should do, not you. They know their customers and know about how its used. If everyone complained about it, the manufacturers will figure a way.