CamelBak MultiBev 22oz Bottle / 16oz Cup Review

Overview

The CamelBak MultiBev is a double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless steel bottle that splits in half to reveal a fully separate, insulated 16oz travel cup nested inside a 22oz bottle. It’s aimed at people who want one vessel that covers cold water, hot coffee, and everything in between — think car camping, commuting, or bikepacking with a coffee habit, rather than a backcountry hiker trying to shave ounces.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Bottle capacity	22 oz
Cup capacity	16 oz
Material	18/8 stainless steel
Insulation	Double-wall vacuum insulated
Lid type	Leak-proof Pak Cap with Roll and Fold silicone lid
Weight	486.5 g (~17.2 oz)
Dishwasher safe	Yes
BPA-free	Yes

Performance

The headline feature is the split design, and it mostly delivers on the novelty. Twist the bottle apart below the black divider ring and you’ve got a fully separate 16oz insulated mug with its own silicone lid stashed inside the main Pak Cap. Visually the bottle looks like a single piece, but gripping below the black divider ring lets you twist the travel cup off. It’s a genuinely useful trick if you’re the type who picks up a coffee on the way to the trailhead and doesn’t want to leave a paper cup in the car.

Insulation performance is solid for a stainless bottle. Testers found hot water in the thermos portion stayed a good temperature for drinking coffee the next morning, and CamelBak claims the 22oz bottle keeps liquid hot for around 14 hours and cold for 20, with the smaller cup holding heat for roughly 3-4 hours. One reviewer specifically noted ice from the 22oz bottle was still frozen the next morning, which lines up with the vacuum-insulated stainless construction doing its job.

Where it gets more mixed is ease of use and everyday practicality. OutdoorGearLab’s testing flagged a real design flaw: dirt and germs get on the bottom of the bottle, which then goes straight into the bottom of the cup — an aspect of the design that felt overlooked. That’s the tradeoff of nesting a cup where the bottle’s exterior normally sits. The same review also found the bottle held onto flavors — using it for a variety of flavored beverages left it smelling and tasting the same across drinks without a proper wash, though it cleaned up fine afterward since it’s dishwasher safe.

The silicone lid draws mixed reactions. One REI reviewer specifically dinged it for a lingering silicone taste on the lid, docking a star despite otherwise loving the versatility. Fit and grip are also a sticking point for smaller hands — a Walmart reviewer noted the bottle was too fat to hold comfortably with one hand and didn’t feel secure holding the 16oz cup one-handed with hot coffee in it because the exterior isn’t especially grippy. That same reviewer also had trouble with the lid popping off the cup when pulling it out of a car cupholder.

Durability seems to be a genuine strength — this isn’t a delicate product. Beyond its design quirks, the bottle is a substantial and very durable stainless steel model that passed all durability tests with ease. The powder-coat finish and silicone base also get consistent praise for resisting scuffs and keeping the bottle from sliding off a table or car seat.

For anyone thinking about this for backpacking specifically, weight is the elephant in the room. OutdoorGearLab’s own scoring gave it a 2.0 out of 10 on weight — by far its worst category — which tells you where this product’s priorities lie. At 486.5g, it’s roughly the weight of a full 32oz Nalgene plus a backup lighter, cook pot, and titanium spork combined. This is not a bottle you’re bringing on a thru-hike; it’s a bottle you’re bringing on a car camping trip or a bike commute where you also want to justify not buying a $6 latte in a paper cup.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Genuinely clever 2-in-1 design — full insulated cup nests inside the bottle
• Strong vacuum insulation performance (multi-hour hot/cold retention, per CamelBak and user testing)
• Very durable stainless build with a scuff-resistant powder-coat finish
• Dishwasher safe and BPA/BPS/BPF-free
• Fits most car cupholders and some bike bottle cages despite the split design

Cons:

• Heavy — 486.5g puts it well outside ultralight territory
• Design flaw where bottle-bottom grime can transfer to the cup interior
• Silicone lid can impart a lingering taste for some users
• Bulky diameter makes one-handed use awkward, especially for smaller hands
• Premium price for what is, in pure water-carrying terms, a mediocre ounce-to-weight ratio

Who Should Buy This

The MultiBev makes the most sense for car campers, commuters, and travelers who want to consolidate a water bottle and a coffee mug into one object and are willing to trade weight for convenience. It’s also a reasonable pick for bikepackers who value the built-in mug for camp coffee and don’t mind the bulk in a bottle cage. If you’re backpacking with a base weight you actually track, this isn’t your bottle — a simple 16-24oz plastic or titanium bottle paired with a separate collapsible cup will beat it on weight by a wide margin.

Verdict

The MultiBev is a smart piece of industrial design that solves a real annoyance — carrying two vessels instead of one — but it does so at a weight and bulk penalty that rules it out for most backcountry use. For car camping, commuting, or travel, it’s a solid 6.5 out of 10; for anyone packing by the ounce, it’s not on the list.