The Aquaduct Mobile Filtration Vehicle was the wining bike at Innovate or Die Pedal-Powered Machine Contest. The three-wheeled bike is meant to be for people who live in areas where clean drinking water is a luxury. It features a large water tank which holds the water collected, the pedal power runs the water through a series of filters.

Once you reach your final destination, you can still continue filtering the water when the bike is stationary, just disengage the wheels. The bike is realistic, but the target group might not be able to afford, since it might cost hundreds of dollars. It would work if World Water Organizations would buy the bikes and donate them to the needy.

via (eco-friend)

Some of us aren’t content to just stop and smell the flowers on a gorgeous spring day. Because anyone who who’s ever turned to Nelson Bach’s Rescue Remedy in moments of supreme stress - such as Jody, Diana Stewart, and Amanda Thompson - knows the wonderfully calming effect that flower essences can have on frazzled nerves.

Now, thanks to a new product called Balance Water, you can drink up those tension-dissolving flower essences. Discovered by ThisNexter traceyh, the world’s first flower-essence-imbued bottled water includes black-eyed susan (to help you focus), crowea (to relieve worries), banksia robur (to restore vitality), and bush iris (to help you sleep more soundly). Should bring much delight to all those who’ve been tempted to guzzle their entire bottle of Rescue Remedy in one sitting, if only for the hints of brandy used as a preservative.

Even if the cold’s keeping you from sweating away during your winter workout, you still need to stay hydrated by filling up on plenty o’ H2O. Indeed, “one of the most neglected yet important aspects of winter sports body maintenance is hydration,” says GreatOutdoors.com’s Kaj Bune. “On a hot summer day hike it’s much easier to keep up with your body’s loss of water because the heat of the day is a constant reminder of your thirst. But in winter the cold conditions make it harder to respond to thirst.”

When you’re out a long winter run, gear up with a Salomon XA Pro Packvest 150 Backpack. Equipped with a hydration system, the vest/backpack combo provides “easy access to salt tablets and Clif Shot Bloks,” says Adam Chase. What’s more, “it keeps the undulations of gear to a minimum when I run.”

...continued: Water your winter workout

Of all the things we consume in the everyday, no doubt water’s the most essential. And the second most essential is - but of course - really good chocolate. Hot on the heels of so many yummy shoe, bag, beauty, clothing, and accessory picks, Saltimbanca’s latest ThisNext additions include her favorite choices for both nutritional necessities: First there’s Metromint Peppermint Water, an “unsweetened purified water with just a hint of mint extract” that our shopcaster dubs “perfect for a hot day or an afternoon jog.” Not mint-infused but just as crave-able, Penta Water is “so pure, it honestly tastes like you’re drinking nothing,” says Saltimbanca (“I never would have thought it was possible to CRAVE a certain brand of bottled water,” she adds). And although Vitamin Water is “not really water” in her estimation, Saltimbanca recommends the Power-C variety, a “dragonfruit-flavored drink with vitamin C and taurine to keep your immune system going strong and improve your muscle function.”

While some may fail to see the immune-boosting effects of chocolate, I’d argue that the stress-relieving properties of the dark chocolate and lavender found in a Tranquility bar can do nothing but good for the immune system. Says Saltimbanca: “The lavender flavor in this creamy, heavenly milk chocolate is subtle, so it won’t ruin the chocolate experience for a purist, but it adds something extra for those of us who get tired of plain old cacao.” She’s also a lover of Ritter Sport Chocolates, an “incredibly smooth, luscious imported chocolate that fits my meager American college student budget.” And with Ritter Sport bars so conveniently located right by the checkout at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, who could pass up an opportunity to fill up on such a vital constituent of the daily diet?

Because, as our Aunt Beep so wisely points out, “you never know when you’ll be caught in the wild with narry a designer bottle of water in sight,” nabbing a handy-dandy water filter is crucial for those of the nature-loving persuasion. Noting that “no, the water isn’t safe to drink straight from the stream,” Aunt Beep recommends Mountain Safety Research’s WaterWorks EX Microfilter for getting rid of iodine, chlorine, and other chemicals and pesticides. Said to last for years on end, the filter is “reasonably easy to pump” and “easy to clean,” according to Joe (who appreciates that you can screw your WaterWorks EX onto a Nalgene bottle and easily keep the clean and contaminated pieces separate). Simplicity is also key for Paul R.: “For longer hikes, I prefer to carry a filter instead of carrying a lot of very heavy water,” says Will in his shopcast. Indeed, the product weighs just 19 ounces and - with its potential to fill a one-liter container in just 60 seconds - may very well let you hydrate to your heart’s content.

While we at ThisNext are quite fond of our bottled water - especially the much-beloved Glaceau Smartwater - there’s a certain case to be made for investing in a water bottle rather than hitting the disposable plastic every time you need to hydrate. Particularly valuable to the outdoorsy-sporty types, water bottles can help you cut back on waste and may even be healthier for you (since plastic bottles could leach chemicals into your water).

That water-bottle classic, Nalgene has won the loyalty of ThisNexters Joe (who still hearts his “old-school” Nalgene bottle after years of use), Laura Cestone (“4 of these a day, and I eat less, and stay hydrated,” Laura says), and Gordon (“They are virtually indestructible and carry enough water to keep you hydrated when you are adventuring in the great outdoors,” writes Gordon in his shopcast. “Plus they don’t make the water or tea taste funny.”). Even the wee ones are getting in on the Nalgene craze, according to Roger at BloggingBaby. Roger reports that “the Mercedes-Benz of water bottles” now offers the Nalgene Grip-n-Gulp, a bottle designed just for little tikes. (“I got this image of a bunch of hippie-esque backpackers, now all grown up and trying to figure out these ‘children’ that have suddenly invaded their lives,” says Roger of his first time spotting a Grip-n-Gulp ad in Camping Life magazine.)

...continued: All bottled up

For something that’s flavorless, clear and mostly free for the taking, water is big business. These days, designer water is the new designer jeans. What water you drink says as much about you as what car you drive and which plastic surgeon you go to.

No one seems to have such a handle on these liquid assets than ThisNext überpicker oOo, who has managed to call out no fewer than 14 designer waters from around the world. “Thirst is nothing,” he says, “image is everything.” oOo manages to drum up a collection of waters from down under: King Island Cloud Juice, harvested from Tasmanian rain; Antipodes Water, with its charming apothecarian bottle; and the snarkily named Another Bloody Water (also called out by the cool hunter). Something about bloody water leaves us cold, but a shot of cloud juice sounds refreshing.

...continued: Sparkling, Still or Tap

The greener side introduces us to Ron See and his remarkable invention.  “My whole family and I have been living off-grid since 1997,” he says.  “We use solar panels and a battery bank for most of our power supply, propane cook stove and hot water and a diesel generator for back up. I also have 2 windmills for battery charging that we are working towards installing. I run a small metal recycling and hauling business in Hartstown, PA. I have personally cleaned up over 2000 tons of scrap steel, and other metals from farm dumps old fence rows and businesses in the past 13 years.” Inspired by a contest in a Pennsylvania resort town that dared people to make and race flotation devices from old bottles, See decided to craft, patent, and sell his own raft.

Miguel of The Greener Side loves this contraption.  “You don’t need to purse your lips or buy a pump to blow it up. Instead, insert a bunch of 2-liter bottles to keep the $50 raft afloat.” See claims it is more durable than regular rafts.  He even says it’s “puppy-proof.”

If you’re in the market for some outdoor/fitness gear - whether it be a new yoga mat, kayak, skis, hiking boots, or camping cookware - make sure to check HikerDeals.com before handing over your cash or credit card. Blogger Mike scours the web to find the best deals on gear, then shares those bargains so that readers don’t have to go extra-spendy when purchasing new products. One hot deal right now: Backcountry.com’s 25 percent discount on Katadyn’s Hiker Water Filter, which - according to Mike - is the “the top-rated filter for hiking and camping.”

“If I’m not liplocked to a bottle of Perrier I’m drowning at the bottom of a teapot,” says Fear And Loathing In The Kitchen blogger Tracy (a “navel-gazer self-absorbed enough to believe that her ongoing battle with weight, body image, and food addictions and obsessions makes for interesting reading,” according to her bio). “I have no idea what it’s like to actually feel thirsty.” We know the feeling: Drowning in reminders to get that 64-ounces-a-day, my fingertips are never too far from a 1.5-liter bottle of Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water.

Determined to find out whether we really truly require so much hydration, Tracy turned to Dartmouth researcher and kidney specialist Heinz Valtin, M.D. Her discovery:

“According to Valtin, when you start to get low on fluid your body will compensate by bringing fluid back out of your kidneys and by slowing the loss of water through your skin. Thirst begins when the concentration of blood (an accurate indicator of our state of hydration) has risen by less than two percent, whereas most experts would define dehydration as beginning when that concentration has risen by at least five percent - so you can absolutely rely on your thirst to tell you when to have a drink. He also found that coffee, tea etc are perfectly fine to drink and do count toward your fluid intake. And he found no studies at all showing that the magic 8 cups of water are necessary for health.”

After a long, long bike ride, there’s nothing like a nice sip of once-ice-cold bottled water that’s turned hot as fresh-brewed coffee in the midst of your journey. Or not. To keep your water chilly as you ride, Fitness Gadgets recommends the Evap-A-Wrappa cooling sleeve. Almost as cool as Fitness Gadget’s latest post: a waterproof iPod shell that lets you soundtrack your swimming with your favorite MP3s.

Easy Ways to Save the World is a fine collection of practical tips and products that make green living not only possible, but pleasant. Matthew’s info-packed site includes personal recommendations and advice on a wide range of products, like the Ban Beater, a home gray-water system that helps you recycle water quickly and easily.

Grandinite is a green blog that goes into some unexplored corners…including uncovering this remarkably simple and rather wonderful idea: PlayPumps.  “It’s a simple idea,” the mysteriously named-and-numbered bloggers tell us.  “As children spin on a merry-go-round, water pumps from below the ground. It is stored in a tank just a few feet away, making a safe, plentiful supply of water available in the community.”  Nearly 700 PlayPumps have been installed in South Africa, providing safe water to a million people living in rural communities, and thousands more PlayPumps will be installed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, bringing the many benefits of ready access to clean drinking water to millions of underserved people.

Lesson learned the hard way by Neese at Run With Neese: Don’t go seven miles on the treadmill without ever stopping for some water. Having discovered the importance of staying hydrated, Neese recently scored her longest run ever (8 miles) with the help of three bottles of Propel Fitness Water. We’re particularly curious about the new Propel Calcium, providing 10 percent of your daily calcium needs and lots of B vitamins to boost your energy during those lengthy stretches on the treadmill or the open road.

Can’t quite manage to gulp down the eight glasses of water everyone - especially those of the athletic ilk - need daily to stay happily hydrated? Teacherwoman at Running For Me recently asked her readers to share their tips on reaching optimal water intake. A few of our favorite recommendations:

From Nesse: “i actually like all waters, plain and flavored, and try to drink 32oz before lunch and 32oz after lunch, i don’t always make it, sometimes less, sometimes more, i think the key is always having it with you, at your desk, in the car, etc.”

From Annette: “Water - I love it! For those who don’t… . my friend adds powdered Crystal Light to her water. To add to what neese said about the lemon, some people like to add cucumbers to their water, too - refreshing! And then there’s always fresh brewed iced tea - yum!”

From Denise: “I ALWAYS drink two glasses of Powerade before each run and seems to work very well. I then make sure I have 16-24 oz of sports drink AFTER the run too, then 84 oz or more of water until I go to bed. I do consume it and it helps.”

You wouldn’t think twice about dropping a few clams on boutique spring water or using high-end booze in your cocktails, but when you use common tap-water ice cubes in the mix, it kinds of defeats the purpose, no? VittlesVamp pointed us to these Icerocks spring water ice cubes. Just freeze, peel and serve for the perfect, pure refreshment.

File that under: Why didn’t we think of that? 

Elden at Random Reviewer checks out the Gel-Bot and discovers more flaws than first-rate features. A water bottle designed to dispense energy gel, The Gel-Bot proves none-too-convenient. A few of Elden’s noteworthy points:

-The name is silly. Gel-Bot. Pfff. Sounds like a cross between two B-movie monsters. “It’s slimy and mechanical! Run, you fool! Save yourself while you can from the horror that is the Gel-Bot!”

-The idea is silly. I’m sorry, but it’s really easy to carry a couple packs of gel in your jersey pockets, then open one when you need it.

-The website is silly.Check out the pictures in the background of the “Benefits” page in the Gel-Bot website. Notice anything about the guy on the mountain bike? Yep, he’s chosen to ride with a Camelbak. Good call, if you ask me.

The bottled water craze has spawned a variety of waters of all stripes. Still versus sparkling, distilled versus mineral, melted from glaciers or sucked up from springs. Voss water, according to their site, “is amongst the purest waters in the world. Taken from a virgin aquifer shielded for centuries under ice and rock in the untouched wilderness of central Norway.” Yeah, yeah, whatever. It’s all about the utlra-hip bottle!

Via VagaBlond. 

As part of her regular “Thursday Thirteen” feature, Weigh In recommends 13 ways to up your water intake. A few of our faves:

-The U.S. National Research Council recommends 1 mL of water for every calorie you eat. So according to this guideline, a person who eats 2,000 calories should be drinking 2,000 mL.

-Freeze yummy fruit into ice cubes by popping a strawberry or some raspberries in each of the cube trays before filling it with water. Use those fruit cubes in your glass of water to give yourself a tasty treat when you’ve finished with your water.

-Give your bottle of water a kick with Crystal Light’s On-The-Go packs.

My day is not complete without stopping over to Popgadget to see whats new - they discover the most amazing things - some i desperately covet (like that OGO water in this heatwave) and some just make me laugh and wonder if people seriously buy/wear such things (like these Code M MP3 SNEAKERS!). ThisNext loves a good discovery, and Popgadget never fails us!