My Favorite Ways to Carry Water on a Run

Summer race is difficult. Not only races end up taking more time (for the same mileage) Because the heat slows you downBut you should also Hydrate more to help your body coolWhich means finding how to transport more water with you.

This summer, I chose to do most of my races on shaded trails, accepting the compromise that I have to reach more hills, even if I have experienced all the water transport methods that I can think of. Here is what works for me so far, depending on the day’s race.

For short and medium races: the Nathan Featherlite belt

By far my favorite way of transporting water for my races is the Nathan Featherlite belt. It has a diagonal pocket for a bottle of water, but not in hard plastic or metal – it is a mild bottleWhich is a huge plus. The sweet balloon comes with the belt, but you can submarine in another bottle – even a standard disposable water bottle – in a pinch. The gentle bottle included carries 18 ounces of water, so it is a perfect option for summer races in sweat of an hour or less.

Here is what I like in the Nathan Featherlite specifically:

• The sweet balloon has no hard edges It can rub against me and Chafe.

• The “Exo vertebral column” (rigid plastic on one side of the balloon) Facilitates respect for the pocket, even when it is half empty.

• The bite valve on the balloon is put to the test when I put it – in the seat of my car, for example – but it is always easy to pull from the water in motion. If he had a valve that I needed to open and close, I would certainly forget constantly. It also means that it cannot splash the water while you run.

• There is a small stretch loop at the top That you put around the oral tip of the ball to make sure that it cannot bounce back. (This tends to detach itself once the ball is lower than half full, but at that time, it will not rebound anyway.)

• Overall, it’s pretty low Once you have positioned it well. I wear the pack so it’s directly behind me, and when I get about 20 steps on the path, I usually forget that I have it.

• The generous zipped pocket is large enough to keep a phone and various other things you could wear. When I will test several watches, sometimes with more than one phone, this storage space is a boon – I don’t have to try to stuff everything in the pockets of my shorts.

There are a few things that I don’t do it Love on this subject:

• I cannot quickly remove the bottle to have a drink and slide it in it, so I tend to wait until I get a hill, or I stop or slow down. I slide the pack around the front, throw the elastic loop, I take my drink, then I put it back and slide the pack back.

• There is also the question of size. For me, it’s perfect for an hour of running in summer, knowing that I can get more water after my race. (I make sure to always have additional water in the car or wherever my race starts and ends.) For shorter races, it can be exaggerated. For the longest, I have to go to a vest.

My favorite for long races: a hydration vest

I had hoped to be able to report on a Really beautiful hydration vest modelBut after buying one during the first day, Amazon pulled one of these “your package is available for delivery … LOL JK we don’t know where your package is switcheroos. I always wait for the word that it could be found, so in the meantime, I use my old hydration pack, a cheap brand that is certainly not the best on the market, but that does the work.

The brand is late and barely costs $ 20. It is delivered with a bladder of two liters water (God I hate that that’s how they call) and a slightly uncomfortable strap arrangement. But it works.

Here are some features that I like to see in the hydration vests, and why:

• A 2 -liter bladder. Even if you hike for a day, it is a reasonable amount to transport between the water stops provided in most situations. It is a standard bladder for a hydration vest, although not all vests come with the bladder included.

• Lots of storage space. Mine have pockets on the front straps which can contain various things (gels, telephone) and an elastic rear which can contain a light jacket or another larger equipment.

• Options to transport water to the rear or at the front. Many vests are made so that the front pockets can contain soft bottles and you can leave the rear section empty. It can be more comfortable if you hate the feeling of a sweaty back. Or, you can transport water at the front And Back, which can often lead you to at least three liters in total.

• Adjustable stacts. You have to try a vest to really know how it adapts, but the right brands make the straps well adjustable, with sliders or elastic bands at the front. The straps of my cheap vest are null, but I understood that they become much more comfortable if I cross them in a form x.

The drawbacks of a hydration vest:

• Wearing something so large can be enough in sweat (that’s why the dear are made of light and evacuated tissue).

• A bad adjustment means that the vest will take place. I wear a t-shirt rather than a tank top with mine, just to make sure I have no problems with the friction in armpits or shoulders.

My favorite minimalist option: a clipper bottle

Sometimes you don’t need a lot of water, but you don’t want to go completely Without water. In spring and fall, I did a lot of my shopping with a Bottle of water with clip-no-money.

Why I like it:

• Nothing to attach. A clip-on does not interfere with anything I already wear, and I do not need to add another layer of fabric on the back or the size.

• The size of 8 ounces is useful without being huge. If I can fill up from a water fountain every few kilometers, it’s perfect in cool weather when I don’t sweat too much.

• It’s the easiest to grab by leaving. In addition, when I was running with my child, she always wanted to put her bottle on the side of the track. I hate doing this with a soft balloon, but a hard bottle like this can stay straight.

What I don’t like:

• It is never completely comfortable. I tried it on the belt of my shorts, on the racing belts and the laptop. (Note that if you cut it to a belt or a belt, you can try it either towards your body or facing your doors.) I always manage to get it in a fairly good place to ignore, but it is not my most comfortable option.

An extremely popular option that is not for me: a portable bottle

I am personally not a fan of portable bottles, but tons of runners are. I can see the attraction, so I give them a cry here, because it might be the best option for you.

Holding a bottle in your hand is simple, but during a race, your hand and your arm will be tired. There are simple devices that allow you to attach the bottle to your hand, so the strap does the work. Then you don’t have to think about it – just get your hands on your mouth when you want to have a drink.

That of Hydrapak is a gentle bottle, and the strap has a thumb buckle to keep it safe. This amphipod With a neoprene round that isolates the drink, plus a zipped pocket large enough to contain a credit card and a key. I also heard of runners making their own personalized water straps from adhesive tape. (Here is a tutorial.)

It is only by tests and errors that you will learn what you like and hate the different ways of transporting water, so don’t be afraid to experiment.