Part 2 - What Works (For Me, At Least!)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Last time I wrote about a number of bottle carriers and packs that I tried which never quite worked as well as I would have liked. Other than some of the cheap department store equipment, it's all good gear... just not for me when I'm running or snowshoeing. I've been really pleased to find some gear that works great in the last year or so - that's what I'll be describing this time around. But first...
All products mentioned in this post were purchased by me; none of the companies mentioned have provided me with any gear, for review purposes or any other reason. (Nor do I expect them to ever offer to do so, given the very limited readership of my rambling writings...)
Now back to what works for me...
Last spring I read some reviews for GoLite's products which intrigued me sufficiently that I decided to try their HydroSprint single bottle carrier. I loved it right from the get-go. First of all, GoLite advertises this as a "no bounce" waist pack - and for me at least it actually is! There are two pockets with sufficient room for keys, a powerbar, handkerchief, electrolyte capsules, etc, and the belt is sufficiently long and wide enough that I can also attach a separate pouch for my camera. In addition to the water bottle holder, there's also a gel flask holder which I used to carry powdered sports drink mix during really long races. I've used the HydroSprint on countless runs, rides, hikes, walks, and snowshoe outings in the last 18 months and not only does it still perform as advertised, nothing has broken on it yet. This is probably my best all-around bottle carrier.
Since the HydroSprint worked so well, I eventually purchased a HydroClutch handheld. I will say I'm still not crazy about handhelds, but this one is pretty comfortable and I'll use it sometimes when I'm either doing a short distance and don't want to bother with a waist pack or if I want a 2nd bottle along and don't want the weight of a double bottle carrier. I also picked up a HydroSwift double bottle pack for longer runs or ones where I might need more gear or fluids. While it's a good deal bulkier than the HydroSprint, it still works great and is pretty much bounce free.
One of the things I'd been looking for was a hydration pack that also includes bottle pockets - so that during really long runs I could carry both plain water and bottles of energy drink. There didn't seem to be much available and nothing was in stock locally (so I could actually check out fit, comfort, and so on) but this past spring I read a review of the GoLite Rush pack on Donald's Running & Rambling blog that, combined with my other experiences with GoLite's packs, got me to bite the bullet and order one on sale from Zombierunner. While injuries and general laziness have kept me mostly out of the really long run business since June, I've used the pack half a dozen times and been very happy with it. I've got two Camelbak hydration bladders I use with it - a 2L and a 3L - because my experience with them has been very good and the general buzz about Camelbak bladders is that they're pretty much bomb-proof. There's enough cargo space to carry all the gear I can ever imagine needing on a run or hike, and for a big bulky hydration pack it's surprisingly comfortable. Best of all, there's even room for me to carry one of my collapsible hiking sticks in the main compartment (it sticks up about 8 inches above the top of the pack) which is great when I'm on a route that involves some serious uphill. With one exception, I love all of my GoLite gear.
The one exception is the bottles, and it's a fairly quirky gripe that only popped up once I started using Nuun for electrolyte replacement on shorter runs (again, mostly as a result of one of Donald's reviews.) As he mentions, Nuun is slightly carbonated (which I actually like) and my GoLite bottles all ended up leaking, especially once I'd get runner and start them moving around. I eventually managed to minimize the leaking by keeping the valves slightly open (presumably to allow the gas pressure to escape without carrying much fluid with it) but it's always been a minor annoyance.
Which is why I'm very happy with my latest gear purchase, several Ultimate Direction sports bottles, based on a recommendation from Sherpa John, a very talented ultrarunner/outdoorsman over in nearby New Hampshire. When I first got my Ultimate Direction bottles, I wasn't entirely sure what to make of them. Instead of a traditional valve, they have a rubber "kicker" valve which you open by pulling up into an extended position with your teeth and then close by simply tipping the valve to the side, which causes it to collapse back down. After several decades of "traditional" (ie cheap) sports bottles, it's a pretty strange design to get used to, but having used them three times now - it doesn't take long to get the hang of them. And so far - no leaks! If they keep working this well I may invest in a few for my bikes. (I also use an Ultimate Direction add-on pouch to carry my camera with most of my packs - it's exactly the right size, and I can easily remove it to carry the camera with me without a pack. Unfortunately, they don't seem to make it any more... guess it's a good thing I bought a spare!)
So far that's what works best for me - GoLite packs and Ultimate Direction bottles, with a little Camelbak magic added to my hydration pack. If they keep working as well I really don't anticipate making any changes until they wear out... I'm not someone who has to have the latest and greatest of everything, and when I find something that works I tend to stick with it until I can't use it any more.
JMH
