Bottle pack for trail running – any recommendations?

I have had good luck with this Nathan:
http://www.nathansports.com/our_products/hydration_nutrition/elite_2v_plus.html

I also have used and liked many of the older Ultimate Direction packs, but haven't tried any in several years.

The GoLites look good but I haven't tried them.

You also might want to try a race vest and a hand bottle
The Nathan is very popular. This in one model:
http://www.nathansports.com/our_products/hydration_nutrition/hpl_020.html

For hand bottles, my favorite is the North Face E50:
http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/product/product.asp/CMP/KNC-97950/cmpn/97950/store/MG/item/209353/N/0

What races are you thinking of?

I have the Golite bottle pack that holds two with the bag in between…I love it and while I have only run about 16 trail miles at a time with it I can say that it is the most comfortable fanny pack I have worn. It really does stay still (as much as it can with two full bottles anyways) without feeling like I am overtightening the belt. I also like the two belt pockets for GUs, etc. I can easily fit a windshirt, arm warmers and hat into the bag with a bit of food, and a lighter and photon lite live in the side pocket. Hope this helps your decision making. BTW, I'm really enjoying reading thru your blog lately!

Christian

I am doing the Superior Spring Trail Races 50K in May; aid stations are 8 miles apart. If I survive that, I will do the Superior Fall Trail Races 50 or 100 mile.

Although it is a different season, the Arrowhead Ultra (135 miles in Feburary in northern MN) is also on my tic list.

Thanks for the recommendations folks – I appreciate it. I am skeptical of using a hand bottle because of the force involved to move it with every step.

I need the pack to be able to hold (at max) a windshirt, beanie cap, gloves, food and have two bottles.

Thanks for reading the blog – good to know!

http://www.crazyrunnerguy.blogspot.com

I also have the Golite HydroCruise bottle pack. I love it. It will fit quite a bit of stuff in the storage pouches. It should do a windshirt, beanie cap, and gloves easy. And it should probably have space left for food, but it depends on how much you need. There are hipbelt pockets that can swallow a couple energy bars, etc., in addition to what goes in the main storage pouches on the back. The only real downside is that it won't fit bottles any larger than bike water bottles. Wider bottles won't fit, and taller bottles will hit your back.

Good to know – I am looking at the GoLite Hydro Cruise/Swift/Speed. Chris, can you comment on how much the pack bounces?

Matt,

A couple reasons to consider the hand bottles.

1st, most everyone drins more with a hand bottle than having to pull it from a pack.

2nd, You get some weight off your mid-section, which isn't too much of an issue in 50k but becomes more pronounced at 50 miles and for sure in a 100.

Dana Miller, famed ultrarunner refered to it as "Gut fatigue" He was behind the design of the hydration vest when he worked for Ultimate Direction in the '90's and had a hand in the design of the Nathan's.

You will see most of the race frontrunners using handbottle, some with no pack at all.

I ran my 1st eight 100k's with double bottle packs, using a single handbottle that could be rotated in the holster. I've since gone to vest designs and use them for most everything over 10 miles now.

Superior looks like a beautiful course.

Best of luck to you.

You may find yourself becoming nauseated during the race and the last thing you'll want is pressure on your abdomen. Once during a 50 miler and I wound up slinging my fanny pack over my shoulder to relieve the pressure.

The double holsters will bounce unless you cinch them down. And you really don't want them very tight. Sometimes bottles bounce out.

I found that a small Camelbak type pack works best for me. It's easier to sip a tube than draw a bottle.

Hey, great last name!!!!!

Thanks for the good points – the Spring 50K will be my first Ultra and every other race I have run has had multiple and frequent aid stations. For example, there is water every mile during the Twin Cities Marathon, med drops every three (and every mile post-20).

I like the vest and bottle idea – Like everything, this is going to take some testing to see what works.

Other than pure volume and versatility of liquid, is there a balance or other benefit to taking two bottles in hand and not a single bottle?

FYI for everyone: there is no relation between Kevin and I that I know of.

Carrying more than one bottle is more personal prefrence.

I like to carry only one. That allows the other hand to use a gel flask or open gel pack, bars, etc.

Also when running at night (which you will need to train for if you decide on the ST 100,) I like having a handheld flashlight in addition to my headlamp. A handheld allows better depth perception. Carrying one bottle allows a hand for the light.

Lots of runners switch the bottle from hand to hand to prevent fatigue, but I tend to carry it in my right hand 95% of the time.

One point to remember if using a hydration bladder instead of or addition to bottles: It is harder to monitor your water comsumption. I have had runs where I thought my hydration bladder would be almot empty and yet quite a bit remained. Conversly, I have been amazed to suck the last drops thinking that there was more. With bottles you always know at a glance. Bladders are alos more time consuming to fill at aid stations or creek crossings. That said, a bladder is still a good idea, just takes more attension.

Ed

I agree with the camelbak exept its very difficult to refill when you are in race mode. I ve tried everything and nothing has been comfortable. On short runs say under twenty miles the camelbak is great but takes getting used to. Over twenty I find too much chafe and i run out of water. Like it or not the only thing that works for me on long runs is a hippack with two water bottles. It take allot or trial and error to get it to work but it does. I try and keep mine low around my hipps so it doesnt squeeze my big fat belly so much. I like the Mountiansmith the best and I keep a wind shirt incase I need to stop for more than a few minutes. I carry cytomax and always have one bottle of water and one of cytomax. I also keep my pace pretty slow so the jostling isnt so bad. every time I cross a stream i do a quick fill of water. I dont worry about purifiyng it. Ive never met anyone who had been diagnosed with Giardia. Ali

Hey Matt,

You can cinch the HydroCruise down very snugly over the bottles & the stuff in the storage area, so there is no perceptable bounce in that regard. I suppose that if you kept the hipbelt really loose, you could get the whole pack to bounce a bit, but I've never had that happen. When the bottles are full, I can feel the weight back there, and feel the weight move with me as I move a little, but it doesn't move independent of me (hopefully that makes sense?). That said, I haven't used it in a race situation, and the most I've run with it is about 25 miles, so take my comments for what they're worth.

–Chris

As you can see it's different strokes for different folks. The key is find what works for YOU. There is no substitute for personal trial and error.

It may cost you a few bucks to experiment. The Nathan stuff is pricey. Keep what works and for everything else……god created Ebay.

I just ran my first trail marathon (Salida, CO) last weekend with an UD Wasp Hydration Vest. While I absolutely loved the vest during training runs of up to 25 miles where I carried EVERYTHING I needed ,I hated it during a race. Naturally I didnt' want to be carrying 3 L of water in a race situation, so I was relying on the aid stations every 5 miles. While the vest is incredible for in between aid stations, I came to DESPISE it when I got to the aid station. Beforehand I had practiced to try to get fast at removing and filling the bladder inside, but when really rushed at a race, it didn't go so well. Every time, I would be there messing with the bladder ,closing it, etc, and guys would come from behind and dump a few cups of water into their handhelds, and pass me. Then I'd have to work hard for the next mile to pass them again. I still love the vest while running, but have already begun using an UD handheld (which I already love) instead of keeping water in the Wasp.

I'm running a 50 miler (Fruita, CO) in a month, and plan to carry the handheld as well as my vest. This time I most likely won't keep any liquids in the vest, but it will be good to hold my camera (essential), as well as gels and random foods and keep them out of my pockets.

Best of luck with the trail running.

http://ultrapayne.blogspot.com