Cool new gear~

I wanted to share with you a piece of cool gear that I’m trying out as I train for my first ultra marathon, the Nathan HPL #020 Hydration Vest.  I ran in this vest today on a short little 5-miler just to test it out.  Here’s what I found out.

Pictured above, the vest has a 2 liter bladder (70 ounces) to fill up with water to keep hydrated while on the run.  You can see the drinking tube exiting the pack on the back and looping forward to clip onto the chest strap.  The nipple on the tube is a “bite tube” that releases the water when pressed down on with your teeth.  Then you suck the water out just like a straw in a soft drink.

The vest also features a zippered compartment on the back for extra stuff you may need on those long trail runs.  I’ve put a small first aid kit and a bandana in there as an emergency kit.

There are front pockets on the vest that hold gel packets, wafers or energy bars.  The pockets are easily opened by a press lock or zipper.  All of the pockets are easy to get to and have plenty of room for a iphone or an ipod.

The most unique thing about this little vest is the adjustment strap on the side of the vest.  There are two straps per side.  Each has its own adjustable buckle that lets you cinch up the strap to form fit on your body.  It’s a comfortable fit that works with the contours of the body.

As I ran, I felt the pack on me, but it did not move around.  That means no chafing!  The pack fit me like a glove and was in no way cumbersome.  I felt quite at ease with it on.  The back of the vest, the part that contains the water bladder, did not ride up on my shoulders nor did it pull down on my neck.  Granted, I only had 20 oz. of water in the bladder on this test run, but it did feel that the weight was evenly distributed along my shoulders and back.

It may be a different story when I put in the full 70 oz. this week for my long trail run, but I don’t think it will be any different.

This vest gives me the opportunity to take gear with me in a comfortable way that running short pockets and water bottle belt packs could not.  I’m beginning to feel a little more confident about going on long lonely runs now that I know I can take nutrition and hydration with me.

I’ll write more about this vest when I go on my long 18-mile trail run tomorrow.  But, for now, I’m thinking this vest is just what I needed to get me through the long miles ahead.

Gotta run,

Chuck

The Vagabond Runner.