Running pack/water bottle system

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Morning all, the running thread subscribers might recall that I am training for my first marathon this year - Yorkshire, 8th October.

Im at that point in my training where t least one run per week is going in excess of 10 miles and by the end of this month, probably over half marathon and above. Pretty much all running will be solo and as summer approaches I will need to hydrate and take fuel on the run.

Im in need of a recommendation for something which I can carry which wont flap about and will give me easy access to water and food if necessary. I dont like the idea of a bum/hip pack and a full backpack seems overkill. I seem to recall something along the lines of a shoulder strap with two water bottles on each lapel and elastic for food.

What do other use in this respect?

Thanks

Richard
Post edited at 08:50
 tony 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I use one of these for longer runs:
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ultimate-direction-scott-jurek-ultra-vest-30/

There are two lapel-mounted soft water bottles, and small pockets for gels and stuff on the straps just below the water bottle pockets. The backpack part is small, but big enough for a bit of extra clothing and more food.

I was a bit dubious about the vest-type nature of it at first, but once you get the straps right so it fits properly, it's very comfortable.
 More-On 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

It depends on the situation...

For an off road event up to marathon distance with feed stops and a decent forecast I use Ronhill cargo shorts. These take two soft flasks, gels and solid food. The flask pockets on the thigh are very stable and unobtrusive.

For solo/longer/remoter/colder/wetter etc etc I use the decathlon race vest. Much better than a bum bag IMHO and lots cheaper than other models of vest.

Good luck in October BTW.
 steelbru 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

There are various options for carrying water - bladder ( from 1L to 3L ) in the backpack, hard bottles on the front, soft flasks on the front.

The advantage of a bladder is that it is out of the way on your back, disadvantage is you have no idea how much you have left ( apart from guess by weight/feel ), and they are a hassle to fill up in the middle of a long run if you need to.

The advantage of bottles/flasks on the front of the shoulder straps is that you know exactly how much you have left, and they are easy to get out and fill up again if needed. The advantage of soft flasks over bottles is that the soft flasks collapse as you suck the water out of them, so the water doesn't slosh around as much as it does in hard bottles.

Take a look at all the options Salomon offer - http://www.salomon.com/uk/men/backpacks?sport=running
They do lots with different ( non water ) carrying capacities , from just 2L up to about 20L. Some with just the front flasks, some with just the rear bladder.

Other brands like Inov8, Ultimate Direction, Nathan etc do similar, check out their websites.

A lot of these "vests" are pretty expensive, if you're on a budget, check out the Decathlon one https://www.decathlon.co.uk/mens-trail-bag-id_8312245.html It only comes with a bladder for the back, but if you think you'd prefer bottles/flasks you could buy them separately and still be cheaper than the Salomon/UD/Inov8 equivalent, assuming the carrying capacity of the Decathlon one met your requirements.
 Tom Briggs 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
I've tried many of the vests on the market. If you're also a climber and have shoulders/lats, bear in mind that some of the vests (especially those that are only available in two different sizes) just won't fit! The Montane ones are a joke if you're a bigger build. In the end I got the new Salomon S-lab Sense Ultra 8. It's expensive, but it fits brilliantly and is a fairly amazing piece of kit (weighs just a bit more than a bumbag and you can fit 8L of stuff in it). I really like the 2 x 500ml bottles on the front and unlike some vests, you can actually access most of the pockets really easily). Salomon make vests with less capacity which would be more appropriate for what you need of course.
Post edited at 11:20
Ste Brom 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
Apllied to trails,

Trail Ultras = Salomon trail 20 with bladder and collapsible water bottle (to fill with known quantities for guesstimating but mainly for powders (tailwind/hi5)). Room enough for mandatory kit and munchies, but has compression straps.

Trail long runs/marathon; inov8 race elite. Comes with plastic bottles, occasionally find the slosh of em a bit annoying, sometimes put a 2 litre bladder in instead or use collapsibles. Use in ultras depends on how many check points there are.

Road long runs: £5 note, or osprey bum bag bottle and a bag of j-bobs.

Thats what I'm using, but not necessarily the way to go (there more in heaven and earth than there is in my wisdom).
 The New NickB 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:
I use a Camelbak Delaney, it's a bum bag, but it just has a holster for a Camelbak Podium Chill bottle and a small pocket for keys etc.

I don't like carrying bags, but this is stable and unintrusive. In all but the hottest weather I tend to avoid carrying water, even for 20 milers. As long as you are hydrated when you set off, it shouldn't be a problem, even in the heat you don't need huge amounts of water.

Another tactic is to take some cash and have a couple of places planned were you can buy water if you want it.

You won't want to carry a bag during the marathon, so you want to minimise it during training.
Post edited at 11:33
In reply to The New NickB:
> In all but the hottest weather I tend to avoid carrying water, even for 20 milers. As long as you are hydrated when you set off, it shouldn't be a problem, even in the heat you don't need huge amounts of water.

I guess this is the bit which worries me. As someone who hasnt run this distance before I suppose I was concerned about my body's use of that water and whether it would be necessary or not. I'd like to think that something with 500ml would be sufficient, a bit of grub/gel stuff and somewhere for a key and/or mobile in case I burn out, cramp or other nasty as the miles get longer.

Im breaking new ground here.
Post edited at 12:34
 Ava Adore 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

To minimise what you carry, if you're not planning on running in the middle of nowhere, could think about leaving your mobile at home and just carrying a list of emergency numbers.
 Ava Adore 11 May 2017
In reply to The New NickB:

Another tactic is to take some cash and have a couple of places planned were you can buy water if you want it.

You could even pre-place some water bottles if that's practical.
 tony 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

> I'm breaking new ground here.

You'll find out what you can cope with - different people have different strategies and metabolism, so what works for one person may not be the right thing for someone else. You're not (presumably) going to go from running 10 miles to 20 miles in a oner, so evaluate how you feel as you build up your distances gradually and fuel/hydrate accordingly. I'd be happy running up to about 2 hours or 15 miles without carrying anything other than a few gels in pockets in my shorts (I did a 15 mile trail race a few weeks ago with just two gels), although it would depend on the weather - if it's hot, I'd probably take water.
It also depends a bit on where you're running - all my long runs are offroad in the hills, without the option of popping into the shops. Given the nature of where I run, and my natural caution, I'd usually carry more than I really need.
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Thanks for the replies folks. Its interesting to get a perspective on these things. My runs will be predominantly on roads and starting/finishing at home on circular routes so I suppose I wont be anywhere greater than 60-10 miles from home as I build up and mostly 4-6miles at most. Due to previous injuries it will be a slow build up and the runs will be later in the evenings or mornings on warm days to limit the heat impact.

I would rather not carry stuff as it tends to irritate so it may be good to hydrate in advance and see how I get on.
 steveriley 11 May 2017
In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

I use a bumbag/bottle for those 15 mile-ish runs and a small OMM sac for longer stuff in the mountains. If you use a soft bottle it can crush down and avoid sloshing as it empties. You can still just about drink on the hoof, eg if you're walking the climbs, but you're probably not on the clock on these runs. I also have a handy caff a good few miles down the trail as another option. 2L bladder in the sac for bigger days. Yorkshireman was my first marathon - great event!

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