One of the things I realized on the Wildwood excursion was that my backpack was going to be too heavy for the race. When I had a chance to lose the load with 9 miles to go, I was amazed by how much that pack was affecting me. Because the Gorge Waterfalls 50k has waterstops every 5 miles, I figured I could get away with a hand-held waterbottle, but I would also need a little food since there were only two ultra stations along the way. What do do?
Finding the handheld wasn't too bad. I perused all the reviews, thought about what my running friends had said, and decided on the Ultimate Direction Fast Draw.
It is quite comfortable on the hand. You can cinch it down to fit your hand so that it just hangs there easily. The bottle seals itself well, which was a major concern for me. I sweat enough - I don't need water dripping all over me. The pouch is nice, and I may stow my S-caps in there on race day. I am still getting used to the squeezing, slurping action that it takes to get water out of the bottle, but I would take that over spilling all over me any day. I have noticed that my shoulders are a bit tight from carrying it, but I expect that they will become accustomed to the weight quickly.
Finding a lightweight way to carry extra nutrition was another story. I looked at bigger belts, but I am tired of the chafing I get from those around my waist. I needed something with a pocket for my cell phone. And I wanted a little extra room for stashing a coat or hat.
I found all of that in the Nathan Krissy Vest.
It's a super-light vest, with pockets on the front for carrying gear, and a large pocket in the back for stashing a coat or something light. There are even holsters for gel packs. I barely noticed it was there, but I was able to carry plenty of food. (As long as I packed it!)
Only problem with this vest is that it has been discontinued, so it is very hard to find. I was able to find one online through a store in Canada. I did ask Nathan (via Twitter) if they planned to bring something like that back, and they said they were thinking about it for 2012.
I guess I have my gear set for the big race. 24 more days.
I have the fuel belt version of this. I love the bottle. It's kind of like a nipple but it's easy to use (once I figured it out). :) It took me a whole hour or so to figure out the pull & bend method.
ReplyDeleteAwesome! That's my favorite race get-up exactly. Love the UD "nipple" bottles, although I've found them hard to clean thoroughly. That back pocket in the vest handy for stashing gloves or arm sleeves once it warms up on race day. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHey there - can you tell me what the online store in Canada is for the Nathan Krissy Vest? I really want one, but they've been discontinued. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteBrett - I got it from runningfree.com, but it looks like they might be out. You might shoot them an email anyways - they were super responsive. I thought I got pretty lucky to even find it. I did exchange info on Twitter with Nathan - they are thinking about bringing it back for 2012. Maybe you can find one on ebay? I don't know - it's a popular vest, and why they discontinued it is beyond me!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteZombieRunner has the Nathan vest again - only place you can find it! http://www.zombierunner.com/store/brands/nathan_sports/hydration_packs_and_bladders/product855.html
ReplyDeleteThanks Teri - I appreciate you getting back so quickly. Happy running!
ReplyDelete