Hydration: waistpack or backpack?

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Northern Exile Dec 2014 10:46am, 11 Dec 2014 3,624 posts	0 Northern Exile Yes, I agree - I've got a Salomon XA20 that does exactly that. I used it on the Fellsman last year and it rubbed my lower back raw. Myofix tape helps keep it at bay, but it's not a guaranteed fix.
JennyJL Jul 2015 11:15am, 3 Jul 2015 First-time poster!!	0 JennyJL Am a bit late to this discussion but have been searching for suitable hydration/miscellaneous storage for longer runs. Love the idea of the front pack & got all excited about it until I realised what it would mean to a female runner with an already built in front pack. I gave up on waistbelts trying to balance them somewhere between hip and/or waist. Have tried some backpacks but the top strap that fits snugly on men does not ...er.. fit so snugly on me. Are there any runners with boobs out there? (Or men with Moobs who have this problem) that can advise on backpacks that take into account our 'different' builds? I carry a hand held water bottle at the moment & stuff gels/keys etc in pockets of a gilet or jacket (worn around waist in summer) but there must be an alternative? Any help/ advice for / from lady fetchies?
lammo Jul 2015 11:36am, 3 Jul 2015 6,138 posts	0 lammo Good point Jenny, and welcome to Fetch. I don't run far enough to warrant any of this gubbins, but don't the vests (or whatever they are) make you hotter? Sounds like an extra layer or at least another covering which doesn't get any ventilation....
Spleen Jul 2015 11:49am, 3 Jul 2015 1,096 posts	0 Spleen Interesting posts about backpacks above but I still prefer my waist belt - at least for marathon training. If I'm training for a marathon which I'll be running without carrying water, I prefer the less obtrusive option. What I've learnt about waist belts is: tuck your top in, rub Vaseline on your hips at the contact point, and pull the end hard when you put it on. I also cut off a large chunk of the trailing end with a pair of scissors, which helps in pulling it tight. You'd think pulling it as tight as possible would be constricting, but it isn't - it just eliminates the bouncing and shifting. I ran the 22 mile Classic Quarter pairs with a Camelbak Delaney, and barely noticed it. It works for me, perhaps it only works with male waistbones, but if you've still got your belt in a drawer it might be worth experimenting with it.
mblnFERCr Jul 2015 12:04pm, 3 Jul 2015 713 posts	0 mblnFERCr You're right lammo, they can be toasty - always have to unclip mine when going up big climbs to aid ventilation. It's worth getting the smallest you can manage with for the events/occasions you'll use it for. Bottle belt for me unless I need to carry kit for an event. Oh, and don't forget the vests are ferociously expansive too
JennyJL Aug 2015 5:19pm, 3 Aug 2015 2 posts	0 JennyJL Tx guys, have been experimenting with belt and a hydration pack, the smallest one I could get and the latter seems to be okay. You are absolutely right about vests etc, did the Cheshire Half yesterday and the extra layer wasn't fun. It was the first race I didn't take any of my own water as a back up plan & I had neither belt, nor pack, nor handheld bottle, but luckily held on to the first bottle I picked up at Mile 4 and carried it around, which was fortuitous. My next long one is in Guernsey in August so will experiment some more before then :0 and take my own supply as back up....Spleen, vaseline is my staple, for a flesh eating bra to my belt now, then sudocream for afterwards and perhaps baby powder too.... if I miss a spot. My shopping pattern at Sainsbury's has become quite interesting as a result!
Anj Aug 2015 5:29pm, 3 Aug 2015 5,821 posts	0 Anj I have a Salomon xwings 3-10 back pack that I put my camelbak bladder in. I'm not well endowed up front so not a problem for me although it's a vest fit with zip up front rather than chest strap. Comes in different sizes.
MzG Aug 2015 11:09pm, 4 Aug 2015 338 posts	0 MzG Jenny, I've been using a deuter speedlite and had the same problem with the shoulder straps. Moving the chest strap down the front of the shoulder strap so it is underbust has sorted the problem. Stays pretty firmly put. Depending on the top, then vaseline for the strap edges is helpful.
mr d Aug 2015 11:43pm, 4 Aug 2015 1,749 posts	0 mr d Bodyglide works well on straps, waist packs, or feet and anything else that rubs. I have a Mountian hardware specific pack with bottle holder or hydration insert that works well once you have the fitting correct. The worst thing is using the hydration pack when it is next to the skin as it will be upto body temp not that long into your run and it tastes weird at that temp. I have another North Face day pack thay I have used for 3 hours plus running and it works well., it is just more awkward to get at stuff than with the running specific equipment. I have to use a waitpack for every run now as I need to carry medicine with me and the lower back is the most important point to lubricate, however I use a Ultimate Direction handheld for hydration, hopefully I will have one of their collapsible bottles in the near future I will let you know how I get on.
flanker Aug 2015 11:55pm, 4 Aug 2015 16,015 posts	0 flanker I've tried a (large!) number of packs, waist packs and camelbaks, and very much come down in favour of race vests with bottles. I can't get on with anything around my waist as it never actually stays around my waist, but that may just be my body shape! Camelbaks are OK but a real pain to fill up in a race and it's hard to see tell how much fluid you have left. Bottles are just so much more practical and convenient. For short runs I'll use a handheld bottle - my current favourite is the UD 2D, although I'm looking at a salomon one that holds a 500ml bottle in a 'glove'. Many women race with front bottles in race vests, so there must be a way of making it work.