Good work, Kelly, congratulations on toughing it out and finishing!

I've had such a side/stomach pain during the Hyner last year, it lasted for at least 10 miles, maybe more. At some point, it disappeared, but it was very bothersome and painful. I had to walk up a few hills just because it hurt so badly.

The Osprey pack looks good, I like that it has lots of pockets in the front. Those pockets seem to be pretty deep, can you access the gels, etc. stowed in there easily, or is it a lot of digging, twisting your hand, and deep sea fishing for the stuff?

Good work, Kelly, congratulations on toughing it out and finishing!

 

I've had such a side/stomach pain during the Hyner last year, it lasted for at least 10 miles, maybe more. At some point, it disappeared, but it was very bothersome and painful. I had to walk up a few hills just because it hurt so badly.

 

The Osprey pack looks good, I like that it has lots of pockets in the front. Those pockets seem to be pretty deep, can you access the gels, etc. stowed in there easily, or is it a lot of digging, twisting your hand, and deep sea fishing for the stuff?

Thanks.

There are 2 pockets on your right side that are stacked on each other. The pocket up front is good for your gels and isn't very deep. The pocket behind it is deeper. That's where I keep my energy bars (usually Snicker bars). You can use the deeper pocket for gels, and it will hold a lot of them, but you'll be digging for the last one on the bottom.

I have an Osprey 3 liter bladder I use in my GoLite pack. I love the bladder because of the rigid plastic exoskeleton. I think it give a lot of structure where none would be otherwise.

Does the bladder on this one have anything similar?

And is the valve the one that you rotate 90 degrees to turn on or off?

I have an Osprey 3 liter bladder I use in my GoLite pack. I love the bladder because of the rigid plastic exoskeleton. I think it give a lot of structure where none would be otherwise.

Does the bladder on this one have anything similar?

And is the valve the one that you rotate 90 degrees to turn on or off?

That rigid bladder style is mostly used for larger bladders. This bladder has a suspension system that keeps it in place. I actually like it better. I did the testing for Osprey on the bladder you're talking about and I see the advantages, especially for 3 liters and up.

Yes, it has that valve, which is popular on a lot of packs these days.

 

well, you probably already know this, but you're brilliant!

I will have to check this thing out when it shows up in retail stores (unless you happen to have another beta-test model that needs some attention. I like red )

If I can get my hands on some more packs, I'll pass them around. I'm having trouble getting the Rev 6 to land on my doorstep. It was supposed to be here a week ago.

I'm serious about it being a great pack. I know when people endorse a product, there's some level of skepticism about the sincerity, but I really think this pack works well. I also know they'll improve it year over year moving forward. And it's cheaper than the Salomon pack.

I've somehow become the guy that everybody sends free hydration packs to so I can give my opinion. I'm not sure how that happened, but I like free shit.

Hey, nice run! Sometimes it is just about pushing through. Given the circumstances, it seems as if you ran great.

Thanks. They can't all be perfect. I just hope things go smoother at the Bear. That race is no joke.

Good job! and your title to your entry is right on.

 

Regarding the Osprey - you mentioned that it has 6 sizes.  Were you referring to bladder size or overall size of the pack? Being taller and having a longer torso than most, I find it hard to find packs that fit comfortably.  I would be interested in seeing the bigger sizes in the Osprey.  It looks like it has potential.  Thanks for sharing.

The sizes refer to the bladder, but the packs grow as the bladder gets larger. As the packs get bigger, the storage increases, etc. I'm using the 1.5 because I think it's the most applicable size for typical trail running events. I want to try the next larger pack because I think it has a place in long races where there are larger gaps in available aid.