Currently use a dedicated water pack (a 2 litre Camelbak) which holds just the water bladder, a phone, a couple of gels and a tube of Nuun. This has worked great up to 30 miles but for longer runs I think I need a little more capacity. Extra things I think I need to pack are: 1. Some form of light waterproof 2. Food 3. More water (perhaps 3 litres) I was thinking of getting this: http://www.theomm.com/products/packs/adventureLight.html Has anyone else got any experience of this backpack or others?

Next Wednesday I'm off to Runners Need at Kings Cross to see my good friend Brad who has in stock both of these: - http://www.theomm.com/products/packs/classicMarathon25L.html and http://www.theomm.com/products/packs/adventureLight.html I'm more tempted by the Classic Marathon 25L to be honest. It's 5 litres bigger than my current backpack and has lots of features which look useful. On the other hand the Adventure Light is 20 litres (which is plenty), has the cool forward facing bottle holders and as it's a direct innovation from the Running Light 20L it's actually designed for runners. Whereas the Class Marathon is perhaps more suited to climbing up Everest or mountain marathons. I really like the look of the OMM stuff and having it really close by (to work) means I can try it out first. Brad has offered to let me fill them up with stuff and go for a run. Which ever one I get I shall also be ordering this :- http://www.theomm.com/products/packs/TrioChestPouch.html I did look at the Raidlight packs but they seem to be really expensive (and French). So I shall give them a miss. Also, I don't get on that well with North Face gear. One of my current backpacks is North Face and I find it really digs in to my collar bone.

I'm gearing up for the longer distances that's for sure. Having a bigger rucksack gives me options. I do almost all of my running with a backpack on anyway as all my runs to work involve me carrying at least a 25 lb pack. My new pack will get used for all those training runs as well. I've been having a good think about the London to Brighton and have now decided that perhaps it's not acheivable in 2009. It's not the mileage that I don't feel that I could manage, it's the logistics. It means two nights away from home and also I really need to have someone supporting me with a car, and I don't have anyone. The feedback on the RW forums tends to be very positive where people have had others to help and rather negative where not. Having seen the organisation at DotD I can see how on the London to Brighton that the support by the organisers is pretty minimal. So at the moment the London to Brighton will be saved for another year. That means I'm back to my plan of running 40 miles maximum next year.