Forums >Gears and Wears>Belt vs. Camelback
I wear a Nathan 4-bottle belt during long run training. Been wondering about the pros/cons of switching to a Camelback.
My belt has insulated bottles, which is nice because cold water/Gatorade stays cold on warm days. Are the CB insulated?
I notice that most ultra runners use backpacks not belts. Why? Is it just for the larger capacity or are there other advantages?
When I first got a belt, I thought it might feel like it's in the way, but it doesn't.
When a backpack is halfway empty does your drink slosh around?
I've worn a Camelbak in the past. I've bought & returned a few belts as either the bottles fell out while running or they don't stay in place. Camelbaks are insulated, but not sure how they would be in cold weather as I would definitely get some coolness on my back. I never bother, but there is a way to flip the bladder of the Camelbak to let out air so that it doesn't slosh much. It doesn't really bother me.
For me, Camelbaks are just easy. Drink when I want, no need to pull out a water bottle.
I did have some problems with chafing one summer with it. I am not sure if it was truly the fault of the Camelbak or sports bras.
downside of the camelback is that it's hot on warm days because it's covering part of your back. Also the hose can be distracting, and the straps can be uncomfortable. upside is that you don't have to fiddle with much in order to get some water, just shove the hose in your mouth. As for sloshing, if the bladder is filled correctly and you suck all the air out of it, it CAN'T slosh.
My preference for when I need to take water (rare, because I plan my long runs around fountains and bathrooms when possible), is either a waistbelt with 500ml or a front bottle vest with two 500ml soft flasks. The silicone soft flasks work like bladders; if you suck all the air out they don't slosh. I find the weight distribution better with vests than packs, and some of the vests have a mesh back so it's cooler. I have a Mountain Hardwear Fluid vest, which is ok. The Salomon vests are nicer, but the higher capacity vests have a lot of pockets and layers, and look like they might get hot. The Ultimate Direction and Nathan "race vests" look about right.
I think people over-emphasize the need for fluids, and needlessly lug around a lot of water or fluids their body doesn't need nor can process in the time frame of the run. I see a lot of people around here with full-blown hydration systems just going for 5-10 mile runs; right past drinking fountains. Marketing, I guess. For me, 250ml every half hour in hot weather is more than enough. I drank TOO much running the Grand Canyon a few years ago, and threw up a bunch of water afterwards. I was mistaking exhaustion for dehydration.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
Just wore a new hydration vest for the first time for a 2 hour run. It was awesome, didn't really notice I was wearing it. Previously tried belts and hand-helds and hated both. The hydration vest holds soft bottles on the front. The tubes and stuff for camelbacks gross me out.
Here's what I have: http://www.runningwarehouse.com/Ultimate_Direction_TO_Race_Vest_30/descpage-UDTORV3.html
Didn't actually drink from it because I didn't get thirsty, but thought I'd wear it (with full bottles) and try it out.
GC100K; Nice, huh? I also hate carrying stuff in my hands, I don't even wear a watch unless I'm running. I have a softflask bottle with the 6" long straw on the cap, I can drink from my vest without having to take the bottle out of the pocket, so I guess it's the best of both worlds. I seldom have an opportunity to wear it, because most of my training runs are, as I mentioned, along routes with drinking fountains. I'm planning on doing the R2R2R this Spring, and a few other epic desert runs, so it'll get lots of use then.
anything bigger than an ipod shuffle and a gel packet is too big for me (and i;m struggling with carrying a gel packet). I'm going into a marathon cycle and want to tap into the branch amino acid (BCAA) supplement for my longer runs, but i think i;ll stash a bottle in the bushes along the route and loop back to drink off it when i need it. I can't see much downside to that.
I've stashed bottles for long runs, but sometimes I'll spend an hour driving to remote trail crossings to stash bottles. Don't tell anyone, but there have been times after the run that I'm too lazy to drive back and pick up my trash.
Last week a trail volunteer picked up my stash, including my handheld and some nice gloves, thinking it was trash. Fortunately we crossed paths and I got it back, but I think it'll be nice to just strap on the vest and go. I have no problem putting phone and stuff in my pockets, so all I need the vest to do is hold bottles, so I got the most minimal one I could find.
Having caches is a good idea if you have the time to set them up. I've used my van* as a personal aid station for some long training runs, the loops being 6-10 miles on trails, so I didn't need to carry anything for these 15-20 mile sessions. If you get to the point you need to carry water and stuff, speed is probably not an important issue, just the distance, so the extra weight doesn't matter. Besides the water, I add some energy bloks and maybe a Nuun tab or two for fluid refills. On an all-day adventure run I'll take my GoPro, a bandanna, moleskin and a few other medical things like bandaids and ibuprofen, a tiny multitool, a very small lighter and one of those mylar emergency blankets (smaller than a pack of cigarettes). Maybe a superlight jacket.
optional info:
*about 10 years ago I bought a Sprinter passenger van and went from a "pickup guy" to a "van guy". I built interior accessories that I could swap to turn it from work/transport vehicle to a passenger vehicle to a camping vehicle. After it got well over 300k, I decided to sell it while it was still fresh (million mile vehicle) and buy a new van. I ended up getting a Ford Transit of similar size, also with windows all the way around and nearly as tall (I can stand up in it). I have also outfitted it to be a "one vehicle does everything" van, except it only has one rear bench seat instead of the seating for 10 like my old Sprinter. As an aid station, I have water and food and other supplies inside, as well as one of those "click-lock" couch-beds that I modified to mount and fold flat to the rear side wall over the wheel well. AND a Roadshower solar shower tank for hosing off the dirt, or blood in the case of one of these runs (tripped on a rock, gashed open on another rock...). I also have a portable toilet that I have never had the occasion to use, but are required to be in your possession if you camp X-distance from the Colorado River near Moab, and I'm sure other places as well because they don't want your waste getting into the rivers. So, the van can be a little apartment on wheels, very luxurious as an aid station.
I just know there's an eloquent solution to this problem, i just haven't figured it out yet. I think i could get by with carrying my gels with me and hitting known water fountains on my route at strategic times, but i suspect they shut them off in the winter. I have tried taking gels without water but i think some of that stuff doesn't metabolize right without it, and it can be a gut-killer.
I'm thinking carry a small water bottle for the first portion of the route, stash it along the way, then loop back to it in the later part of the run when i start to need it.
In all likelihood, will probably continue like i do now - not drinking, no gels, for the most part.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
I never had any problem with bottles not staying put in my Nathan belt. It also has plenty of pockets for gear. The only part I dislike is its bulk around my waist. An out-of-the-way backpack sounds nice.
Once you get used to the Camelbak you’ll be fine. It’s like running in a backpack—you don’t even notice it after you’re in the habit.