Running with a hydration vest
I’ve recently started running with a hydration vest/ backpack thing. A lot of runners have been using them for years, but I’ve always resisted. I always thought a hydration vest would make me too hot and that it would be a massive hassle. I preferred to run with a belt.
So why did I decide to change? My belt was on its absolute last legs and needed replacing. It had two pockets to hold drinks bottles – one which was completely broken and one which had been mended multiple times. The zip on the main belt, which holds my phone and AirPod case, was completely broken too. So it was decision time. A new belt or take the plunge and get a hydration vest?
It wasn’t an easy decision, but I eventually decided to go for the hydration vest. This was because my belt was constantly moving on my waist, so I was constantly moving it back as I was running. Possibly a new one wouldn’t do that, but most likely it would. The other reason is that I was aware I didn’t run with my arms going straight out and straight back (they crossed my body instead, which is less effective running). A big part of the reason my arms went across my body was because they were avoiding the drinks bottles on my waist.
After a couple of months of running with a hydration vest, I can confirm that it doesn’t make me too hot. Yet. (I’ve been using it during our ridiculously cold spring.)
But it is a massive hassle as predicted.
For those who don’t know, a hydration vest generally contains a bladder for water, which you carry on your back. It has a tube/ straw attached, so you can sip water while you’re running. In addition, it has various pockets for carrying your phone, your fuel (gels etc), small water bottles and discarded clothing.
Hydration backpacks aren’t cheap.
I went for a cheaper own-brand Decathlon one. (Decathlon is such a good sports shop and their own-brand stuff is really good value.) But I needed to buy the little water bottles for the front. They were £10 each.
I extensively googled how to clean the bladder, because I’m a bit of a germaphobe. I ended up buying some brushes to clean it with and some sterilising tablets especially designed for cleaning them. So my cheaper backpack was becoming quite an expensive backpack.
The first couple of times I cleaned it, it was a massive hassle! Somehow I was unable to get the tube off, so I couldn’t use the long, bendy tube brush to clean it. I’m not the tidiest or most careful of people, so I spilled water all over the kitchen in the process. It then has to be hung up to make sure it’s thoroughly dry before you put it away. I hang mine with the washing in the spare room.
A couple of people said to me that you can use the sterilising tablets, then just keep it in the freezer to keep it hygienic. I like that idea. It sounds like less trouble. But we have four or five adults in our house and only a standard fridge freezer. There is no room in our freezer at the moment.
The first time I put it on, the bladder leaked immediately. This was, of course, because I hadn’t closed it properly. There’s quite an art to closing it properly. There’s been a couple of occasions where it has leaked slightly while I’ve been running. Luckily, I didn’t need all the water, or that would have been a problem.
The solution? Get my husband to close it for me! It never leaks when he does it.
Running with it is pretty good, though. Once you’ve got the straps adjusted correctly, it fits properly and stays still. Mine has the two little water bottles on the front, quite high on my shoulders, with pockets below. One pocket is elasticated to store gels etc and you can easily reach in and get things out. The other is zipped for your phone.
When running, I do have a tendency to get my pockets mixed up and shove the water bottle into the pocket with the fuel, which of course it doesn’t fit into very well, because the pocket is already full of other stuff.
Using the straw for the water is a hassle. You’ve got to open the valve with your mouth (or you could use your hands, but that’s not easy either) and suck quite hard. I never seem to get the tube at quite the right angle. If you don’t shut it off properly, it will leak from the valve. After a while, the water starts to get a bit warm due to being in close proximity to your back, which isn’t very nice. It also doesn’t taste the best.
The good news? I realised I don’t really need to use the bladder any more. The water bottles are fine for me up to 16 miles, so only need to use the bladder for very long marathon training runs. If I’m running a marathon, I won’t take it unless I know the water at the water stations on the route is in cups. (I know cups are more environmentally friendly, but any runner will tell you they’re hard to drink out of when you’re running.)
I used the bladder on Newport marathon, but I didn’t need to as there was water in plastic bottles around the course. These would have tasted nicer and been more convenient to use, plus saved me from having to carry the weight of the water.
I hadn’t experienced any chafing from it before the marathon, but it chafed both of my shoulders quite badly. It took more than three weeks for my left shoulder to heal completely. Of course, I didn’t actually notice it when I was running. There were far too many other things hurting!
So that’s my experience of using a hydration vest. Some positives and a lot of negatives, but it’s getting easier.
(Oh and my photos from the marathon show that my arms are still going across the front of my body!)
Do you prefer a hydration vest or a belt? What is your experience of using one?
