If you're going on a run of 15 miles or longer, getting water during your run is critical, according to an article on hydration for runners featured in a September 2009 article in The New York Times. Some runners plan their routes and stash bottles behind fence posts along the way while others breeze through elementary schools or parks to take some long gulps from a water fountain. According to recommendations from the International Marathon Medical Directors Association, focus on training yourself to drink to satisfy your thirst. One invention that can help you drink enough is the lumbar hydration pack, which features a padded belt design and several bottles or one bladder to carry your liquid.
Types
Lumbar hydration packs allow the liquid to fit into the small of your back. With the weight of the bottles resting close enough to your body, the belt helps you avoid having to feel the bottles jostling up and down. Bouncing bottles strapped to your hips in a poorly designed hydration pack, on the other hand, can be annoying to hear and feel during a two-hour run, and can cause painful chafing too. Try on the belt with full bottles. Take a jog with an extra bounce in your stride and see how the bottles feel. If they jiggle in the store, it's best to leave them and look for a better design.
Characteristics
Your lumbar hydration pack should ride snugly. In addition, it should give you easy access to your liquids. You might have to unstrap the pack every time you want a drink. Better-designed packs allow you to reach back and remove and reinsert your bottle while hardly breaking your stride. Also, if you plan to drink ice water or a sports drink, look closely at how large the mouth is of the liquid container to assess how difficult and bothersome it will be to refill and keep clean.
Rave Reviews
Products developed by Amphipod, including the RunLite SnapFlask belt and the Full-Tilt Hydration pack, have received positive reviews from scores of mainstream news sources as well as runner-specific publications. Health Magazine rated the Full-Tilt its best bottle of the year. The Full Tilt design features a 20 oz. bottle riding on its side in the small of your back, kept in place by lightweight neoprene. And UltraRunning magazine and The Seattle Times both raved about the RunLite SnapFlask belts, which secure two to four small bottles around your back in a super-high-tech "molded docking base," distributing the weight well so that the belt is bounce-free.
Considerations
Take note of whether your hydration pack comes with optional features you might like. For example, some packs have separate storage sections big enough to fit a tightly folded parka, a handful of energy bars or gels, and a few sheets of toilet paper. Many have a zippered pocket for your valuables. Ventilation patches can help the sweatiest among us stay cool, and user-friendly textured sections can help those with gloved hands run without a hitch by helping them get a grip on the belt's adjustment straps and water bottle holders alike.
Alternatives
If you want to stand out or are tired of dropping your bottle or wearing a huge life-preserver-like belt, don't worry. Camelbak offers backpacks that snugly hug your back thanks to slender straps around your chest and waist, with the added bonus that you can slurp your liquids from a hose that loops around to perch below your shoulder just inches from your mouth. Or, you can just wear your water: Camelbak offers vests that double as liquid carriers, too. If all this sounds ridiculously complicated, just tuck a few dollars into the tiny pocket in the lining of your running shorts, stop at a store and buy a drink when you get thirsty.
Member Comments