After years of running with many different hydration backpacks,
I may finally have found my perfect partner…
Over the years I have suffered serious pain and discomfort
from wearing badly fitting packs and been frustrated with different issues,
ranging from trouble accessing pockets to sloshing water reservoirs becoming
irksome after hours of continuous running and everything in between!
I had entered the 40 mile version of the Compton Downland
Challenge, but courtesy of a rather nasty cold with cough I decided to only run
the 20 mile version and take it very easy.
I wanted to trial my new Nathan
VaporWrap and enjoy the views along the way. The race had been “sold” to me due to the
fact that a little bit of the route runs along The Ridgeway…. Perfect opportunity to reminisce and also
dream of things that might one day be…
The VaporWrap/ Shape is available in both male and female fit. I chose
to trial the male version in size S/M, which is available in Nathan’s trademark
orange and grey colours. I am a size 8-10
and was able to adjust the vest for a perfect fit on my small frame. The vest has side, shoulder and chest straps
allowing adjustment to ensure a perfect fit for the variety of sizes and shapes
us humans are available in!
The 2 litre reservoir sits in a protective insulating bag
inside the actual vest. It is easily accessed
and can be removed by the person actually wearing the vest at the time. Putting it back in is a little bit harder
unless you remove the vest and then it very simply drops in without any fuss, unlike
some hydration packs which require a written explanation and at least two
working hands – have you ever tried fiddling with a reservoir and backpack when
your fingers are so cold they refuse to work…?
The reservoir is very easy to open/close, refill and clean. It has a large opening for refilling, which
is sealed by folding down and securing with a sliding clip. The bite valve is quite literally that, no
locking mechanism to confuse me as I can never remember what is open and what
is closed – on many a very long ultra I have gotten really grumpy thinking I
had a defective hose or a blockage, until realising that I was trying to suck
water from a locked pipe!
Now this is the really cool bit, anyone that knows me will
understand…. It has got loads of little
compartments! Little hiding holes for
all the goodies that one requires during a very long ultra. Side pockets for Clif Bars and Clif ShotBloks;
secure front pockets for phone and emergency “stuff”; rear pockets for space
blankets and spare clothes as well as a peanut butter bagel; extra bottle
holders at the front – perfect for a ready-made portion of Dioralyte and a
packet of baby food. There is even space
for an MP3 player for when I am trying to keep awake at 1am in the middle of an
ultra.
As I was only going to be running for a short while on
Saturday I had opted to carry only a few things with me during the run. ShotBloks, Clif Bars, Clif Gel (chocolate of
course) my telephone and some water in the reservoir. Plus of course my route map and directions in
case I got lost along the way.
My immediate thought as I secured my VaporWrap chest straps
was just how comfortable it felt. It felt
just like someone was giving me a little hug.
It didn’t feel like a parachute upon my back or a lump with sticky out
bits to catch my arms and neck upon.
Even my pig tails didn’t catch on the shoulder straps.
I decided to have a piece of ShotBlok very early in the run,
just to see if I could access the side pocket to remove and replace any left
overs without dropping anything or having to stop running. Very easily done, the zip was simple to open
and close, no need to carry left overs in my hands for many miles – yes, I have
been known to do that in the past!
I was very much aware that during the entire run I did
not have to fiddle with the straps or readjust any of them. I have previously found that most other
hydration bags have tended to bounce around as I run, loosening the straps,
resulting in them needing to be tightened every few miles or so, or when the
reservoir becomes empty.
I also noticed that that when I removed the vest, there was
no evidence of sweat or salt staining on the straps – I guess that as there was
no contact with my skin it was protected!
All previous back packs have required an emergency hosing down after
accompanying me on a run!
The next test for the Nathan VaporWrap was to try it out
while wearing a cani-cross belt. As
someone that runs with dogs (huskies) sometimes I wear a belt that I attach
them to via their own harnesses and special bungee lines. Running this way allows my hands to remain
free (for accessing pockets on backpacks…) and also allows me to run quicker
than normal by asking the dogs to assist me.
Picture huskies pulling sled in your mind, but replace the “sled” with
me and my Nathan VaporWrap and you will understand…
I was delighted to find that the belt and vest work well
together. The vest is short in length
and therefore does not infringe with the back of the belt, which sits on the
top of my hips. The only problem that I
had during our two hour run together was that every time I removed something
from a pocket the dogs turned their heads around as soon as they heard the
rustle of paper – they are both big fans of Clif Bars!
One thing I have not yet tested is the performance of the
reflective writing and strips when running in the dark. When I first tried it on (during the day) Ian
immediately commented on how brightly the words NATAHAN and the other
strategically placed reflective strips were reflecting the sun coming through
the front window. This will be extremely
useful during the night-time sections of very long runs - Ian will be able to
spot me from miles away by just shining a light!
I have a permanent little scar on my shoulder from where a
hydration pack damaged me during my first ever ultra distance event. Over the years and miles that I have run
since that day, I have yearned for a great many things from a backpack, most of
which the Nathan VaporWrap delivers. I
have been on a quest to find the perfect partner for a very long time and I may
well have found him. The perfect running
partner that even gives you little hugs as you run….;-)
This review also featured on RUN247 the place to find all your running needs.
(Images courtesy of Nathansports & TZRuns)
