In the summer months I tend not to be able to carry enough water with me to get through those long runs and so I have to plan my runs to pass public water fountains which isn’t too bad on road runs but when you spend as much time in the trails as I do it tends to be a problem. Well problem solved as I was lucky enough to win a credit towards any Nathan product from the Team Running Free lottery at the start of the 2010 season and couldn’t wait to replace my aging water belt that I purchased years before at the Chicago Marathon.
I picked up the Nathan HPL 020 hydration pack with a little concern that I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a pack on my back but soon realized that this would not be a problem. The pack sits firmly in place and hardly moves at all (as long as you bleed the bladder) and although it makes your back sweat a bit, it’s not at all uncomfortable.
My other main concern was that it would cause a lot of chafing on longer runs. My old water bottle was notorious for this and I even resorted to placing tape on my skin where it rubbed to stop the problem. The Nathan hydration pack does not bounce around at all and has enough pockets to hold everything else you may need on a long run. The pockets on the front come in handy for carrying gels so you don’t have to stop. The pockets in the back are large enough to carry other essentials and zip up to make sure your belongings don’t pop out while you’re flying along.
The 2 litre bladder is big enough to hold water for my longest runs and the wide opening makes it easy to fill or to clean out after your run. It’s strong enough too to handle being turned inside out if you need to.The drinking tube can be detached from the bladder for easy cleaning and has a bite valve to ensure it doesn’t leak as you work out.
The only small criticism I have with the pack is that the front clip that hold the pack in place tends to slide either all the way up or all the way down. It doesn’t really cause any issues but I’d prefer it to stay where I put it as it is adjustable for a reason.
Overall I am very pleased with the pack. It’s comfortable, lightweight, practical and doesn’t bounce around. It’s been an excellent addition to my running kit.
To stop the sliding of the front clip you can use safety pins on either side to hold it in place. As a bonus you have some spare safety pins in the event of any other equipment malfunctions.