water bottle belts - recommen dations?

I run with a small camel pack and use TRAILWIND endurance fuel mixed in my water. It helps replace gels, chews, etc ... and replenishes your potassium and sodium as you lose it. (I am a heavy sweater and live in south Texas, so this is a HUGE issue). I can see where the sloshing issue can be a little annoying to some, but I have actually come to like it as it helps me get in to a rhythm and I find that I am able to focus more on my run. Might be a little of my OCD coming through.

I never have issues with water only.... I actually only take a few sips of Gatorade, if any on my half marathons and will just have a banana and/or a small protein bar when finished. Oh and sometimes chocolate milk! I'm a pretty slow runner so maybe that makes the difference.

So do you drink only water? My weekend long runs are too far for me to run with just water. Rereading your earlier post, you mentioned being able to pick up fluids at the aid stations during events. But what do you do for electrolytes during training runs when you need to be self-supported?

I actually carry a smaller 12 oz bottle and have no issues with the weight. I recently bought the 18 oz model and plan to try it out soon. No, squirting gatorade sounds like it would be a sticky mess lol. I stick to water.

Quite a coincidence - my club just distributed a bunch of handhelds similar to yours, specifically the Nathan SpeedDraw Plus. I immediately checked to see how much it weighed: 4oz plus another 532oz for the 18 fl oz of water. That comes to almost a pound and a half. (And that's before stuffing anything into the zippered compartment. Hmm.

I'm kinda skeptical that running with that much weight in one hand won't be a bit annoying. I like your description of how you use yours. But do you drink from it too? I wouldn't drink AND cool myself with a single bottle since I wouldn't want to spritz myself with gatorade (or drink water).

I have used belts and bladders.... but don't like either. My favorite is the hand held bottle. You attach to your hand and don't have to hold it but it is at the ready. When I run events I can open the top and pour in water as I go by the stations. At my last event it was really hot and I was able to squirt water on my arms and back from the bottle which really helped keep me cooler.

You don't have to go to bladders to go sloshless. There are "slosh-free" water bottles. They are soft and compress so as you suck water out, they get smaller. Some are sold as replacements. Others are sold with packs or handheld grips.

I'd love to hear how people solve the problems of belts riding up or shifting around. I have amphipod belts (both stretchy and not-very-stretchy models) and both move around on my hips.

Carolyn,
I don't have a Nathan backpack, but the sloshing issue has come up with friends. There is a way to prime all the air out of the bladder when you first fill it. If you do that, you don't have the sloshing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDpP
cXrPWoc

I have a couple of different belts, but I got rid of them a couple of years ago and went to a pack. The problems I had with the belts were 1) The way I'm built, they don't stay on my hips and would always ride up to my waist. Since my hips are bigger than my waist I now had this heavy thing bouncing around while I ran. So I had to cinch it up around my waist which constricted my breathing. 2) The elastic bottle holders get stretchy over time resulting in bottle bouncing all over the place. The clip ins were better, but unless you clip them in exactly, they fall out and you have to stop, go back and retrieve them. I also started having low back pain from the weight of the belt.

I love my pack (I have a Nathan). There is plenty of room for my gels, salt tabs, keys, emergency funds, and cell phone. It also has a front pocket that holds up to a 16 oz bottle, which is in addition to the 70 oz bladder. This allows me to keep water in the bladder and a sports drink in a separate bottle for those really long runs. It does not shift around, nor does it chafe, and it is adjustable. My only complaint is if you don't get enough air out of the bladder, you can hear the water sloshing around which bugs me after a while.

I use my pack for runs longer than an hour and a half and I use a 20 oz hand held bottle for runs that are shorter.

Interesting about the water bottles, I am currently looking for a good solution but haven't found the perfect one yet. I have so many water bottles. One group I run with drops water at certain points so I shouldn't need to carry any, but I often wish that I had some anyway. I hate carry anything in my hands when running. I tried the handheld water bottles by Nathan and Amphipod, but I just couldn't stand having anything in my hand. I will say I liked the one by Amphipod better though. Then I tried some of the waist packs....Nathan and Amphipod. Liked Amphipod better there too. It isn't ideal to have something around my waist but better than not having water at all. I have trouble swallowing - even water - so I am constantly dehydrated and dry so most of the time I really do need water with me, even on the shorter runs.

Two other interesting handheld bottle arrangements that I'm now looking at:

1 bottle in hand, 1 bottle in front:
ultraspire.com/product/spry

1 bottle in hand, 1 bottle in front, 2 more bottles in back:
ultraspire.com/product/kinetic



Edited by: PASTAFARIAN at: 6/3/2014 (23:34)

PASTAFARIAN,

The blog about handhelds that you pointed to was interesting, particularly the bit about them helping improve running form. I may give them a shot. Tx.

SUNSHINE, Since you're used to a bottle in your hand already but just don't want to grip it tightly, you might also consider a bottle designed for this issue. They come with a grip so they don't require the kind of effort you're complaining about. Some of my friends swear by them and there are a lot on the market. Here's a blog post that discusses the advantages and disadvantages.

vanessaruns.com/2012/10/12/12-reason
s-
handheld-bottles-are-better-than-hydR>ration-packs/

I run with a belt for my phone already, so I'm used to the feel of a belt around my waist. Currently I run with a small water bottle for my long run (2hrs, between 16-21km, depending on the day!!). I've noticed that when holding the bottle my grip is quite tight, which is why I'm thinking of getting the belt. I don't need a lot of water, as my main hydration happens before and after my run, but in the more humid weather, I do need to have something with me. Also, when racing, the water points here serve you water in cups - which I find more difficult to drink from when running - but has meant I'm running entire half marathons clutching a water bottle. If I need the water bottle purely to take sips from it every twenty to thirty minutes, it seems to make more sense for it to not be in my hands when I don't need it.
Looks like people are recommending pouches with two smaller bottles. I hadn't thought about them adding extra bulk. As I'm a half marathoner, I don't need a lot of water with me. Seems like Nathan is the best brand. This ironman revenge belt looks good, too:

FuelBelt-Ironman-Revenge

I do long distance running and do not use a belt at all. On longer runs I bring a small and light hand-held rectangular water bottle and switch it back and forth in my hands. Before running, I drink lots of water with electrolyte powder in it. I also carry gels with me. These keep my hydrated during the run and give me the energy I need to complete 8-10 miles or more. I simply do not like a water bottle or a set of them dangling and sloshing around at my waste. It is a distraction and aggravating. Hydration is the key, and electrolytes keep you hydrated.

I use an older model of the Fuelbelt R2Outdoor Revenge Hydration Belt. Mine has two bottles for a total of 16 ounces which is enough for most runs except the longest middle of summer ones. I would probably go for the 4 bottle carrier if I was buying a new one since I could always leave a couple a home if not needed. I plan a refill stop or carry a partial water bottle that I can ditch if I know I'll need more. Pouch is big enough for a couple of gel packs or a small phone (never carry one myself).

http://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Speed-Hydrati
on-Belt-Medium/dp/B009KRPMWU/ref=sr_1_
3?ie=UTF8&qid=1401415755&sr=8-3&keywor
ds=Nathan

I have this Nathan belt, which is okay insofar as I like the capacity of the bottle and have an acceptable amount of room in the pocket for things like gels and my inhaler. The pocket on the front is so small as to be practically useless, although I can cram a Chapstick in there if I try. The main drawback is the Velcro. As a women with hips, I have two options: cinch it way down low and keep tugging it up every mile when it falls down my butt. Or I can cinch it really tight up high and elbow it constantly and have the excess Velcro flapping or interfering with my race bib. Neither is ideal. If you're a woman who's hippy, I'd recommend one of the belts that clips so it can be tightened adequately in the right place with no excess.

The Jack Rabbit comes with two 20 oz. bottles, but I have used it with larger bottles for hiking. When I mentioned going for the gold I meant that it probably wasn't the right pack for someone who had a chance at the podium. The pack is padded and comfortable but a bit bulky. Where seconds count, it might eat up a few of them. It is not poorly constructed, but it is not as well made as the Nathan belts and the material is probably not as durable. I'm sure mine will last a long time, and for the price, I've got no complaints.

The belt is not stretchy. I think the clip is fine but if it were to break, it could be easily replaced with a standard 1.5" backpack buckle since it is not stitched in place.

Edited by: STRIVERONE at: 5/29/2014 (20:06)

The pic/price of the Jack Rabbit looks great but I looked up the specs on a number of websites and none of them say the water capacity. What is it?

The $20 price sounds nice but why do you say it's not the best quality? Two areas I always look closely at: Are the bottles difficult to open? Belt clip weak and likely to break in a year?

I also look at whether the belt is stretchy or not. I have two Amphipod belts - one is stretchy and one is not stretchy and depending on how I feel that day, I'll use one or the other!

I have the Outdoor Products Jack Rabbit Waist Pack in addition to some more expensive Nathan belts. It can haul a lot of fluid comfortably and the belt cinches tight so it doesn't slip. The bottles do not interfere with your arm movement and are easy to grab and replace. There is a large zippered pocket for nutrition, music, and I.D. etc. If you are going for the gold, this is not the hydration system you want, but to log distance in hot weather, its fine. Also under $20 list price.

outdoorproducts.com/wp-content/uploa
ds
/2012/09/1365_OP_Double-Water-BottleR>-Waist-Pack_3Qtr2.jpg

I will be looking for responses to this question eagerly. I have been using a belt pouch and water bottle for some time while walking, but with trying to add in running, it isn't working so well. The straps that go around the water bottle have stretch out, so I have a pin, like you use to put your race bib on, to hold it a bit tighter, as water bottles were bouncing out. Secondly the around the waste straps need to be tighter when I run, as it bounces quite a bit, and they don't tend to stay tight. I am considering getting something else, but haven't started looking yet, so will be interested in everyone's answers.

I have both; both have shortcomings. Depends on what's important to you. You might also want to consider solutions that let the bottles hang over your chest. (I'm not talking about bladder backpacks.) These "chest bottles" are relatively new but I see a lot of people using them because they give the advantages of bladder backpacks but without the cleaning hassle. I'm shopping for one for myself right now!

Here are some examples. They both have space in the back for windbreaker, first aid kit, etc.

Small bottles, holds 20oz: bit.ly/1rkXm87
Large bottles, holds 40oz: bit.ly/1gEv6bU

Note: these are just examples. I'd really like one with a front pocket for a phone.

Edited by: PASTAFARIAN at: 5/29/2014 (13:39)

Hi,
I've realised it's time to graduate from holding my water bottle in my hand to getting a belt. I've had a look on amazon and there seem to be two types. One that holds a big water bottle that would rest in the middle of the belt and then another that has two smaller bottles, with each one one either side of a pouch. What works for you?