How to stay hydrated during summertime running, especially on your long, slow runs can be a tricky proposition with many potential options. Hydration packs are one of the solutions.
What is a hydration pack?
Think of a small backpack but instead of books or gym clothes, it carries what’s known as a bladder, effectively a plastic or rubber sack to put fluid in.
Some have multiple pockets and the volume of fluid able to be held in the bladder can vary from 1litre up to 10 litres, with the larger sizes generally being more suited to hiking.
Other benefits
As well as staying hydrated, most packs have multiple pockets, zips and meaning you can carry food, keys and a phone with you. I tend to only take food and if I’m running for a few hours, I might pop an iPod in there too.
For long slow runs or if you run to commute as I do a couple of days per week, a hydration pack with pockets can be an easy way to have everything you need with you (I even fit an 10 inch tablet in mine).
Downsides
Adjusting the straps can be a bit tricky to start with. Once you’ve got it set, they’re usually ok, but as you drink the fluid, the pressure decreases in the bag, so you do need to readjust periodically on your run.
Your back is one of the biggest areas of the body for heat loss, which is useful in hot weather, think how sweaty your back gets compared to say your legs or arms. By wearing a hydration pack you’re covering much of this area meaning you may well get a bit hotter so if you’re someone who struggles with the heat, this might not be the best solution for you.
The weight of the pack when it’s full of fluid will definitely slow you down compared to picking up drinks on route, so if you’re training for a marathon for instance, trying to do a 13 mile run at your target marathon pace would be that much more strenuous and potentially beyond your reach.
What to look for when buying a hydration pack
Some are shaped specific to male or female bodies with wider or narrower shoulder straps so keep this in mind.
The more chest straps the better, it’ll hold the pack in place and stop the fluid movement causing you to rotate too much more than normal.
Check the size of bladder it fits is appropriate to your running and race. Some extreme ultras have no water stations for 20+ miles so you’ll need 2 litres of space at least. Most longer races have stations every 10 miles or so with water, so 1-1.5 litres will be plenty.
Hydration packs are a brilliant invention and a helpful tool for runners. Just make sure you have a clear idea of what your needs are before buying, and if possible, try it out before you purchase it or buy one from a company with a good returns policy.
Written by Kyle Brooks, Running Coach based in Norwich, Norfolk