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Summer running is tough. Not only do runs end up taking longer (for the same mileage) because the heat slows you down, but you also need to hydrate more to help your body cool itself, which means figuring out how to carry more water with you.
This summer, I’ve chosen to do most of my runs on shady trails, accepting the tradeoff that I have to trudge up more hills, even as I’ve experimented with all the water-carrying methods I can think of. Here’s what’s working for me so far, based on the day’s run.
For short and medium runs: The Nathan FeatherLite belt
Hands down my favorite way to carry water for my runs is the Nathan FeatherLite belt. It has a diagonal pocket for a water bottle, but not a hard plastic or metal one—this is a soft flask, which is a huge plus. The soft flask comes with the belt, but you could sub in a different bottle—even a standard disposable water bottle—in a pinch. The included soft flask carries 18 ounces of water, so it’s a perfect option for sweaty summer runs of an hour or less.
Here’s what I like about the Nathan FeatherLite specifically:
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The soft flask doesn’t have any hard edges that can rub against me and chafe.
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The “exo spine” (stiff plastic on one side of the flask) makes it easy to stuff back into the pocket, even when it’s half-empty.
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The bite valve on the flask is leakproof when I lay it down—on the seat of my car, for example—but it’s still easy to get water from it while on the move. If it had a valve I needed to open and close, I’d definitely constantly forget. This also means it can’t splash water out as you’re running.
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There’s a little stretchy loop at the top that you put around the mouthpiece of the flask to make sure it can’t bounce out. (This tends to come loose once the flask is less than half full, but at that point it’s not going to bounce out anyway.)
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Overall, it’s pretty low-bounce once you get it positioned right. I wear the pack so it’s directly behind me, and by the time I get about 20 steps down the trail I usually forget I have it on.
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The generous zippered pocket is big enough to hold a phone and miscellaneous other things you might be carrying. When I’m out testing multiple watches, sometimes with more than one phone, this storage space is a godsend—I don’t have to try to stuff everything in my shorts pockets.
There are a few things I don’t love about it:
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I can’t quickly pull the bottle out for a drink and slide it back in, so I tend to wait until I’m walking up a hill, or otherwise stopping or slowing down. I slide the pack around to the front, undo the elastic loop, take my drink, then put it back in and slide the pack back.
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There’s also the question of size. For me, it’s perfect for an hour’s run in the summer, knowing that I can get more water after my run. (I make sure I always have extra water in the car or wherever my run starts and ends.) For shorter runs, it may be overkill. For longer ones, I have to upgrade to a vest.
My favorite for long runs: A hydration vest
I had hoped to be able to report on a really nice model of hydration vest, but after I bought one during Prime Day, Amazon pulled one of those “your package is out for delivery…lol jk we don’t know where your package is” switcheroos. I’m still waiting for word that it might be found again, so in the meantime, I’m using my old hydration pack, a cheap-o brand that is certainly not the best on the market, but which does the job.
The brand is Outplea, and it costs a mere 20 bucks. It comes with a two-liter water bladder (god I hate that that’s what they’re called) and a slightly uncomfortable strap arrangement. But it works.
Here are some features I like to see in hydration vests, and why:
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A 2-liter bladder. Even if you’re doing an all-day hike, that’s a reasonable amount to carry between planned water stops in most situations. This is a standard size bladder for a hydration vest, although not all vests come with the bladder included.
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Lots of storage space. Mine has pockets on the front straps that can hold miscellaneous things (gels, phone), and a bungee on the back that can hold a light jacket or other larger gear.
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Options to carry water on the back or front. Many vests are made so that the front pockets can hold soft flasks, and you can leave the back section empty. This can be more comfortable if you hate the feeling of a sweaty back. Or, you can carry water in the front and back, which can often bring you up to at least three liters total.
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Adjustable straps. You have to try a vest on to really know how it fits, but the good brands make the straps nicely adjustable, with sliders or bungees on the front. My cheap vest’s straps suck, but I did figure out that they get a lot more comfortable if I cross them into an X shape.
The downsides of a hydration vest:
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Wearing something so big can feel pretty sweaty (which is why the expensive ones are made of light, wicking fabrics).
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A poor fit means the vest will chafe. I wear a T-shirt rather than a tank top with mine, just to make sure I don’t have issues with chafing at the armpits or shoulders.
My favorite minimalist option: A clip-on bottle
Sometimes you don’t need much water, but you don’t want to go completely without water. In spring and fall, I was doing a lot of my runs with a Spibelt clip-on water bottle.
Why I like it:
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Nothing to strap on. A clip-on doesn’t interfere with anything I’m already wearing, and I don’t need to add another layer of fabric over my back or waist.
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The 8-ounce size is useful without being huge. If I can refill from a water fountain every few miles, that’s perfect in cooler weather when I’m not sweating too much.
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It’s the easiest one to grab on my way out the door. Plus, when I was running with my kid, she always wanted to set her bottle down at the side of the track. I hate doing that with a soft flask, but a hard bottle like this one can stay upright.
What I don’t love:
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It’s never totally comfortable. I’ve tried it on the waistband of my shorts, on running belts, and handheld. (Note that if you’re clipping it to a waistband or belt, you can try it either facing toward your body or facing away.) I always manage to get it in a place that’s good enough to mostly ignore, but it’s not my most comfortable option.
A hugely popular option that’s not for me: A handheld bottle
I’m personally not a fan of handheld bottles, but tons of runners are. I can see the appeal, so I’m giving them a shout-out here, because this may well be the best option for you.
Holding a bottle in your hand is simple, but over the course of a run, your hand and arm will get fatigued. There are simple contraptions that let you strap the bottle to your hand, so the strap does the work. Then you don’t have to think about it—just raise your hand to your mouth when you want a drink.
This one from Hydrapak is a soft flask, and the strap has a thumb loop to keep it extra secure. This one from Amphipod has a neoprene sleeve that insulates the drink, plus a zippered pocket big enough to hold a credit card and key. I’ve also heard of runners making their own custom water bottle straps out of duct tape. (Here’s one tutorial.)
It’s only through trial and error that you’ll learn what you love and hate about different ways of carrying water, so don’t be afraid to experiment.