I was itching to use my new Camelbak hydration pack the other day, but as I was preparing for my run… the rain started to fall! So I postponed my run to yesterday morning.
I woke up relatively early yesterday morning, filled my pack with water and went out for my run. I bought my pack as a reward for myself for completing 1000km. I bought it in preparation for the longer runs I’ll eventually be doing. During my runs before, the only fluids I had would be what I could carry with my hands and a bottle I tuck in my shorts. During shorter runs, this would usually suffice but as my runs increased in distance, I usually end up really thirsty since I would have already consumed all my drinks at the halfway point of my run! So I decided I needed a larger reservoir and with the good reviews given by the baldrunner, I bought the camelbak.
The pack I got is just that, just a hydration pack. It’s made of canvas, that fits a 2 L bladder. It fits snugly once the straps are tightened, and it doesn’t jiggle around when I run. I however hear the slish-sloshing of the water each time I took a step. One of the fears I had was that the straps might cause some chaffing when I move my arms, good thing they didn’t. It’s not heavy to lug around but I noticed that the added weight did affect my pace as I was running slower than usual. However, as my run progressed and my load got lighter, my pace was also increasing a bit 
the bak
I just ran towards MOA where I did one loop of the Seaside Boulevard, before going back home. I was able to cover a distance of 15.78 km.
lonely street (Seaside Blvd)
bukang-liwayway
premonition of rain -- and it did rain... a lot!
I didn’t feel very tired after probably due to the following reasons:
- I had an extra few hours of rest
- I ran slower
- I ran a shorter distance
- the weather was cooler
- I didn’t get dehydrated because of the camelbak
hey hey hey getting armed for the ultra….way to go joe.btw,how much did this set you back?
bugbugo… bilis ng comment a
it cost me 2K. ROX is selling something similar for less than that. They also have another type which is more baglike, may compartments for the bladder and a bigger one for other abubuts 
hehe,i was online.i did bhs and mkh kanina and saw the banana running herself with two buddies. i am planning to get one ,alam mo na for what.i will do city hall to saytan (one way muna) sa sem break gamin.ok ka na for kotr?
the bukang liwayway pix is eerie but also strangely nice. yes, i know that’s a useless comment and has nothing to do with the story about the camelbak. but i was also looking for a real camel a millisecond after reading the title!
anyway happy running to your 100KM bataan challenge. it seems you really are training seriously now. good luck!
I bought also a camelbak when I was in the UK. It is much smaller and go around the waist. It is also a tight fit and it has straps which can be easily pulled tighter as you consume the contents. I saw the same pack at ROX and I think it was only 1500P if I am not mistaken. Here is the site what it looks like. I enjoy mine as well seeing it goes around the waist so gravity is low therefore no top heavy. http://www.camelbak.com/index.cfm
Sorry have to mention, go to sports, then hydration and then running….. (on the camelbak site) or follow this link to see what it looks like http://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-Flashflo-Liter-Hydration-Stone/dp/B000IF453U/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1222309117&sr=8-29
hello!
bugobugo… sorry di na ako nakareply, was running late hehehe I haven’t registered for KOTR yet, I’m hoping I’ll be able to this Saturday. Kung masarhan, di bandit ulit hehehe
MIS… hahaha thanks!
philip… thanks for the link. yup, the camelbaks are great. Some of the stuff in ROX are on sale, maybe they’ll be having new stuff coming in
Was it better than a hydration belt? (in relation to the top-heavy feeling). A lot of trail runners used Camelbaks at the TNF 100 in July, even for the shorter distances. It is also popular among friends who do mountain-biking, as well as those who go on day-climbs of minor mountains.
hey miraclecello… yup! I like it better than a hydration belt. It’s more balanced than the belt. However, if you’re just running short distances and will do much interval training, the belt still works
interesting gear! what’s in your camelbak? water or sports drink?
hey PC… just water. I’m getting my body used to running on just water, so that sports drinks become sort of a reward for me. Tsaka hirap kasi hugasan yung hydration bladder hehehe
LoonyRunner,
I have TNF hydration pack as well, it has enough compartment to put a wallet, cellphone, one or two clothes and food for a long run [read: ultra run] =)
well, it was annoying to hear the water and having additional weight but i got used of it. perhaps, you will get use of it later. i use it when i had 50k runabout. it was bulky. i put so many things inside ‘coz i thought it would rain that day but it turn to be so hot.
I think, hydration pack which has additional compartment for stuffs is ideal for ultra run… i think the one you have is just for the water.
hey highaltitude… yep, one does get used to the weight and the sound of the water
Might go look for a hydration pack with compartments when I have some money to spare hehehe congrats on a great run!
If you have problems with the water sloshing on your Packs try turning them upside down and getting all the air out this will greatly reduce the sound and sloshing of the water. I have both the waist pack and the backpack style depending on where I am running and my distance. I picked both up at a place called http://www.camelbak-deals.com Ocassionally I use both one with Water and one with Camelbak Elixir that stuff is great. If you need a great Deal on a Camelbak you should check out http://www.camelbak-deals.com They a were super nice. Run baby run
outdoors4me… thanks for the info! will try it out sometime. thanks for the visit and the comment.