Staying Hydrated - Review of the Gelert Hydro Pac

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It is difficult to know exactly what, when and how much you should drink during training. There are many myths and some unfounded facts about keeping hydrated whilst running: loading up on water on before you start your run; replace every bead of sweat lost; and to stay away from anything like Coffee that will dehydrate you.

Now, I love coffee and start my day with at least a few a cups. So I’m glad to hear that coffee actually lowers the perceived rate of exercise, whilst improving endurance, strength and apparently mental performance.

But how much fluid should you take? When should you drink and how often? According to Runners World you should replace about seventy-five percent of the fluid lost during exercise. To calculate this you need to weigh yourself before and after your run and then work out the difference to give you an idea of how much you need.

So what about how often? Drinking loads before a run will do nothing more than force you to make loads of loo stops en route. Drinking a half litre of water or a large sports drink an hour before you run will give your body enough time to absorb the fluid it needs. Then for every fifteen to twenty minutes, gulp down about 200ml of water. This is near enough how much sweat I lose over a twenty minute quick-paced run.

I had decided to do the Lake Vyrnwy Half Marathon and carrying just under a litre of fluids would be difficult. I’d either have to rely on water stops over the course or carry two separate water bottles. The third option is to carry water in a compact bladder rucksac.

My choice was Gelert’s 1.5 litre Hydro Compact Pac. The lightweight rucksac contains a 1.5 litre bladder pack, which is more than enough fluid for an hour before the half marathon, plus the fluids around the thirteen mile route.

I trained and ran with the Gelert Hydro Pac for over two weeks and I have found that I am able to run for longer without stopping to take a drink. I am also free to take long sips of water without carrying a water bottle in my hands. Having my hands free means that I am more comfortable when running, and because the rucksac is lightweight and has straps to stop it moving on my back whilst I run, I barely notice that I am carrying it.

The Hydro Pac also has an inner pocket and a keyring clip so I don’t have to keep my phone in my pocket and not tie my house keys to my shoe laces! More importantly, the Hydro Pac has reflector pipping running down the length of the rucksac, making me more visible when I run at dusk.

Overall, I am throughly impressed with my Hydro Pac. Of course I cannot carry coffee in the bladder sac, but I can stay hydrated whilst I train! But the key to staying properly hydrated whilst you run is of course to drink at least eight glasses of water everyday and top up before and during exercise.