Essential Running Gear: How to Choose the Right Running Bag for You
The beauty of running is that you don't have to carry a bunch of gear to get out there. In its simplest form, running only requires a comfortable pair of shoes and running clothes. However, runners who go into the mountains usually carry some food, water, clothing, and extra gear, especially when trail running.
Choosing from all the different ways to carry these things isn't always easy. Weather, location, terrain, running time and your level of experience will all affect which method is best for you.
There are two main considerations when deciding how to carry your items while running:
1.Type of running backpack or other storage solution: options for carrying the water, food, gear and clothing you need include arm pockets, race belts, handheld water bottles, undershirt packs and daypacks.
2.Capacity and trip length: the size of the backpack or other storage solution relates to the length of your run and how much water and gear you need to carry.
Armbag
An arm bag goes on your arm and can hold your cell phone, keys, some cash, and that's about it. These only work if you need your phone to listen to music or log a run with a fitness app. When you want to carry water and/or food, you can use the arm packs with a handheld water bottle, fanny packs, or water bottle fanny packs.
Waist packs
Waist packs are very compact, low-profile storage solutions. They can hold a cell phone, cash, credit cards, keys and some energy food.
Since most fanny packs don't have a way to carry liquids, they are great to use in combination with a handheld water bottle, or on runs where water is available along the way.
Water Bottle Waist packs
Water bottle fanny packs usually offer more storage space than handheld bottles, making them suitable for longer runs that require more gear. One advantage of a water bottle waist packs is that it allows you to keep your hands free on sections where you need to climb or fall if you lose your footing.
Water bag backpack
If you do long runs, especially in remote areas, then you will need to carry more food, water, and gear than a water bottle fanny pack, or handheld water bottle will allow. A running undershirt or backpack can hold the extra essentials. Running backpack is usually larger in capacity and look more like the backpack you would carry on a day hike, while running undershirts are usually lower in profile and have many smaller pockets for food, water, clothing, and extra gear.
Running Vests: These undershirts hug the body. They are similar to a backpack with more pockets in the front and do not have a waist belt like most backpacks. Running undershirts can hold a surprising amount of stuff in a single pocket, which helps keep you organized.
Running Backpack: these are much like the backpack you carry when hiking, but many of them have running-specific features like a low-profile design, a simple waist belt or no belt, and a bunch of pockets that are easy to access while running. Running backpack sometimes offer more storage space than undershirts, mainly in the back of the pack, which makes them a good choice for runs that require a lot of gear and extra clothing. Because of the way gear is stored, some runners find backpack to be more flexible than undershirts.
The length of your run will usually determine how much water and gear you need to carry, which in turn determines the best pack for you.
In general, the longer the run, the more food, water and gear you need to carry. Running location, weather, and experience level also play an important role. A short run in a remote area or in bad weather may require you to carry more gear than a long run in the city.
Short runs (about 1 hour or less) or races with multiple resupply stations: arm packs, fanny packs, and hand-held water bottles are all reasonable choices. Arm and waist packs do not hold water, so you can use them in combination with a handheld water bottle.
Medium Distance Runs (about 1-3 hours): If you are running in an area where drinking water is available and don't mind stopping to refill it along the way, then a handheld water bottle is a good option for medium distance runs.
A water bottle fanny pack with one or two water bottles carries more food, gear, and water than a handheld bottle, which makes it a good option for running in remote areas. It is also possible to combine a water bottle fanny pack with a handheld water bottle for more liquid capacity.
LONG DISTANCE RUNS (3 hours or longer): many runners of 3 hours or more will use a running undershirt or running backpack. On longer runs, especially if you are in the mountains, you will need to carry more food, clothing, gear, and water than a water bottle fanny pack and handheld water bottle can hold.
