The Nathan HPL 020 is my first hydration pack. I read reviews online and people say it is comfortable to wear but sometimes there are issues with the bladder. Some people say they replace the bladder with one from Camelback. I'll go with comfort first.
I wore the pack on a 20 mile run last Friday. Since it was my first time wearing one, it was heavy at first. I liked the pockets in the front for my Shot-Bloks and S!Caps. There was some storage in a zippered compartment in the back that I didn't need to use on this run. For an all day event, I would take some time and pack a few extra things.
This pack holds about 70 ounces of water which is exactly what I used in 3 hours of running. I had no problems at all with the pack and will use it on my long runs and in the Birkebeiner Marathon in September. In the marathon I plan to stop at the half-way point to refill.
This review is short partly because I have nothing to complain about.
--Mark
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5 comments:
Small hydration packs are good for running, for hiking I prefer these hydration packs which are very durable.
I have a couple Nathan hydration packs and seem to deal with annoying small leaks in each. The bladder that came with my winter pack developed a pin hole leak. The hose/bite valve assembly on my Intensity (women's version of yours) has a leak that I am still trying to track down.
That said, I also have a Camelback and was giving up on it as it took 3 - 4 tries to get the cover to screw in so as not to leak. My Nathan's don't leak in that area at least.
They are all very useful for runs over 11 or so miles (though the Camelback is better for biking - smaller bladder and the way it is designed).
Nothing to complain about! Surely you can come up with something... :) You'll have to let us know how it works out. Good luck with it!
I posted my experiences with the Nathan vs CamelBak on my running product reviews blog:
http://mntrailsrecommends.blogspot.com/
In short, I HATE the Nathan bladder (and if you want mine, you can have it), mostly because of the awkward and constantly leaking bite valve. I've also heard of several people experiencing complete blowouts of the Nathan bladder right at the seam, leaving them with wet butts and no water.
I found a CamelBak bladder that fits the Nathan vest (which I love) - a combo that I'm very happy with.
Thanks, Kel. I'm hoping to get through this Fall without a leak. So far, so good. I had a problem on a long run last weekend when I filled it up mid-run and slid the seal back on without having it aligned properly. It got stuck and it was almost impossible to slide the seal off when I got home. It was kind of like cross-threading something that just slides to seal. I'll look at getting the Camelback replacement bladder next year.
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