The first juicy titbit we can offer when it comes to your race pack is this: Dogs often resemble their owners and running vests should too. A Pitbull is typically walking alongside a cross fitter with sleeve tattoos and an angry haircut. And you’ll find a Jack Russel hyperactively tugging an adventure blogger with more than 27,000 followers on Instagram. This principle applies to buying a race pack. Your running vest should suit your running self.

A running vest needs to serve its owner’s purpose. If you are a shorter-distance road runner it would be overkill to run with a big race pack. A running belt with a pocket for a water bottle will serve your urban purposes just fine. Need one? This is a keeper: Salomon Unisex Sensibelt- It holds a 600mL/20oz 3D water bottle so you don’t have to.

For your long road runs (or if you are exploring the trails) and need a great starter pack that will hold your hydration liquids, a few odds and ends, your phone, and maybe a lightweight jacket, a 2-5 liter capacity hydration vest is a good place to start- Nathan Unisex Hydration Back-Pack for Running, Hiking, Cycling and more. 2L Bladder Included / 6L Storage Capacity. Adjustable Straps. NO BOUNCE while Running.

It sits high up on the body and holds just the essentials so you can enjoy the outdoors in the most ergonomic manner possible.

If you are starting to dabble with longer-distance trails or running in very hot weather, you might want to invest in a larger capacity hydration pack that will keep you safe and hydrated throughout your journey. Trail runners need to be self-sufficient and often have to carry a long list of compulsory gear as prescribed by their race directors. This is why most long-distance trail runners use race packs with a 6-12 liter capacity. Nathan Pinnacle 12L Hydration Pack Running Vest with 1.6L Water Bladder Included. Hydration Backpack for Women/Men/Unisex

WHAT CAPACITY DO I NEED FOR THE TIME I RUN

At Marathon Grit, we place a high value on running comfortably and so this is probably a good place to start:

A good quality running vest is comfortable. It won’t shift during training and it does not chafe you under the arm, or on the shoulders. Look for a running vest that has a 4-way stretch and wraps around your body like a stocking. It should fit snuggly and have adjustable strings so you can easily loosen it when you need more air in your lungs or tighten it when your hydration bottles start to empty.

The Naked Hydration Vest is nothing if not comfortable. In fact, it is so comfortable you’ll feel… well, naked. These guys believe we should run free from bulky gear and come up with a lightweight running vest that is soft, breathable, and oh so comfy.

There is nothing more frustrating than having to take your running pack off your back to get to something during a race. Most runners would rather run through the pain, blisters, or bucketing rain than stop, take off their packs, and find what it is they need. This is why frequently used items like nutrition, hydration, and a foldable cup should be easy to access.

Enter any Salomon vest- like this one: Salomon S/Lab Sense Ultra 5 Set Unisex Trail Running Vest Backpack with modular storage and pockets galore everything is easy to get to when you have one of these bad boys on your back. Additionally, Salomon’s Race Pack has a cleverly designed hydration system that allows you to thread your bladder’s pipe either from the bottom up or over your shoulder depending on what works better for you. Guiding the pipe through the maze of holes and loops can be a mission akin to delivering a baby, but in the long haul, it is certainly worth it.

Caroline’s Top Tip: Salomon has packs that are specifically designed for men and for women so you can get the perfect fit.

Undoubtedly the most important feature of a running vest is that it has to keep you hydrated. The best running vests have front pockets that can house soft flasks (these are a lot comfier than the hard bottles of old) and a large space at the back for a bladder. Most running vests and hydration systems (bladders and soft flasks) need to be purchased together as one size certainly does not fit all.

A running vest that has had brilliant reviews on hydration is the Nathan Pinnacle 4 liter hydration race vest. Due to its unique exoskeleton design, the pack holds the soft flasks upright against your chest and allows you to drink easily from the long-stemmed pipes. This vest is the ideal size for a self-sustaining half-marathon and the training that leads up to it.

Let’s face it, us runners put our gear to the test. Especially when we step off the road and hit the trails. Snags from thorn trees and rock faces have torn many a race pack and left its owner forking out for a new pack quicker than you can say: darn it! So our packs need to go the distance and handle whatever may come their way: be it bad weather, an unexpected tumble over a tree root, or a four-legged scramble up a rocky hillside.

The Black diamond Distance 15 is the one to get your grubby fingers on if you are hard on your gear. Strong and capable, this pack is the Liam Neeson of running vests. In short, it will kick your ass and outlast you when survival is the name of the game.

When put to the test it came out on top in terms of durability when loaded with heavy equipment and is the longest-lasting pack available right now.

Right Gritty Runner, that’s the low-down on running vests from us.

Now tell us if we were right about your dog!