3 Qualities Of The Best Hydration Packs
The importance of water in everyday life cannot be overemphasized. We all know that the body can live for up to 8 weeks without food for as long as it is fed with a sufficient amount of water but can only expect to live for a maximum of 10 days without food and water. Indeed, you will be thankful that a hydration pack can be taken along on your expedition to the great outdoors for the simple reason that you can take along extra water.
As with all types of personal safety products, not all hydration backpacks and waist packs are made equal to the rigorous demands of an outdoors life. Here are the things that make a hydration pack, be it one placed on the back or tied around the waist, the best of its kind.
1. Capacity for Fluids:
The first characteristic to look for in a hydration pack is its fluid capacity. This makes perfect sense because you will be buying it first and foremost to carry water and other similar fluids with other features coming in a close second.
You can choose from fluid capacities ranging from a litre to 3 litres. Your choice will depend on the type of activities wherein you intend to use the hydration pack on a regular basis. Factors like the length of time for travelling, the weather conditions of your destinations, and the availability of water refills must also be taken into account.
The general rule us that you will drink 600ml per hour in cool weather conditions and 900ml per hour in hot weather conditions, which especially applies when you are bicycle racing. You can then compute for the capacity of the hydration pack you should be bringing along.
The fluid capacity of the hydration packs is not all there is to choosing one. You should also look at the closure type and the bite valve to determine that you have the benefits of ease, speed and convenience when filling and then using the hydration pack, respectively. Be sure to check if these features are to your liking.
2. Capacity for Cargo:
A hydration pack should also have sufficient space for other essential things including food, tools and clothing. Keep in mind that the hydration backpack may very well contain your entire survival kit so it must have adequate capacity for other supplies aside from water. Look at the number of pockets and compartments in the hydration pack. You can then determine if these can accommodate all the possible things that you will need on your outdoors trip, whether it is for hiking or biking.
3. Quality of Straps and Harnesses:
Hydration packs should be snugly and securely strapped to either your back or your waist or both. You should then look at the quality of the straps and harnesses as to the level of comfort, security and accessibility that they provide to the user. Look for padded straps especially on the shoulders, hips and sternum as well as channels to get a good airflow into these areas. Adjustable straps are also desirable so that you can easily adjust them to your height as well as the weight of the backpack.
These three qualities are the first things that you must look for in the best hydration packs. All other features pale in comparison although these are important in their own ways, too.
Snow + Rock is a specialist leisure store with expert staff on hand to advise on the top of the range leisure wear and accessories including hydration packs.
The Must Have Running Clothes
Running is one of the most popular, most effective and easiest cardio exercises for the simple reason that the physical movements come naturally to the body. However, many runners will wear just about any kind of clothes and shoes as part of their running gear with the result that safety, comfort and efficacy during the cardio exercise are compromised.
Fortunately, you can always buy and then wear the right running attire whenever and wherever.
You may be asking yourself how the right running wear from the shirts to the shoes will affect your performance. Keep in mind that the right running attire particularly the shirts and pants will protect your body from the natural elements as well as provide for utmost comfort while you are engaged in this strenuous activity. Here are the most important clothes that you must have as an avid runner.
Jackets, Shirts and Vests:
Upper body clothes provide protection from heat during the summer and protection from the cold during the winter. You should note that the shirts, vests and jackets used for each season will differ simply because the weather conditions demand different materials from the running clothes. For example, clothes for summer will have shorter sleeves than those used for winter.
Nonetheless, both types of clothes should possess the following characteristics if these are to be of any practical use to their wearers:
Moisture wicking properties to keep the sweat away from the body as much as possible, whether it is for short or long distances. The best materials are Spandex and polyester since these hug the body in all the right places, thus, also reducing the likelihood for chaffing. Plus, these materials resist body odour more effectively.
Ultraviolet protection because the sun’s rays affect the skin no matter the weather conditions. You want to enjoy the benefits of running instead of ending up with sunburns and, potentially, skin cancer.
Maximum comfort is desirable, too. Look for breathable fabric and mesh panels.
Style is the last consideration although this should not be a problem as most running clothes are designed with great style in mind.
Shorts and Tights:
Let’s proceed to the clothes for the lower body. You also want to look for the same qualities mentioned above for the jackets, shirts and vests. In fact, you can purchase a full set of upper and lower body clothes so that you have ultimate comfort and style while running.
Nonetheless, you should look for certain features on shorts and tights that will ensure ultimate comfort. We are referring to the use of seamless construction technology and flat lock seams, both of which will ensure little to no chafing during use. You don’t want to end with chaffed skin after a good run, after all.
Underwear:
Last but not least, you should wear the right kinds of underwear like socks, bra and pants for the women, minus the bra for the men, obviously. Men should wear briefs, compression shorts and jocks instead of boxer shorts while the women should wear a good-fitting sports bra. It does not look good and feel good to let parts of your reproductive organs sway about for everybody’s enjoyment!
Your performance as an avid runner or as an athlete can be influenced by the choices you make in running clothes. Be sure to choose the ones with the perfect fit not only because you will look stylish but, more importantly, because you will have great results.
Snow + Rock is a specialist leisure store with expert staff on hand to advise on the top of the range leisure wear and accessories including running clothes.
It Is Imperative To Have The Correct Running Clothing For The Weather
The importance of having the right running clothing cannot be over emphasised. As much as you love a particular activity, you will continue to do it with passion and regularity only when you have the right equipment and comfort level. Physical activities like jogging, running or even walking demand that you are properly set up by way of appropriate shoes, clothing and other accessories so that the activity does not become a burden and you stop being regular at it.
Now it will not be strange if you wish to derive motivation by regularly purchasing matching running clothing and accessories. If it makes you feel good, by all means invest in them. After all when you go out, you need to feel confident about yourself and if having matching clothing and accessories gives you a high, then there is no harm and you will automatically put your best foot forward.
Next to looks, comes the comfort part. While being colour coordinated is good for your confidence, you need to have clothing material that does not make you sweat so badly early on in your routine that you begin to feel tired and all messy.
Running clothing that you select should be compatible with the prevalent weather conditions. They should be able to assist in your body temperature regulation and should keep you relatively cooler in summer as well as warm during the cold season. This compatibility should automatically extend to humidity conditions as well and you should never get the feeling that your everyday running routine is becoming taxing for you.
You then come to the accessories associated with running clothing. The running cap, gloves when required and a lightweight jacket are all essentials you must never forget to consider. The cap for instance serves a dual purpose – it keeps out the harsh glare of the sun in summer and during cold weather, retains the warmth. When conditions become very windy, you can always don a fleece hat.
The lightweight jacket is another important item. It ensures that you do not overheat your body. The vents provided ensure that there is enough air circulation going into and out of the body.
The moisture too is not retained within the body during extended runs and that will keep you from getting chilled.
Running tights are for keeping the leg muscles warm so that they do not cramp up. You will therefore be able to maintain the running routine day after day and will not have to miss any due to your leg muscles getting stiff after a day’s run.
Most regular runners would prefer the summer for their runs despite the hot weather. That is because they can run with minimum of running clothing and not be bogged down with anything additional like a jacket or any other extra protective clothing. The shorts can be ultra light with runner’s splits to ensure sufficient circulation.
Having said the above, it is important to make the transition from season to season appropriately by investing in the right running clothing.
Snow + Rock is a specialist leisure store with expert staff on hand to advise on the top of the range skiing, snowboarding and hiking clothing and running clothing available.
Trail Shoes Are Ideally Designed For Trail Running And A Must Have
The popularity of trail running is indeed impressive and is pretty common in countries like the US. This is an activity involving running or taking paths that are off the beaten track and are mostly inaccessible to you if you take the normal road route. Typically the route covers pretty rough turf, hills and even forests. The distances covered are anywhere from 12-45 kms and the participants are expected to climb and get down steep as well as slippery grades in their route. It is therefore natural and essential that if you wish to participate in one of these trail runs, you are suitably equipped with trail shoes.
So what is so special about them?
Well, ordinary shoes or even the best of trainer shoes are not designed to take the rough treatment that the trail run routes make them undergo. The trail shoes feature soles that are far stiffer as well as rigid than the best of trainer shoes. These shoes are also specifically created to ensure that the feet of the runners remains dry even when they have to run through water.
These shoes offer the perfect grip for the runner to be able to counter any surface – be it muddy terrain, water or even ice.
They are biomechanically designed to provide appropriate cushioning to the heels as well as to the knees. They have inbuilt motion control features that prevents any injury due to aggressive repetitive movements that the runner has to indulge in during the activity. The superb stability feature of these shoes thwarts any possibilities of an ankle sprain. An ankle sprain by the way is a very common occurrence in long distance running, especially trail running.
These trail shoes have built up a tremendous reputation of durability. The best of them can cover a distance of more than 500 miles. Of course, the manner in which the shoes are being used, the weight of the runner as well as the running style impacts the resilience of the shoes and need to be taken into consideration. But on an average, these shoes can easily last for 5-6 months and that is a great return for the kind of comfort and protection they offer to your feet in covering those arduous miles of trail terrain.
The prominent brands making these shoes have perfected the art of trail shoes engineering. They have reached a stage where they can now offer shoes that are extremely lightweight despite their toughness. The shoes have been provided with fantastic arch support and high forefoot flexibility. The traction this offers to the runner is above average. The uppers feature an open mesh making it easy for the shoes to breathe, which is so vital in hot and sticky weather.
There are a number of trail shoes options you can choose from the market. Most top brands have models with which you can cover flat trails, inclines and muddy terrains. It is only a question of deciding upon the one that would suit you the best.
Snow + Rock is a specialist leisure store with expert staff on hand to advise on the top of the range skiing, snowboarding and hiking clothing and trail shoes available.
Different Trail Shoes For Different Terrains
Walking, running, hiking, there are so many popular outdoor pursuits these days that it is hard to keep up with the latest craze. For every one of these, however, there are specialist items of footwear that are tailor made to take care of your feet while you are taking part in the pastime. Take trail running for example, this consists of running through trails and hills and really takes it out of your legs and joints, if you aren’t wearing the right shoes that is.
Trail shoes look like most other cross country shoes at first glance; the giveaway is when you check out the soles. These are covered in hard nobbles, aimed to grip the uneven surfaces that are par for the course when trail running. These shoes are also stiffer and more rigid than ordinary walking shoes as trail runners run over everything except hard ground, and tend to run on grass and dirt.
As opposed to the ones intended for running on tarmac, trail shoes generally have less cushioning as the need for shock absorbency is nowhere near as great, and they are also lower to the ground to help with stability when running over particularly rough terrain that could easily cause the runner to slip or go over on an ankle for example. Some trail runners who go to extreme terrains often attach mini crampons to their soles for that extra bit of grip.
As with every kind of footwear designed to be used in a sport or pastime, the choice of trail shoes is vast and very varied. There are obviously big makes that everyone knows and tend to cost a lot of money, and then there is the other end of the market where some are so cheap you wonder what can be wrong with them. The answer is nothing; it is just the type of usage they are intended for that dictates their prices. Serious trail runners who are raging across all terrains in all weathers need the best shoes, simple as that.
These are hard core athletes who are really hammering the trails for hours on end, so the best equipment is vital. For those just starting off, or occasional trail runners, the lower end of the market is ideal as there is no point in spending a lot of money on a pair of shoes that will just sit in a cupboard 10 months of the year. If you are in between these levels go for a mid-range shoe.
Buying the correct trail shoe for your intended usage and capability isn’t rocket science, but you would think it was by the amount of people who still buy the wrong size. If it is too tight in the shop it won’t ever fit, they aren’t made to stretch like ordinary shoes, and while they might give a bit they will never be comfortable. You want a snug fit that doesn’t pinch, isn’t slopping around and that supports your arches. Stick to these simple rules and you won’t have any problems with your new shoes.
Snow + Rock is a specialist leisure store with expert staff on hand to advise on the top of the range skiing, snowboarding and hiking clothing and trail shoes available.