Pretty much the first gear decision you make when entering the world of ultras is what pack to get. As the miles get longer, the need to carry more stuff with you increases. Fluid, food, jackets, poles, blister kits – the list just seems to get longer and longer. I went with a Nathan waist belt initially all those years ago as I preferred the weight to be on my hips, but mostly because I thought it would be a cooler option than wearing a pack on my shoulders.
I absolutely love this pack. It is far and away my favorite bit of gear that I’ve ever bought. I can fit a pair of 24oz bottles in the back so plenty of fluids and it’s so comfortable on my hips that I never notice I’m wearing it. I have well over 200 runs logged with it and besides stains and typical grime from being out in the woods, you’d never know it’s been used that much. I have no doubt I could get another 200 runs out of it. It’s quite possible that it’ll outlast me. Now before you go rush to look for it online, Nathan discontinued it about a decade ago. You can’t even find used ones on eBay anymore.
The only downside with this pack is there isn’t much storage space available. There’s a couple detachable pockets up front for food and a small one in back that pretty much just fits an emergency blanket and small headlamp. It’s perfect for long runs and races without much mandatory kit requirements.
So why retire something I love this much?
My recent journey across the face of the sun demonstrated that I won’t necessarily overheat if I’m using a normal pack. So while the waist belt is definitely the cooler option (temperature-wise, not style-wise obviously), it’s probably not so much cooler that it necessarily needs to factor into my decision making anymore. Using a pack will allow me to carry more stuff during races thereby foregoing the need for drop bags. As I work out the logistics for Ironstone 100K next month, I think I’d rather just carry what I need with me than messing around with drop bags. Sure I’ll be carrying a little extra weight, but it’ll pale in comparison to what I was forced to carry with me for HOTS. Extra pounds can shave minutes off a finish time, but I’m not so concerned about that. It’s not like I’m gunning for fast times in these races. I’m just looking to finish.
I’m sure this isn’t goodbye forever. I can imagine times where my Nathan belt will be useful again in the future. Likely for shorter races or long runs where extra gear is not needed. But for now, I think I’ll put it out to pasture. It deserves a nice rest for all the work it’s done for me over the years.