Doug Freese wrote:
>
> Dot wrote:
>
> > FWIW, in the two 2-bottle ones I have, one has single 2 inch belt, and the other two 1 inch
> > belts that hook into the same buckle.
>
> I hope we are measuring different places.
Duh, yep!
When I'm talking
> about the width it's across the back where the bottle is secured. My one bottle belt it is 7
> inches and my 2 bottle it is 8.
My single starts at 8 and narrows to about 3-4 at the tapered end where the webbing comes out. The
double that works starts at 6 and narrows to
4. The double that doesn't work starts at 7.75 and narrows to 3.75. But for comparison - and
emphasizing your point - my 1st holder from a local dept store (step above wally-mart) was 2.5 in
narrowing to 1.5 inches where a 1 inch belt comes out. And, yep, that'un definitely flops - but
it was that or nothing for awhile.
>
> > inch belt works better for me than the effectively wider double 1-inch belts. While
> > theoretically more stable, I find it has to ride too high (=affecting breathing) to be stable.
>
> What do you feel is being compressed to affect breathing. I know we are built differently
but
> I'd have to have someone else with two free hands pull it to effect my breathing.
>
I tend to prefer things to ride low, like on my hips. When I got the one with the split belt
initially, I was thinking that it would ride part on hips and part above, like a backpack hip belt.
In order for that to happen, the pack hits butt so is unstable. When I position the pack so it rides
stably (to accomodate a 10 inch tall cargo compartment), the top of buckle is about 2.5 inches below
sternum and a lot of the belt is tightened around rib cage. I should also point out the buckles on
that particular belt don't grab well so they slip. It's also fairly wide in back (I needed volume to
carry gear at the time), which I think contributes to the problem. More importantly for me, it's got
bottle holders with just strap bottoms, so it drains after river crossings or in heavy rains (I'm
presuming), but that makes the bottles much more vulenerable to freezing. Regardless of fit, it's
just a really poor winter pack.
My newer double pack - with insulated bottle compartments including zip top
- is about 2 inches
shorter, is a little narrower in back, and the single waist belt fits better. It has less volume,
but I've got lighter gear now that does fit in there. It works just right for the mid-length (about
1+ hrs) winter runs. It rides well with one bottle and gear or two partial bottles and less gear.
That's what I used when I was testing lights. If I put 2 full bottles and gear in there, then it
starts getting a little uncomfortable. While I can tolerate it for 1.5 run, I definitely feel relief
when unstrapping it.
The backpacks work much better for me, and even in hiking, I've never really liked ***** packs. Not
sure if decades of hiking and about 28 yrs of at least part-time bike commuting with book pack has
anything to do with it.
One thing I meant to mention in earlier post is that sometimes good compression straps or lack
thereof can make or break a pack. Originally, I thought the straps across the cargo compartments on
the bottle holders were just for lashing on an extra layer, but I find they can compress the load
horizontally, to make the pack effectively narrower - which makes a big difference in the ride for
us folks that aren't as wide bodied as others.
I actually find my CB Cloudwalker rides better than the smaller UD Luna (designed for women although
I got it for other reasons, like external pockets). The Cloudwalker has compression straps that work
well. The Luna doesn't, and even with a full load, it seems to bounce more. Packs also fit a little
better after you drink some, so that the pack conforms to body better than when it's full and
somewhat rounded.
As far as telling when you're running out of fluid, you can tell by the change in weight - unless
you're removing or adding other things. In fact, you can tell even when you're running out earlier
than expected because you mis-measured (doubled 20 and got 32 ;( but I was almost back anyway).
20-oz bottles *always* seem to be almost out of fluid to me (too many years of wide-mouth liter
bottles, I guess).
As I'm sure you've recognized, some people have a body shape that can put on just about anything and
run with it comfortably. Others just don't seem to fit certain things or any thing.
CBs seem to be more common up here, partly because of water bottles freezing (can only imagine what
happens to fuel belts), but also people tend to be go out and enjoy the woods for several hours -
whether it's running, biking, skiing, hiking, etc. and the backpack versions are just so much more
flexible than other devices. I did try a hand-carried bottle once and didn't like carrying things
in my hands.
Did somebody say something about you need to find what works for you?
Dot so happy to have many kinks worked out of gear so I can just go run
--
"Success is different things to different people" -Bernd Heinrich in Racing the Antelope
