Running rucksac advice

[Becks]

Yes yes, I know this should be in kit, but I don't think anyone scrolls that far these days.

I'm needing to buy a lightweight rucksac for fell running style activities - all it needs to carry is waterproofs, a thermal, water (1-1.5l) and a little bit of food. Does anyone have any recommendations? I've not got a huge amount of spare cash! There's the inov8 ones with bladders or without which look good, but I'd like to hear if anyone's used them first.

Thanks!

[DanH]

This is what I use http://shop.accelerateuk.com/feed/OMM10L and find it excellent. There's a pouch for a bladder but it doesn't come with one integrated. Really light and comfortable and you can easily fit in what you've listed below.

[DrewBrunton]

I used the Inov8 22L Race elite ( not tone one with the horizontal bladder) and Brian Mcc used the Race Pro (one with horizontal bladder). If you plan on carrying a bladder then the race pro is good. But if your not carrying a bladder always and just plan to fill up a light water bottle as you go around then the Race Elite is really good. You can get smaller than 22L but the compression is good on the 22L and you can carry more if needed. The running fit of the sac is comfortable and I didn't have any problems with it - the vertical zip is a nice feature so you can get at everything quickly on the elite and kit inside stayed totally dry in driving torrential rain.

I also tried the OMM sac's incl the one that Dan mentioned. I found the inov8 much better.

[Scott]

I've always found my Pete Bland bumbag ideal for fell running. Nowhere near as versatile as a rucksack, but I can normally fit in waterproofs, hat & gloves, headtorch, a 1l water bottle and enough food to be going on with, and the minimalistic compression straps are ideal for stopping any annoying bouncing. The main downside is that extracting things around the water bottle can be quite awkward. But then, it only cost a tenner...

[andy]

I've got one of the old KIMM ones (very similar to the updated one Dan linked) and it's great, carries lots and is still going very strong.

[PhilJ]

Hi,

I'd go for the OMM 10L one, you can buy them on Up and Running for £26.00 and if you subscribe to their site they will send you a newsletter and a discount code each month (think it is "snarf" this month). That gets you 10% off all stuff and 5% off discounted stuff, so you'll still pay £26.00 as the discount will cover the postage. Also Blacks have a bladder for £9.99, have a search for some discount codes on-line for Blacks, or if you can get one from a Blacks shop they will give you 10% off if you show your BO card (not many people now that!).

[PhilJ]

Okay quick update, on the way home I stopped off in Tesco Extra and they had camelbaks - well TESCObaks for £7.50 (Arundel make). That's pack and bladder for £7.50. Sac is big enough to hold choccy bar, mobile phone etc and combine this with a bum bag for your waterproof jacket and you're sorted.

I bought 2 of them - even £7.50 for the bladder is cheap.

[mappingmum]

£7.32 on tesco direct . . . . link below:

http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.100-0611.aspx

[mharky]

Tesco's are going to take over the world, aren't they

[ba-ba]

I get down to Decathlon, see what they've got going cheap and modify it ever so slightly so I can run with it.

or pinch a big purple KIMM bag that's probably older than me from the parents

[ifor]

Tesco also have a 20L foldable daypack for £7 somthing. It is very light weighing in at 180g if you were to remove the fold away pocket which is a bit heavyweight and of no use in use and add a pocketed waist belt you would have an ideal MM sack at about 200g which is far better than anything I have seen you can buy. This would be esentialy what I have used for MMs for about 8 or 9 years again a foldaway daysack taht had a waist belt added.

For most mountain runs I will endorse the Pete Bland bumbag, nothing better I know of and if you don't need water (which is normaly ther case in the UK) then there is plenty of space everything you need.

[Copepod]

I've got an unused Inov-8 elite 15 litre backpack for sale - details at http://www.iroc-race.com/Shop.asp Very lightweight (247g), plenty of reflective features for road safety. Pm if you're interested - price negiotiable, but much less than £30.

[graeme]

I've never used a rucksac for a fell race. All the required kit fits in a bumbag, except the drink which is best carried in a Camelbak or similar (and usually you don't need to carry drink). Camelbak may be slightly oversize/annoying if you plan to refill frequently from streams: I have an elasticated water-waistband with detachable bottles which works well for that

[Steve]

If you're serious about carrying 1.5 litres of water it has to be a rucsac with bladder - a 0.5 litre water bottle in a bum bag feels bad enough around the waist. I think any 10 litre-ish running sac would be fine, provided is has waist and chest straps and ideally wasit pockets for getting at food on the run. When I want to carry a lot of water I use a Lowe-Alpine Wadi 10 which came with a 2 litre bladder, and I can get everything you mention in it as well. Think you can only get Wadi 15 now. Drawback is no waist pockets. OMM "Last Drop" has the same problem. The latest Inov8 sacs look good.

[Harley]

this
endorsed by Bear Grylls and at least one west midlands housewife! (possibly)