The people at NathanSports are honest to goodness FREAKS. To say they are obsessed with the detail of trail running performance would be a massive understatement. When testing their range it’s hard to find an angle, option, feature, or function they have not considered and tested. I have used and enjoyed their hydration belts in previous years but until now had no experience of their RACE VESTS. Although there is an excellent array of models I settled on the HPL 020 to get familiar with the systems.

Before I get onto the features and performance; the BIG stand-out on opening the pack was picking the unit up; it weighed close to nothing; no heavy old school cordura here!

The product is aimed squarely at the serious trail runner who is hitting up mountain marathons and tackling 50km plus trail races. It’s function is to not only meet the hydration necessity but to provide additional storage in an ergonomically sensible way. It achieves all these goals effortlessly. I’ll explain how and why.

Forget those impinging narrow cordura straps that irritate and maim; the HPL020 uses a breathable, lightweight mesh

woven in broad bands for support; straps - so 1990’s! Rather than obsessing about the pack digging into your shoulders and constantly, restlessly shifting your load under strain; the webbing allows you to load up, run and forget.

It’s once you are in motion that the ingenious 3-way propulsion harness comes into its own. In effect a rubberised-elasticized pivot system, this innovation articulates as your torso rolls and moves while running; stopping the usual up and down side to side movement of the pack pretty much stone-dead. This also means the shoulder webs-straps move independently; the overall effect at least anecdotally in testing was a feeling of better energy usage. If nothing else, the mental angts about fiddling with the load is no longer an issue and that saves energy!

An age old problem of the ’sticky-back’ and the resultant wear and tear on tops is negated to a great extent by the use of an Air Scoop(tm) which provides for separation and airflow between back and pack/vest in the neck region.

The bladder used was a Nathansports unit with a wide screw top closure and a high bite-valve with soft mouthpiece. No
rocket science here and it works as advertised.

For the hard core trail runner and rogainer the NathanSports HPL 020 vest ( not pack! ) is a very well designed and made option for managing hydration and nutrition without paying for it in terms of weight and comfort. It is worth assessment.

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