Saturday, April 30, 2016

BibRave Pro Product Review: Orange Mud HydraQuiver

Disclaimer: I was recently sent an Orange Mud HydraQuiver to review as part of being a BibRave Pro.  Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador) and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

“Innovation from Frustration”

Orange Mud is a California based company known for their no bounce, ultra light hydration packs.

For me Orange Mud has been a GAME CHANGER.  

To sum up a blog post I wrote a few weeks ago (Growing Up & Carrying My Own Water), I am a spoiled only child that has had the luxury of someone else carrying my water on all long runs.  Yeah, spoiled.  Carry a water bottle in my hand?  Yeah right.  Wear a hydration belt around my hips and have it constantly ride up and jiggle all over the place?  No thanks.  

Enter the Orange Mud HydraQuiver and my long runs will never be the same.


The HydraQuiver

The HydraQuiver is a backpack-style hydration pack that sits comfortably on your upper back.  There is lots of padding and you can adjust the straps by pulling them tight for nice and snug fit.  I’m not going to lie, it took me a few runs to get it right and I have to adjust with the number of layers I was wearing.  I also found myself running with my shoulders shrugged and tense but once I figured out how it was supposed to fit and feel I’ve never had any problems.

Unlike other hydration belts and packs on the market, Orange Mud hydration packs hold an actual water bottle—which is much easier to clean then annoying bladders!  The bottle holder has an adjustable strap for different sized water bottles.  Having a water bottle sit just below your neck sounded weird at first but I honestly don’t even realize its there.  It doesn’t bounce.  You can hear a little water sloshing but you get used to it.   


I will admit that drinking water is a constant struggle for me.  I don’t enjoy drinking anything really.  Sometimes I make it through an entire work day and haven’t even touched the water bottle I filled up that morning.  Drinking on a run is no different.  When my mom or dad carried my water, I took 2-3 sips every couple of miles or so—just enough to wet my mouth and wash down my energy chews!  With my HydraQuiver I actually found that I was drinking more during my long runs since it was there and easy access.  They say you’re supposed to consume about 4 oz of water for every every 20-30 min of running and I am actually doing this!  


Almost as exciting as carrying my own water, I am loving the storage!  There is an interior rear storage pocket complete with a key clip and 2 shoulder pockets.  The first few weeks I only used my HydraQuiver on long runs.  I would put my cell phone (iPhone 6S + case) in my left shoulder pocket, my gels in my right shoulder pocket and my key clipped to the inside pocket.  The shoulder pockets are spandex and expandable leaving plenty of room with easy access while running—aka I can grab my cell phone for a quick run selfie with ease!

THEN I decided to use my HydraQuiver on one of Georgie’s long runs (3-4 miles).  I normally don’t bring water for myself on a 3 mile run but I actually forgot to pack her running backpack.  This meant my backpack was basically stuffed with all HER stuff—poop bags, cheese stick, collapsible water bowl—which fit perfectly in the interior pocket—and of course, water.  She never drinks her own water on a run but she drank all mine!  It ended up being very convenient for us.

 
Other bonuses:
·      The HydraQuiver comes in black, gray, orange and PINK!  The pink is so pretty.
·      There is a reflective logo on the bottle holder.  Last year I invested in a ton of reflective running gear for my night runs with the pup.  This is a nice bonus for all the night runners out there!
·      I don’t run with music but there is a headphone port…
·      The Orange Mud team is great!  Not only did the founder Josh send the BibRave Pros a fun video addressing some of the initial concerns of the group (mostly how to get the proper fit), the marketing team also read my Growing Up & Carrying My Own Water blog post and tweeted back a tip on where to tuck in the straps to minimize the floppiness! 
Cons:
·      The Orange Mud HydraQuiver is priced at $84.95.  It’s on the expensive side but it’s so worth it.
·      Not so much a con but a curiosity.  I have not had the chance to run with my HydraQuiver in a t-shirt or tank top.  I haven’t had any chafing problems to date but I’m wondering what would happen with less clothing for protection.  They do however sell add-on padded sleeves to solve any problems with underarm chafing.


Would I recommend the Orange Mud HydraQuiver?  YES!  Like I said in the beginning, it’s been a game changer for me as I train for the Buffalo Half Marathon on May 29th.  Give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think.

Join us on Twitter for the Orange Mud sponsored #BibChat on May 3rd at 9pm EST!

Happy running!

2 comments:

  1. What a great review! The action shot on top is pretty darn cool. I've found that I can't run trails without it now.

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