Hydration belt shootout: six small-bottle waist packs compared

Sometimes a race vest is more than the day requires — some food, a phone, keys and a bit of fluid is the whole brief. Waist packs had come a long way from the fanny pack by 2013, and this test put six small-bottle belts from the major brands through the same criteria, listed deliberately in order of importance.

A note on method that matters for reading the results: the tester wore these on the hips at waistband level, not at the narrowest part of the torso, and always over shorts rather than against skin.

Fit, rubbing and bounce

The most important category, and the one that decides whether a belt gets used twice.

• Camelbak Arc2 — no bounce at all, no chafing, secure elastic band, smooth and well stitched.
• Nathan TrailMix — tightly stretchable, wraps snugly, hard plastic clip closure. No twisting, no bouncing. After a few runs the reviewer could not see how a belt could fit better.
• Salomon XR Energy Belt — heavily padded velcro belt with a cinch strap. Felt slightly bouncy at first, settled a few miles into each run. No chafing or twisting.
• The North Face Fuel Tool Belt — fits much like the Nathan, velcro only. No slipping, no chafing.
• Ultimate Direction Endure — the thinnest nylon belt and the least technology in the group, and it did not bounce at all. Unnoticeable after the first step.
• UltrAspire MBS — least elastic of the group, but no bounce, twist or chafe. Hard to tell by feel which way round it was.

Winner: a close call between Nathan and Camelbak.

Bottle security

Anyone who has swept a course or worked an aid station worries about this more than they should have to.

The Nathan bottles seat into semi-rigid plastic holsters — easy to find by feel, never in question. Ultimate Direction’s holsters encapsulate the bottle well but collapse when you are fumbling behind your back. Salomon’s semi-collapsible holsters hold securely but take a couple of attempts to locate blind. Camelbak and UltrAspire were the only two that give an audible click on seating. UltrAspire went further: a magnet in the bottle base mating to one in a hard plastic holster.

Winner: UltrAspire, for hard plastic plus magnet.

Gear capacity

Requirement: a phone, a car key, a few gels.

Salomon had by far the most room — a large stretchy zip pocket at the back that swallows a phone with space for gels, bars and keys. Nathan managed phone, keys, a bar and gels across one zip and one hook-and-loop pocket. Ultimate Direction took a phone up front with room between the bottles behind. Camelbak fitted a phone and perhaps two gels. The North Face fitted an iPhone 4 but not a cased iPhone 5. UltrAspire was the only belt in the test that would not take a phone at all.

Winner: Salomon, comfortably.

The rest of the card

• Price — Ultimate Direction, least expensive without cutting quality.
• Dry weight — The North Face, with Ultimate Direction a quarter-ounce behind and carrying far more.
• Build quality — Salomon, described as lush, with Nathan close behind.
• Bottle size — subjective. Salomon and TNF bottles were felt to be undersized; the 9oz Nathan bottles were the tester’s preference for weekly runs.
• Bottle opening — judged on one question: does ice fit? Camelbak and Nathan have the widest mouths.
• Adjustability — no meaningful separation between them.
• External storage — Ultimate Direction has a rear bungee for a jacket or sleeves; The North Face has hip loops for gloves or a beanie; UltrAspire has none.

All packs were supplied as samples and some were returned afterwards. No positive coverage was agreed in advance.