Carry your drink in a way that suits the run

A bottle in your hand, a flask in a belt and a vest can all make sense. The easiest choice depends on your route, where you’ll refill and what else needs to come along.

If it’s just a drink, start with a handheld bottle or hydration belt. Once you add food and a light jacket, a running vest gives you more ways to organise the load.

Buying a vest

Begin with choosing a hydration pack. Then use the fit guide to try it with water and your normal kit inside. Empty pockets tell you very little about how a vest will feel on the run.

Wondering whether you need more space? The 5L-versus-12L guide puts the capacity question into a packing context.

Making the drinking setup work

• Soft flask or bladder? Think about drinking, refilling and the space left for clothes.
• Replacing a soft flask Check its shape and valve position as well as the volume.
• Cleaning bottles and reservoirs Make drying the fiddly parts part of the routine.

For a race with refill stations, you may also need a collapsible cup that is easy to find, use and put away again.