Fuel Belt

For Active.com
Over the past couple of years I've managed to collect an assortment of running gear that has even begun to boggle my mind. The overflow of shoes alone, in varying states of decay, leaves my family and friends bewildered. Bottles, belts, apparel, nutrition products, you name it. It's all here.

Somehow I can't bring myself to toss this stuff out to make room for the new, because each item, at one point, possessed a unique quality that I thought was handy, comfortable or just plain cool.

Well, I have a new piece of equipment that has managed to capture a lot of the unique qualities that I look for in a hydration belt, and after running with the Endurance 4-Flask Belt from FuelBelt for over 300 miles of training and racing on all kinds of terrain, it has earned a special place in my closet.

Overall construction

The 4-Flask Belt has four, seven-oz. flasks dispersed evenly, with two on the back and two on the front. The belt itself is a rugged two-inch band of elastic material that is secured by over three inches of Velcro that meets in the front of the waist. Each flask holder on the belt securely holds the flasks in place, and allows you to stretch a nylon cord over the tip of the flask if needed.

For training runs of 2 to 2.5 hours, I typically will carry a water bottle in my hand(s), and just hold energy gels wherever I can find space.

By wearing a Fuel Belt, that's 28 oz. of liquids that I don't have to carry in standard 20-oz. bottles in my hands, and the generous rear pocket that sits in the center of the back frees up my hands by holding my gels, salt and keys. Here are the specifics:

No bounce! Really!
Even with 28 oz. of liquids hooked into the belt, I experienced no bounce or play in the belt when I began my runs. Let me assure you that I didn't just run around the block to find this out ... I ran pavement, fire roads, single track, over rocks and fallen trees, up, down and all around.

Initially I was worried that the belt would ride up off of my hips when my body was contorted to accommodate the terrain, but this didn't happen. When ascending a very steep grade, the two front flasks did push slightly into my midsection and onto the top of my quadriceps, but this wasn't enough to move things around.

Wow, I'm thirsty, where's my flask?
This belt model has the flasks positioned so that there's no chance of smacking your sweaty hands on them if your arms drift low to your sides. This is particularly helpful when ascending as your legs bend and your center of mass shifts slightly lower to the ground.

I found the holding cords for the flasks a neat feature, but not really necessary -- even if I was jumping off of a three-foot tree stump. The flask-holders on the belt itself do a great job of keeping things in place, so I just left them unhooked for easier access with one hand.

Tough as nails
This belt took some serious abuse. I made a point to "aggressively" jam the flasks into their holders, and there's no sign of fatigue in the stitching or degradation in the strength of the hold. The belt itself is no worse for the wear, and mysteriously does not stink like some other equipment I have that's been sweated into. Hmm, maybe I just can't tell anymore?

I thought I brought something to eat!
The rear pocket seems to be just the right size for a 2- to 2.5-hour run. I was able to comfortably fit an energy bar, a coin pouch to hold salt tablets and my keys. At one point I jammed two energy bars, one gel, salt and keys -- which caused my gel to burst! (Very messy. My keys will never be the same.) The pouch is made of neoprene with two sections separated by Velcro, so even if you only put your keys inside, you won't be jingling your way down the trail.

I'll report back after the next 300 miles ...
Whether you are the casual athlete or a serious competitor, you have every right to be picky, and demand ideal performance from your running gear. Of course there will always be tradeoffs in the details you like, but the Endurance 4-Flask Belt will not disappoint you for that two-hour trail run in the boonies. It has a snug fit, ample liquid storage, stable weight distribution, and trusty pocket for your Gameboy (well, maybe not).