Product review: Inov-8 Race Pro 4 hydration pack

I'm a big drinker. If I exercise more than 30 minutes, I have to have water. When I run or skate ski I prefer a fanny pack style water carrier over a backpack style. I find that the backpack style rubs my shoulders. Up until recently I had a Camelbak one. Unfortunately, my old pack wore out. The new one just didn't work as well - it sat like a beach ball and the straps would loosen as I ran. So I decided to try a brand that was new to me: Inov-8.

Inov-8 is a British brand that has caught on with the ultra running crowd. They specialize in very light, but tough products. I bought the Inov-8 Race Pro 4. It's a fanny pack style pouch with a water bladder, that holds up to 2 liters, and hose that you can clip to your shirt, ala Camelbak. The bladder's shape is unique. It's oriented horizontally rather than vertically. Here's a pic from the website: http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detai...050973018&L=27 The theory is that the wrap around bladder distributes the weight closer to your body so that it doesn't bounce.

The bladder fits into a very light pack. Along with the bladder pocket, the pack also has two pockets "in line" with the bladder on the belt part, extra space behind the bladder, and an outside bungy. The hose can come out from either side, although the clip on the belt part only works on the left.
http://www.inov-8.com/Products-Detai...050973012&L=27

I found that the system works remarkably well despite the fact that it doesn't
have any other stabilizing straps. As I drank the water, it made sloshing noises, but it didn't bounce at all. Somehow it also felt lighter wearing it than the Camelbak, which didn't hold nearly as much water. I think it's because the weight was distributed around my waist rather than just sitting on my butt. It also didn't get as hot as the Camelbak because of the smaller profile on my body.

I really like this pack. My only concern is cleaning the bladder. It's not shaped so that it can be easily cleaned with a bottle brush. As well as being long, it has 2 baffles in it to prevent sloshing and water shifting. But I think that if I just dry it out well it shouldn't be a problem.