Salomon S lab advanced skin 5

http://www.salomon.com/uk/product/advanced-skin-s-lab-5-set.html Today I committed what is often referred to as a "sin" in the running world. I took delivery yesterday afternoon of a new Salomon hydration vest and decided today I would wear it on a 50k race without even having run half a mile in it. The Salomon S Lab advanced skin 5 is smaller than most of my backpacks and when I tried it on it seemed to fit like a "vest"(Can't say glove, it doesn't work!) So when the morning in Ennerdale broke with beautiful sunshine and a good forecast I thought I would give it a go. The 1.5 litre bladder in the vest is great! It even has a snazzy little "connector" for the hose that you can clip on and off to allow refilling easier. I filled it to the maximum 1.5 litre and was surprised at how comfortable it felt on my back. I put a waterproof jacket, hat and gloves in the rear pocket. Also I carried a 9bar, two gels, cheese and biscuits ( Yeah I know, it is somewhat unconventional but it works!) and some jelly babies. I can honestly say I have never run with a pack quite like it! I could barely feel it on my back, it did not move at all, no bobbing up and down, no swaying side to side. It stayed exactly where I put it for 31.5 miles. The liquid could be heard sloshing about in the bladder but that is pretty normal for any pack. The thermal insulation meant that the drink stayed cool the whole time. (This model has insulation on the hose and the pouch for the bladder too.) The fastening on the front was great. I struggle with bad stomach if I wear a bum bag and quite often the waist strap on backpacks also cause a few problems too. This pack does not have a waist belt and yet sits snug and causes no stomach problems for me. As a self confirmed "kit git" I own a lot of running pack hydration systems. (6 actually!) I can truly say that this will be the one I will be wearing from now on! There are certain bits of kit I own that I rate above all others, Garmin 310xt Hope R4 headtorch And now...... Salomon s lab 5 hydration vest - an awesome bit of kit!