Each month the Run Testers try out piles of running products, but there’s a lot of kit outside of shoes and tech that we don’t get a chance to talk about until we do a full round-up.
In this month’s video, we cover running vests, jackets, nutrition, commuter backpacks and a running cap. Enjoy.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
Kieran’s Picks
00:35 – Montane Featherlite Nano Jacket
02:40 – UYN Five Running Socks
03:50 – Energy Bytes
Nick’s Picks
04:40 – Tailwind Endurance Fuel
06:20 – Stolt Athlete Commuting Backpack
08:25 – Tracksmith Olmsted Backpack
Tom’s Picks
10:10 – Puma x First mile Running Cap
11:30 – New Balance Athletics Singlet
13:20 – Rabbit Race Pace Tank
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers and Welcome to the monthly Roundup our Monthly video where we talk about all of The bits of kits and Tech that we've Tested over the past few weeks that We've not had a chance to tell you about In other videos so let's dive into this Month and see what we've all Picked let's talk about handy layers and I've been using this super thin Extremely packable windproof Montaine Feather light Nano jacket from spring Into summer here in the UK's kind of Rather changeable weather this is 100% Recycle it's made from ultral light Perex Quantum it has a dwr water Repellent coating and I like it for a Few reasons portability is probably Number one it stuffs down into its own Collar so you don't need a stuff sack it Stashes easily into my naked running Belt it's really light at just 52 gram So you don't really notice it's there But there's enough of it to fend off Wind mild cold and a little bit of light Rain and that's the second thing I like About it it's not going to keep you warm Or protected when things get properly Wild or the temperatures drop very low But for an extra layer before a race or For taking on those runs where the Weather can change quickly and you just Want something else to add a little bit Of extra protection it's like a sort of
A backup plan basically take the edge of The worst off the weather this jacket is A great option it's kind of Ideal for The Mad sort of Four Seasons in the day Summers that we tend to have here in the UK and particularly the kind of weather That's changed what you had in the Spring or for runs where you want to put Something on to take off a little bit of The chill after a run it doesn't hold Too much water and even when it gets wet It dries fast I used this at the start Of the comrades and it was great for the 45 minutes pre-race just to stay warm Enough I also spotted at Aaron and Finn Author of Rise of the ultra runers Wearing this fairy jacket while Currently attempting to run close to 1500 miles around the island of Ireland The rip stop fabric here also means that Although it's really really thin it's Quite tough too this is an interesting One for me because I've never really Gotten along with toe socks I have a Recurring problem with toe on toe Aggression basically my toes just are Too close to each other and after a While this little Pinky gets battered From being trodden on until recently That also meant that I couldn't really Get toe socks on I found getting my Squished up pinkies into each of the Five sort of fingers of the toe gloves Almost impossible just a real fiddle but
Ahead of my second Tilt at the Berlin Wall in August I've been using some Silicone toe separators and wearing them While I'm not running to work on getting My toes more sped so I now have a little More distance between the toes and when I recently tried on these wind toe socks I actually found them surprisingly Comfortable now there's good padding in The heels and just under the ball of the Foot that's got padding in all the right Places adding some comfort without being Too heavy the toes hold their shape Nicely too and there's a decent Ventilation around the toes here so they Don't get too hot where you've got that Almost double layer of fabric that you Get with toes socks I've done a bunch of 90-minute runs in these in 33° Italian Heat and they were nicely breathable too They are quite a leap on price over Theingi toe socks but I think the Technical fabrics and the thought that's Gone into the placement of the different Thicknesses and the structures of the Yarns here could arguably justify that I'm not sure I'm yet brave enough to use Them at the Berlin Wall 100 where I'll Be running for 24 hours or more but for Runs up to 90 minutes I found them very Comfortable and they've potentially Converted me to the whole Tock genre now I've tried caffeine chews gums strips You name it I've tried to get caffeine
In in different ways I find quite a lot Of them can be quite bitter but if you Want an easy way to get a caffeine hip Without that lasting taste these Energy Chews I'm going to show you right now Could be a good option the sweets are a Little bit like a fruit pastel kind of Sugarcoated and fruity but less chewy Than a fruit pastel they go down very Easy it's a ni change of text from gels As well if you want to get a different Way of getting caffeine in from hitting Down a caffeine gel it's really easy to Stick a couple of these in your belt Shorts pocket or vest and eat them when You need a pep the main hit is from the Caffeine this isn't a carb caffeine Combo cuz there not really enough to the Sweets but there's 40 milligrams of Caffeine per Che the equivalent of a Shot of espresso and some added B A and D vitamins as well I mean if there's a Sugary espresso available I probably Prefer that but that's not often the Case so I'll pack a few of these when I Head to Berlin for for the we small Hours during the Berlin Wall 100 mile When I'm running at the witching hour Digging deep waiting for the Dawn so my first pick this month is Tailwinds endurance Fuel and in Particular the dwalter melon flavor I've Been testing out lately which is not Only a very solid pun but a very good
Flavor it's watermelon and lime which is Really refreshing and in general I find This carb heavy drink a little bit more Light and refreshing than the ones I Generally use I tend to use Morton Products especially when racing they are Thick stodgy full of carbs full of the Good stuff great performance fuel but When it comes to General long runs and Workouts during training uh over the Summer in particular this is a really Nice alternative to have I've been Trying it out over the last few weeks And it is perfect it's got a mix of Electrolytes and 50 g of carbs in a Stick pack like this you can also buy it In kind of bigger bags so you can adjust The kind of serving to your preferences And with that you can also adjust the Amount of water you put in as well to Create a thicker or a lighter drink and Yeah has been perfect for hot months and I think it's something that would Obviously work really well for very long Runs in particular with courtne water in Particular where uh you uh have a drink That's a bit easier to get down over the Course of a long day it cost £36 or $40 For 50 servings which is the equivalent Of 25 of the stick packs I've been Testing I've been using a whole stick Pack in a drink putting in kind of Around 600 Ms of water and just yeah Having that before a workout during a
Workout and it's just a really good Summer option and this is I think the Best flavor I have tested some other Tailwind endurance fuel flavors and the Watermelon with lime is certainly the One I prefer the most now other two Picks this month are both commuter Running backpacks and this is an area we Haven't really covered that much on the Channel so I wanted to put a couple in Here that are probably my favorite Backpacks overall for different purposes I've got one that's slightly larger that Can accommodate a bit more and is a bit Better for those who have to be a bit Smart when going into the office and Then a smaller bag that I use a lot for Running to track and doing shorter runs Like that as well as the occasional Commute if I'm not carrying too much Stuff so first one is the stal athlete Backpack which you can see here I used a Stalt alpha backpack a while ago as my Main computer pack for quite a long time Really like that backpack I the athlete A bit more for a couple of reasons one Is that it's a roll top bag I always Like a roll top because I run into the Office I try not to carry too much in The backpack but then on the way home I Might have a few things to collect or Something like that and I love the fact You can expand the storage by really Shoving this roll top you know full I
Also really like a couple other features On this pack one is that the waist strap At the bottom can be removed and used as A running belt by its side with pockets On either side and that's a really Clever touch and a nice touch I also Like the really reinforced chest strap They have on the bag because this is an Area I tend to break quite a lot on Commuter backpacks because I have to put It really tight because I am a lanky guy With not much muscle or body mass on my Chest and sometimes if it's a slightly More flimsy connection there I can break Backs in that point but can't do it here It's a very strong connection also it Slides up and down I've done a few runs With the backpack uh both kind of General runs just going to track but Also a long commute run where I did an Hour I did about 15K in an hour so it Was an easy a steady run by the end I Was clipping along at a fairly decent Pace and it really doesn't bounce at all And I've always found that with St packs In the past I've actually done full Sessions while wearing them even when I Had so for example on this 15K run I had A laptop had change of clothes I had L Odds and end all in the backpack it was Fairly heavy fairly well full but it Sits very high on the back and just Doesn't bounce so it really is something That you forget about and it doesn't
Annoy you too much on a run of that type Has no kind of chafing issues sometimes With backpacks I get a little bit of Lower back chafing but that hasn't Happened really secure fit very easy to Adjust yeah all around a very good pack You've got one big main pocket a pocket At the back that you can put your laptop In and the side pockets that can take Other Essentials and there's also the Waist pack pockets for the things like Key card that you need instant access to So it cost £150 in UK so it's not a Cheap pack pack you can also upgrade to Commuter set that includes a garment box And like a a sheet of card that will Tell you how to fold a shirt around it To keep it crease free whilst using it In a running backpack which is not Something I need I'm a very kind of Shabby guy I tend to wear just wear T-shirts but yeah this backpack is I Think really good for those who need to Carry quite a lot into the office who Need to look smart at the other end of It and still want to run with something That's comfortable on that back and then The other back pack I want to highlight Is the tracksmith Alstead which is kind Of my favorite smaller running Rock sack It's still got a capacity of 18 L but It's fair to say if you pop a pair of Shoes in this you know you're not going To be able to fit a lot else in there so
It's not the biggest backpack in the World but it's perfect for those who Don't tend to have to change their shoes When they get to the office like me I Can wear running shoes all day and just Don't need to carry that much of them It's a really comfortable backpack again Lots of adjustable points on it that Means you can get a really secure fit Sits high on the back again doesn't Bounce around and there are loads of Pockets on this and they're quite Cleverly done so there's one right at The front and the sash there there's a Front pocket where you can divide up all Your Essentials into various different Uh you know kind of pouches and zip Pockets and in the back pocket was like A laptop and then underneath you can Access the rock sack with this specific Pocket that you can use for kind of Shoes and sweaty clothes so I tend to Put my change of clothes in the main Pocket at the top from the top Direction And then run into work and then when I Get there I'll pop all my sweaty clothes Into the backpack from the bottom Direction and this is kind of the dirty Sweaty side of the pocket it still goes Into the same kind of space but it does Mean at the top of the backpack stays Nice and clean it's a backpack I use a Lot to go to just a track or if I'm Going to a race and have to run the
First section of my you know my commute Into the race it works really well but It's also good for just straight up Commuting if you don't have to carry too Much Beyond a laptop and you know a Smaller change of clothes without the Need for maybe pair of shoes cost or $150 at the moment I think it's just the Black colorway of the backpack that's Still in stock and the other big Advantage you get cuz it is an expensive Product is that it is a tracksmith Product so it looks really good and is Just the general backback I use when I'm Not running as well but really has that Advantage of being a very good back pack For runs as well so yeah that's a couple Of running backpacks I use for commuting Thought be good to flag up in Essentials This Month my first pick this month is the Cap I've got on my head it's the Puma X First mile running cap now I bought this Because I actually bought two of these Because I kept getting served ads for Them and it was pretty well targeted ad Because I'm really into running caps and Um I really really like the design of This one so uh when I went onto the Website it was reduced from 20 something Pound to £4 so I bought two of them cuz I really like the look of it I've been Using them solidly for the past month I Really like them they have the perfect
Fit for my head uh they're very Comfortable there got a lot of room in Them but I also like running caps that Have got quite a lot of depth in Sometimes when you get running caps they Can be quite shallow don't quite fit my Head really like this I'd be happy to Wear this walking around town uh it's Just a very comfortable nice looking cap It's also got these mesh um holes in the Side uh I've just been out for a very Difficult uh 12K run in the Heat and This cap was felt absolutely fine uh it Does you did get sweat in it and it does Drip but it is nice and breathable and Very comfortable to wear so if you can Get it now if You' like the look at this You can get it now for £14 in the UK Which is bargain because running caps Are getting more expensive so well worth Um picking up if you like the look of This cap my next picks this month now Are it's summer it's very hot at the Moment so I've pulled out a load of Vests that um I've been sent uh over the Past few weeks to test out over uh my my Hotter runs uh this is the New Balance Uh athletic singlet now I talk a lot About New Balance kit because uh I find With New Balance that it really fits my Body shape quite well I'm quite big uh I've got quite big upper body uh and so When I wear certain types of Kit like Sore and things like that it's not
Particularly well designed for my body Shape I find that New Balance kit works Really really well I still wearing New Balance T-shirts from six seven years Ago and they're still some of my Favorite top just cuz they fit my chest And arms quite nicely but and they're Quite loose around the mid Rift which is Something that is becoming increasingly Necessary as I as I get older um the uh So this singlet is really really good um It there's a lot of expensive singlets Coming out now if you look at some of The uh performance Brands like saw like Tracksmith or singlets can be very Expensive this is £35 um which isn't bad At all for this the there's couple of Things I like about this one is the the The fit it's very nice very comfortable If you are Maybe not a really skinny guy Um but the other thing I like about it As well is it's really really breathable And sweatworking I've just been out Running in the Heat and I sweated a lot Um by the time I got home I walked back For it was in a 12K run it was very very Hot um I walked back probably for about 5 minutes after the run and it was Really dry by the time I got back um There there was no big sweat marks or Anything on it just evaporated the Moisture off really really quickly it's A really comfortable top to wear I Really like the color actually I don't
Normally like bright colors but this is Quite a nice subtle brighter color I Think Nick's probably going to like this Color quite a lot um but yeah that's the New Balance Athletics Singler really Good uh Singler if you're looking for a Vest while we have a bit of summer in The UK the other vest that I've picked Is the rabbit race paace tank uh which Is this one nice design uh rabbit is a US company but you can buy their kit in The UK now um and they're becoming Increasingly more um popular in the UK I I I know quite a few people now that Have tried out some rabbit kit uh the Reason I like this vest it's a little Bit thicker than the New Balance uh vest But it sweat Wicks really really well It's very very comfortable it's got Really nice stitching around it um and The material is quite soft so there's no Abrasion or anything like that it also Has all these um I think they're laser Cut holes around the uh around the Outside of the vest for breathability uh So yeah it's a really good vest if You're running in hot weather very Breathable very comfortable uh looks Really nice they have loads of different Colorways as well so you don't have to Go for this of zbra design which I Wouldn't normally go for but um I don't Mind it actually I think it's I think It's um a pretty good design uh so yeah
Solid vest this comes in at a pretty Good price as well £ 33 in the UK uh for A really good vest is not to be sniff at Uh so yeah two vest this month that's it From us on this month's Roundup thanks a Lot for watching don't forget to like Subscribe click the little bell and if You go into the caption you can find a Link to our podcast which comes out That's it from us thanks a lot for Watching don't forget to like don't Forget to subscribe don't forget to Click the Bell be nice if you could do All those things uh if you go into the Caption below you can also find a link To our podcast which comes out a couple Of times each month and if you like that Please can you give us a subscribe or a Follow so it depends on which podcast Provider you using um and leave us a Message if you liked it maybe don't if You didn't like it thanks all for Watching catch you you next time
