Friday, December 2, 2016

Nathan Fireball Hydration Vest Review - Run 1

I took the Nathan Fireball out for a 4 mile test run and so far really like it.  First of all, it doesn't move at all and you don't have to crank the straps down to keep it still.  It just comfortably sits in place.  I wore a running singlet/tank with racerback straps and I didn't have any chafing or have any areas that felt like they might chafe at a longer distance.  It comes with 2 insulated 12 ounce bottles. The zip pocket wasn't big enough to fit my phone (Google Pixel), so I put it in one of the water bottle pockets which cinched up tightly enough that I wasn't worried about it falling out and it didn't bounce around at all.  The slip pocket on the front of the one water bottle pocket (that I used for my phone) was big enough to easily carry one gel and pepper spray.  The zip pocket can easily fit several gels.  The small pill pocket above the other water bottle pocket was the perfect size to carry a chapstick.  Since I was only going out for a 4 mile run and it's "winter" in Florida it was only in the mid-70s so having just the one 12 ounce bottle wasn't an issue.  The vest does work with a bladder so for longer summer runs that should work fine.  The bladder tube slips through an opening at the top/center of the vest.  My phone would also fit behind the bottle, so if you really wanted to take two bottles I'm guessing you could, but not sure how secure your phone would be.  The back pocket is divided in two sections so it will keep the bladder separate from anything else you would toss in there.  I think it's plenty big enough to fit a light jacket.  So far the only small issue I've found is that the neck of the vest sits directly at the base of your neck so it felt a little heavy there.  It could be that I'm just not used to something sitting right there and I'll be interested to see if that issue doesn't happen when using a bladder.