I'd Run Naked Anytime !!
Posted on January 01 2019
I am a big fan of the Naked Running Band which I use regularly. I managed to compete in the 2016 Mt Blanc Marathon and carry all of the necessary mandatory gear which surprised even the organizers so its adequate for most of the running I do in Hong Kong.
So when the new Naked Running Vest received a huge feedback on Facebook I knew I had to give it a try. It's a strange looking thing, and when trying it on in the shop, the recommended size based on my measurements felt tight and restrictive. I measured a 6 but I went for an 8. It basically feels like what I imagine wearing a sports bra must feel like and as the weather is quite cold I wore it on top of a shirt. I will see in the summer if just the vest is practical.
I planned a relatively easy 18k out and back on Sir Cecils Ride therefore I didn't need to carry much with me. 500 ml of water, a couple of gels, my Skint wallet and my phone. I decided to take my poles with me not because I needed them but that I just wanted to see how they felt.
It feels GREAT on actually, fairly tight but not excessively so and the space for stuff becomes immediately apparent. Two large stretchy pockets at the front and a big one at the back and a small stretch pocket on each side.
My poles went easily into the back and it was easy to put them in and take them out
again but I did have to make sure the tips of each pole were pointing up because their sharp ends caught on the lycra. There was plenty of space for them to slot far enough in so that they did not interfere with the back of my head and they fitted easily between my shoulder blades. I put the water bottle in the front left pocket, the gels and my phone in the right pocket and my wallet in one of the small side pockets . This nowhere near filled these pockets and I estimate it would be possible to get two 500 ml soft flasks in each of these front pockets which is a staggering 2 litres of water if you so desired. I don't think I would want too but there is certainly the space.
In the advertising pictures soft flasks are shown in the back pocket with a tube connection to allow the water to be drunk without removing the bottle. That would be needed because access to the back, apart from poles, is not so straight forward unless you are good at yoga. JoeJoe managed to move her rain jacket (that put at the back pocket) from lower back to upper back and take it out easily.
While running, it kept nicely tight and there was no bounce whatsoever and everything could be reached easily. I forgot I was carrying the poles which of course is a good thing.
So vas
t were these pockets that the flask slumped on its side in my left one making me look some what droopy. No problem running but a rather curious feeling nevertheless. (JoeJoe is wearing a size 3 and her front soft flask still keep in same spot during the whole 18K run, I reckon women's vest pocket is relatively smaller and so, less space for stuff inside move around). Its pretty clear that when extra capacity is needed there is a lot of space for addition equipment. It nicely bridges the gap between a Naked Running Band and a smaller, lightweight racing vest and at HKD769 a really light, cheap alternative. It comes in 12 sizes based on chest measurements and there is a specific men's and women's version available.
The weather is currently quite cool so it was not possible to see how it will feel if the weather is hot but given the material is the same as the Naked Running Belt I imagine it is minimum heat trapping compare to any backpack.
I can now imagine that without so much underneath and a slight reduction in my "winter insulation" I will be getting a slightly smaller size, perhaps a 7 because the tightness I felt during initial trying on, went away when running and I can see I could probably tighten up a little. All in all a fantastic bit of kit !!.
Check it our here bit.ly/NakedVestMens
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