I was fortunate enough to be given an Inov-8 Racepro 30 litre back pack a few weeks ago by the manufacturers.  I have got used to the OMM Classic that was kindly donated by Outdoor Warehouse, but thought that given there was time enough I would give the Inov-8 a go.  So for a few weeks before I managed to develop this atrial flutter, I put the OMM to one side and went with the Inov-8. The Inov-8 sems to be quite a popular bag amongst the runners in the MdS.  It is well put together looks good and has some great features.  Like the OMM you can carry water onboard with a hydration system.  The OMM fits a standard camelbak bag that sits just behind the Duo Mat.  The Inov-8 system has its own unique hydration system that sits low on the back with a couple of "wings" that slide into the waist section and behind the small side pockets. The use of hydration systems for long races like the MdS is not generally thought to be a good idea by the ultra runners who subscribe to the forums - it is hard to know how much water you have left, you need another system (ie bottles) to compliment it if you are using rehydration tablets, and you generally have to unpack the pack to fill the thing up - not ideal in the desert.  However, the Racepro Hydration system seemed on the face of it to be slightly easier - so I thought I would give it a go. First day out and I tried to fill the bladder while it was already loaded - yes I could, just, but water went everywhere and it was a lot easier and quicker to take the bladder out. 

The opening of the bladder is an easy sliding clamp system and the filling hole is a good size.  Make sure that you slide the clamp fully across though when you close it, otherwise it will leak.  I then tried to put the bladder in while the pack was full - no problem there either once you had fed the “wings” in, so it seems to be a good design.  Running with the bladder was comfortable and the low position of the bladder lowers the weight and balance of the pack holding it very steady.  So far so good; weight distribution and comfort are important. The pack has a thin but dense and heavy piece of foam in a slot to protect the spine.  If you are the sawn off toothbrush club then replacing it with some cheap sleeping mat foam reduced the weight by about 60 grams and made little difference to comfort.  However if you are not “gram pinching” I wouldn’t bother as it seems to be quite good and substantial. Onto the construction and initially I found the shoulder straps slightly slightly loose on me.  It was a different feel to the OMM Classic and was almost as if they were further apart across the torso.  Not being blessed with a body builders chest and shoulders, when I turned to look over my shoulder one side (generally the one to the side I turned) would fall off and the pack suddenly came loose and started swinging around!  It was easily resolved either by not looking over my shoulder (not good when running around roads!) or by tightening the chest strap, but as someone who prefers this lose it was not ideal for me.  I found the chest buckle got slacker over time – not measured – and I had to keep tightening it.  Having said that, I got used to it after a few runs, so might have been me getting irritated by something I wasn’t used to. In spite of these couple of little gripes, as a pack for running this really did fit the bill.  Once I got use to the “feel” of it having used the OMM, I was happy putting on the miles.  It has plenty of space, side waist pockets to stuff things into and generally feels really comfy, moulding to the body as you go.  A couple of other issues - I found the zip pockets, which have a kind of closed “sand restricting” design, quite difficult to open with one hand.  It was easier when the bladder was empty, but when fully loaded with water I had to swing the whole pack sideways to get to it. 

The space in the pockets is quite limited as well, particularly when the bladder is full.  Not a show stopper though.  There is a mesh covering the sides that you can stuff odds and sods into and a roomy top pocket. In addition to the on-board water I was also given also had one of the shoulder holster water bottles.  Now, I have to come clean at this point and say that I don’t like these things flapping around in my face at the best of times.  Unfortunately this one was no exception.  I think I lasted about a mile before the irritation wore me down and I had to unload the bottle carrier and stuff it inside the pack.  It just moves around just that little bit too much, and the securing system of the holder is almost too good; there is no way the bottle is going to fall out, but it also took a bit too much effort to haul it out.  I think I wanted something that slid out easily, but the wire system holding it in meant it needed a real tug and more often than not 2 hands.  That said, you have remember that these shoulder bottles are not my thing - if you like them and are used to them then the chances are that you will love these, I did not really give them that much of a chance because of the annoyance of having them swinging around.  Maybe something to try at a later date.  My final point on this, is that if you want a mix of hydration drinks, like Nuun and water, you will need bottles as well. So here then is the rub.  Do I take the Inov-8 Racepro 30 to the MdS.  From the point of view of comfort and running and capacity then yes.  It has plenty of space, is comfortable, lightweight and does everything you want a running pack to do.  However, from a logistics point of view I am going to say no, I am not going to take it.  

The main reason is just the water issue.  During training in the Sinai I did some warm weather calculations on the amount of fluid I used.  Nothing scientific - it was pretty simple - I drank when I felt like drinking and in the heat, you had to.  I found that I was getting through around 1.8 litres for every 10 miles or just under 2 hours.  About a litre an hour.  Which means that I would have to fill the hydration pack at every checkpoint.  This in itself would not be a major problem as I could cope with the taking out of the bladder, which was quite quick, although not as quick as filling bottles, and easy.  However the concept of not knowing how much I had left in the bladder was something that I reckon I would find a bit annoying.  With a bottle system I could quickly check how much I had left and if necessary ration myself as I neared a checkpoint.  Yes, I would inevitably take some spare and not limit myself to 2 litres, but this would mean taking off the pack and getting out another bottle and then refill the bladder.  (As I said, the shoulder bottle carriers just don't fire my rockets, and there is nowhere else to put water except in the stretch webbing at the back or inside the pack.)  The other issue that is often raised is hygiene – how do you keep the bladder fit for drinking over 7 days?  I kind of like having a couple of side holsters that take water or anything else I want to throw into them.  In Snowdon I really wished I had chucked in a flask of hot coffee! Another reason I might opt for the OMM in preference is because of the compatible front pouch.  Inov-8 do not have a front pouch system to compliment the pack (as far as I know), although they do have shoulder pouches that fit in a similar way to the water carriers.  I did not try this option but imagine it might bring out the same emotions as the water carrier.  The chances are that I will not use a front pouch as my admin for long distance runs seems to be sorted and I shouldn't need it.  However, having that option is a bonus - and guess what - you can stick another 600 ml water bottle in it, as well as food, camera and a route map. 

If I was to try and summarize, I would say that I really, really like the Racepro 30.  The Inov-8 pack is without a doubt a fantastic lightweight back pack, well made, well thought out and the hydration system works a treat if all you need is 2 litres.  For a short race, for fast trekking in the hills, or just going out for the day for a stroll with something light and big enough to take all your gear, this would fit the bill.  The levels of comfort are superb and it is clearly robust enough to last.  For long distances and especially desert runs where you are going to need a lot more fluid then you will need to have some other water carrying option; if you like shoulder bottles then you are onto a winner – if you don’t, then I am not sure what you would do.