One of my first Ultimate Direction pieces was the "Wasp" a small hydration pack with ample storage AND the ability to carry a bottle horizontally in a sleeve attached to the pack. It is still one of my favorites. These days my runs are a bit shorter and do not require me to take a lot of extra "stuff" and to be honest, sometimes I just want to wear a belt. My biggest beef are belts that have buckles. Don't like them never have. I like the versatility of velcro for the fit. Enter into the belt arena: "The JUREK ENDURE" by Ultimate Direction.
Here are the key features:
1) Two wide mouth bottles of (400 ml or 13 oz.) anatomically formed for the hand with 2 pull tops THAT do not have to be pushed back down to seal!! A simple squeeze with a slight bite and bam! water! AND they DO NOT LEAK. They fit in holsters that have draw tight cords for more security.
2) A nice thin waist strap feeds through one end of the pack and folds back over on itself. This allows for a variety of adjustments and the fit is snug and not bouncy.
3) There are two pockets between the bottle holster. The one that zips will hold my Samsung Galaxy phone. It is also a handy spot for license, tp, lip balm, bars or gels etc. The second pocket is a stretchable fabric that expands to hold more morsels or gloves, hat etc. I have stuffed a Patagonia Houdini into it! With the draw string tight everything is snug and secure and in a nice spot for carrying between the bottles.
4) There is reflective material on the holsters and on the waist strap itself for additional safety features.
5) Ultimate uses a MonoRip Mesh which is highly breathable, doesn't soak up your sweat, is non-stretch, and hydrophobic (doesn't stink!). Abrasion resistance Sinylon completes its toughness. The spandex-enhanced stretch woven material is on the pocket that expands. Looks cool too.
My take? With the incredible snug fit and no-bounce feel I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing this belt and have yet to experience chafing that typically comes with belts. The weight is just under 8 oz. with the bottles, pretty amazing. It allows me just enough fluids and storage for a couple of hours and also has the versatility of adding larger capacity bottles to stay out a bit longer.
For me the Endure is the best belt yet!
