INOV-8 Race Pro 10
When I came back from the Kalahari, I started to run home from work more often because it cut out travel time, which is dead time to me and meant that I would get home at a reasonable time and still be able to enjoy my evening. For this, I needed a smaller bag to run home with, but big enough to still be able to hold my clothes and shoes in. After a bit of research (mostly on Likeys) I came across the INOV-8 Race Pro 10.
What I was considering when researching for a bag was:
- Must have front pockets. On my way home id out my phone, iPod and travel card in here and in races i would need these for snacks, like nuts etc.
- I wanted the front straps to be light and flexible so they can mould easily to the front of my body
- I wanted a bag that the straps didn't meet the top of the bag at the sides, but shape the neck to meet in the middle (otherwise I find it doesn't sit well on my neck)
INOV-8 Race Pro 10 fit all of those considerations and more:
- It has a hydration pack
- The back of the bag has a nice ribbed structure which holds its structure in place
- It has 4 different zip compartments
- The main zip compartment on the front of the bag only opens to half way down the front of the bag, making it a much neater bag as it helps you pack everything inside it neatly
My only negative point is about the hydration pack. Although I had never used a hydration pack before buying this bag, I thought they would be easy to use. I struggled with it before and during my first race using this bag. Although, it is positioned well to keep the weight of the water low and equal across both sides, being at the bottom of the bag, where thanks to gravity, everything inside the main compartment also falls to, it means that if you have anything already in the bag it makes it very difficult to slide the pack into the bottom. I found this particularly difficult when wanting to fill it up at water stations and checkpoints when I was taking part in The Pilgrim Challenge. Too add to this, the opening/closing mechanism is extremely difficult to open and close. It opens at the side rather than a round hole with a rotating knob. This is probably to minimise the leakage of water, but I always had to ask for help when filling up with water because i physically couldn't slide the side fastener off on my own.
However, I am not overly fussed about the hydration pack because 1, I usually use front pack bottles anyway and 2-the rest of the bag is so good that it outweighs this one problem. All in all, it is a great bag, perfect for what I was looking for and great for ultra runs over a couple of days when you don't need to carry too much on you.