Carrying things while running

March 22, 2007 8:47 AM

How to carry stuff while running...

I'd like to start running again. Unfortunately, recently I was diagnosed with chronic asthma and want to make sure I have my inhaler with me when I do run. The inhaler is much to big for the pocket in my running shorts.

I'm thinking of running home from work a few times a week (approx 3 miles) and so I'd also like to bring home my house keys, and maybe one or two other small items.

Sadly, a fanny pack incident in grade school has soured me to them nearly forever. Is there another good way of carrying stuff while running?

posted by dial-tone to health & fitness (19 comments total)

A Fuel Belt, especially if yo like to carry water. It might be too much like a fanny pack for you, but they're pretty great and they don't bounch around much. Of, A lot of athetic shirts, bike and multisport in particular, have a pocket or three at the small of the back. If the shirt's tight there shouldn't be too much bouncing.
posted by robinpME at 8:55 AM on March 22, 2007

How about a fuel belt? They're basically fanny pack-type things for runners that are way less dorky looking. I finally broke down and got one while training for a marathon, and I'm glad I did. I can pop my cell phone, keys, and a water bottle (or bottles, depending on how far I'm going) in it and just go. I have this one but something like this would work well for you too. And since it's "athletic" looking and not nearly as bulky as a fanny pack, it just kind of blends in with your running clothes.
posted by AV at 8:59 AM on March 22, 2007

Clearly this scarily approaches a fanny pack solution, but what about the Slant Pack from GoLite? You can carry water and your other small items. Be sure to look at their other similar packs if you don't want two waterbottles.

Oh, and the other alternative I can think of it to wear a CamelBak, with or without the hydration bladder inside. Without, all it is a small backpack that will hold tight to your body and won't jostle around if properly secured.
posted by ArcAm at 9:02 AM on March 22, 2007

ArcAm's CamelBak suggestion, or something like it, sounds like your best bet. A lightweight pack of some sort that you can wear tightly strapped so it's not jingling the whole time. Consider also if you'd need waterproofing—are you going to run on rainy days, or opt out?

Fanny packs look ridiculous, yes, even when they're rebranded—but it's worth considering that no one, anywhere, will actually care that you're wearing one when you're running home from work.
posted by cortex at 9:17 AM on March 22, 2007

I wear a watch when I run, and just tie my housekeys to that with a piece of string or ruber band. Maybe some kind of armband would accomodate The Things You Carried?
posted by Greg Nog at 9:22 AM on March 22, 2007

I have my keys on a keychain with a carbiner-type clip thing. When I run, I clip it onto the drawstring inside my shorts.

Actually, I used to do that, and they started to jingle around a bit too much down there. So I clipped them inside the leather case of my mp3 player, which I just carry in my hand the whole time anyway.
posted by drjimmy11 at 9:27 AM on March 22, 2007

A Camelbak's heavy, bulky and kind of overkill for a three miler. A Fuelbelt might work better-- get one with four bottle holsters and you can carry only one or two bottles while using the little pocket for your inhaler and keys.

I wore a waist-mounted Camelbak for my first marathon training season and it drove me INSANE. It wasn't stable, sloshed so much as to be embarassing, and made my shorts ride up. I like a Fuelbelt for tucking away gear I need to shed in the later miles of a run, like gloves or a headlamp. I like its versatility-- I've worn one in runs from 5 miles up to a full marathon. You can carry different kinds of fluid (some water, some sports drink) and strap a gel flask to it when you're doing really long distances. They're also so stable that you won't notice its there once you get over feeling like a tremendous dork wearing one in public.
posted by hollisimo at 9:33 AM on March 22, 2007

I received a North Face Waist Pack (warning, images of actual fanny packs on that page) for my birthday last year, since I am known to run longish distances. Honestly, it's more fanny-pack than the fuel belts, but looks a bit more outdoorsy. Plus, I already look pretty ridiculous when I run.

It's incredibly comfortable (I can vouch for up to 13 miles) and easy to adjust, both to various waists and various bottles. The main feature I like about it is that the pocket has elastic straps in it to keep stuff from jostling around, even keys. It holds my phone, inhaler, wallet, keys, pretty well. Nice and solid.

I had no idea until just now how expensive it had been, but it's one of the best gifts I've ever received. Based on how often I use it and how well it works, it's probably worth it.
posted by activitystory at 9:36 AM on March 22, 2007

Sometimes I carry a hand held water bottle like this one from Ultimate Direction. It's got a spot for keys or inhalers and ID. They have some other great products too.

I never bring keys with me. I tie a single house key into my shoelaces, or a car key if I'm away from home. I've seen racers simply tape their inhaler to their wrist.
posted by tumble at 9:37 AM on March 22, 2007

I wear running shorts with the cloth strings sewn into the elastic waistbands that you tie off (most running shorts I see have these. I thread one end through my key chain, tie the knot, and then drop the keys into the opening between the knot and the actual fabric of the shorts, and they usually sit nicely there for my whole run. Might work for an inhaler too, if you don't mind it getting sweaty.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:55 AM on March 22, 2007

Amphipod Micropack Land Sport.
posted by Morrigan at 10:06 AM on March 22, 2007

If you're just carrying an inhaler and keys, get one of those ipod armband things for an older ipod, it should all fit without much trouble.
posted by advicepig at 10:16 AM on March 22, 2007

I used to carry an asthma inhaler while running, and usually tucked it into the waistband or the key pocket on my shorts or tights. I don't recall ever losing it.

If that approach doesn't work for you... In hot weather when I need to carry water, I run with a minimalist hydration pack, which has enough storage for an inhaler. I find it to be much more comfortable than a Fuel Belt or other waist pack, with much less bouncing and chafing. I've talked to others who hate hydration packs, though, and find waist packs of some variety to be perfect. So before you buy one just to carry an inhaler, try each of the options. It seems to be very dependent on stride and personal preferences.
posted by genug at 10:19 AM on March 22, 2007

Wow, I was looking for a sports harness that parkour guys use but managed to find something even dorkier than a fannypack/bumbag.

Here is the item I was originally thinking of. It's called the urban tool. Here's a google image search result if you want to avoid the flash on the official site.

I think it's a cooler, less cumbersome and more elegant product than man of its competitors. I've never used one but it seems to be the standard in free running circles.

Here's a review.
posted by Telf at 10:32 AM on March 22, 2007

Whoa! I might have to retract my previous endorsement for the urban tool after watching this.
posted by Telf at 10:37 AM on March 22, 2007

They make inhaler holders that can clip to your keys or belt loops or whatever.
http://www.ezkeeper.net/Scripts/default.asp
posted by stormygrey at 10:59 AM on March 22, 2007

Yeah... you're gonna want some sort of water thing during summer, anyway. I wear a normal 32oz backpack-style camelbak during most of my runs and it never gave me any trouble whatsoever. I have a fancier 96oz version for anything above about 15 miles with pockets and whatnot, but most of the time, I just throw anything I need (cellphone, keyless entry, etc...) into a ziplock bag and tuck it down into the Camelbak with the bladder.

Tumble -- I'm also a big fan of the UD Waterbottle, but I've never had too much luck squeezing more than a key into that little carrying area. I will say this, though -- that's an awesome friggin' water bottle.
posted by ph00dz at 10:59 AM on March 22, 2007

I think when it comes to running, you just have to suck it up and look like a dork sometimes. I wore a neon orange fanny pack for my first marathon. Sigh, I can't even look at the pictures without cringing.

That said, I did use my camelbak pouch (fannypack shaped) to carry stuff on long runs. Good since it's adjustable. (But not for the marathon since it didn't match my neon orange shirt.)
posted by pyjammy at 12:44 PM on March 22, 2007

Micropack is definitely going to do the trick for me. Ordering it now. Thanks, Morrigan!
posted by ssnickerer at 9:06 AM on May 7, 2007