This is a review of '
The Rig' by Geigerrig, which I purchased at Costco.
Introduction
My prior experience with personal hydration products has revolved around various iterations of the Nathan hydration belts (I have the
Speed 2R Auto-cant,
Speed 4R, and the two bottle
Elite 2V Plus). I frequently use these when going on either a longer training run or when I just want additional hydration during a race. Generally, I use the Speed 2R Auto-cant to carry additional fluid during a trail race, the Speed 4R for training half-marathons, and the Elite 2V Plus for training trail runs. My comparisons will be relative to those.
Pros
Because their capacity is similar, I was expecting The Rig to be roughly comparable to the Nathan Elite 2V Plus. As this review will show, I think that they occupy similar places in the trail runner's gear set.
There are a few noticeable benefits of The Rig relative to the Elite 2V Plus. Most importantly, I do not experience the same lower-back chafing that I do with the Elite 2V Plus. Alone, this is enough for me to switch for trail running. The other major improvement is that it does a much better job of keeping your phone and snacks dry (read not-sweaty) than any of the fuel belts.
Cons
Again relative to the Elite 2V plus, the rig has only one major drawback. It takes more time to get water from a tube than from a plastic squeeze bottle. This may not seem like a major limitation, but when you're trying to stay hydrated and breathing hard it gets old fast. Because of this problem, would suggest considering The Rig mainly for events where you are more concerned with completion than speed.
Comparison with the 'Speed' series
Speaking of speed, I do not feel that The Rig is appropriate for faster events. Mainly because, like the Elite 2V Plus, it slows me down significantly relative to not wearing a personal hydration device or either of the belts in Nathan's Speed series. Additionally, it takes some time (about a mile) to get The Rig to fit correctly and not bounce at a faster pace.
Punchline
Overall, I suggest that The Rig is superior to the Nathan Elite 2V, because they hold similar amounts of fluid, The Rig doesn't chafe, and The Rig keeps your snacks and phone from getting sweaty. However, both are still mainly appropriate for a longer trail run or hike where the increased fluid capacity is important for completion rather than speed. For race conditions, or when training in an area with many water sources, the Nathan Speed series is both more convenient and will not slow you down as much.
