A Sports Dietitian Uses This Water Bottle and Running Vest to Stay Hydrated

Yeti’s stainless steel water bottles have been on the market for years, and they’ve remained Murnane’s choice for several years because she says the brand has a habit of building durable and high-quality products. 

“It's just a really good brand that's been around for a long time and their products are just good quality. They also keep things cold or they keep things warm,” she says. “So again, it's one of those products that gives you lots of different versatility to it. Instead of having to buy the coffee mug and the water bottle, it's just one thing.”

Their options range anywhere from 4 ounces to a half gallon, each with the same temperature control capabilities and multiple color options. Murnane has several different options in her kitchen.

“We have anywhere from like their tiny little shot glasses, or espresso cups, to the 42 ounce,” she says. 

The Yeti’s size options have also made it easier for Murnane to recommend specific water intake to her clients.

“If somebody is a numbers person too, like and I tell them how much water they need to be drinking, it's easy for me to say, ‘Okay, you're gonna have three of your Yeti cups instead of being like, You're gonna have fifty two ounces,’” she says. 

While the point of a reusable cup is to only have one, Murnane says having different sizes could make it easier to personalize your water intake based on your activity level.

“And so when you have a product that does come in so many different sizes, and people like to have their specific sizes for specific needs, okay, we're gonna have three of the yellow Yetis today,” she says. “Maybe it's a different day, maybe the heat is different today or you're at different elevations. So we wanna have four of the blue Yetis today.”

The cup’s durability is another huge plus for Murnane, who frequently goes camping with her husband. 

“We're big outdoors people,” she says. “So having things that are really durable is really important to us.”

For longer hikes or runs, Murnane recommends the CamelBak Running Vest. 

“CamelBak again has been around for a very long time. My family's always kind of used CamelBaks, and now I use the running one.”

Comfort plays a huge role in Murnane’s endorsement of the CamelBak vest. 

“It has lots of different strap adjustments, I would say. So that's one of the reasons why I really liked it,” she says. “It has different tightening straps so it can adjust to what I have in it to make it a little bit more comfortable.”

The vest’s variety is another reason. You can use it with a 1.5 liter bladder stored in the back, two water bottles stored in front pockets, or both. The bladder can be removed, allowing the vest to be used as a small backpack. 

“So I could put the water in the back if I wanted to, but because it also has pockets in the front, I can also get like the squeezable water bottles too and put it there and then just use the back for like snacks if I wanted to,” she says.

A common problem with hydration running vests is the water bladder can sometimes slosh, which can get annoying if you’re on a long hike.

“But there are different hacks that you can do with it to kind of get the air out to kind of help minimize that sloshing of it,” Murnane says. “The bladder itself by CamelBak, I feel like it’s one of the better ones, too. It doesn't leak on you.”

The vests are a great choice for those who go on long hikes or runners who want to stay hydrated on-the-go. 

“If you are somebody that is like running on trails and you don't necessarily have access to be able to refill it, it's really nice to be able to have that much water with you just in case,” Murnane adds. 

The price could detract some people, though Murnane points out that cheaper options come with less-than-stellar customer service. 

“And their customer service is also great too,” she says of CamelBak, “that if there are any problems with it, they're pretty good about just sending you a new one or helping you figure out a solution quickly. 

“If you're just getting a running vest from like Amazon or something, like you don't have that support also,” she adds. “So when you buy a product, you want to know I'm spending money and someone's gonna help me fix it if I'm having problems with it, instead of just having to rebuy a new one.”