Menu

Accessories for your Backcountry Runs


We’re lucky in the Pacific Northwest to be near plentiful water sources on so many good adventures. Whether it’s alpine lakes, waterfalls, creeks, or rivers, I can usually get away with just carrying all the water I’ll need on an outing – or, ideally, less than I need with a filter. The MSR TrailShot™ Pocket-Sized Water Filter is a good option to throw in the bottom of your pack for those “just in case” days.

Untitled

It’s lightweight (just 5 ounces) and easy to use. Just hold it in your hand, place the hose end into the water source and one-hand squeeze the TrailShot to drink straight from the top (or fill your bottles / bladders).

Untitled

I found it took just over a minute to fill approximately a liter (as they claimed it would) so you’re not spending a ton of time waiting on a gravity filter or purification tablets. It also doesn’t require even a full body of water, as the small tube did an admirable job for even some smaller water spots.

According to the info from MSR, the filter uses “hollow-fiber technology” that will effectively remove common backcountry bacteria and lasts for about 2,000 liters.

MSR

Facebook | Instagram
Products & Price:

One of my favorite race memories is crossing the finish line, being ushered into a tent where my post-race clothes were, getting undressed, and then being told the showers were across the picnic area. I had a beach towel with me, but walking through the food area wearing only a towel was…an experience.

I recently got a PackTowel and think back on that finish line moment with a “well this would have been handy”. The PackTowl is a microfiber towel but folds up infinitely smaller than a behemoth beach towel. A regular sized PackTowl folds up and takes up a fraction of the space and is relatively light weight. It claims to be able to soak up to 5x its weight in water, with the ability to wring out and dry much faster than cotton options.Untitled

Luckily I haven’t had to confirm that, but it does dry well and washes nicely. I also love a towel in my car for a post-run wipe off, putting down on my seat to keep the moisture / mud off my seats, or for wrapping up gross clothes or shoes and throwing it all in the washer together. Additionally, it’ll be in my backpacking pack for those alpine lake soaks for next summer, for sure.

 

Untitled

Though I’m not a ‘shower at the gym’ person and typically just run around as a dirtbag, a fellow Run Oregon blogger has a PackTowel to use at the gym and also touts it’s fast drying time, portability, and the corner loop for hanging on hooks in the locker room to make sure it’s secure / avoiding falling onto the slimy wet floors.

PackTowl

Facebook | Instagram
Products & Price:

Thank you to MSR & PackTowl for providing us with samples. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
About Author

Bobi Jo has lived all over the midwest but moved to Portland in 2007 and now calls it home. She started casually running in 2012 and trained up for the "Run Like A Mother" 5k as her first proper event. She got a taste of the runner's high and is now a veteran ultrarunner. While running is her favorite sport, she is a "Jill of all trades, master of none" - her other hobbies include rock climbing, hiking, skiing, mountain biking, snowshoeing, and traveling the world. On her elusive rest days, she is an avid bookworm and a Green Bay Packers fan.

%d