I would like to thanks Camelbak and Robijns for putting this Camelbak Marathoner at my disposal to perform this test.
The idea of this article is to provide a brief test, concise and objective.
Camelbak Marathoner
The quality of this Camelbak Marathoner is great. Camelbak has created a hydration bag ready to endure long hours of training or racing.
Let's be clear, such a hydration bag only makes sense for runs over 1 hour or more. His favorite field will be races over two hours, such as marathons and trails.
Back panel
The Marathoner has a back pocket in mesh with an elastic strap. Ideal for storing a windbreaker and allow it to dry through the mesh. The access to the hydration pocket is very easy with two zippers.
The 2 liters reservoir opens with a quarter turn, quick and efficient. It can also be detach from the hydration tube with a quick release clip. Very convenient to separate the reservoir from the bag to while cleaning it.
A small zipper pocket behind the opening of hydration compartment and allows you to store your car keys. You can access to the adjustment of the straps by the back opening. The Marathoner can fit all body types.
Front panel
The hydration tube is attached on the right shoulder strap with two clips. You can either choose to use one or two clips when you don't want the tube to interfere, eg during rough or wooded Trail passes.
A storage pocket with elastic clamping is present on each strap. Both pockets are made to carry an extra water bottle and increase the capacity of the bag of one liter and a half.
This can be very useful for long autonomy trails.
On the right shoulder strap you have a small pocket for energy gels and on the left shoulder strap a sweat proof pocket to store your mobile phone. I would have liked it to be a bit bigger to accommodate an Smartphone. Dual sternum strap allows you to comfortably adjust the bag on your chest.
Carrying
The Marathoner is very comfortable and the body fit prevents the bag to bump around. Even fully loaded, it remains stable and comfortable.
As I said above, the Marathoner is built with solid materials to endure long runs and trails. The downside part may be that in hot weather it can feel a bit hot. But if I had to choose between a lighter and less solid bag and the Marathoner, my choice would be the Camelbak Marathoner without hesitation.
In conclusion
Camelbak presents his best selling hydration packs. A great product, well suited for long races on roads, trails and even ultra trails. Don't forget that Xavier Thevenard won the UTMB in 2015 with a Marathoner on his back ....
