As longer distance trail runners, we are very interested in hydration and how we can improve both hydration and fueling to make our runs more enjoyable and to be able to run longer or faster, or both if we’re having a good day!

For myself, I’ve had some runs and races where things get out of whack and I end up a bit nauseous or just don’t feel great…and that’s not a ton of fun.

I’m a solid middle of the pack runner, I’m not chasing the top 3, and I want to enjoy my runs, feel good while doing them, and get better over time.

I was pretty surprised to hear about wearable hydration sensors when listening to a podcast a few months back and started digging into the topic.

First I came across the Nix Biosensors hydration monitor system, but was put off by the use of one-time “pods” that you have to replace every time you use it. While not a huge cost, at $5 a pop at the lowest price, it would add up over time when added to the base cost of $129.

After looking around some more I came across hDrop and they happened to be taking orders for their Gen 2 system that had no single use parts – bingo!

If you’ve got questions about your hydration, wonder what your electrolyte loss might look like, and want to improve your hydration before, during, and after activities, then this might be the thing you’ve been looking for.

Use code HDROPFRIENDSADAMMOODY10 and get 10% off your hDrop Gen 2

As mentioned above, my favorites so far with the hDrop system are:

• Easy to set up and start using
• Helpful report post workout
• No recurring fees or parts needed

Video Review

Unboxing and Opening

The hDrop Gen 2 arrived in a fairly non-descript but tidy little package, and opening it up revealed a well put together box with the sensor, arm bands, instructions, and the little carry pouch.

Once I got the parts out of the mailer and box, it was time to put it together and get it working.

You can find the apps by scanning the QR code on the lid of the box. Get that downloaded and then follow their setup instructions – be sure to do this BEFORE you go for your first workout as you’ll need to create an account and login. This is difficult to do if you’re in the hills and don’t have reception. Ask me how I know.

Once you’ve got everything unpacked, you can select from one of two arm bands depending on the size of your upper arm.

A quick aside: the upper arm is where this device needs to be worn, as it’s been calibrated for that area. I was not aware of this, but it didn’t represent any special issues – just something to be aware of.

Using The hDrop Gen 2

Once I had it setup, I went out for a run, remembering to bring my phone along as it’s needed for recording the data.

This for me means I need either be heading out for a longer run and wearing a vest, or I need to wear something like a flip belt in order to record the data from the sensor while out for a run.

Depending on what activity you’re doing this might be trivial or a bit of a pain. Just don’t forget your phone and open up the app to start recording before you begin.

Post Workout Report From The hDrop Gen 2

After ending the workout via the app, you get a report with quite a bit of information. Of immediate interest to me, having never had a sweat test done, was my overall sweat rate and my electrolyte loss data. You can see what it looks like below; I found out that while I was sweating a “regular” amount, my electrolyte loss rates were very high and it recommended a hydration plan to keep me on track.

Quick note that data can also be exported in CSV and JSON formats.

Connecting Your Watch To The hDrop Gen 2

It turns out that you can connect your hDrop Gen 2 to a Garmin watch that has access to the Garmin app store. There’s a few big caveats to this…

• You need to find and install the app from the Garmin store onto your device. This isn’t too difficult using your phone.
• You’ll then start a workout on your phone, tap the gear icon, select “Connect to Garmin”
• Now you need to select the hDrop app from the Garmin activities and keep it open. If you exit this screen it stops the app.
• To reconnect the hDrop to your phone, you’ll need to exit the app on your Garmin device and on your phone select to reconnect with the phone.
• When you do this, your phone needs to have a data connection to upload the data.

Here’s what the helper screen shows in app:

To me, this means that you cannot run a Garmin activity app like running alongside the hDrop app. Perhaps you could start that first and then run the hDrop app, but you can’t leave the hDrop app or that will completely stop. For now, I’m not going to use the watch connection and will just use it on runs where I have my phone with me.

While asking hDrop support about another question I found out the following – big news and really excited to see this integrated:

Big Garmin update coming soon to see all data in real-time and get data directly on Garmin Connect.

Battery Life

The websites says that the Gen 2 has a 36 hour active battery life and I’ve used it for several runs before needing a recharge. I can’t confirm the battery life, but I’ve taken it out for single runs of several hours and had no issues.

It does lose charge as it just sits on your shelf, so be aware you might need to plug it in if you haven’t used it in a week and you want to use it on your Saturday long run.

Fortunately it has a USB C charging port, comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable, and charges up quickly.

The cover for the charging port isn’t especially snug and is not connected; I expect to lose it before too long – I would expect them to update this in the future.

Recording time

As of writing this, the longest time it can record for is 4 hours.

However, I was told by support that this will be extended to 12 hours in the coming months.

Maintenance

The kit comes with a few alcohol wipes that they suggest using after workouts. I’ve also used some isopropyl alcohol (91%) and a piece of paper towel to keep it clean from time to time.

Conclusions

Overall I’m very happy with the Gen 2 and have been using it regularly. With the coming updates to Garmin and activity length, it’s going to correct a couple of issues that were annoying but not deal breakers at the time I got the product and started using it.

It’s been easy to use, provided quick feedback, and the data is presented in an easy to understand manner with the ability to export in case you want to get nerdy with the data.

Click on images above to see full resolution.

Trail Description

This is an “easy” route in the sense that there’s no scrambling or technical stuff involved.

We saw people in everything from full-on hiking and backpacking gear (us), to people out for a day at the beach in street shoes and flip flops.

It’s fairly wide in most places which is nice, you’re able to pass people pretty easy going in both directions. There’s a few stretches of single track depending on vegetation growth and season.

Overall, pretty tame with some great views, especially right near the beginning and again as you approach the Wildcat campground.

Gear We Used

If Kit.co gear list cannot be seen just click here.

Who We Are

Bearded Goat Gear is an active lifestyle company with the goal of getting you outside with the right gear. Whether it is backpacking, trail running, cycling or even making your way down a body of water; Bearded Goat Gear provides you with all the information you need to get the right equipment for your adventures.

Whether it is clothing, accessories, or access to a new outdoor trip, Bearded Goat Gear focuses on providing you with the info you need to enrich your experience and keep your enthusiasm going – and hey, getting new gear is just fun

Our Decision

Definitely a yes. They are comfortable with a roomy toe box for people with a wider foot. This version of the Lone Peak shoe is great for walking, hiking, and running.

We did have a bit of an issue at first, but it was resolved quickly, and we were able to use it for a trail running shoe review after putting some miles on it, mostly walking and hiking. More on that later…

What Did We Like the Most?

The  purchase of these trail running shoes was actually a mistake. Not a great way to start a relationship with a new pair of shoes, right?

I had previously bought the Altra Lone Peak 4 (previous version of the Lone Peak) and had intended to keep them as a second pair for everyday use.

That said, I really loved the comfort level of the shoe and the grip of the soles. They have great traction on a lot of different terrain from gripping that rock you hop across, to dirt, mud, and everything else you might find on technical terrain or an easy walk in the park.

They’re also lightweight (in my book) with a mesh upper that lets the shoes breath a bit which is great for both hiking shoes and trail shoes.

What Did We Like the Least?

There is a bit of a breaking in period for the Altra Lone Peak 4.5 shoe. This may not apply to everyone, but a few people on Reddit (as well as our tester – yours truly!) have said that they did experience some problems with the Achilles heel area while wearing them. They said they solved the problem with a bit of moleskin and breaking them in for a few days to make them more comfortable. 

I definitely had this problem – the first time I wore them they rubbed right through and created a raw spot through a pair of Darn Tough socks. Bad start and nearly put them off me, but I went back and looked a little deeper at what people had said in various reviews.

So, I did the same and used some Moleskine and tried wearing them for walking after letting the blister / raw spot heal up. After that, I haven’t had any issues with or without Moleskine.

This was the only real issue I had using them. Once you get past the first few days they’re great.

Features

The Altra Lone Peak 4.5’s have probably got what you need, but here is a list of features:

• FootShape toe boxes allow the toes to relax

• Trailclaw outsole with Maxtrac rubber

• Thinner, softer, upper for increased flexibility

• Thicker midsole foam for added resiliency

• Velcro strip for gaiter attachment at the heel

• Easy lacing system with a ring for better adjustments

• Hook and loop tab near front for your gaiters

• Light weight: 10.5 oz

Real World Use & Testing

As with all products that we purchase, we test them under the same conditions that you might face. Here is what we found.

Performance

These shoes have been tested for the last few weeks (walking a few miles per day) on the roadways as well as the trails, and they perform great. They’re comfortable and there have been no problems other than the heel issue in the beginning. 

I got these at a great discount, so the minor issues in the beginning weren’t a deal breaker. This might have been different if they were full price and the heel issue couldn’t be fixed. 

They would have been returned and counted as a loss since most places won’t take shoes with blood on them (at least in my experience). I decided to keep them for this show review because they’re just as comfortable as the Lone Peak 4 now that I’ve gotten past the initial issue, in my opinion. 

It is funny how the wrong shoe turned out to be good because they are a great walking and hiking shoe if you can get past the first few days of breaking them in.

Any Issues?

Just the heel issue at first, but once you wear them a few times that seems to solve the problem.

I like how the shoes fit, feel, and perform and would recommend them.

The Altra Lone Peak 4.5 trail running shoes have a comfortable fit and perform just as well as their predecessor, the Lone Peak 4. The heel issue is temporary and can be solved with some cushioning and repeated use but be aware of this if you know you are prone to problems in this area.

Any Potential Issues We See?

Not really. Just be aware that they may take a day or two to break in for some (depending on where your Achilles tendon rests inside the shoe and how the “cup” of the heel portion of the shoes fits your body).

Not everyone has this problem. If you have had this issue in the past with other shoes you may want to avoid purchasing these, or pad the heel area with some extra cushioning for the first few days of using them.

Value

The price for the Altra Lone Peak 4.5’s is around $80 to $120, which is pretty normal price for shoes in this range.

With the heel issue I experienced I’m glad that I picked them up on sale, but otherwise I’m very happy with the price and value.

Notes

I’m sure this gets crazy in the summer, but even in early March with snow and some ice there were some human traffic jams due to the narrow trail and slippery trail in places. 

We recommend getting an early start so you can skip the big crowds and enjoy some quieter time at top or just move on to other trails and viewpoints.

Who We Are

Bearded Goat Gear is an active lifestyle company with the goal of getting you outside with the right gear. Whether it is backpacking, trail running, cycling or even making your way down a body of water; Bearded Goat Gear provides you with all the information you need to get the right equipment for your adventures.

Whether it is clothing, accessories, or access to a new outdoor trip, Bearded Goat Gear focuses on providing you with the info you need to enrich your experience and keep your enthusiasm going – and hey, getting new gear is just fun

Our Decision

The Black Diamond headlamp gets “two thumbs up.” It’s not exactly the same as the Nitecore, but it really is a good piece of equipment that deserves a good review. It’s easy to use, has several settings, the light is very bright (300 lumens) and it works well in any situation. It uses batteries,  instead of having a rechargeable pack, but it’s not a deal breaker and might be a “pro” depending on your particular use case.

What Did We Like the Most?

What we liked most about this Black Diamond headlamp was how quickly you can use it right out of the box. It’s a basic headlamp, of course, but for the most part it was easy to use and quickly became a favorite go-to piece of equipment. There is a little bit of a learning curve to it in the beginning, but once you’ve done it a few times you’ll get used to it and there shouldn’t be any issues after that.

We tested the black diamond headlamp for 4 months during hikes and camping trips to see well how it performed. It is waterproof for up to 30 minutes, so if you drop it or it falls in no more than 1 meter of water, it will survive as long as you can retrieve it within ½ an hour. It is very comfortable and has a wide band that’s easy to adjust. Great comfort factor on this one.

What Did We Like the Least?

Everything is done with one button. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that one button is easy to find when you’re trying to turn it on in the dark. It’s easy to find the button and turning it on is easy. The bad part about only having one button is that you may have to cycle through the settings more than once to find what you need.

It has a dimmer setting and you can cycle through the settings by holding down the button until you get to what you’re looking for. If you pass it, however, you’ll have to repeat the cycle. So you can see how that could be a pro and a con in this situation. 

In what situation or condition would we use or recommend this Black Diamond headlamp the most?

This lightweight headlamp is great for use in all types of situations where you need a portable source of light such as camping, backpacking, hiking, cave exploring, trail running and more. 

Features

The Black Diamond Spot 300 headlamp probably has what you need, but here is a list of features:

• Long battery life
• Lightweight headlamp (90.7 g with batteries)
• Includes a red strobe light (and non strobe red light)
• Water resistant up to 30 minutes
• Takes three AAA batteries.  (alkaline or NiMH)
• Bright light mode when you need it (300 lumens)
• A focused beam of light extends low to the ground
• Beam distance is 80 meters on high, and 16 meters on low

Real World Use & Testing

As with all products that we purchase, we test them under the same conditions that you might face. Here is what we found.

Performance

The Black Diamond headlamp has 50 hours of battery life on the highest setting and works great. Longer battery life on the low setting, which is great for emergencies and extended trips.

We really enjoyed using it once we got over the initial issues with figuring out the button cycles. 

We took it out during hikes and backpacking trips, and overnight camping trips. It was used frequently but was misplaced after the last outing and not found again for a few months. 

Since it takes batteries you just have to make sure to bring some extras, in case you run out.

Any Issues?

The only issues was figuring out how to use the settings and the one-button thing. It would have been nice to have separate buttons for some functions for more ease of use. It’s a pro and a con, and takes some getting used to. 

Any Potential Issues We See?

No, nothing other than the strangeness of the one-button functionality if you’re not familiar with it – but this is totally dependent on who’s using it and not really a limitation of the headlamp.

Value

The price for the Black Diamond Spot Headlamp is $39.00, which is a good price for a headlamp of this quality. The Nitecore headlamp was roughly the same price, so we felt that it was a good value for the money spent. . You can check the current price and purchase it here.

Who We Are

Bearded Goat Gear is an active lifestyle company with the goal of getting you outside with the right gear. Whether it is backpacking, trail running, cycling or even making your way down a body of water; Bearded Goat Gear provides you with all the information you need to get the right equipment for your adventures.

Whether it is clothing, accessories, or access to a new outdoor trip, Bearded Goat Gear focuses on providing you with the info you need to enrich your experience and keep your enthusiasm going – and hey, getting new gear is just fun

Our Decision

Before we get into the details of how we came to our “Yay” or “Nay” decision, we start by giving the Nitecore NU25 headlamp two big thumbs up. According to the experts at Active, seeing and being seen are the essential attributes. These and several other factors went into our evaluation. Here is what we liked and disliked about this product.

What Did We Like the Most?

Depending upon your activity, the weight of a headlamp can have varying importance. However, it is critical for a running headlamp or a backpacking headlamp, and the Nitecore NU25 scores high marks. Weighing in at less than an ounce, the Nitecore NU25 offers a powerful light source that you will hardly know you have on.

The head strap is ergonomically designed and is comfortable and secure in its hold. Also adding to the convenience is the rechargeable battery. So there is no need to worry about having to change batteries or it running out of life in the middle of an excursion. It comes with the charger included. The battery cover is on the “downward” side, and covered with a fit piece of rubber, so no big worries about moisture getting in.

Also, we like the thicker (width) headband for running – the ability to add a red blinker light like one of these from Amazon on the back.

What Did We Like the Least?

Every product on the market has some drawbacks. While the Nitecore NU25 is an exceptional lightweight headlamp, it did have some qualities that we think could be improved. 

First, the buttons take some figuring out. Since there’s only 2 buttons and several modes and different functions you’ll want to hang onto the little instruction manual that comes with it for a few weeks. 

We also found that touching any button after the light has been on after 3+ seconds will shut off the device. These types of devices work best when each button has specific functions and not all-encompassing features. Yet, this quirk is not a deal-breaker. With some experience and familiarity with the product, you will soon have all of the button technicalities under control.

Generally, I want to switch to another light mode and don’t mind pressing a button a couple times to turn it off…maybe that’s just me. It’s not a big deal but something to know about.

Features

The Nitecore NU25 headlamp has some great attributes. Here is a list of features.

• 360 lumens of primary white output’
• Four adjustable brightness settings
• 88-yard range
• 13-lumen red LED for night vision
• Excellent for photography, star gazing, map reading and hunting
• It contains a red caution emergency signaling mode
• Battery power level indicator
• Weight is only .99 ounces.

Real World Use & Testing

As with all products that we purchase, we test them under the same conditions that you might face. Here is what we found.

Performance

We put the Nitecore NU25 through its paces. First of all, we checked for its luminosity capabilities. On early dark morning runs, the 360 lumens of primary white output proved to be more than sufficient and I honestly don’t need that much light. The medium setting was more than enough for running on a sidewalk and through a neighborhood.

Its ability to angle, and adjustable brightness that could throw light up to 88 yards, kept everything visible and clear.

While taking it out for runs in the early morning it was cold, wet, and windy, and throughout, the product performed admirably. We also combined the device with a trucker hat that kept the rain out of our eyes and thanks to the ability to angle the light up or down at nearly ninety-degree angles it worked out very well.

Last but not least we recently did a quick one night backpack trip and got to test it overnight.

Our verdict? Same as with running; it’s lightweight, comfortable, and the red light worked well. The low setting was enough to see in total darkness for going to the bathroom or rooting around your pack while the high red light setting was…bright. Like, seriously one of the brightest red lights we’d seen. 

Any Issues?

There were no significant issues in our test. The headlamp performed wonderfully and stood up to challenging conditions with zero problems. The strap remained secure and could easily be adjusted to accommodate a trucker hat, beanie, or just about anything else.

Any Potential Issues We See?

The short answer is, no. Although the buttons could sometimes be awkward, there were no significant future issues that we could foresee. After perusing other reviews, we found only minimal issues that were easily solved and caused no future problems – part of why we grabbed this for ourselves.

Value

Safety and saving time is probably the best reason to have a good headlamp, and though you cannot put a price on it, the $36.95 cost (at time of review) for the Nitecore NU25 is well worth the money for us. You can check the current price and purchase it here.

These portable chairs are really actually fairly lightweight. I won’t get into those technical specifics because you can just look those up real quick but wanted to talk a little bit more about why we have it.

The Camp X chairs are really nice for camping in terms of car camping. You probably wouldn’t want to take it backpacking as it has a really solid frame, which is nice, but adds a little bit of weight, obviously.

• Available in multiple colors
• Compact and lightweight – for car camping
• Cup holder and extra gear holder with velcro

There is a water bottle or other drink holder / cup holder on the right hand side and another under the arm holder with velcro on the left hand side for some extra bits of gear.

We really liked the lightweight aspect of it in terms of car camping – it’s easy to pack up and store or carry a short distance with the heavy duty carrying bag and attached sling. You can see on the mesh, it’s nice that there’s not a lot of additional weight but it’s surprisingly solid when you sit on it. The stitching also appears to be really solid and should stand up to use for quite some time.

So far we’ve just taken them to the beach. We’re looking forward to taking these up into the mountains and a few different car camping trips, trail runs, and some other adventures.

The price is right too we might have gotten these on sale, I don’t recall exactly, but it was about $35 each and right now there’s no real downsides we’re seeing. I think the only thing that you should know is that these would not be backpacking chairs.

First off – it’s really easy to use.

I’m sure this is on purpose! It’s compact, obviously, and once you figure out how to turn it on and off (the “mode” button on the side) you’re ready to go.

We started recording some short clips right away (one of them is shown in the video above) and were impressed with the stabilization – we used no mounts and were holding it in our hands.

After coming home and installing the GoPro app, we were happy to find that the clips could by synced to our smartphone and the app would make a short feature of the clips that we could share if wanted.

This feature is awesome from my point of view – it overcomes one of the problems with using cameras that take a ton of high quality footage; dealing with the large files and spending time editing and uploading. So, right away we had a fun clip that we could share with friends if we wanted to. After that we could download the full resolution from the microSD card and do what we wanted. Win / win!

In the end, we’re glad that we FINALLY picked up a GoPro – the size is perfect for popping into a hydration vest and it doubles as a great photo and time lapse video/photo taker.

As you probably, know, there are tons of accessories for the GoPro cameras – they can basically be put on or in nearly anything!

If you’re looking for a compact, stabilized, easy to use camera, then I recommend this – there’s tons of ways to use them (in your hand, on a stand, in a tree, etc) and you can get a lot of mileage from them off the trail as well – if you have the money and want a great video camera that fits in your pocket, it’s a great choice!