An Honest Review of the Aonijie Hydration Vest (my favorite)
Aonijie Running Water Vest Review
I hate carrying water. I hate to hold it in my hand and none of the belts seem to fit right. They also usually leak and get my shorts all wet. During the summertime, I’m dripping with sweat so it doesn’t really matter if more water gets on me however I would like to drink that water instead of it mixing with my sweat.
I was hesitant to buy a vest. I hadn’t ever worn one and didn’t want to spend $100 plus on something I might hate to wear. I did a little searching on Amazon and found the Aonijie Hydration Vest and decided to pull the trigger on it. It felt like a good trial vest.
Get the vest here: Amazon
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Benefits of a Hydration Vest
There are a lot of benefits of running with a hydration vest over a belt or handheld. First of all, not different from the other options is that it holds water and helps you stay hydrated.
Here in Kansas, where I am, it gets really really humid in the summers. Add that on top of the heat that we get and you need water for anything over 50 feet. Okay maybe not that drastic here but seriously, you need a way to hydrate when you are in humid hot weather. This is why carrying water some way is so important.
Another huge perk of a vest over other hydration systems? Storage. If you put too much in one of those handheld things it is just plain awkward and put it on a belt you will have major slippage. However, in a vest you can store quite a bit of stuff without really noticing it since the weight distribution is over a large area.
Back to the hydration aspect of a running vest. If you decide to wear it for your race day as well you will be able to better time your hydration and practice your strategy prior to the race. You won’t have to rely on the race organizers to determine when you will fuel and hydrate.
My final reason for preferring a hydration system during a race like a half marathon or full marathon is the environmental impact it can have. If everyone carried their own water think about the number of cups that wouldn’t be used for each race.
Tips for Running with the Aonijie Hydration Vest
These tips aren’t specific to this exact running pack but they are helpful to know to have the best experience with your new pack.
Lube: Your skin is not going to be used to the friction/pressure in these new areas for a while so do some preventative maintenance before heading out.
Fit: Make sure you pack fits correctly.
— Adjust the straps around with your pack fully loaded. They wear and move differently loaded vs unloaded.
— Things should be snug so you don’t have a lot of excessive bouncing going on while you run. That will get annoying real fast and cause increased chaffing.
Remove Air: After you have filled your hydration bladder up with water make sure you remove any excess air in the bladder. That way it doesn’t slosh around as much when you are running.
Aonijie Hydration Pack Options
The thing I love about this water vest for runners is the versatility. You can get it with a 2L bladder with a bite valve hose. OR you can use the bladder area for storage and get two smaller bladders that are more like a water bottle and put them in the front pockets.
I have the bladder because on a summer long run, even with starting at 6 am or earlier, I will go through most of the water in the 2L bladder.
I sweat, a lot, when it is humid out. Therefore, I need a lot of water to hydrate.
But, what is great about these options is that you can get both the bladder and one or two of the bottles and then have water in your bladder and whatever electrolyte drink you use in the bottle. That way you can have both on the run!
Final Thoughts on Aonijie Hydration Vest Review
If you notice and head to the links that I provided you will see that the brand is called azarkis on the amazon page. It still says aonijie on the product though!
I love using this hydration pack for half marathon training and hiking. It has been such a good investment to figure out if I liked this style or not.
Bonus for me was not splurging $100+ on something I might hate. Next up I might upgrade to Nathan or Ospery but not until I completely wear this one out and so far I’ve had it for over a year! It is still going strong with lots of use!
Aonijie Running Vest on Amazon
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Review of Aonijie Hydration Vest
Dr. Abby Siler, PT, DPT is a Physical Therapist with 10 years of experience in a variety of settings. She has spent the majority of her time treating athletes in orthopedic clinics and worker’s compensation cases. She is a runner herself for the past 15 years and a lifelong athlete. Dr. Abby loves to teach runners how to stay injury free and out of her clinic.
