Backpack Running

As a young teen runner, I used to strap on a backpack and run from my parents' house to the local comic store. It as something like 4km away. Through major roads and shopping malls and suburbia, it was a great foundation for my later running life. Also, I loved buying my stack of comics, loading up, running home to recover and read. Those two R&R still go on today.

When you’re making a purchasing decision, you can’t go too far wrong as long as you follow these three key tips:

1. Get a backpack with waist and chest straps

This is the single most important factor in buying a backpack for run commuting. With just the usual pair of arm straps, the bag will jiggle up, down, left, right, back, forth – all over the place. It’s not nice. But if you buy a back with waist straps and chest straps, and all of a sudden the bag begins to hold steady! A set of adjustable straps to keep the bag firm will give you a chance to focus on your run (not just your balance!).

2. Get a light pack

Any bag is going to add weight – and therefore difficulty – to your run. When run commuting it’s almost inevitable that you’ll need to take something with you, even if just a spare pair of underwear and your lunch, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying to minimise the weight you carry. If you can cut down your load, you can buy a smaller backpack – one which is in itself lighter, easier to secure, and better for your back!

3. Get a breathable bag

If you’re anything like me, you’re going to sweat while you run to work – even if only in the summer. But the build-up of sweat, and the horrible feeling of being sweaty, can be reduced by picking a bag with breathable back and breathable fabric. That can keep the backpack drier, keep your skin and clothes drier, and lead to a far more pleasant (and less chafing) experience

 

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