Gear Review: FuelBelt Revenge R30 Review by Jim Clemens

Date: Thursday, December 13, 2012

Gear Review: FuelBelt Revenge R30 Review by Jim Clemens

Product: Revenge R30

Technology Information: The Revenge® Series from FuelBelt is touted as a breakthrough in hydration belt design given the one handed entry and exit. Instead of a “sleeve” for the bottles, the R30 sports molded holsters that hold on to the bottles preventing slipping and loose bottles. This new design allows for a super lightweight hydration belt. The R30 has 3 holsters and there is also a 2 holster version, the R20. Both the R20 and R30 come with one pocket but additional add-on pockets can also be purchased.

Pricing: $43.95 for an R30 from www.fuelbelt.com or locally at Fleet Feet Sports Huntsville

Impressions: After owning and liking a particular hydration belt for many years, the time had come to buy a new one. Upon investigating all options and looking at several models in running stores, the FuelBelt line of belts quickly rose to the top. The features I was most interested in were:

• Lightweight
• Tight fitting without having to cinch it so tight as to cut off circulation to my lower extremities
• Comfort
• Minimal amount of bouncing when filled
• Storage capacity for liquids and quantity of energy gels that could be carried

The R30 met each of my criteria so I decided to give it a whirl. I had some concerns about the custom fit belts that can be purchased (2 bottle and 4 bottle) so I went with the “one size fits all” Velcro belt. Let me say that I have never been as pleased with a hydration belt as I have with the R30! The bottles stay put in the belt with no bouncing yet they are easy to remove and to put back in even when running. The belt appears to be only lightly padded when looking at it but that is the beauty of keeping the belt lightweight – I can honestly say I have never had to “think about” the belt while running which is a great thing! The belt is extremely comfortable and once you have the belt adjusted to your liking, rarely do you need to re-adjust on the fly.

I chose the 3 bottle model which provides up to 21 ounces of fluids, enough for me for even my longest of long runs. The pocket carries up to 4 (tightly packed) energy gel packets which also are enough for me.

Suggestion: Many runners prefer the hand held bottles; however, if you are like me and prefer the hydration belts for your long runs, you definitely need to check out the FuelBelt line of products. Depending on how many energy gels, keys, and other items you want to carry in the belt, you might look into also purchasing an extra pocket which can be slid onto the belt.

Summary: FuelBelt is one of the leading providers of hydration belts and that will surely continue given their high-quality, lightweight, comfortable designs. The Revenge® R30 is the perfect belt for my medium length and long runs, providing all of the liquids and gels I need during even the hottest of summer days that Alabama has to offer while at the same time fitting so comfortably and being so light as to feel like I am not even wearing one.

Jim joined the Fleet Feet Racing Team of Huntsville in 2012 but started running when he was 9 years old. He a fantastic resume of personal bests, including a 2:38 marathon in 2003.  Along with his wife Elizabeth, they have two children Matthw and Rebekah and live in Madison, Alabama.  Jim earned two Bachelor's degrees from Bowling Green and his Master's degree in Science from Clemson.  His team biography can be found here.