HARRIER Curbar 5L Review, For (Trail) Running - Best Budget Affordable Hydration Vest, Pros & Cons

[@rebeccaesterman3084]

Thank you, great review and super informative.

[@YuennyLam]

Thank you 😊 I still really like this vest for long runs and it's holding up really well!

[@Sandra-bq3vm]

Great review! I never used a hydration vest before. Not sure if they even had this when I first started running long runs 20 years ago. My husband and I used to carry hydration belts, but they were never very comfortable. These days, when I go for long runs around the neighborhood by myself, I just leave a gatorade bottle on the front porch and I just make a stop there and then continue running or I have my husband just carry a big bottle and I drink it when I need it. During races, I never carry any since they provide them every 3 miles or so. Good to see in youtube again. Today is the first day of my summer break, so I will be back running daily hopefully. :)

[@YuennyLam]

This vest is very handy for longer runs, but ideally I prefer to not wear one, because it gets really hot adding another layer during summer. I don't usually run back to where I live to hydrate. I've been using a handheld soft flask for a while and decided to upgrade to a vest, so I can carry other things like keys, tissues etc. A lot of races here always try to be environmentally friendly, so they always encourage runners to be self sufficient, i.e. less plastic bottles and even less paper cups, so I find that sometimes there aren't as many water stations as I would like there to be at races, so I think it's probably not a bad idea to bring my own water and have space for fuel. It must feel good to have a break. I know it's been a bit tough for you, so it would be nice to be able to relax a bit and spend time with Chloe. How is she now?

[@Sandra-bq3vm]

@@YuennyLam Now I think about it, I think they also don't have a lot of water stations for shorter races like 10k or under in US also. However, if the race is half marathon/marathon, they have plenty of hydrating stations as well as stations that give out energy gels. That vest does seem very handy when training for half or full marathons. I remember it was not easy training for a marathon when I did not carry water/gatorade and even when my husband carried some, we ended up running back to our car or even stoping by a convenience store to hydrate and then continue our run. Chloe is doing okay, I guess. I wish she was doing better. Thanks for asking. She has been having liver issues for the past couple of months so she throws up bile unless I feed her every 4-5 hours. It's been difficult since I can't sleep more than 5 hours at a time. The vet gave some medicine for her liver, but she did not do well on it. So, I am trying to do some research to figure out how to help her. Hopefully, I can find something that will help her. It's really scary thinking about her getting more sick... How are you and Ginger boy?

[@YuennyLam]

I guess it is the 10Ks that have limited water stations. I'll find out when I do my first half marathon, but the one I'm doing in particular is very environmentally friendly so I wouldn't be surprised if they limit water stations to reduce the use of paper cups. Some events have sponsors where we get free gels, but I probably wouldn't risk trying something new and bring my own. I think the vest is handy for training, just to carry water. For me it's mainly that reason and just somewhere to put my phone, keys and tissues. Although it's hot wearing a vest but it makes the runs more enjoyable. Poor Chloe. I'm sorry she's not doing great. It is so hard to figure out what could help them, especially when they can't communicate symptoms with you. I hope she feels better soon. You must be worried sick about her. Ginger boy Pepper is doing well. Still loving attention as always. I love him to bits and he definitely gets too many cuddles from me!

[@Sandra-bq3vm]

@@YuennyLam You are right, it probably isn't a good idea to try a new gel during a race. I usually carry about two with me. Put one in the zipper pocket in my running shorts and carry one. Glad that Ginger boy Pepper is doing well! It was nice seeing a glimpse of him in the video. I am crossing my fingers that I will find something that will help Chloe. I hate that our pets get old and they can't live forever with us.

[@YuennyLam]

I'm still figuring out gels and fuel in general for longer runs. Do you take fuel with you on half marathons or only full marathons? Pepper wants to get involved with everything I do and a lot of the times he just gets in the way, but he's still my little furry baby. I have my fingers and toes crossed for you and Chloe!

[@cai11tube]

Hi sister Yuenny, i wonder if this vest can act as both a cooling and hydration vest. Would love a longer term review after you have used it for awhile. Stay safe and cheerful always

[@YuennyLam]

I guess you can put ice packs in the vest but that would be a lot of weight to be carrying around and in the summer it would melt quite fast I'd imagine. I will certainly do another review after I've used it for a longer period of time 😊 Stay safe and cheerful also!

[@Jon-hb6gx]

I have the kinder 10L but cant wear it with wool tops for the reason you mentioned. Afforability is fine unless ots meaning i have to replace tops more frequently so, for 5L, youve convjnced me to get a Ultimate Direction or Salomom vest. Thanks!

[@YuennyLam]

After cutting off the end bits it seems a lot better now. No more damaging my tops. I like this vest but the front and side pockets are actually quite small, especially the openings, which is quite limited in what I can put in them. I'm looking into getting a Salomon with bigger and wider stretchy front pockets. Thanks for watching and hope your new vest (whichever you decide to get) works out for you 😊

[@Jon-hb6gx]

@@YuennyLam That's kind of you thanks! New sub by the way. Keep the great stuff coming mate 👍

[@YuennyLam]

@@Jon-hb6gx You're just as kind 😊 Thank you!

[@ScentNomad]

Very insightful review - would love to check this one out, unfortunately Harrier doesn't seem to deliver to the EU and I don't see anyone distributing their items here. Which is a pitty, because the Curbar checks a lot of boxes for me (including being able to tuck excess strap material away so nicely, that's actually solving one of the major things that keeps me from purchasing a hydration vest). Also agree that black & turquoise is a great colour combo. I'm using a running belt + soft flasks, which works great but limits the amount of hydration I can take with me quite a bit. Cheers from Berlin, great to see you keeping it up! Edit: I bet Harrier would love to have some feedback on the shirt grinding properties you mentioned so they can improve future models. Edit II: That's a super pretty cat. 🐱

[@YuennyLam]

Thank you for watching 😊 The Harrier vest is definitely really good for how much they cost. It's a real shame they don't ship internationally. They did at the start of the year, but I think they're experiencing some issues replenishing their stock, so a lot of items are current unavailable on their website. In the past they have shipped to the EU and even the US, but I think the demand is higher than what they can supply, so they're limiting to UK customers for the time being. I'm sure they will be able to ship internationally again in the future. The attention to detail with their products really is something to admire. I have a handheld pouch that I use with a soft flask but, as you've said with your belt, it limits you on how much water you can carry, hence investing in a vest. I have brought up the issue with Harrier. They've sent me some product to wash the vest in, hoping it will soften the material, but it turns out that that wasn't the issue, but something else entirely. I'm happy I figured it out in the end. My ginger boy Pepper is my little world. He likes to get involved with everything 😁 I could cut out the footage and re-film but there's no reason to really, if he wants to appear on camera 😄 Hope you're doing okay in the hot weather. My sister lives in Germany and she's been telling me about some of the hot temperatures over there 🥵 We've been lucky enough to have some really hot sunny weather here in the UK 🌞

[@ScentNomad]

@@YuennyLam I've read on their website that they have issues meeting the demand these days - until they solved that, I will keep them on my list. They also offer a pretty promising rain jacket (the „Exmoor“) which I've been considering for a while too. I agree, Harrier seems to spent a lot of attention to detail (as far as I can tell from the reviews I watched), which is exactly what I'm looking for. Their pricing is very nice too. There's absolutely no reason to remove any cat footage from your reviews. 🙂All cats are always welcome in my world. This week has been a bit cooler than the previous ones, so I was able to have some speedier runs, but your sister is very right - this will be a hot summer (up to 30°C next week and well over 20°C even in the late evenings). I used to struggle a lot with heat and even more so running in daylight when it's warm, but it's getting better with each year. I'm pretty much always running by feel, which is key when having to adapt to hot weather. I also enjoy being able to wear superlight and airy summer gear, which I'm always longing for all winter. 🙂

[@YuennyLam]

Have you heard of the Harrier brand in the past? I've seen the Exmoor jacket and they do waterproof trousers too which I'm interested in finding out more about. I'm experimenting trail running, so I'm on the lookout for breathable waterproofs. Do you have a cat or pets yourself? I love animals and definitely love cats 😊 There seem to be a lot of crazily hot summers in Germany in recent years. Temperatures go as high as 40C sometimes. I love the heat and wish we got more in this country. It does make running harder though, but I'd rather have nice weather. I usually run in the mornings before it gets too hot which helps a lot. Running by feel is really good. My pace has been slower at the moment because of the warmer temperatures but I don't want to push beyond my limits. Some runs I push too hard and either start to feel nauseous or a bit lightheaded, which is never a good thing. I push a sensible amount 😊

[@ScentNomad]

​@@YuennyLam Sure, there have been some reviews about Harrier gear on KZbin, for example by Run4Adenture and Fordy Runs, though I think it was on Wild Gingers channel where I saw their vests for the first time. They do have some reputation already. I've been living with cats all my life, the one I'm living with these days is called „Silla“ (named after the ancient Korean kingdom, she spent her first couple of years in a Korean family). I could write a book about her, but to make it short: she has a very strong personality and is just super lovely. 🙂I do love animals in general, it's just so very inspiring and interesting to interact with them. On my runs I ocasionally meet foxes, they're absolutely fantastic (and allow a fair bit of interaction too when they're in a good mood). Lowering the pace (and also distance if necessary) is absolutely wise during summer - it takes some time to learn how to cope with those kind of conditions, just as much as it takes time to learn how to deal with freezing temperatures and icy wind. It's actually an interesting process and I'm quite happy to see progress in that regard. And yeah, pushing a sensible amount sounds good. My approach is to ease into a run first for 10 or even 20 minutes before going into uptempo, letting the body get used to the different mode we want to put it in. Pushing too hard too soon makes me lose that connection to my body, while when I'm patient I know exactly when the right moment to switch gears is there 🙂 (And also how long I can push withouth crashing into a wall).

[@YuennyLam]

I've watched those videos too when I was researching into this vest. Silla sounds absolutely lovely. I could sit and watch my cat (or any other cat) all day long. They help me feel calm and just better in general. They do silly little things that make me laugh. The love of an animal towards you is like no other. It's unconditional and they love you back, as long as you love them and treat them well. Most humans aren't capable of something as simple as that. I've definitely had to shorten the distance on my runs due to the heat, but I'm still glad I went out even when I don't feel like it was a very productive workout. Being able to listen to your body and adapt accordingly is certainly something that needs to be practiced.

[@YosheaLux]

I use to run. This is awesome ❤

[@YuennyLam]

Thanks. What made you stop running if you don't mind me asking?

[@SmashingPistons]

I wonder if this sort of thing would work on the motorbike? Hmm...

[@YuennyLam]

Not sure it'll be very hard-wearing against whatever gets flicked up from the road. Most of the pockets are open as well, so probably not that safe for your items. But if you fancy trying it out on a ride, then let me know how that goes 😁

[@SmashingPistons]

@@YuennyLam I might just do that. 👍

[@YuennyLam]

@@SmashingPistons Certainly be interesting to find out 😊

[@SmashingPistons]

@@YuennyLam If nothing else, it's good KZbin footage! And mines be mostly a Rover of late.

[@YuennyLam]

@@SmashingPistons It would be interesting footage for sure.