The Salomon Advanced Skin S-LAB Belt is Salomon's new ultra light running belt for spring/summer 2013
The Salomon Advanced Skin S-LAB Belt will be available very soon at Castleberg Outdoors and we've be given a sample to review. See below for more information on the Salomon Advanced Skin S-LAB Belt...
Our Review of the Salomon Advanced Skin S-LAB Belt:
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Front[/caption]
When your run takes you away from civilisation, but is relatively short or has frequent opportunities to access fuel, water and other supplies, it is not necessary to carry a full hydration pack. However, you may still want to be able to carrying your essentials while maintaining a fast and light feel. This is where the new Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt comes into its own. Designed to fulfil the needs of those heading out for shorter adventures or taking part in events with frequent aid stations the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt has the capacity to carry two small (200ml supplied) water bottles, as many gels as you would ever need along with other small items you may want/need to take such as a phone, music player, GPS or small jacket.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Back[/caption]
The belt is basically in two halves with two bottle holders on one side and six pockets, two of which are zipped on the other. The two halves are connected with Salomons unique snap clip closers, which are lighter than buckles and ensures the pack remains very secure once fastened, but also makes fastening and unfastening a little fiddly without practice! The split design means that the user can choose which way round to position the bottles and pockets depending on their requirements and personal preference. I also found that the pack could be easily rotated whilst on the move to enable easy access to what was required at the time.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Closeup[/caption]
When I was testing the belt, I only needed to use one of the bottle holders and rather than the 200ml bottle provided I slipped in a 300ml which fitted perfectly, with the elastic loop over the bottle neck ensuring it remained in place. It would be possible to fit 500ml bottles in the holders comfortably, thus increasing the fluid carrying capacity to 1 litre. When I only used one water bottle, the second bottle pocket then proved to be ideal for carrying a small windproof jacket, although if you need to use both holders for bottles, there are elastic loops positioned between the holders that a jacket could be secured through.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Side[/caption]
For such a small, simple looking belt, the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt has a large, well thought out pocket system. In total there are six pockets, two of which are zip closed making them ideal for valuables such as keys, money, phone etc. The lack of a pull on the zips means they are not easy to open on the move and as such are best for things you only need in emergencies or when stopped. On the front of the zipped pockets are two large, open pockets ideal for energy bars, a compass or items you may need to access easily. A very small jacket could be stowed in one of these pockets too. Finally there are two narrow, angled pockets at the edge of the belt which are perfect for holding energy gels which can be easily pulled out as and when needed.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"] S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Side[/caption]
The Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt is made with Salomons usual high attention to comfort and fit. Made using ‘Sensifit’ the belt fits really well, almost moulding to the unique contours of your body, it also means that as you breath, the pack moves with you and therefore doesn’t ever feel restrictive. The mesh-like construction also ensures the pack is highly breathable and I never felt too hot underneath it despite it being a close fit. This makes the pack very comfortable to run with, reducing bounce even when fully loaded. The adjustable waist straps offer sufficient flexibility to enable runners of all shapes and sizes to get a comfortable fit, although I found that when fully tightened the straps flapped around a little, but this was remedied by tucking them into the side gel pockets to keep them out of the way.Overall, the Salomon Advanced Skin S-Lab Belt fits the requirements for fast and light activities enabling the runner to be self-sufficient and safe. It is well designed and offers a surprising large carrying capacity and is very comfortable to wear.- Mary WilkinsonAside from working for Castleberg Outdoors, Mary runs for Team GB, Team Inov-8 and Bingley Harriers. She is a regular at many national and international fixtures and her many notable achievements include being a World and European Mountain Running gold medalist.Click this link to view Mary’s Website
S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Back[/caption]
S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Closeup[/caption]
S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Side[/caption]
S-LAB Advanced Skin Belt - Side[/caption]
