Nathan Elite 2V Plus Hydration Waist (hip) Belt

Nathan 2V Elite shown with our own 24 oz bottles

Some runners prefer to carry their hydration in bottles.  They believe bottles are easier to fill, easier to keep clean, and easier to monitor how much they are drinking.  The problem is finding the means to carry enough liquid for the long haul...

Carrying large amounts of liquid is never completely convenient.  So finding something that distracts as little as possible while carrying as much as possible, usually results in a compromise between the two.  While searching the Internet looking for a dual bottle system, we stumbled upon a product that has been around for several years, the Nathan Elite 2V Plus.  The Elite 2V is a hydration waist belt that we decided was worth giving a try.  We were not disappointed.  Not everyone cares for hydration belts, but we believe the trick to using them is finding the proper position on your anatomy where the belt will sit and not move.

Materials and Stability

Out of the box the first thing that impressed us was the materials, overall quality, and workmanship.  The Elite 2V is built to take a beating.  Weighing in at 16.8 oz the Elite 2V cannot be considered ultra-light weight, but once we had it on, the weight factor was completely forgotten.  Extremely comfortable when worn on the hips, the moisture wicking padded holsters quickly settled into place, and 5 minutes down the trail on our first run, we almost forgot we had it on.  We did however switch out the 22 oz bottles provided with two ‘filled to the brim’ 24 oz bottles.   Load stability is the best we have experienced with a hip belt.   

Now for the downside: Having had enough problems in the past with Nathan Quick Clip bottle lids, we didn’t bother using them.  The problem lies with the valve piece that is stamped into the lid which over time  will either leak, as they all have, or just decide to part ways at an inconvenient time as one did a few years ago during a long run in Red Rock Canyon west of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Being the engineer Bart is, he attempted to repair the lids with various glues and adhesives, but to no avail.  Our recommendation is to scrap the ‘quick clip’ bottles and replace them with any of the other standard hydration bottles on the market.

Adjustment Capability

The Elite 2V is a one size fits all hydration belt.  As such, runners or hikers with extremely narrow waist and hips may discover that the bottles wrap around the hips a bit too far for their liking.  Bart has a size 32 waist, and the Elite 2V fits perfectly.  Adjustment is made at the buckle and the excess belt webbing is held nicely in place behind the dual power stretch pockets described below.  This is a very nice feature; no floppy belt ends.

no floppy belt ends...

Storage Capacity

Along with the dual bottle carrying capacity are the two removable Power Stretch Mesh Pockets.  It was amazing how much we could stuff into these and still find it again while on the run.  As mentioned they are easily removed when not needed and with the Velcro fastening device, they will fit onto almost any belt on the market.  The rear pocket will easily accept a Patagonia Houdini jacket, and the belt also comes equipped with two shock cords with single pull tension locks to keep other items (gloves, cap, etc.) under control and in place until you need them.

Side view of belt with our own replacement bottle...

power mesh stretch pocket...

Conclusion

We have used the Elite 2V Plus on several 20 mile plus runs, and we are extremely happy with it.  No material or stitching failures have occurred and still looks brand new especially after Shadow (our canine running companion) was kind enough to lick a gel spill off the belt. 

We and Shadow highly recommend the Nathan 2V Elite Hydration Belt.   It is comfortable, nicely designed and extremely well made. 

The Elite 2V Plus is available at amazon.com

Now, let’s get out and run...