5 Tips for Smart and Safe Winter Running

November marks the season of change – changing weather, changing light conditions and ever changing training schedules. As a runner, it's as important as ever to make sure that you are safe and visible out on the pavement and trail. So in honor of November being Run Safety Month, here's a list of five essential winter run tips (and a few gear suggestions) that will help keep you running smart and safe all season. 

Be Bright and Visible: It’s winter. That means less light and a lot more dark. Scarcity of sunlight doesn’t have to stop you from running, but it does mean that you need to take certain precautions to stay safe. Being seen is the first step to running in the dark safely. Running with high-visibility apparel and accessories can make all the difference. The High-Visibility Line from New Balance is a perfect starting point. From the High-Visibility Beacon Jacket featuring three levels of visibility details, to the Impact Tights, this apparel line-up ensures that you’ll be bright and visible from head to toe.  

Be Smart, Alert and Aware: Admittedly, your gumption and willingness to continue tackling mileage despite the elements that stand before you is admirable. However, as you do so, run in a group or with a partner whenever possible. There is safety in numbers, and cars will more easily see a group of reflective runners. Not a group running person? Make sure that you that you practice these important tips so you can safely enjoy your solitary strolls. 

Running with Identification: Always wear an ID, and bring a cell phone in case of emergency. Running with an identification bracelet like RoadID offers a smart way to communicate emergency contacts and information about severe allergies or other chronic conditions. Leave a note at home with the route you are taking or consider using a free phone application such as Glypmse which allows your family and friends to track where you are on the run. 

Get a Grip: For those who refuse to spend their winter indoors on the dreadmill, it’s important that Mother Nature remains a small inconvenience, not a month long injury from taking a dive on the pavement. Products like Goat Head Sole Spikes™ or a lightweight crampon such as the FreeSteps6 from Hillsound easily enhance your favorite training shoe by adding traction to tackle snow packed trails or icy city pavements without sacrificing the comfort and stability of your favorite training shoe. 

By utilizing high-quality stainless steel chains and spikes,the redesigned FreeSteps6 offers durable, ultra-light traction performance to those needing a simple anti-slip aid during the cold winter days. For those seeking a more customized approach that reflects both running style and local terrain, the carefully designed Sole Spikes™ screw directly into the soles of your shoe to provide the traction you need. If you decide to remove the spikes later, the small gauge of the tip means that the impact to the sole isn’t much more than if you stepped on a goat head thorn. 

Stay Hydrated: With no visible evidence that you are sweating, it’s easy to forget about hydration when you’re running on colder days. Cold air also has a drying effect, which can increase the risk of dehydration. So be sure to carry hydration with you on runs that go longer than an hour. Take time to drink fluids before, during, and after your run. 

Bottom Line… 
 Running in cold weather can help shake those winter blues, boost your energy level, and keep you fit and healthy. Run safe and run smart this winter and don’t forget to be flexible about your training. Old Man Winter can be fickle and unpredictable. Don’t push it. Sometimes waiting a day to get in your workout can be the difference between a season of consistent and healthy training and a slew of injuries that lasts until spring.

5 Water Filters For Life On The Go

Approximately 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water.  Unfortunately only 2.5 percent of it is fresh. Even then, just one percent of our freshwater is easily accessible, with much of it trapped in glaciers and snowfields. For those who regularly venture away from a reliable water source, particularly in dry and arid climates, this can pose a serious problem because water isn’t a convenience, it’s a necessity.

Water Treatment for the Trail

Whether you’re heading out for a simple trail run or making an extended trek into the back country, ensuring that you have the proper tools at your disposal - particularly when it comes to water filtration - will save you, or someone you know from a potentially dire situation. Yet, to carry sufficient clean water while on the trail has always been a weighty problem.

First on the market were the easily portable water filtration tablets – but choking down iodine flavored water always felt more like a punishment than solution. As technology advanced other purification methods were introduced, and while these iodine alternatives worked efficiently, they often demanded valuable space, time and weight. Today, the methods for ensuring you have clean water to drink in the backcountry are lighter, faster, and easier than ever before.

With a multitude of effective strategies and treatment options available, there is never an excuse to hit the trail without a treatment option on hand. Yet the extensive number of choices available can also make picking the right solution difficult. As such, I have composed a list of five water treatment options that I personally use and rely upon in the field. Each of these options transform random water sources into thirst-quenching satisfaction. Even better, they won't weigh you down or take up valuable pack space making them a perfect option for trail runners, hikers and backpackers alike.

Vapur MicroFilter

The Vapur MicroFilter takes everything we love about the Vapur anti-bottle, and adds in a filter that crushes 99.9999% of nasty bacteria and gut-wrenching protozoa from tainted water sources. Capable of purifying up to 500 liters of water, this advanced ultra membrane is comprised of 60 meters of hollow fiber membranes packed into a singular compact casing.
While designed to pair with the anti-bottle, the MicroFilter design enables you to also use it as a stand-alone filter and drink water directly from the source. Alternatively, when paired with the anti-bottle you can squeeze water through the filter into another hydration vessel thereby providing clean water for your group. And because it’s Vapur, the bottle folds up when not in use so you can tuck it away into your pack, saving weight and space.

GEIGERRIG In-Line Crypto Filter

Several years ago, GEIGERRIG ushered a literal paradigm shift into the world of personal hydration systems. After a 15 year drought in design and technical advancements, GEIGERRIG emerged from the wilderness with a pressurized hydration reservoir that has changed the way people hydrate during active outdoor pursuits.
This pressurized hydration system offers an array of benefits, one of which is the ability to pair it with a convenient in-line plug-and-play filter thereby allowing your hydration pack to provide protection from waterborne bacteria. Simply fill your hydration bladder from virtually any available water source. The pressurized system pushes the untreated water through GEIGERRIG’s  5.5" x 1" water filter providing on-the-go access to natural fresh water. Capable of filtering 50 gallons of water, this 1.5 oz water filter adds a new level of convenience and safety to day hikes or multi-week backpacking treks.

Potable Aqua PURE Electrolytic Water Purifier

The PURE Electrolytic system takes a different approach to water purification. Using a simple brine (salt + water) solution, the PA PURE device produces a powerful mixed oxidant disinfectant capable of purifying even the dirtiest of water. Unlike UV light, which requires pre-filtration to guarantee inactivation of all microbes in very cloudy water, PA Pure mixed oxidants can inactivate microorganisms in all types of water with no pre-filtration.
Fill the reaction chamber with your brine solution, select the volume of water you wish to purify, then push the activation button which begins the process of creating a mixed oxidant disinfectant solution. When the solution is done, add it to your water and wait the specified amount of time. Potable Aqua PURE inactivates viruses, bacteria, Giardia and Cryptosporidium killing 99.9% of all organisms that will wreak havoc on an otherwise memorable outing. The compact design, scalability and durability makes it perfectly suited for campers, hikers or anyone needing drinkable water in the great wide open.

LifeStraw & LifeStraw Go

Award-winning LifeStraw technology was originally introduced in 2005 as an emergency response tool to filter water that was typically contaminated following natural disasters. Today, LifeStraw is used in water filtration products around the world and offers two easy solutions to tainted water sources in the LifeStaw and LifeStraw Go.
Weighing a meager 2 ounces and measuring only 9 inches long, the LifeStraw personal water filter can travel anywhere making it perfect for adventures planned and unplanned. Utilizing advanced hollow fiber technology, this straw-style filter design transforms up to 264 gallons (1,000 liters) of contaminated water into safe, drinkable water. This powerful filtration captures dangerous bacteria and protozoa, exceeding EPA standards for water filtration. In other words, LifeStraw just made that alpine lake your own personal sippy cup.
Incorporating the same LifeStraw technology into a refillable water bottle, the LifeStraw Go takes all the work out of cleaning water so you can spend more time on the move. Simply scoop water from the available water source screw the lid on, and sip safe, clean water through the mouthpiece. Just like the LifeStaw, the LifeStraw Go eliminates all of the dangerous bacteria so you can hydrate with peace of mind. A perfect option for life on the trail, or travel abroad, the LifeStraw and LifeStraw Go are also the filtration options that come with us on every stand up paddle boarding session.

Platypus GravityWorks

Whether you’re hitting the trail with a large group, or heading into the backcountry for a quick weekender, GravityWorks™ traps everything a pump model does, but handles larger volumes of water. Available in a 2.0L and 4.0L options, our team has consistently relied upon the convenience of the 4.0L system because of its ability to deliver four liters of purified water is just 2.5 minutes - no chemicals, batteries or moving parts required.
To use the system, fill the dirty water reservoir with the cleanest water available, zip seal the bag closed and then let gravity filter the water for you. All GravityWorks filters meet EPA & NSF guidelines for the removal of Bacteria and Protozoa, including Giardia, Cryptosporidium, E.coli, Salmonella and Cholera. The lightweight bags are not only easy to use, but pack up small and go virtually unnoticed in your pack. This is one product that has dramatically impacted our group backpacking adventures for the better.

Final Thoughts…

By no means is this an exhaustive list of water treatment options. Nor is it an all-inclusive list of the filtration and purification devices that our team has used in the field. From from gravity filters to UV light, even silver membrane filter technology, there is no shortage of products available. Which method or product you choose depends partly on personal preference and partly on your specific field needs.

That being said, the five water treatment options listed above have rightfully earned a place in my packs for every adventure, on every trail, every time, without exception. They are fast, effective and reliable ensuring that no matter where you wander, you will always have quick access to safe, clean water in the field.

*Cross Posted at Gumption Gear Review