What should you bring on a run?

Phone, keys, water, fuel or nothing at all? Here is what we bring on a run, and how it changes with the distance, weather and type of session.

When you start running, it is easy to think you would rather not bring anything at all.

A good pair of shoes, headphones, then out the door. That was how I saw it, at least.

When I started running, I kept my phone in my pocket and my headphones in my ears. I used neither a running belt nor a running vest to carry water or fuel. I wanted to keep running as simple as possible and, above all, avoid anything that felt unnecessary.

I thought extra gear only meant more weight and more things that could get in the way.

Today, I see it quite differently.

When the phone in my pocket became a problem

At first, I kept my phone in a zipped pocket, so in theory I had a fairly good solution.

The problem was that the phone bounced against my leg as I ran.

It sounds like a small thing — and it is. A phone does not weigh very much. But when you run for a long time, small things can affect you more than you might expect.

I have also run with my phone in my hand. It worked, but it was hardly comfortable. My hand became sweaty, the phone felt in the way, and I had to switch hands regularly.

That may not matter much on a short run.

But when a session starts approaching two hours, even minor irritations can become very noticeable.

It was one of the reasons I began thinking about how I actually wanted to carry things while running.

On short runs, you may not need anything

When I started running, the furthest I could manage was around 5 kilometres.

At that distance, I was fine without water or fuel.

And this matters too: you do not automatically need to buy a lot of running gear just because you have started running.

If you are running 5 kilometres and feel you can manage without water or fuel, go for it. It really can be that simple.

But if you want to bring your phone, keys, headphones or water, there is no reason to avoid a running vest simply because you are a beginner.

I think there is a slightly odd idea that running vests are only for people who run marathons, ultras or many miles each week.

That is not the case at all. A running vest can just as easily be a practical way to avoid carrying your phone in your hand.

Once I started running further, my needs changed

For me, the problem began once I moved beyond 10 kilometres and started running 15 kilometres or more.

I often like running early in the morning, sometimes before breakfast. That worked well on shorter sessions, but as the distance increased, hunger and thirst began to affect me much more.

I could run around 15 kilometres before becoming extremely thirsty.

And when a session already starts to feel hard, being very hungry and thirsty at the same time is hardly an energy boost.

Several times I cut a run short earlier than I really needed to. That was almost the most frustrating part.

I could feel that I still had more to give aerobically, but hunger and thirst drained my motivation. All you want is the quickest route home.

It is particularly frustrating when the point of the session is to test your limits, run further than before or try to set a personal best.

What should you bring on a run?

There is no single answer, of course.

What you need depends on how far you are running, how long you will be out, the weather and what you are used to.

But after going from carrying nothing to using a running vest for almost every type of session, this is roughly how I think about it.

01 — 5 km

For 5 kilometres, you probably do not need very much. For me, this would have been enough:

Water and fuel are simply not things I personally need on such a short run.

But if you want to bring water, or simply prefer having your phone and keys within easy reach, a running vest can be an option.

The important thing is not to feel that there are countless rules about what a runner has to wear.

02 — 10 km

At around 10 kilometres, I start thinking a little more about hydration.

That does not mean everyone needs to bring water for 10 kilometres. But temperature, pace and individual sweat rate all make a real difference.

Your needs on a hot summer day are entirely different from those on a cold morning.

This is also where I think the difference between carrying things in a pocket and using a good running vest starts to become clear.

When the vest sits close to the body, I think far less about what I am carrying. The phone does not bounce against my leg. I do not have to hold it. And I can easily bring keys, headphones and water without everything ending up together in one large pocket.

03 — 15 km, where hydration and fuel began to make a real difference for me

Once I started running around 15 kilometres, water became much more important to me.

I began with a 250 ml soft flask, mainly because I wanted to keep the weight down.

It worked on some sessions. But on warmer and longer runs, I quickly found that 250 ml was too little.

Today, I use two 500 ml soft flasks when I know I will be out for longer.

Yes, two flasks weigh more than one. But for me, the extra weight is usually worth it. I would rather carry a little more from the start than return from a long run completely dehydrated, feeling that the entire session was limited by a lack of fluid.

Fuel for longer runs

When I began running further, I also started bringing gels.

It was not only about taking on energy during the session itself. I also began using gels to train my stomach to handle fuel while running ahead of future races and marathons.

I find gels a very convenient way to take on energy because you do not have to stop. You can keep running and take one when it suits you.

On longer sessions of more than roughly 15 kilometres, I now always bring fuel. A common general starting point for longer endurance sessions is around 30–60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, but the exact need varies with the duration and intensity of the session and from person to person.

For me, it is mainly about avoiding the same situation as before: running a long way, becoming extremely hungry, losing motivation and only wanting to get home.

If the aim is to test how far you can actually run, you want your legs and fitness to decide — not the fact that you left your fuel at home.

What should you bring on a long run?

When I run really far, the packing list changes slightly. On a longer session, I mainly want to be able to bring:

This is where I think a running vest really comes into its own. Everything has its own place, and I do not have to put it all into one large compartment.

It may sound like a small detail, but when you are trying to find a gel or your keys while running, it is very useful to know exactly where everything is.

A running vest is not only for long runs

These days, I like using a running vest even on shorter runs.

Not because I need all that gear for 5 kilometres, but because I find it comfortable.

With a good running vest, everything sits close to the body and stays stable. I can bring my phone, keys, headphones and water without feeling as though I am running with a load of extra things.

It is very different from when I used to run with my phone in my hand. Or when I kept everything together in a running belt and found that it bounced more and was harder to reach.

And then there is the Nordic weather

If you run in Sweden, you know the weather does not always make it easy to plan a run.

You can leave home in fairly good conditions and, a short while later, find yourself in rain, wind and temperatures far lower than expected.

This is another advantage of the running vest. If I have room, I can bring a thin wind or rain jacket and put it on if the weather changes during the run.

And through autumn and winter, reflectivity becomes increasingly important. When it is dark and I am running near roads or need to cross traffic, I want to be as visible as possible.

Reflective detailing on a running vest can be a simple piece of equipment that serves a real purpose.

So what do you actually need to bring?

If someone who has just started running asked me what to bring on a run, I would not give them a single answer.

I would ask: how far are you running, and what do you need to feel comfortable?

There is no magic threshold at which you suddenly have to wear a running vest.

It is more about choosing gear that suits what you actually want to do.

My biggest change as a runner

When I started running, I thought running vests and other gear mostly seemed unnecessary.

It took up space. It added weight. And I just wanted to run.

After many miles, I have changed my mind.

The first time I ran beyond 20 kilometres genuinely felt special. It was a distance I had not managed before, largely because hunger and thirst had brought earlier sessions to an end.

Once I had a running vest with water and fuel, I could focus more on the running itself.

And I remember thinking: why did I not invest in this sooner?

At the same time, I was very glad that I eventually did.

For me, a running vest is not about running further just for the sake of it. It is about carrying what you need without it interfering with the run.

And perhaps that is the most important thing I have learnt.