I’ve reached the point in my running life where I’m always
on the lookout for new shorts. All of my
old faithfuls are slowly disintegrating, and my shorts rotation is
diminishing. Enter Father’s Day, and a
new pair of The North Face Better Than Naked Long Haul Shorts (Long Hauls from
here).
The Long Hauls consist of an outer short, with a long, tight
fitting internal short with FlashDry™, a proprietary TNF material additive
which improves moisture management and temperature regulation. It also helps them dry out really fast as well.
When you first look at the shorts, they look mostly like
normal, slightly longer shorts, with a strange, thick black band running around
the top.
That unusual looking band is where part of the genius of
these shorts lie. Contained within the
band is a series of elasticated, open pockets to expand your on-the-go storage
options. There are 7 of them, the
pockets at either end being slightly larger.
The smaller will fit gels, keys, ipods, whilst in the larger I can fit
in a Berghaus Vaporlight Hypersmock.
There is also a zipped pocket on the back which is big enough to fit in
a 5-inch smartphone of your choice.
If that wasn’t enough, there are also pockets on the liner
short - 2 larger pockets on the right leg, 3 smaller pockets on the left. I’m not entirely sure exactly what I could
put in there, as they would be a faff to get to whilst racing and they aren’t
particularly deep.
So how do they actually feel on? They are fantastic. The FlashDry™ does what it says – keeps
everything moisture free, and breathes exceptionally well. I have worn them for extended periods in hot
weather, wet weather or both combined (English Summer!) and have had no
chaffing or discomfort whatsoever.
I have even tried them out fully laden, 10 gels, 1
waterproof, ipod, phone, keys and was very impressed. Because the pockets are above the hips and
where the draw-cord is, they don’t slip down.
The contents are kept firmly in place from the elasticity of the
pockets, and don’t bounce. The gels are
easy to access, and I was able to remove/replace the phone without any faffing
which was a surprise.
The only downside to the shorts is that because they are so
breathable, in cold weather everything gets a bit…cold.
These shorts are by far the best I own, and have revolutionised
my load carrying, and are a perfect companion for packs without any up-front
carrying capacity.
Recommended.
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