Ultimate Direction Jurek Grip Review

The way I see it, there are two different times when you have to carry water with you. The first is during long training runs. These types of runs aren’t supported so you can’t really count on there being nutrition or fluids available and you have to pack it with you. The other situation is when there’s a race where aid stations are too far apart to rely on making it from one to another without some kind of replenishment.

Solutions are out there and consumers are spoiled for choice. So far for me I have resisted buying large packs with bladders or vests that hold multiple water bottles and extra gear. (But with my first 50 on the horizon and other 50+ races after that, I’ll be getting one of these soon)My solution so far has been a simple one. I actually tried first to find a product that would strap a small .5L disposable water bottle (say, from Costco) but didn’t find much. Since I could already carry what I needed in my SPI belt I didn’t think that I needed a holder to carry more stuff and add bulk and weight.

I eventually settled on the Ultimate Direction Jurek Grip. Its minimalist design really caught my eye and the reviews for the most part were solid.

I used this on my first ultra (the Bryce Canyon 50k) and it was perfect. I had my strategy such that I could consume a gel and some water halfway between aid stations and then fill up the bottle at each of the aid stations. It worked out well for me.

The strap is comfortable and makes carrying easy. It can be tightened however tight you needed and is easy to remove when needed. I can have this attached to my hand and completely relax my hand and have it stay in place. I have worn it with gloves as well and it still works perfect. So if you are running and need to carry water with you, but not that much water, and you don’t want to carry much else, this is a perfect choice.

The lid can be easily removed to refill or mix in powder or add ice. When at the aid stations during a race I would dump excess water and fill about half way with a sports drink and drink that with some food available at the aid station. Then, right before continuing with the race, I would fill the bottle up with water and go.

I’m somewhat worried about the Velcro wearing but after almost a year of use I have seen no signs of that happening so far. The lettering on the bottle seems to be the first casualty. Also, when I first got it there were some very big and annoying tags on it. I cut them off before the first use.