I pride myself on having a long memory, so when I encountered my first Roosport original pouch, I applauded the idea. These pouches are designed for athletes who don’t carry much stuff and runners like me who, I admit, carry too much stuff when setting off on a run.
Why tote so many items for a casual jog? I admit to suffering from pack rat syndrome: I want to be prepared “just in case something happens.” On a carefree day, my pouch contains my phone, tunes, tissues and ID.
On a less confident day, I look like a Sherpa if I’m not wearing running separates with pockets. So “wazzup” with the latest iteration of Roosport pouches? I put on my running shoes and tested one out. What was inside? That’s for me to know and you to find out!
The RooSport 2.0 Green
How can I resist the brand name itself, named for those adorable creatures that hop around Australia carrying their youngsters in their pouches? I didn’t personally carry any kids in my Roosport pouch when I took it for a trail run, but I did stuff it with some of my favourite things to see how it felt to have it hanging from the waistband of my shorts.
Among the features I immediately liked on this new version is the magnetic flap that attached to the waistband of my shorts. I had heard that this much proximity to skin has caused some rubbing and irritation, but that wasn’t my experience.
The zipper pocket is lined with what’s called RipStop waterproof material so if something in my pouch spilled as I was jogging along, I wouldn’t wind up with gunk streaming down my leg. That stated, if that did happen, I have tissues in my pouch, so I’m ready for all eventualities.
What Can You Tote?
Where shall I begin? As an exercise in imaginative thought, I sat down after my first Roo run to make a list of what a traditional pack rat could carry in his or her pouch — and that list was revealing.
If you’ve got items that you must carry when you exercise, they likely include: pepper spray (night runners: be safe!), ID, meds, mobile phone (of course), iPod or similar device, keys, medical alert card, cash, sports gels (this little Roo can hold 6!), energy bar, hand lotion, antibacterial ointment, bandages and the aforementioned tissues.
That stated, the manufacturer warns against carrying the iPod Classic since the device’s hard drive contains an older magnet that is highly susceptible to being demagnetized!
Dare I add a bit of vanity here? Thanks to the way this pouch is designed, chicks who have shifted from other wallets to the Roo say that no matter what’s squirrelled away, this pouch doesn’t make them look fat because of the sleek design. What’s not to love about that little factoid?
Runner’s Boon
- At 6-inches by 4-inches, the new Roo pouch is ½-inch larger than its older sister and believe me when I say that this extra bit of room can make a huge difference.
- Hold either your Galaxy S5 or iPhone 6 comfortably so you can make and receive calls and control apps loaded on your communications device with ease.
- At just US$19.99, the Roosport pouch isn’t going to rip your budget to shreds — and these make the greatest gifts for running friends when birthdays and holidays leave me scratching my head for clever ideas.
- The fabric used to craft the Roosport pouch is so lightweight, if you complain about heaviness, it’s all your fault for loading it up. Industrial-strength machine stitching comes to the rescue, too.
Runner’s Bane
- I’m still searching for a running wallet or pouch that doesn’t make me sweat. Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s the Roo. Let’s just say that it’s at its worst in the summer when I perspire like a racehorse.
- RooSport is not waterproof so when running extremely long events, sweat managed to invade the pouch and creep inside, but at least this product didn’t move around on my body. I’ve heard horror stories about pouches that shifted annoyingly and put pressure on stomachs.
- A runner I met complained that she had issues with the velcro but that could have been a manufacturer’s glitch on that particular pouch. She also had problems with the fabric opening (hole) that hosts headphone wires, saying the hole didn’t line up with her headphone jack. The newer version has no velcro and the headphone openings are wider and placed so they will line up with all phones.
- If you use certain brands of smartphone (e.g., the LG3), this Roosport pouch won’t work for you but the new RooSport Plus will hold the bigger phones such as the LG phone, 7 1/2″ by 4″.
- “I tried to attach the pouch to the waistband of my running backpack, but without shorts to hold it up, the bouncing was a nightmare,” said a wearer who plans to use her Roosport only for daily runs rather than long-distance ones.
What do you use to carry your stuff during your running session, or do you simply not take anything?
