Endurance athletes Bryce Thatcher and Dana Miller have joined Nathan Performance Gear in order to help endurance runners, athletes, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts get the most from their packs, hydration systems, bottles and other gear.
Thatcher now leads product design and development for Nathan, while Miller tests each product in the field. Together, they unveiled Nathan's new 2005 Elite Series of hydration, nutrition and running paks, shipping to stores this week.
Together, the duo designed the new Nathan Elite Series sports packs. Each pack was designed for dual freedom: freedom of access and freedom of movement. Freedom of access enables the wearer to reach cargo and Hydration Bottles easily, without slowing down or shifting the pack. Freedom of movement keeps runners moving naturally, free from interference. Dual freedom helps keep proper hydration and nutrition up, while keeping times down.
Thatcher and Miller have created ground-breaking technologies for the Nathan Elite Series. The new 22-ounce hydration bottle makes carrying and drinking easy with a finger loop and spring-loaded clip for quickly attaching to belts and backpacks. The bottle fits snugly inside the cradle, which secures bottles but still allows for lightning-fast removal and replacement.
Specially designed belts and clips minimize bounce, and low-profile, moisture wicking backing provides comfort and prevents chafing.
Over the last 20 years, Thatcher has helped revolutionize technology for endurance athletes. In the early days of the sport, Thatcher would often run with a backpack pushed down to his lower back, holding the straps to reduce the bounce. He would then have to untangle the straps every time he needed a drink.
"When I first ran Grand Teton, I did it with a jacket tied around my waist and a water bottle in my hand," said Thatcher. "The new Nathan Elite Series gives runners and hikers much more freedom than I had then. Nutrition and hydration are critically important for even short trips; these paks make it easy and lightweight."
"Nobody understands the needs of the elite runner, ultra-marathoner, high-octane endurance athlete or outdoors adrenaline addict like Bryce and Dana," said Jon Reichlin. "Their years on the trails and on the roads have been bringing athletes product innovations for decades - the new Nathan Series is the next generation that extends the limits of human endurance. That's also what makes these products great for runners of all levels."
Nathan Sports develops hydration and nutrition systems and running gear.