Develops custom-made hydration pak for Canadian ultrarunner Ray Zahab to use on trek to South Pole
Montreal, QC – November 10th 2008 – While Antarctica has been the perfect setting for recent kid-friendly movies involving dancing penguins, few would surmise its locale as a safe testing facility for “redefining the humanly possible.” Yet, that’s exactly what Canadian ultrarunner Ray Zahab intends to do on the frozen frontier in less than three weeks, as he, along with expedition partners Richard Weber and Kevin Vallely, depart from North America on Nov. 17, and set out on a month-long speed trek to the geographic South Pole across a continent few humans have ever set foot on. In doing so, Zahab, Weber, and Vallely hope to demonstrate the strength of the human spirit, as well as raise awareness, support research, and generate funds to combat the climate change seriously affecting the livelihood of Antarctica and its animal inhabitants.
In orchestrating this feat, Zahab will rely heavily on his custom-made hydration pak, courtesy of Nathan Sports, to keep him hydrated easily and quickly. Leader in running hydration and reflective accessories, Nathan, distributed in Canada by In-Sport Fashions Inc., has assisted in developing a hydration pak that can simultaneously withstand the brutal elements of Antarctica, while keeping water and supplies accessible, unfrozen, and clean.
“Nathan is the leader in hydration pak technology, and after running with the HPL # 008, I knew we had to go to Nathan for advice,” says Zahab, referring to one of Nathan’s hydration vest. “You need the best gear you can get when running and trekking for 1,100 kilometers unsupported, while dragging a 150 pound sled in one of the toughest places on Earth.”
While developing this pak was no small task, Bryce Thatcher, Nathan’s director of performance product development, and himself a skilled ultra runner and all-around hydration guru, gladly accepted the chance to take part in Zahab’s historic quest.
“What’s driven me time and time again is the opportunity to create products that help people in their goals to achieve what they never thought possible,” says Thatcher. “Ray’s quest embodies the spirit of Nathan, which is ‘redefining the humanly possible,’ and is inspiring to others to face their own challenges.”
While Thatcher has been the creative force behind some of Nathan’s most intuitive paks, including the Synergy and the HPL # 759, Zahab’s pak did indeed present some unique challenges, such as how to design a pak that could also pull a sled carrying 150 pounds of supplies without critically damaging or wearing on the integrity of the pak. The pak would also have to ensure water remained accessible at all times, lest Zahab become stuck in the Antarctica without the most critical human necessity – water. Having helped build Nathan’s reputation as a producer of top-performing hydration paks, Thatcher knew he was up to the challenge.
“His needs were entirely unique to any pak I’ve created before, and provided me with the chance to truly stretch my imagination and experience to design a one-of-a-kind pak with amazing specifications and features,” says Thatcher. “We did change our concepts several times. Ray had been worrying about how they were going to tow the sled. In the past they had a separate pak, then a waist harness, which put a huge amount of strain on their waists while pulling the sled.”
Working for over two months, Thatcher meticulously devised product specifications while conferring with Zahab, making modifications along the way. What finally arrived in early November was a pak that surpassed even Zahab’s expectations.
“[When I saw] the finished product, [I saw the] passion in his work,” says Zahab. “The quality is phenomenal. Bryce has been so generous not only with his time, but with his brains. He has guided us in a direction and provided us with a harness and pak system that we are convinced will fit the bill. He really has gone way beyond to bring us his best.”
Features of this pak include:
• A combination fully-integrated sled harness and backpack, allowing even weight distribution throughout the waist, shoulders, and torso area.
• Multiple attachment points for the sled, depending on the nature of the terrain, which conveniently changes the pak pressure points from pulling the sled.
• A horizontal, highly-insulated bottle holster for quick access to Nathan’s 1 liter Pure Bottle.
• Large zipper pulls which allow rapid access with gloves.
• Gear capacity on top of the bottle compartment for extra bottles, food, or supplies for the day.
• Lightweight, yet strong, Cordura fabric with a silicone coating that keeps content dry.
• An outside shock cord to attach extra clothing, gloves, etc.
• Unique waistbelt with side buckles and padding/pocket combo in the front, creating a more comfortable pull on the sled. The front pocket provides quick access to food, cameras, etc.
• Custom-length shoulder straps for Zahab, Weber and Vallely to compensate for different body heights and build.
Despite the challenges this task presented, Thatcher says he’s extremely pleased with both the outcome of the pak, and for the opportunity to work with Zahab.
“Ray has been great to work with,” says Thatcher. “He is full of positive energy and I know that this energy will follow him through the many miles.”
The unpredictable and dangerous Antarctica climate will most assuredly test the pak, along with Weber, Vallely, and Zahab’s energy, but with his sight set on his ultimate goal, Zahab feels confident his journey is for the greater good.
“As with all of my expeditions, this one has a very specific goal, one that is beyond just being the fastest,” says Zahab, who, among a legion of friends and family, also has the support of his wife Kathy and their daughter Mia Sahara. “Our obvious goal is to make it unsupported to the South Pole in as few days as possible, but the much larger goal is to use this adventure to inspire youth into the realization that they can do anything they set their minds to. They can change the world.”
And just as Zahab hopes to inspire youth, Nathan plans on continuing to help athletes, like Zahab, redefine the limits of what’s humanly possible.
For more information on Ray Zahab, go to www.rayzahab.com or www.impossible2possible.com. For more information on Nathan Sports, go to www.NathanSports.com, or contact Benoît Deshayes at bdeshayes@insport.ca or 1-800-465-9637 # 28.
About Nathan
Based in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, Nathan Performance Gear is a subsidiary of Penguin Brands Inc. Nathan Human Propulsion Laboratories are committed to redefining the very notion of what is humanly possible. Unlike most compamies’ new products that are born in the boardroom, Nathan’s labs are the terrain they constantly strive to conquer. Nathan’s hydration and nutrition systems, running paks, accessories and reflective gear are all engineered for the impossible. (www.nathansports.com).
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