At Salomon, we know how important it is to keep hydrated on your outdoors adventures. We also know how motivating it is to have friends and family support you during these adventures, whether training or racing. These people support us, motivate us to keep going and push us beyond our limits.
Crewing someone like Mathieu Blanchard during an ultra is all about two things: how much patience you have, and how many snacks your jacket can hold
Alix Noblat
Trail-runner
Inspired by the crew that supports runners during their hardest times, darkest hours, and in the most grueling conditions, Salomon is proud to unveil the S/LAB Hydration Crew Jacket, designed for the ones who will always be there to support you through every kilometer of your runs, whether it be a 10k, marathon, or ultra-marathon. Because crewing just one runner is usually a cake run, this jacket allows you to crew multiple athletes. You are sure to have everything they could need to keep going, with a total capacity of 7.5 liters of water, 10 pockets to store food (everything from their favorite candy to energizing gels), 1 first-aid kit for bruises and scratches, and a survival blanket when things go south.
Full list of features:
- 3 x 2l reservoirs
- 7 x 500ml soft flasks
- 3 x soft cups
- 10 x additional nutrition pockets
- 1 x first aid kit/survival blanket
Alix Noblat knows what it takes to run 100-kilometer races from her own experience. She also knows the struggle of providing great assistance, as she is the partner in crime of Mathieu Blanchard, and a key player in his second spot during last year’s UTMB®. “During the race, you’re usually met with mixed feelings: excitation and motivation, followed by fatigue and stress, and finishing with great joy or some disappointment" Alix explains. "You have to be able to take a step back and stay professional. After running 100 kilometers, your partner might not have as much patience as usual, but it’s up to you to remain calm and help as much as you can."
"When I crew Mathieu, I’m 100% committed, just like if I was running with him. There’s mental help, comforting, motivating, informing about the race, that is crucial. A singular eye contact can say tremendous things about Mathieu, which helps me guide my assistance. Then there’s the technical help, including nutrition, hydration and caring for wounds. The S/LAB Ultra Crew Jacket allows me to carry everything Mathieu could want or crave during a race. In the end, crewing Mathieu is all about two things: how much patience you have, and how many snacks your jacket can hold!”
Runners might need hand wipes, eye drops, tissue, you name it. Salomon’s new crewing jacket makes organizing all of this a breeze! Lost your lip balm? No problem, I’ve got 14 more.
Kevin Schmidt
Race supporter
It's hard to speak of dedication to crewing without mentioning Kevin Schmidt, literally @thedaucrew on Instagram, who has followed and assisted Courtney Dauwalter on most, if not all her races.
“When crewing an ultra, there are so many little things to remember beyond food and water. Runners might need hand wipes, eye drops, tissue, you name it. Salomon’s new crewing jacket makes organizing all of this a breeze! Lost your lip balm? No problem, I’ve got 14 more. During a race, I never know what food cravings Courtney might have so it’s good to be prepared for anything. Crackers, candy, pancakes, cheeseburgers, you name it. And when her normal race food is working, it’s nice having all kinds of snacks handy to feed my own cravings. Some of Courtney’s longest runs last through multiple nights, and that comes with more gear to remember. Crewing a runner through the night requires things like extra layers, headlamps (with batteries), and possibly a sleeping bag for comfy trail naps. I used to try cramming all of this gear in a backpack, but now it all conveniently fits in my crewing jacket!”
The S/LAB Hydration Crew Jacket uses upcycled Salomon products from all over the company to create the perfect crewing jacket. It was designed with Greater Goods, a London-based design project which is dedicated to sustainability and the nature of upcycling.
“The jacket is constructed from 2x Ski pants, 1x Hydration vest, 2x Jackets and 2x fleeces. We kept all the offcuts and hardware that will get used in future projects" explains Jaimus Tailor, Greater Goods' Founder. "We were heavily inspired by the practicality of General Research Parasite Jacket that is riddled with pockets that are all uniform in size. However, we knew we wanted our jacket to have more variation and accommodate the different-sized water flasks. Utilizing existing Salomon pockets and creating our own was an important factor for us, sometimes it’s easy to upcycle too much and lose all narrative of the original garments.
It’s wild to say but we didn’t sketch any of this jacket before constructing it, the whole process was very organic and felt very back to basics, It’s the design approach that Greater Goods was founded on. We were very familiar with Salomon products and knew they would be perfect for a jacket, the wide variation of bottle sizes inspired the whole water jacket idea. The whole process was enjoyable and seeing the jacket evolve each day into something new was great."
All jokes aside, this jacket is one of a kind, but there is a way for you to win it! Salomon has partnered with Opening Up The Outdoors (OUTO), a non-profit association that focuses on the continued inclusion, education, and enjoyment of outdoor spaces by people of the global majority, envisioning an outdoor community and industry that is truly diverse, equitable, anti-racist and accessible to everyone.
