I wore the gravel suit with hydration pack for 105 mile gravel race last weekend. Overall it performed well, and the magnetic clip on my collar was a non-issue. I had it high enough that it didn’t sit on my collar bone so couldn’t even feel it there.
The only ‘issue’, which is pretty easily fixed, is that at the 50 mile station my wife was there with a 2nd bladder to swap out. I only had one magnet, and it was a tight fit to swap it over from one bladder to the other. Obviously, I just need to get a second magnet. The other attachment on my collar could obviously remain.
My other option may be to use the USWE hydration pack for the second part of the race. I could have that ready to go and just pull the old bladder out and throw the pack on, which might be a bit faster than trying to run the new bladder through the loops. Really though, it’s not that big of a deal.
I think it was this thread that someone mentioned using the USWE insulated bag cover to prevent the contents from getting as warm so fast. I did that with the second bladder and it was a HUGE help in keeping the contents cooler a bit longer. Here’s a picture of the suit/race. I have the arm sleeves as well since I sunburn like no-ones business. They are size Large and I’m 158 lbs. I had to return the mediums. They were still a bit on the tight side but not bothersome during the race.
