The great packaging dilemma
When I first started discussing our packaging with manufacturers, I was overwhelmed with the variety of shapes and sizes that gel sachets came in. Whilst researching, I read a lot of online reviews to find out more about people’s packaging preferences. I noticed a lot of comments that certain gels felt a bit too bulky to fit several of them in a belt or vest for a long training session.
After speaking to my partner Dann (aka my VALA inspo) about gel sizes, he was adamant that VALA’s sachet should be as compact as possible. He mentioned that there's nothing worse than trying to cram several gels into a pocket or belt and feeling overloaded, so a smaller sachet was a must. After discussing this with our other testers, I realised Dann wasn't the only one on the hunt for a more compact gel, so we opted for a smaller size.
With this in mind, we tested out different sachet weights and sizes to determine what the best amount of gel was for each sachet. We landed at 35g, as this was enough gel to fuel up a long session and it allowed athletes to fit several smaller sachets into their kits without taking up too much space. Compared to most gels, VALA is one of the smallest out there, coming in at a neat 13cm x 4cm. As a result, you can easily carry several of them without getting weighed down during your training and races.
After speaking to my partner Dann (aka my VALA inspo) about gel sizes, he was adamant that VALA’s sachet should be as compact as possible. He mentioned that there's nothing worse than trying to cram several gels into a pocket or belt and feeling overloaded, so a smaller sachet was a must. After discussing this with our other testers, I realised Dann wasn't the only one on the hunt for a more compact gel, so we opted for a smaller size.
With this in mind, we tested out different sachet weights and sizes to determine what the best amount of gel was for each sachet. We landed at 35g, as this was enough gel to fuel up a long session and it allowed athletes to fit several smaller sachets into their kits without taking up too much space. Compared to most gels, VALA is one of the smallest out there, coming in at a neat 13cm x 4cm. As a result, you can easily carry several of them without getting weighed down during your training and races.