DirtBags: Reusable Fuel Pouches That Replace Single-Use Gel, Chew and Powder Packets

Runners training for 8 to 10 hours a week and doing long runs of 2 hours or more can burn through a lot of fuel. A training block of three to four months might see over 100 single-serve fuels consumed. For ultra-marathon training with three- and four-hour-long runs on the weekend, that number climbs quickly.

Suppose you are using single-use gels, chews or energy powders to fuel your training and racing; that equates to hundreds of multi-layered laminated plastic packets going to landfill. Most are not recyclable.

For trail runners, mountain runners, and ultra-marathoners like Martin, who trains mostly in nature and enjoys the wildlife on the trail, this just doesn’t sit right. A packet that only holds sugar, used once and binned.

That is why Dirtbag’s owner, Martin, spent the last two and a half years working on a solution and came up with DirtBags. You can find them at shop.forthetrail.com.

They are gel-packet-sized zip pouches made from bioplastic, designed to be filled with your own fuel, whether bought in bulk or made at home, washed afterwards and reused for your next training run, race or adventure. When they eventually wear out, they can be composted in your own home compost setup: they are TUV and DIN CERTCO certified for home composting.

DirtBags come in two sizes: the Small DirtBag and the Large DirtBag.

The Small DirtBag is 14 cm x 6 cm, similar in size to a large energy gel packet. After hundreds of iterations and prototypes, it has been made to work well for single-serve energy gels, energy chews or energy powder that you later decant into your bottles or flasks.

The Large DirtBag measures 16 cm x 18 cm and is ideal for bulk powder, snacks, or keeping small items dry and organised.

What problem are they solving?

For The Trail was set up to tackle two issues simultaneously: the affordability of running as prices continue to rise across every aspect of the sport, and the need to reduce single-use waste.

Gels, chews, and powders can cost £5- £6 per hour, provide just 60g of carbs, and generate waste at the same time. Switching from single-serving fuels in single-use packets to bulk or homemade alternatives gives you the same carbohydrates and often identical products for a fraction of the price.

DirtBags are essentially a reusable single-serving gel, chew and powder packet. Fill a Small DirtBag with 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates at home, seal it, put it in your vest, and it behaves the same way a single-serve packet would. You wash it afterwards and reuse it.

As well as making fuelling more affordable, DirtBags produce fewer emissions during production than conventional plastic. Even a single use carries a smaller environmental footprint than a conventional single-use equivalent. Reuse the bag repeatedly across a training block, and the impact compounds further. When it eventually wears out, the bioplastic material composts at home rather than going to landfill.

Unlike single-use gels, chews, powder or snack packets, which follow a linear waste model, DirtBags work within a circular life cycle.

How they work in practice

The Small DirtBag has been specifically designed to replace a single-serving large gel, an energy powder packet, or a pack of energy chews.

Decant your fuel source into a Small DirtBag, weigh the packet to confirm your carbohydrate count, then pack it in your hydration vest, running belt or pocket to use according to your nutritional plan for that run or race.

The 14 x 6 cm size is deliberate: large enough to get your fingers in for chews, small enough to work for energy gels or to decant an energy powder into a silicone soft flask or bottle. Just like a large gel packet, it fits in any pocket or space you normally carry nutrition.

Cleaning is simple. Use cold water to rinse them out. If the bag has held sticky substances like gels or dates, use warm water, add a drop of eco soap and flush through while cleaning with your fingers. Do not put them in the dishwasher or hold them under hot water for any sustained period, as this can damage the bioplastic.

If you are using a Large DirtBag to carry or organise gear, simply empty it at home and pack it away for the next race or adventure.

What goes inside them

DirtBags are compatible with whatever fuel sources you already use or trust. The For The Trail Sustainable Fuel Guide lists nutritional brands that sell in bulk, supermarkets that stock bulk snacks and a range of recipes to make your own energy chews, energy bars, powder and gels at home for a fraction of commercial prices.

Over the last two years, the owner, Martin, personally used DirtBags to carry precise carbohydrate amounts and fuel every 20 to 30 minutes to hit 60 to 80g of carbs per hour with the following sources:

• Maple syrup decanted into a Small DirtBag
• Bulk-bought energy gel from Active Root and High5 decanted into a Small DirtBag
• Homemade energy gels
• Homemade energy chews
• Bulk-bought energy chews from nutritional brands like High5
• Bulk-bought chews like Turkish Delight, which share an almost identical ingredient profile to commercial energy chews
• Bulk-bought chewy and soft sweets from supermarkets such as Leo the Lion and Walter the Worm
• Bulk-bought energy powders from nutritional brands
• Homemade energy powders that replicate more expensive commercial products
• Homemade energy bars, including chewy rice crispy bars similar to products from Maurten and Styrkr
• Dates, with cornstarch added so they remain dry to the touch and non-sticky
• Banana bread
• Homemade flapjacks
• Bulk-bought biscuits such as fig rolls
• Bulk-bought stroopwafels

Each of these has cost a fraction of the price of a single-serve gel from a nutritional brand, sometimes as much as ten times cheaper for an equivalent product.

With this approach, Martin has fuelled multiple ultra-marathons, multi-day fastpacking adventures and countless long training runs of two to four hours. The method is the same as with single-serve options: work out how many hours you’ll be out and how many carbs you want per hour. For The Trail’s founder targets 60g and upwards of 90g and packs the right number of Small DirtBags into his vest.

When racing or on routes with aid stations along the way, he also takes empty Large DirtBags and uses them to collect snacks and food from checkpoints to eat after leaving each station.

For The Trail and the weekly drop model

For The Trail is a project built around a simple question: how can trail, mountain and ultra running ask less of the planet? DirtBags are Project 1, tackling single-use plastic waste in the running nutrition industry. Every few months, a new project will follow, developed with the community, each asking the same question of cost and environmental impact simultaneously.

Orders ship once per week, every Wednesday. Consolidated weekly logistics reduce delivery emissions and packaging waste compared to on-demand fulfilment. Order by midnight Monday to get your DirtBags in that week’s batch.

Summary

DirtBags give runners a reusable, compostable container for single-serve fuel portions. A set of DirtBags used across a full training block replaces hundreds of single-use plastic packets. When they reach the end of their life, the bioplastic material composts at home rather than going to landfill. The cost savings are substantial: switching from single-serve commercial fuel to bulk or homemade alternatives with DirtBags can cut hourly fuelling costs by up to 90% while maintaining the same carbohydrate intake.

Written by Martin, founder of For The Trail and Kelp and Fern. Edited by the5krunner.

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Quick answers

Are DirtBags home compostable?
Yes. DirtBags carry TUV and DIN CERTCO certification for home composting. When they eventually wear out, the bioplastic material breaks down in a standard home compost setup without requiring an industrial composting facility.

Can DirtBags be used with liquid fuel like energy gels?
Yes. The zip seal keeps liquid fuel contained until you need it. The Small DirtBag (14 x 6 cm) works with energy gels, energy chews and powders. For sticky substances such as gels or dates, clean with warm water and a drop of eco soap. Do not use a dishwasher or sustained hot water, as these damage the bioplastic material.

How much fuel fits in a Small DirtBag?
The Small DirtBag holds 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates depending on fuel type, making it equivalent in capacity to a large single-serve gel packet. The 14 x 6 cm format fits any vest pocket or space you would normally carry nutrition.

Last Updated on 3 July 2026 by the5krunner