Ultimate Direction to 30 Race Hydration Vest Reviews
Ultimate Direction Race Vest v.0
Test Location: Gunnison-Crested Butte Valley, Colorado
Test Elapsing: ~l miles
Stated Features:
- Shoulder strap shaping promotes weight distribution and a comfortable fit
- Upgraded lightweight claw and loop sternum straps
- Big rear compartment can arrange upwards to a 2.0L reservoir
- Comfort Cinch™ 2.0 compression system is more minimal, lightweight, and adaptable
- Lightweight iv-way stretch with ripstop pattern for added durability
- Forepart stretch mesh pockets are telephone compatible
- Corded elastic for external gear stash and overall compression
- Includes two 500 ml soft flasks
Stated Storage Volume: 8.5 L / 519 in3
Reviewer: 6'1", 145 lbs / 185 cm, 67 kg
Size Tested: Men's Small-scale
Stated Weight (Pack and Bottles): 211 thousand / seven.4 oz
Blister'southward Measured Weight (Men'south size pocket-sized):
- Pack: 147 grand / v.19 oz
- Bottles: 87 grand / 3.1 oz
- Full: 234 m / eight.25 oz
MSRP: $124.95
Review Navigation: Specs // Intro // Fit // Pattern & Features // Weight // Storage // Functioning // Bottom Line
Intro
My very first running vest was one of Ultimate Direction's original "Signature Serial" vests, and I thought information technology was awesome. Of grade, I didn't have much to compare information technology to at the time, and now that I've run in lots of other packs, I realize that it had its fair share of issues. Withal, my history with Ultimate Management packs fabricated me specially excited to endeavour out the latest iteration of their smaller-volume, race-oriented pack.
The Race Vest 5.0 is the smallest and lightest of Ultimate Direction's Signature Series vests, which were designed in conjunction with pinnacle Ultimate Direction athletes like Anton Krupicka and Timothy Olson. Much like the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L or Salomon Adv Skin five Fix, the Race Vest 5.0 is designed for shorter runs and races where you lot don't demand to carry big amounts of water, gear, or food. For whatsoever vest (and particularly one designed for racing), my main concerns are comfort, ease of access to storage without taking off the pack, and how stable and secure the vest feels on the trail.
So how does the Race Vest 5.0 stack up against the competition, and what (if anything) makes it stand out from like vests from other brands? While I haven't had the chance to use the Race Vest v.0 in an actual race nonetheless (cheers, 2020), I have used it on a variety of other runs. And aside from a few minor complaints, I think the Race Vest 5.0 pretty much checks all the boxes.
Fit
Equally always, nosotros recommend trying on the Race Vest 5.0 in person, if possible. With that in heed, I can provide some general context on how it fits based on my experience with the pack. For reference, I'thou 6'1" / 185 cm, almost 145 lbs / 67 kg, and have a fairly narrow breast. I usually wear a size Minor for most running vests.
1 of my issues with the original Ultimate Direction Signature Series packs was that they were fairly rigid — the sternum straps didn't have any stretch to them, and the sides of the pack only stretched a little. So when I cranked down the sternum straps to get a secure fit, my erstwhile Ultimate Management pack started to experience pretty constricting. Thankfully, Ultimate Direction has made lots of progress every bit far as fit goes in the terminal five or so years (no surprise in that location).
Similar nearly running vests, the Race Vest five.0 has wide shoulder straps with two adaptable breast / sternum straps. But it also has an adaptable rubberband cinch string where the bottom of each shoulder strap attaches to the dorsum of the pack, which allows for much more adjustability than other race-oriented packs that I've used. Considering it uses elastic cords, this "ComfortCinch two.0" system besides allows the Race Vest 5.0 to stretch quite a scrap even when I have it tightly cinched down.
As a effect, the pack stays put without feeling constricting when I'one thousand breathing hard. I think this extra adjustability makes the Race Vest 5.0 a pretty compelling option compared to race vests like the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L — the VaporKrar 2.0 4L doesn't accept any side pinch, which fabricated it hard for me to get it to fit deeply. The Race Vest 5.0'south side compression too makes it easy to adjust the pack's fit on the run to conform larger or smaller loads without billowy.
I normally habiliment a men'southward size Modest in running vests from Salomon and Nathan, and in a size Pocket-size, I'd say the Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0 fits true to size. The pack felt a little big the first time I put it on, just once I cinched down the side compression system a scrap, I was able to get a comfortable, secure fit. With that said, I still have to sure-fire downward the top sternum strap almost all the way to keep the pack from bouncing. So if you have an especially narrow chest, it could exist tough to get a secure fit — especially since Ultimate Direction doesn't offer an XS size option for the Race Vest 5.0.
Features and Structure
Aside from the side compression system, the Race Vest five.0 has a fairly similar design to the Salomon Adv Skin five Set up and Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L. Each of the Race Vest 5.0's shoulder straps has a large, open-topped, stretchy pocket designed to hold a 500 mL soft flask. On the right side, the soft-flask pocket also has ii smaller, open up-topped pockets sewn on superlative of it that can hold smaller items similar gels or bars.
Both straps also have a big stretchy pocket below the soft-flask pocket that wraps around the sides of the pack. The right-hand one has a zipper, while the left-hand pocket is open-topped. Both are big enough to fit my iPhone 8 in a Lifeproof case (though it'southward a tight fit). The pack's chest straps also have elastic loops that permit yous to attach collapsible trekking poles to the front of the pack along the outside of the straps.
The hook and loop sternum straps can exist moved up and down along the inside of the breast straps to dial in fit — but you practise have to fully detach and reattach the straps to adjust their position, so information technology's non as piece of cake to move them around mid-run. The upper strap is fully rigid, but the lower strap has a lilliputian flake of elastic on one end to allow the lesser of the pack to stretch a flake more when you're breathing hard.
The back of the Race Belong 5.0 is fairly simple. Information technology has one large, stretchy, open-topped pocket that goes all the way down the back of the pack and is big enough to fit a 2 50 bladder (sold separately). There's a loop at the tiptop of the back pocket that you tin can prune to the top of said bladder, just otherwise, the bladder just sits in the big chief pocket. The dorsum of the pack also has a smaller pocket across the bottom that's accessed by a vertical attachment on the right-hand side of the pack. The idea is that you tin easily accomplish around and admission this pocket without taking off the pack, simply I've found that to be a petty tricky in practice (more than on that later).
The one characteristic that's missing from the Race Vest 5.0 is a big, stretchy, horizontal kangaroo-manner pocket similar the ones establish on the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 vests and Salomon Adv Skin 5 Set. The Race Vest 5.0's ComfortCinch 2.0 side pinch system actually attaches to the back of the pack under the lesser of the large vertical back pocket, so it effectively takes up the space that'due south oft used for the kangaroo pocket on other packs. I'one thousand a fan of that style of pocket on other packs, and go into more item on it below.
Weight
Ultimate Management markets the Race Vest 5.0 as "feather light," and I can see why. It isn't the absolute lightest running vest on the market, but it's not far off — and as far as storage to weight ratio goes, it's pretty hard to crush. For reference, hither'southward how the stated weight and storage book of the Race Vest 5.0 compare to like packs from other brands. All stated weights include the (empty) bottles or bladder that come up standard with each vest.
160 g / 5 oz — CamelBak Ultra Pro Vest (half dozen 50 / 366 in3)
200 1000 / vii.0 oz — Ultraspire Alpha 4.0 (six 50 / 366 in3)
200 k / 7.0 oz — Patagonia Slope Runner (8 L / 488 in3)
211 thousand / seven.4 oz — Ultimate Direction Race Vest 5.0 (8.5 L / 519 in3)
259 g / 9.1 oz — Salomon S/Lab Sense Ultra five Prepare (5 L / 305 in3)
306 g / x.8 oz — Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 (4 L / 244 in3)
308 g / 10.nine oz — Salomon ADV Pare five Set (five L / 305 in3)
347 g / 12.2 oz — Nathan VaporAir 2.0 (7 L / 427 in3)
Then while there are several packs that weigh less than the Race Vest 5.0, none of them have quite as much storage capacity (at to the lowest degree on paper). The Race Vest five.0 certainly feels extremely calorie-free in do and has plenty of storage space — although it doesn't seem quite as roomy every bit I'd expected, based on its stated storage capacity (more on that after). I appreciate light gear (especially if information technology's designed for racing), and then the Race Vest 5.0's lightweight design is still a definite plus in my book. I was a little concerned that such a light pack wouldn't accept enough structure to keep it from bouncing around when fully loaded, but and then far, the Race Vest v.0 has handled loads of all sizes just fine.
Storage
On paper, the Race Vest v.0 has more storage than my usual go-to pack, the Salomon Adv Skin five Ready (8.5 L vs. 5 Fifty). But in practice, the Race Vest 5.0 doesn't really experience any bigger — I can still fit everything I'd usually carry for a 2-3 hour run in the Race Vest five.0 without any problems, just information technology doesn't seem near every bit roomy as I'd expected. For most runs, I like to carry a windbreaker, about 1 L / 34 oz of water, my phone, a small first aid kit, and a multifariousness of chews / gels / other snacks.
I tin can definitely fit all of those things in the Race Vest 5.0 without also much problem, only at that place's non much room to spare when I practice. I pretty much always utilize the two included 500 ml soft flasks for water storage, though the big back pocket tin hold a ii L / 64 oz bladder if you then desire. The two horizontal pockets below the soft flask pockets work well for telephone and nutrient storage — both the open-topped and zipper pockets are (barely) large plenty to fit my iPhone viii in a Lifeproof case, though they probably wouldn't work for "plus" sized smartphones.
The two smaller pockets on tiptop of the right-manus soft-flask pocket are also great for stashing gels, bars, and other pocket-size / light items. Finally, the pole storage system on the chest straps works extremely well for my Black Diamond Distance Z Poles. It's fashion easier to use than the convoluted pole storage system on the Salomon Adv Skin v Set and holds the poles securely in place without extra bouncing.
My Adidas Agravic Windweave windbreaker pretty much fills the entire large back pocket of the Race Vest 5.0, although I could probably jam some other lite layer into information technology if I really needed to. That leaves the small attachment pocket on the bottom of the back of the pack for my first assistance kit, keys, and other random smaller items. I've used a pretty like packing scheme in all the vests I've run in, from the Salomon Adv Skin 5 Set to the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L. And while the Race Vest five.0 has significantly more storage than either of these packs on newspaper, information technology doesn't really seem like information technology has much (if whatsoever) more space in practice.
I recall this might exist partially due to the blazon of material used for the Race Vest 5.0's pockets. The Salomon Adv Skin 5 Set uses a ridiculously stretchy mesh fabric, which allows every pocket to aggrandize and hold way more than than I would've expected from a five L pack. While the pockets on the Race Vest 5.0 definitely even so have a practiced amount of stretch to them, they're non quite as expandable as the pockets on the Adv Skin 5 Set. The good news is that the tighter pockets make the Race Vest 5.0 extremely secure and bounciness-complimentary, whether it'south fully loaded or about empty. Dissimilar the Nathan VaporKrar packs, I haven't experienced any issues with soft flasks or other heavier items bouncing effectually within their pockets with the Race Vest 5.0. For a race-oriented vest, I remember a tighter / more secure fit is more important than lots of extra storage, but just exist aware that the Race Vest 5.0 might not seem quite as spacious every bit its stated storage volume suggests.
On the Trail
I've more often than not used the Race Belong 5.0 for 2- to 3-hour mountain runs this summer, and information technology's handled pretty much everything I've thrown at it very well then far. The combination of the ComfortCinch 2.0 compression organization and the tight-fitting pockets make the Race Vest 5.0 feel extremely secure with loads of all sizes. I've used the pack with nothing simply two soft flasks, and information technology still stayed put and didn't feel overly front-heavy. On the other side of the spectrum, the Race Belong five.0 notwithstanding feels well-counterbalanced and secure when information technology'south fully loaded with h2o, layers, nutrient, and other gear.
Overall, I think that the Race Vest 5.0 carries very similarly to the Salomon Adv Pare 5 Set, which is definitely a practiced thing in my book. It's exactly what I'chiliad looking for in a racing-oriented vest in that I can load it, put it on, and so pretty much forget I'one thousand wearing it for the rest of the run. Information technology doesn't seem to endure from any of the bouncing issues I've had with packs similar the Nathan VaporKrar two.0 12 50, which gives the Race Belong 5.0 a definite border for both races and long training runs in my opinion.
The Race Vest 5.0 also seems slightly more breathable than the Salomon Adv Peel 5 Fix and Nathan VaporKrar ii.0 packs. The extremely low-cal, virtually see-through mesh used for the Race Belong 5.0's dorsum panel allows for lots of airflow, especially if you don't take too much stuff in the back pocket. My back still gets a little sweatier than it would without a pack when I'grand running in the Race Vest 5.0, but it does feel noticeably cooler and more breathable than other packs I've used.
The but thing I'd like to see changed on the Race Vest 5.0 is pocket sizing and placement. As with so many running vests I've used, the Race Vest five.0'south pocket layout has a few minor quirks that make it only slightly less user-friendly on the trail than I think it could be.
First off, the soft-flask pockets seem like they're a piddling flake too shallow for the 500 ml soft flasks that come with the pack. You tin can still go them to stay put by shoving the soft flasks into the pockets and cinching down the elastic effectually the top of each pocket, merely they have a trend to work their way upwardly out of the pockets every bit you run. It'southward not a deal-breaker, only it is a trivial annoying — peculiarly since it could exist hands fixed by adding a few extra centimeters of pocket depth.
Next up, the phone-sized side pockets beneath the soft flasks wrap around the sides of the pack enough that, when yous put a phone in them and tighten up the pack, the phone gets pressed confronting the side of your ribs. I tin't say I've had any trouble with chafing or rubbing because of this event, but I do notice it every time I put on the pack. Finally, I really miss having the horizontal kangaroo-style pocket beyond the back of the pack. That type of pocket makes it piece of cake to stow jackets or other larger items on the back of the pack without taking information technology off. But since the Race Belong five.0'southward side compression organization takes upward the space that would ordinarily be occupied by a kangaroo pocket, you accept to have the pack off in order to admission the large back pocket. The smaller attachment pocket is relatively easy to admission with the pack on (as long as yous've got a little arm flexibility), but it's too pocket-sized to fit a jacket.
That might audio like a lot of complaints, only go on in mind that they're all very minor. I'm extremely picky when it comes to pocket placement, and the Race Vest five.0's storage options work great xc% of the time. Much like fit, storage preferences are extremely subjective — many runners probably won't notice (or care about) whatsoever of the problems I raised above. Just notwithstanding, I do think in that location'southward some room for comeback as far as the Race Vest five.0'south overall layout is concerned.
Immovability
With only 50 or and so miles in the Race Vest 5.0 so far, I can't actually say how it will concord upward in the long run. Most race vests last me several hundred miles, so I'll need to use the Race Vest v.0 quite a bit more earlier I can go a more than authentic sense of how durable it is. So far I haven't seen whatsoever signs of wear, and the pack seems well constructed.
I will be curious to run across how it holds up because of its lighter construction — the body of the pack definitely feels lighter and more minimal than packs like the Salomon Adv Skin 5 Set, which might mean that it won't final quite as long. But that's all simply speculation at this indicate — I'll update this section down the road one time I've had a chance to put more miles on the Race Vest 5.0.
Who's It For?
I recall the Race Vest five.0 is among the all-time race-oriented running packs I've tested — and depending on your personal preferences, information technology might be the best outright.
I definitely thought that the Race Vest 5.0 felt more comfortable, breathable, and secure than the Nathan VaporKrar 2.0 4L — plus the Race Belong 5.0 can carry slightly more than gear. Personally, I still slightly prefer the pocket layout of the Salomon Adv Skin 5 Fix to that of the Race Vest 5.0. Only the Race Vest 5.0 also has a few other features that I think are amend than the Adv Pare 5 Set. The Race Vest 5.0's pole storage arrangement is much more intuitive, and the ComfortCinch two.0 side compression makes it easier to become a customized, secure fit.
At the stop of the day, I think the Race Vest 5.0 is a very compelling option for both races and longer training runs requiring moderate amounts of gear. It's light, breathable, comfortable, and fairly user-friendly on the trail. If easy pocket admission is your summit priority, I however give a slight border to the Salomon Adv Skin 5 Set. Merely if you're more concerned nearly maximizing breathability and getting the perfect bounciness-costless fit, the Race Belong 5.0 is pretty hard to vanquish.
Lesser Line
As I've said before, the vast bulk of running vests on the market place at this point work very well. Most of them are too pretty similar, which can make choosing the right vest a petty catchy.
With that in mind, I think the Ultimate Direction Race Vest v.0 does manage to stand out from most of the competition considering of its extremely secure fit, excellent breathability, and low weight. The pocket placement might be a minor annoyance for some runners, but I think the Race Belong v.0's other perks outweigh these minor inconveniences. If you're looking for a lightweight, race-oriented running vest, I definitely retrieve the Race Belong 5.0 should be on your radar.
Source: https://blisterreview.com/gear-reviews/ultimate-direction-race-vest-5-0
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