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Im a big fan already of the Ultimate Direction Range of vests due to their heavy duty construction, light weight and seamless comfortable design. What drew my eye to this race vest was the amazing discounted price at the moment of $83 so at that price I thought Id take a closer look and review it.
The right vest for a day on the trails
Running clothing never has enough pockets. The moment you go for a run or hike that might last more than 90 mins you are going to need a few more items with you for comfort.
Its all very well keeping your house key and your phone in a pocket but if you want to run in the USA or UK for more than an hour or two you’ll definitely need water, maybe a spare layer for warmth, sunglasses, gloves and hat……maybe a light waterproof. The FKT vest is designed to conveniently store all these items, within easy reach and balancing the weight comfortably across your body.
Pockets and Pouches Galore
Starting at the front of the vest you have the standard large pouch on each side for water bottles. Unlike a few other Ultimate Direction vests the bottles sit much lower on your chest than normal. Rather than being up on your chest they are positioned much more like they are against your ribs. This is great and actually seems much more natural and comfortable, and for women using the vest I suspect a much more comfortable way to carry water. I also recommend opting for a soft flask 500ml bottle rather than a hard bottle, saving weight and making them more comfortable to wear.
Water Bottle Holders
As well as the water bottle pouches ( which I think would hold up to a 600ml soft flask and maaaaybe a 700ml at a push) you also have a nice large ‘clamshell’ zip pocket on the left breast which I often use to securely store my phone. As well as epic selfies and music I use my phone for navigation so need to be able to get to it easily.
On the right breast above the water bottle is a small velcro pouch with enough space for a gel or small medical things like sunscreen stick, salt tablets etc. There are also large very stretchy pouches in front of the bottles on both sides that you can fit a few energy bars, gels and snacks into. At a push I could also keep my gloves and beanie hat in them which is useful.
The front of the jacket also has bungee loops at the top and bottom of the water bottle pouches so you can easily mount a Z folding trekking pole out of the way when not in use. When you move round the sides of the vest there are large zip pockets to store more things, I usually use the side pockets for my head torch and spare charger pack and cables.
In the video below I show you a quick walk round the features.
Plenty of Junk in Trunk
Once round the back you have large zip access to a storage area with enough space for things like an extra base layer or waterproof jacket.. I often carry a warmer belay jacket with me too to wear if I stop to take photos or for lunch to enjoy the view. The rear access has two main zip areas to help you organise your stuff and a small sleeve inside for a hydration bladder but frankly I’m not a fan of camelbacks as you cant tell how much water you have and the weight distribution isn’t as comfortable as having the water on the front.
There is also a large lazy zig zag bungee across the back if you want to speedily stow a rain jacket on and off quickly or hang an item out clothing loose to dry out. Like all race vests the material of the vest is fairly breathable but not rain proof, I recommend putting spare clothing and electrical items etc into small convenient dry bags inside the vest to keep them dry and also stuff them down as small as possible.
Round the back are also loops for ice axes at the bottom ( a feature I have yet to see anyone ever use ever).
Fit and Comfort
Whether you are large or small or man or woman this vest does a good job to adjusting for your fit The chest straps can be slid up and down your chest to sit where it suits you and the side pockets hide more straps you can adjust the fit on. The pack also comes in various sizes, and I recommend you consider the ‘worst case’ scenario when choosing sizing where it could be the dead of winter in the snow and you are wearing 3 layers or more.
Verdict
Normally I would have a little section called ‘the gripes’ and have a moan about a few bits that drive me mad.. Other UD vests have clips that only work one way up etc etc but I have no gripes about this vest. Its potentially the best vest Ultimate Direction make.
Whether you are out for a 2 hour run, all day or setting an FKT or 100 mile trail race this should meet all of your needs. The most surprising thing is that with the discounted current price with Ultimate Direction ( link below) this is a total no brainer at $83 delivered to your door. You wont be disappointed.
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