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Super Speedy Summary

Whilst this is quite probably the best female running / fastpacking bag out there both Shona and I still feel that Ultimate Direction could have done better with fit adjustment options and comfort for a wide range of female shapes. This bag is packed with great features including the waterproof roll top adjustable size bag, various front and side pouches and pockets and a large rear mesh. There are also 2 waterproof zipped pockets for keys and purses etc and all the usual features and build quality we’ve come to expect from the Ultimate Direction range. Given that the brand did such a cracking job with fit and form on their Jenny Vest – Vesta its a bit of a surprise to find they haven’t really nailed it with the FastpackHER. There are also 2 design flaws in the ‘gripes’ section that really are massive own goals.

Verdict – Probably the Best female running /hiking pack out there but Ultimate Direction could have knocked the competition out of the park with this and instead delivered something rather lacklustre.

Purchase $169.95

Purchase $169.95

In depth Review

‘Shrink and Pink’ is simply not good enough when it comes to women’s running gear. Very few of the big brands in Trail running and packs even bother with a female version at all so its great to see Ultimate Direction finally offer more than just a male fastpack with the word ‘unisex’ attached to the specs. This review is going to feel a bit ranty because good old UD haven’t quite got this bag right, but despite this I think this is probably the best (least worst) female running pack option currently available.

Pocketyness

The FastpackHER 30 has all the standard set up for pockets you would expect from Ultimate Direction. The front chest area has a standard pouch for a water bottle on what would be the wearers right side which fits up to about a 600ml soft flask. Sadly the bag does not come with any water bottles so I would suggest buying softflasks for comfort.

The left breast pocket is designed to sort of be a zipped pocket for a phone etc if you want to and also be opened up as a water bottle holder too. Id like to see this zip pouch made a bit bigger to accommodate some of the larger smartphones people use now.

There are additional pouches on the front of the water bottle pouches for smaller snacks and things like gels and suncream, insect repellent too. The back and side also have two waterproof zipped pockets for storing gear that needs to be out of the elements more such as keys, money, batteries , gloves or hat.

The Water bottle pouches also have a better quality bungee loop top and bottom to attach Z folding Trekking poles which is great to see. This means you can easily stow and get to trekking poles when you need them without them interfering with your arm movement when you aren’t using them.

There is also a large and very stretchy mesh square area on the back that you see on all Fastpacks. These area is great for stuffing in things like waterproof or extra layers you may need to get to quickly all day. Its also a great place to leave things that have got wet and need to dry out in the wind.

Fit and Adjustability

The back area on this back has been reduced compared to the square shape of the unisex Fastpacks. The back ‘footprint’ is smaller and more narrow and more of an upside down pyramid shape to be more comfortable on womens backs.

After that its hard to really understand what has been done to redesign for various womens shapes and sizes. The straps are generally too narrow and unforgiving over the bust area and there doesn’t seem to be enough consideration for options between women with larger boobs and smaller boobs with regard to where the water bottles sit.

Don’t let this put you off. Given the size ranges and the number of adjustable straps and placings on the pack I’m confident that most women will be able to find a setup that’s reasonable, but frankly the same could be said for the ‘unisex’ fastpacks. I expected the female fit options and configuration to be the bit that this bag knocked the competition out of the park and instead Shona actually felt the unisex Fastpack 30L (which sadly Ultimate Direction no longer make !) she has actually fits better than the FastpackHER 30. When UD first launched the Jenny Vest ( now the Vesta Range) I was impressed with how well it could be adjusted for various female runner friends with a wide range of shapes and sizes.

Material

The bag itself is made from a high quality and very durable water repellent material. The Fastpacks opt for a ‘dry bag’ approach to the main compartment that has two advantages. Firstly it means your gear is likely to stay drier for longer with no zips exposed to the elements and secondly it means you can easily adjust the height and size of the bag. If you are out for a shorter run or hike you can roll the top down all the way and tighten the side straps to make a convenient small 12L bag , or on an epic through hike or multi day race extend the bag out to its full size.

Top tip – Given the roll top design and adjustability of size you would be mad to get the FastpackHER 20L version which you cant make bigger whereas the FastpackHER 30 you can make smaller.

Zips

There are 2 zips that are rubberised and waterproof leading to two decent sized pouches to store more water sensitive items like keys , purse and electrical items.

Then there is the staggeringly weird side zip that isn’t waterproof that runs up the side of the dry bag making the concept of the dry bag entirely redundant…simply for convenience. I literally cannot understand why Ultimate Direction would do something so staggeringly dumb. Worst still the bigger the bag needs to be, the more likely you are to be outdoors for longer amounts of time and the more of the non waterproof zip is exposed as less of the excess of the roll bag is rolled down. The zip also has three ( 3!) zip heads to it so its a big bundle hot mess when you try to roll this down and clip to the side clip.

Straps

The front two chest straps slide up and down easily and are easily adjustable to help accommodate different sizes and different numbers of layers of clothing. Unlike the new FKT vest ( which as some bungee give added to them as well for comfort) the FastpackHER straps are solid nylon. The front ‘boob’ area is probably the single biggest varying element for various sized women and this pack hasn’t gone far enough to accommodate this need over the standard unisex Fastpacks. The chest straps need way more length to start, and consideration should be given to water bottle pouch position versus boobs.

The adjustable side straps are way too long, Shona is a size 12 and wore the XS and the side straps had to be massively tightened leaving a huge amount of strap webbing blowing about.

The side straps are not routed from inside the side mesh pockets , but infact travel in frotn of the top entry area of the pockets making putting stuff in and out of the side pockets on the move very difficult.

Despite my complaints about some of the female features on this pack being bizarre,wrong or badly thought out just keep reminding yourself that Salomon, Inov-8 and WAA etc have no female specific bags at all.

Other Features

The FastpackHER 30 has the same Infinit concept as all their other Fastpacks. What this means is that there are no seams in contact with you when wearing to make this bag as comfortable as possible.

The bag also has a large amount of daisy chain loops so you can easily add extra pouches or items to the bag on the outside. It also has the obligatory ‘Ice Axe’ loops I have literally never seen a runner use. The interior of the bag has a small soda can shaped sleeve which I cannot figure out a use for as its open at both ends, and a hanging hook and sleeve if you prefer to use a water bladder rather than water bottles.

The chest strap clips also come with a whistle built in that usually meets some adventure race standard kit requirements.

Gripes

So making it in pink just seems a bit condescending, and Shona pointed out that now you have the chance to advertise from a long way off to other people that you might be a female in the outdoors on your own. Luckily there are other colors in the range.

The Fiddly Sticky Outy T Bars are back

Some of my gripes with the other Fastpacks are here in this one too. Firstly the straps adjust using a very fiddle plastic T Bar system which leaves a sharp point of plastic low down and has a tendency to actually dig in and damage clothing when the bag is full and you are wearing a lot of layers. In the mens version you can adjust the side straps up to avoid this but in the female version you cant because the next one up is already being used.

Id also like to see the Burrito Pocket at the front made much larger, or better still moved elsewhere so you can mount 2 decent sized 500 to 750 ml bottles at the front to even weight out. I miss the old simple open chest bottle pouches that could take up to two 750ml bottles.

Side Pouch Own Goal Madness

You cant reach the side pockets because the bag adjustment straps go OVER the front of the pocket rather than feed in from under on the other fastpacks. This is an astonishing own goal. You now cant easily access water bottles and snack in the size pouches without taking the bag off.

Pointless Waist Strap

The waistbelt is simply not wide enough to be comfortable and in most cases is redundant. This was the same on the Fastpack 30 I reviewed. In a situation where the bag is heavy enough to necessitate a waist strap you will want a wide padded one to sit on your hips and actually take the weight properly. The one on this bag is an afterthought and will cut you in half. Set the bag up with weight up high and all straps at the right tension and this bag should sit like a race vest on you and wont need the waistbelt. Take the belt off and leave it at home.

Bin the Foam Backpad

The foam backpad is back. Also a true gremlin of the Fastpacks. Take this out and save yourself some weight, a hot back and a fit so tight against your back it makes you even sweatier. By removing the foam back inside the bag doesn’t sit true against your back and allows air flow through. If you pack the bag correctly you can leave soft items like jacket and spare layer against your back area and remove the need for any cushioning. I put hard items like head torch etc or anything that’s hard and waterproof in the out mesh pouch where I can get to it easily and it cant rub against me.

Verdict

Whilst this is quite probably the best female running / fastpacking bag out there both Shona and I still feel that Ultimate Direction could have done better with fit adjustment options and comfort for a wider range of female shapes. This bag is packed with great features including the waterproof roll top adjustable size bag, various front and side pouches and pockets and a large rear mesh. There are also 2 waterproof zipped pockets for keys and purses etc and all the usual features and build quality we’ve come to expect from the Ultimate Direction range. Given that the brand did such a cracking job with fit and form on their Jenny Vest ( now the VESTA series) its a bit of a surprise to find they haven’t really nailed it with the FastpackHER 30.

Verdict – Probably the Best female running /hiking pack out there but Ultimate Direction could have knocked the competition out of the park with this and instead delivered something rather lacklustre against their own high standards.

Purchase $169.95

Closest Competition?

With so few other brands offering any female specific backpacks I’m in the strange strange place of suggesting Raidlight as an alternative with their Responsiv Vest 24 Women bag. They are renowned for shoddy build quality and I haven’t had a chance to look at or review it so it comes with a huge range of caveats.

FastpackHER 30 Features

• Roll-top closure expands or contracts to secure varying capacities
• Patented InfiKnit™ Harness is an entirely seamless back-panel and shoulder-strap system to prevent abrasion and discomfort 
• Large front storage for water, phone, maps, glasses, or food 
• Unique zip-down main compartment for total access to gear
• Sliding rail sternum straps
• Removable and height-adjustable T-hook waistbelt for heavier loads
• Easy access pocket with keyfob
• Patented lnfiKnit mesh is an entirely seamless back-panel, waistbelt, and shoulder-strap system to prevent abrasion and discomfort 
• Daisy chains for securing extra gear
• Two large side pockets for larger water vessels 

Specifications

• Volume Capacity: 30 L / 1831 in³
• Weight: 625 g / 22 oz
• Materials: MonoRip Mesh, Nylon ACE RIP with STS coating, Durable water resistant 4 way stretch woven mesh
• Ice Ax Loops: Yes
• Whistle: Yes
• Front Phone Pocket: Yes
• Reservoir Compatible: Yes
• Bottle Included: No
• Reservoir Included: No

Sizing at Bottom Ribs:

• XS/SM: 22 – 47 in / 55 – 120 cm
• MD/LG: 24 – 50 in / 60 – 125 cm