SJ Ultra Vest: Trial Run

As I mentioned in my previous post, I received my Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Ultra Vest last week, having ordered it the day it was released. Unfortunately, I received it while I was taking an extended period off of running to heal a nagging ankle injury, and also just before I headed to Chicago for work. So when I got back, I decided to take it for a test run.

And where better to test it than Green Mountain? I will grant you that, since it generally takes just over an hour, Green is not a full test of this vest. Normally I would run this with a handheld, also by UD, at most. But since I had taken time off and was not sure how long I could actually run, and how well my ankle would hold up, Green was the best option.

That, and I love Green Mountain.

First Impressions: Ok, to be honest, this is all first impressions, but here are my out of the box first impressions.

First, this thing is light. I pulled it out of the box and almost flung it over my head because I was expecting it to be heavier. Even with the bottles attached it feels remarkably light, so much so that I wondered how durable it might be. Knowing Scott, though, and his exacting nature, I have little doubt that it will hold up well.

Second: fit. After nearly throwing the vest across the room, I put it on. I had initially questioned getting the size medium instead of the large, as my chest measurements suggested I was right on the border, but I think I chose the right size. With the bottles empty, I could hardly tell I was wearing it, which of course is what you hope for from a running pack.

Third: there are a ton of pockets on this thing. Each bottle holder has two side pockets. There are two more velcro closed, mesh pockets right above each bottle, and an additional pocket (one mesh, one water-resistant) below. Each of the hip straps (for lack of a better term) has both a zipper pocket and a velcro pocket. And, of course, there are the two larger pockets on the back. One of these is smaller, suitable for sunglasses, hat, and probably gloves. The other is larger, which is equipped for a small hydration bladder, or in my case a larger camera.

Immediate concerns: These packs had been rolled out with a lot of hype, and rightly so. For some reason, this is one of the first times a hydration pack company has actually gone to well-known athletes to design their packs. It surprises me not at all that UD would be the company to do this.

And there were a few surprises, the most notable of which is that all three athletes wanted a pack that had the water bottles up front. They all opted for a vest style pack rather than a traditional pack.

I did have some concerns heading out on the trail initially, though. First, I was worried that the bottles would bounce around too much for my taste. And they do, just a bit. But it is surprisingly mild, and more side-to-side than up-and-down. I quickly forgot about it as I ran down the trail, and the ease of access made possible by having the bottles up front, rather than around back at your waste (for somebody with bad shoulders, that was always a problem with hip packs), more than made up for any initial bouncing.

Second, I was worried about balance. With my Katoa waste pack, if I drink too much from one bottle, or had one out for an extended period of time,  the whole pack tends to shift on my hips annoyingly. This was not a problem with the vest. I could definitely tell that one bottle was heavier than the other. How could you not? But the vest did not shift, nor did it feel at all uncomfortable. The one thing I noticed is that it is difficult to impossible to put the bottle back in its holster one-handed. Possibly unavoidable and not a big deal, but definitely noticeable.

My worry about durability cannot be spoken to yet. I'll get back to you in a couple years on that (hopefully).

Overall impression: This will definitely be my go-to pack for longer runs in the future. The combination of weight, convenience, and fit is unbeatable in my experience. The myriad pockets will make it possible to carry everything I need (gels, real food, gummies, electrolytes, and of course my car key) and keep them all separate. I can see the velcro pockets on the hips being used primarily to pack out my wrappers.

The large pocket on the back easily fits my camera, which is a primary concern for me as I love photography. I may need to find a new, smaller, better fitting case for my camera though, as my current case now seems overly large and unwieldy. I guess better design in one item makes me desire better design in others as well.

The drawstrings on the back of the pack securely held my GoLite wind jacket. Nothing much more to report there. I did notice the lower loops on the pack, designed to hold trekking poles or an ice axe. There appear to be areas on top to lash the trekking poles there as well, but I was not sure how you are supposed to do so, as there was no corresponding cord. Perhaps you're supposed to use the drawstring that secures your windbreaker?

It is a question I may ask UD or Scott, next time I see them.

As a final note, I got a lot of questions about the pack. As I mentioned, there has been a lot of buzz (forgive the pun, Buzz) about these packs, and people noticed. I even ran by a woman who works for UD, and she promptly took a couple pictures of me to share with the company. I am sure I sounded a little hedgy, but I always am with a new product.

That said, I give this pack full marks from my first run. I cannot wait to try it out on a longer adventure, and post my more considered thoughts at that point.

Guess What Came Today

Unfortunately my Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek Signature Series Ultra Vest came while I'm taking a short break to let a lingering ankle injury heal. But once that's better and I get a chance to try it out, I'll post a review.