Learn more about the Camelbak Pro Vest
In December, I was looking a small bag to my weekly training. I was tired of carrying my much larger bag in every single of my runs when I essentially only needed my bladder and phone.The Camelbak Ultra vest piqued my interest because of its comforts, carrying capacity and of course, the price (and there was a sale on it during the marathon expo, YAY)! If you are looking to get a vest to train for a Marathon- Ultra marathon (specifically in warm weathers) I would highly advise getting this Hydropack. However, if you wish to have a race vest for a 160 km + race, i would recommend looking for other vest models with more available space.So let’s have a quick look at the hydration pack.
The Camelbak Ultra Pro vest is marketed for all long-distance runners who wish to be comfortable and have plenty of water to stay hydrated during their runs. All new technology features are highlighted in Camelbak’s video:
My experience
I now use the vest everyday with my 1L bladder during my runs. I use the front pockets for small change/phone instead of the bottles for quick access and keep the water solely in the large back pocket. I took it upon myself to test the vest’s holding capacity with a basic Ultra-marathon items check. The kit constitutes of: 1 T-shirt, 1 long sleeve shirt, 1 Miruno shirt, 1 pair of socks, 1 rain jacket, 1 reflecting shirt, 1 heat blanket, 2 snacks, 3 gels, my headlight and the 2 Camelbak water bottles provided with the vest.
As you can see in the slideshow, we were able to successfully fit everything in the vest. Moreover, it is possible to fit your phone on the side pockets but you have to be careful to pin the pockets shut and put your phone in a waterproof container as the pockets can not be sealed and are made of net. Not the most secure material for electrical devices in the outdoors… You can also always fit your phone in the front pockets with the filled bottles but decrease the comfort of the vest. I do think this vest would fit a lot of Ultra races’ standards but might not be fit for 160 km + ultras or other races’ mandatory kits. However…i don’t know about you, but i don’t run 160 kms everyday. The Camelbak Ultra Pro vest meets my everyday need as an ultra runner and i could not recommend it more. But don’t take my word for it, here are some more reviews:
And additional videos: