Gear Review: UltrAspire Velocity.
Reviewed By: Katie Hogue
The Velocity is the first running vest I’ve purchased in my 6 years + of trail running in New Zealand and Asia. I’ve always been a bit resistant to changing from a pure reservoir based hydration system but after run one with the Velocity I’d say I am a major convert!
Reviewed By: Katie Hogue
The Velocity is the first running vest I’ve purchased in my 6 years + of trail running in New Zealand and Asia. I’ve always been a bit resistant to changing from a pure reservoir based hydration system but after run one with the Velocity I’d say I am a major convert!
| I was slightly concerned about the fit given it’s not a specialist women’s vest, but I needn’t have been. Delivering on universal fit and versatility, I was particularly struck with how light it was. I chose to purchase the reservoir in addition to using the flasks (given my historic preferences this seemed like a good idea to facilitate a smooth transition). The material dries really well, it is super light and what struck me initially was how well tailored the whole vest is. It literally feels like you are running without a vest at all. The pockets are really well placed and it feels super roomy in spite of it’s compact nature. The overall look is that of high quality vest that has been very well thought out. I was skeptical about the open sleeve at the back for the hydration vest thinking it may be unbalanced but it fits smoothly against your back with no concerns even as water levels diminish. Negatives - I struggled to understand the hook system to start with and in my desperation showed it to a friend who was equally as puzzled. Friends and teammates who had used UltrAspire before were able to easily decode this. Some more detailed instructions would be helpful either in pack or on website. Additionally, the reservoir mouthpiece was confusing to start with given it’s push in and out mechanism and I did shorten the tube length, as without a clip it did flop around a lot (I am reasonably small across the shoulders and chest). Colour – being a girly trail runner I would love to see some more feminine colours in the next line. I raced with the pack at the Hilary 80km – part of Oceania Sky Running Series in 2016. Even with my additional compulsory gear and more food than in my training runs, comfort levels remained consistent and I was particularly impressed that in the humid conditions, the moisture was still being wicked away – I wish my clothes did a similar job as I would have avoided some really nasty chafing! - Katie Hogue For more information visit: New Zealand: UltrAspire Australia: Barefoot Inc, UltrAspire |   |
