Peter Bakwin wanted a pack that could do anything from running to hiking, climbing to skiing. Featuring 11 L of volume and a variety of features, The Ultimate Direction Adventure Vest 2.0 allows you to stay hydrated and comfortable on any size adventure from quick outings to all-day expeditions.
After running our first few races in an old Camelbak that I retained from my Air Force days, and tired of the way it flopped around on my back while running, I wanted to find a better fitting hydration pack. I knew I wanted the pack to be small and light weight for sprint-style races (5-12 hours), but I also wanted it to be large enough to hold a few items such as a rain jacket, Clif Bars, Energy Gels, etc. We recently bought my wife a Nathan Intensity Vest
For one, the vest just looks awesome. I know you hardcore adventure racers don’t care about looking awesome, we run around in tights for goodness sake, but who wants an ugly pack? Not me. The most important thing to me was fit. I wanted something that didn’t slosh around on my back and yet didn’t chafe. Out of the box, this vest fit perfectly. I’m 5’10” 160lbs with a 38″ chest and putting the pack on was like slipping into my favorite pair of socks. It just hugs the body comfortably. You can see how it sits on the body from the image below:
Now, I don’t know why this guy looks so pissed off, when I put on the vest I was all smiles, I just knew it was going to work great. Who’s the happy adventure racer in the picture below…that’s right, this guy!
The way that the vest sits higher on the torso means that it doesn’t get in the way when you run, cycle, or paddle. In fact, during our training days that can last up to 6 hours and during the races that we’ve done, the vest is barely noticeable. There are compression straps and adjustment straps all over the vest that allow the wearer to customize the fit to their body and depending on the pack contents. I thought that having the bottles in front might be strange, but it wasn’t. For my pack, I opted for the optional hydration pack so I have 70 ounces of water in the back and 2, 20 ounce bottles in the front that I usually fill with Gatorade. I really like the hydration options this vest allows. We’ve run races where we had just the bladder in the back with water and after about 3-4 hours, I needed something with flavor. Plus, with extra bottles on my bike or in my gear bin, I can quickly replenish during transitions.
The vest is loaded with pockets and I really like how they snuck in a few pockets for Gel packs right by the water bottles. You can access the side pockets with a little contortion of the body but to access the rear pouch, you’ll have to take the vest off.
The build quality of the vest is top-notch and it is very similar in quality as the Nathan vest my wife has. From the Ultimate Direction website:
- Silnylon 66: Impregnating nylon with Silicon and Polyurethane creates this permanently waterproof fabric, and also substantially increases its seam and tear strength.
- Hex Mesh: The Hex Mesh vest structure is completely breathable, extremely strong, and lightweight. Its inability to absorb moisture results in a drier, more comfortable wear.
- Power Mesh: All pockets are strong and stretchy, made with heavy duty 340gm Power Mesh stretch fabric so the vest expands as you need it.
I can confirm that the vest is extremely breathable. Since we train and race in Florida, this is very important. The grey material is extremely stretchy but tough, so a lot can be packed into the pockets and pouch. I haven’t been caught in the rain yet, so I can’t speak on how waterproof the fabric is. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I can report on that.
The vest comes with 2, 20-ounce water bottles with a “Kicker Valve.” Funny thing about the kicker valve is that I didn’t know how they worked when I first got the vest. Seems you have to pull really hard on the red squishy part until it pops out, then suck and squeeze the bottle. Kick the red part to one side and it pops back down, creating a leak-proof seal.
The optional 70 ounce bladder is very nice with a bite valve and fold-over top closure. I’m a big fan of the fold-over top closure as I find it is easier to fill than the screw on tops and also easier to clean. You can also unplug the hose, leaving it threaded through the vest for bladder refills.
Negatives:
- The hydration bladder is a pain to put in the pack when full although the side zipper really helps. This really isn’t a big issue for me as I only fill it once before the race and with the additional bottles I have plenty of fluids. I wouldn’t use the vest for long races +12 hours where I would need to refill the bladder since I don’t think the pack would be large enough to carry the extra gear I would carry. But, I do like how there is a slot for the bladder and it can be held in place with internal compression cords.
- Price. I think the vest alone is pricey and when you add in the optional hydration bladder (yes, you have to pay for this) then the pack gets down right expensive. Given the high-end materials, the build quality and the overall form, fit and function of this vest, I think it’s worth it.
I plan on updating this review as I use the vest more. If anyone has any questions, just post them in the comments section and I’ll update the post.
For now, I am extremely happy with the vest and very glad I waited to get it.
4/24/2014 Update – I have now used the Ultimate Direction PB Adventure Vest 2.0 while training for the past 1.5 months and I have used it during 2 adventure races, one was 6 hours long and the other was 10 hours long. The vest has worked flawlessly and the more I wear it, the more I love it. So far I haven’t found anything wrong with it at all and it continues to exceed my expectations with regard to comfort and utility. For the 10 hour race, I strapped my rain jacket to the outside and carried a number of gel packs, cliff bars, and other snacks in the pockets. I also carried my mobile phone in a waterproof container (safety requirement). At times I wish the vest was slightly bigger, but then I would just fill it up with stuff I didn’t really need. The small size makes me keep the contents down to the bare necessities and that makes me lighter and faster.I have yet to refill the internal bladder while racing because between the bladder and the external bottles I have had plenty of fluids. I imagine that summer races in Florida may drive me to refill the bladder mid race, we’ll see. So far, I have to conclude that you can not go wrong with this pack. During the races, I hardly notice that I am wearing the pack. The fit is perfect and it doesn’t flop around like my CamelBak used to. I am 5′ 10″, 160lbs, medium build and wear a 38-40 jacket for size reference. I bought a M/L vest.
teamdisoriented.com 
Great (& thorough) review–Thank you! Question for you: you mention that you wouldn’t use this for 12+ hour races. What vest/gear do you like/recommend for longer races. I’m running the Canadian Death Race in August. Thank you!
Add,
For longer adventure races I really like the AS-1 from Out There, http://www.outthereusa.com/products.html Having said that, I guess I should mention that I’m talking about adventure races where competitors are biking, hiking, canoeing and orienteering which is much different from Ultramarathons and will require more gear to be carried. I didn’t know anything about the Death Race so I had to look it up. I’ve never ran an ultramarathon but I think the PB Adventure Vest 2.0 would be a good choice for this race or perhaps the SJ Ultra Vest 2.0. The Adventure vest will give you a little more storage room for a light jacket, small medical kit, change of socks, etc at the cost of being a little heavier. Personally, since I wouldn’t be fast enough to be in the front of the pack, I would opt for the slightly larger Adventure vest so that I could carry more food, gels, etc. You’ll always be able to cinch the pack down to get a nice snug fit if you find you carry less stuff. Good luck on your race, it sounds like a lot of fun.
Excellent. Thank you!
Could you share a bit how their bladder performed? Would you have still bought it, knowing what you know now? Or would you have preferred a bladder from another maker? Also, how did the pack suit the path of the bladder hose? Did you find it getting in the way at all? Did it secure nicely between sips? Thanks for your review. It helped solidify my purchase. Lastly, really impressed with all your adventuring 🙂 thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Greg. Thanks for checking out the blog. So far, I have no complaints about the bladder. It has been flawless. I think a good replacement contender would be the Platypus Big Zip LP Reservoir. I’ve never used that one but I have heard good things about Platypus. I think in the end, I would have bought the UD reservoir just because I know it would fit the pack well and the performance is there. I don’t like the reservoirs with the screw on caps because I find them hard to fill and clean. I like the bite-valve on the UD, it doesn’t leak and it isn’t too big. I’ll post a pic of the tube routing. The tube ends up hanging straight down alongside the water bottle. There is a small loop beside the chest pocket that I run the tube through. I find it doesn’t flop around much, or at least I don’t notice it when running. I do wish that there was a little clip on the sternum strap where I could secure it, just to give me that option. I definitely recommend getting the reservoir because it allows you to put water in the reservoir and then electrolyte drinks or whatever in the bottles. Oh, and a note about the bottles, I love the kicker valves. I didn’t realize how nice they were until I almost busted my front tooth out trying to drink from a hard spout water bottle while running. Hope that helps. -david
Thanks again! =)
Your thorough and thoughtful review has made the purchase a smooth experience 😉
Thanks for the great review. It helped influence my decision to purchase a UD PB Adventure Vest. Saw your comment about the hydration tube. I’m toying around with it but what I did with my old Nathen vest was purchase a couple of small 1/4″x1/4″ neodymium magnets. I duct taped a magnet near the end of the hydration hose and another to my sternum strap. Once I’m done with the tube, I just place it close to the other magnet on my sternum strap and they stick together. Hope this helps.
That’s a great idea, thanks! I think I’ll try that. BTW, just used the pack for our last race which was 18 hours long and had the pack on the whole time. Hardly noticed it was there.