The Ultraspire Revolution Hydration Vest!!!
This is hands down my favorite all around running pack that has been made so far. It is truly the jack of all trades and master of none. It is not the biggest, or the smallest. It's not minimal, but its not maximal. It really can be whatever you want it to be.
The front has a large zippered pouch on the left that will fit an pair of arm warmers, an iPhone, or a bunch of gels. The pouch has an elasticized mesh pocket on the outside that will also fit an iPhone, gels, or small easy access items. A small magnetic closure waterproof pocket is on the upper right front strap that is designed for electrolyte pills, which also works great to hold cash so that you don't have to give the cashier sweaty loot. The left upper strap has a small elasticized mesh pouch that will hold about 2 gels if you cram them.
On both of the upper straps there are small elastic straps that are there to hold down the tube from a hydration bladder (which can go in the back elastic pouch more on this later). I actually used these as perfect clips to hold my iPod shuffle.
The rear right is a large foam insulated water bottle holder that is horizontally oriented with a slight upward cant to it. This bottle holder is the core of the pack and why it works so well. It is designed for the Ultraspire 26 oz Human finger loop bottle, which is an awesome bottle, but it will also smaller bottles too and even a Nalgene 1 liter bottle. It can even fit a back up handheld if you want, it will be a bit snug…
The left lower rear hides the other end of the insulated foam tube. An elasticized mess "door" is the access to this small cubby hole. It will hold a pair of running arm sleeves, cliff bars, a head lamp, or anything else that is around that size. It is very secure and I have yet to have anything fall out of it yet.
The upper back is the large elasticized mesh pouch, about just under 2 liters. This is the trunk of the pack, it will hold a full sized running jacket, a 1 liter hydration bladder, tupperware lunch box, or other largish objects. The versatility of this pack is what I really love. I think of this pack as a regular Spry or Nathan HP #28 with a bottle holder on the back and small access storage on the other side.
So basically it can be what ever you need, the thing I love the most about it is running in the winter here in South Carolina since it is cold in the morning and warms up a lot by the afternoon so it has pockets to shed all your beanies, arm warmers, gloves, and other items into. It can meet your requirements up to about a marathon distance self supported with a 1 liter bladder in the back 16 oz bottle in the front pocket, and the 26 oz bottle filled too. Water in the bladder, Hammer HEED in the 26 oz bottle, and Roctane Brew in the 16 oz bottle up front.
So basically it can be what ever you need, the thing I love the most about it is running in the winter here in South Carolina since it is cold in the morning and warms up a lot by the afternoon so it has pockets to shed all your beanies, arm warmers, gloves, and other items into. It can meet your requirements up to about a marathon distance self supported with a 1 liter bladder in the back 16 oz bottle in the front pocket, and the 26 oz bottle filled too. Water in the bladder, Hammer HEED in the 26 oz bottle, and Roctane Brew in the 16 oz bottle up front.
Improvements... There are only three real improvements I would like to see.
The first am most important for me would be to have the front left zippered pouch waterproofed. The back I the zippered area is the same open mesh that the pack is made of so sweat just goes right into what ever is there. I would love to have it water proofed so I could just throw the iPhone in there and no worries.
Second improvement would be to increase the depth of the front right mesh pouch so tha it will accept a full sized 20-24 oz bottle. And then add double from chest straps.
The last improvement is probably only for me but I would just love the back large pouch to be about twice the size it is now. About the size of the one on the Nathan minimist. But I haul too much stuff so that is the smallest request.
So here it is my first review, please be patient checking back, an RN, and have a wife and 2 kids so I get busy sometimes…ok often.
Thanks for reading.
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Mmmmm.... Bacon....
Well old Jack Burton says this is the best damn pack he's ever worn cuz that's what Jack Burton says....Big Trouble in Little China... I guess if I have to explain it you didn't find it funny. Watch it if you haven't great 80's movie.
Thanks for reading.
For fun here is my old 2012 Revolution that I attached patches and reflective material to.
Please don't run me over! I probably look like a small moped to drivers.
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