When it’s hot out, staying hydrated is
vital. I have tried hydration backpacks,
belts, handheld bottles, and even tried just figuring out where drinking
fountains were on my runs. Staying
hydrated on my runs, especially in the hot California Summer is a
necessity.
Ultimate Direction claims that they invented the entire category of hydration
packs in 1985. They created the first
waist pack for carrying bottles and a few years later made the first handheld
water bottle. After 30 years, Ultimate Direction remains a leader in the hydration industry. They created the running vest and help
increase its popularity in the running world.
They also were the first to introduce the first women’s-specific line of
hydration packs. Ultimate Direction takes some of the best runners in
the world and gets their input in designing their gear to incorporate the items
that runners really need. I have tested
several Ultimate Direction products in the past.
AK Mountain Vest 3.0
The AK Signature Series from Ultimate Direction is named after Anton Krupicka, an American
ultra-runner. He has won some of the top
ultra-marathons including the Leadville 100 (twice), the Miwok 100k, the Rocky
Raccoon 100 Miler, the White River 50 Miler (twice), the High Mountain 50k, and
the Estes Park Marathon. It is amazing
to win just one of those races, but Anton is an ultra-running icon. He is 33 years old and lives in Boulder
Colorado. You should check out his blog,
Riding the Wind if you get a chance.
Anton had a huge hand in designing this pack and while he used it to be
able to hold more gear for climbing and high mountain adventures, it works
great for long trail runs and trail races.
I used it during my first 50k last month and loved it, but more on that
later.
The AK Mountain Vest 3.0 is a beast when it comes to storage
capacity. It has 2 pockets for bottles
(either their Body Bottle or Flexform 600 bottles) in the front. There is one zippered pocket, three elastic
stash pockets, and two Velcro pockets that are also in the front of the pack.
There are two zippered pockets on the sides and two zippered pockets on the
back. In addition to that, there is a big mesh pocket and the large zippered
compartment for a hydration bladder if you want to add that (not
included). That back compartment has a
separator and a bladder hanger as well. So, to give a count, there are a total of 12
pockets not including the large compartment in the back. It will hold more than you could possibly
imagine.
The AK Mountain Vest 3.0 comes in three sizes and has
additional straps, hidden in the side pockets, to make micro adjustments. There are two sternum straps that tighten the
vest from the front. The straps move up
and down on rails to make the fit work for different body types. They also come in handy after you have taken
out some of your gear (i.e. gels and water out of the bladder) so you can
tighten up the pack.
There are ice axe loops on the back
and there are two sets of trekking pole loops on the front of the pack. It makes it much easier to store your poles
for quick access instead of having to take your pack off to put away your poles
and take them back out. While I probable
will never use the ice axe loops, the trekking pole looks work great and I will
use them for sure.
The pack uses a combination of Knit
Mono Mesh, Darlington Power Mesh, and SilNylon/66 to make the pack light weight
and extremely breathable. It can hold
11.5 Liters of gear and weighs in at only 11.55 ounces (14 ounces with the
bottles).
You can get the AK Mountain Vest 3.0 for $154.95 on the Ultimate Direction website or you may be able to find it for less by shopping
around online. It comes in two colors, the Graphite/Blue and
the new Canyon Color (Red and Yellow/Orange). I love the look of the Canyon
color scheme.
I have used this pack for several
training trail runs, road runs, and ultimately, I decided to use it for my
first ultra-marathon, the Salmon Falls 50k Endurance Run. I picked the AK Mountain Vest 3.0 over other packs that I have tested
because it is not only one of the best fitting packs I’ve tested, but it can
hold tons of gear. I also like the fact
that the pockets are positioned really well.
I had my Samsung Galaxy S6 in the front zippered pocket (so I could use
Garmin LiveTrack and have quick access for pictures).
I had plenty of room for the two
Flexform bottles (one with water and the other with Tailwinds) plus enough
Glukos gummies to make it through the race.
I used the Velcro pill pouch for my salt tabs and Sport Legs and had a
small hand sanitizer on the other side.
In the back Velcro pockets, I had Coleman Bio Wipes in case I needed to
make a pit stop and a small first aid kit.
Just to clarify, the AK Mountain Vest 3.0 comes with two of the Body Bottles
that are collapsible. The Flexform
bottles can be purchased separately.
Here are pictures of both types of bottles.
The AK Mountain Vest 3.0 is awesome and I can’t recommend it
enough. Anton really put a lot of
thought into this pack and Ultimate Direction did a great job as usual. I can’t wait to use it on my next trail
run.
Pros:
2-14.2 Ounce Body Bottles
Light weight
Soft lining around the whole pack to
reduce chaffing.
Tons of storage
Trekking pole and ice axe pools
Hydration bladder compatible
Great price for as little as $154.95
(Sells for as little as $112.45 online)
Groove
Stereo with Bottles
The Groove Stereo with Bottles is a great waist pack that has tons of storage and comes with two Body Bottles.
The Hi-Fi front pouch has a large
zippered pocket with a clip to secure your keys. There are two flexible pockets as well. One is larger and the other is smaller. The larger one is big enough to fit my
Samsung Galaxy S6 with its case. The
smaller pocket is big enough for a few gels.
The back of the Groove Stereo
has two pockets that will fit the Ultimate
Direction Body Bottles or you can get the Flexform
600 bottles if you need more fluids (sold separately). The pockets hold the bottles in well. There is a large zippered pocket in the back
that can easily fit a phone, jacket, or a ton of gels. There is an elastic draw cord on the back to
attach your jacket after you warm up as well.
The Groove Stereo
uses AirRip mesh, which provides dual compression for a secure and breathable
fit. It has Velcro and stays on
well. This system does a great job of holding
a lot of gear without bouncing. You can
flip up the front pouch to tighten the belt even more. There are two sizes and the pack weighs in at
4.5 ounces without the bottles.
You can get the Groove Stereo
on the Ultimate Direction
website for $99.95, but just like the AK Mountain Vest 3.0,
you may be able to find a better deal online.
It is a great pack with tons of storage.
It does a great job of spacing out the weight and feel great mile after
mile.
Pros:
Plenty of Storage
Extremely lightweight and breathable materials
Does not bounce around
Fully adjustable
Holds 2 water bottles (comes with 2
body bottles)
Decent price $99.95 (Sells for as
little as $69.95 online)
Ultimate
Direction’s Social media Links
Ultimate
Direction guarantees its products against
manufactures defects. You send in your
damaged products and they will be repaired or replaced. Damages due to an accident or improper use
can be repaired at a reasonable rate. (Click here for more details about the warrantee). I am very impressed with Ultimate
Direction’s products. The AK Mountain Vest 3.0
and the Groove Stereo
are both great hydration systems and will make sure you have plenty of room for
all of the goodies you want to take with you.
Get your Ultimate Direction
gear today and summon your inner ultra-spirits.
Note: I received this product
in exchange for a review. The review is my personal opinion of the
product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so please use all of the
products that I review at your own risk.
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