As the popularity of ultra running grows, so does the market for ultra running products. Camelbak has long been known as a brand for designed and manufacturing hydration packs for a range of sports. The Camelbak Zephyr™ Pro Vest with Two 17oz Quick Stow™ Flasks is a new pack for runners and gives 12 litres of space for kit, food and water. There are male and female specific versions and I have been testing the female model.
Features include:
Knit mesh – with “body mapping technology”
12 litre total storage – including large top-zip compartment, large rear stretch pocket and lower rear stretch pocket (both with grippy internal edging)., several front-access pockets
Removable trekking pole quiver
Zipped phone pocket
Dual adjustable chest straps
Side adjustable straps
Reflectivity
Safety whistle
Internal bladder sleeve and tube trap for water hose
Front pockets for 2 x 17oz Quick Stow™ flasks
Polygiene “Stayfresh”
Sizes: Male and female specific fit (one size for women and one size for men)
Price: £140
See Camelbak
My thoughts: Camelbak Women’s Zephyr™ Pro Vest for running
This is a one-size-fits-all for women (and the same for men). I am a slim, size UK10, and the pack fits me reasonably well. There is a decent amount of adjustment at the sides of the pack and at the chest but I still found it to be a bit big for me. The top of the shoulder straps gape slightly although overall I haven’t found this to be an issue when running.
There is a good amount of storage. This is a pack that could be useful for up to a day of running in summer conditions. Be warned though because one 12-litre pack is not usually the same as another 12-litre pack.
For example, I have tested the Salomon Adv Skin 12 Running Vest, which allows for more kit in the main compartment because it is a bit larger and stretchier. However, the Salomon pack does not have a stretchy rear pocket like the Camelbak.
So, the Camelbak Zephyr has similar overall space but in a different range of pockets and compartments. I prefer more pockets to fewer pockets because I like to have different places to stash different items. I particularly like the large rear stuff pocket for items that I might need to put on and off, such as a waterproof jacket or gloves. This rear pocket is open top but it has a sort of grippy inner seam to stop items simply slipping out.
It’s the same with the lower stuff pocket at the rear. This pocket is accessed from the side and could be used for stashing folded up poles (if you don’t want to use the quiver) and I think it’s a great idea to have a non-slip edge to the pocket. (I wish my Salomon pack had grippy seams because I may have been able to hold on to my expensive running mittens while in the Alps recently. I lost a glove because it fell out my pack.)
There are also many useful pockets at the front of the pack. Two open top sleeves are for soft flasks. These are kept in place with an elastic loop that fits around the top off the water flask and also there is an elastic adjustable top to the pocket that can be tightened.
There are two zipped pockets that can be used for a movie phone and another tiny pocket that appears to be lined with a waterproof fabric.
I like front access pockets for items such as my phone, a compass, snacks, water etc and the Camelbak is well designed.
There is a quiver that can be removed if you don’t want to use it. It’s attached to the pack with durable-looking plastic press studs top and bottom. It’s a neat design and the quiver is tucked away at the rear. This is where you can stash your running poles when not in use. You’ll need poles that can be folded in three to make them short enough for packing.
You’ll see more and more runners using quivers to carry poles. In theory, you can addd or remove the folded poles without having to take off the pack but it can sometimes require more flexibility and agility to get the poles over the shoulder and into the pack so you might try this a few times to get it right. Otherwise, you take the pack off and push the poles into the quiver sleeve. I thought the poles might bang about annoyingly as I ran, but they seem fine.
The brand states that it has incorporated “body mapping tech” into this mesh design at the rear of the pack. Camelbak adds: “There are male and female specific patterns, based on which parts of your backs get hot. Thus, keeping your back cooler.”
It’s hard for me to tell you whether this pack keeps me cooler than others because I can’t wear two packs in exactly the same conditions. However, it doesn’t feel overly sweaty or hot when running in the Zephyr so I would say it’s a pretty good design.
It is a pack that you hardly notice you are wearing. The actual pack is lightweight thanks to the mesh fabric. The edges and seams are fairly soft and they haven’t rubbed my skin, even when I am wearing a vest top.
The pack is not as stretchy as others I’ve tested so it can feel a bit of a tight fit to get on, but once on it’s fine. You can adjust then chest fasteners to give the right fit, depending on what you are wearing. The fasteners can also sit higher or lower on the chest, depending on what is most comfortable or stable for you.
If you use the elastic fastening, the soft flasks stay in place and you can drink from them as you go along. The zipped front pockets are large enough (just) for my max size iPhone.
The zip pulls have large and easy to use pulls. The chest straps are fastened with clips, which I like, but it would be better if these were slightly larger. It can be a bit fiddly to clip the fasteners together so a larger size would help with this. The same goes for the chest straps – I’d prefer these if they were a bit wider.
I’d also like to see a few more sizes in the male and female packs. One size never fits all and people who are smaller and slimmer or taller and larger might struggle with the one size.
Also, it would be great if there were more colour ways. Grey for women and blue for men seems quite limited.
The price of £140 seems fairly standard for this sort of pack. Salomon packs cost the same. You can pay a little less if you shop around, especially on-line. I am constantly surprised by how much items like this cost. I can only hope it proves to be durable and long-lasting.