Ultimate Direction is a company that was one of the first to come up w/ a hydration pack and is well known and respected by the trail running community. They recently came up w/ a new series of packs designated the "signature series" each pack was designed by a well known ultra runner- the AK pack was designed by Anton Krupicka, thus AK. I prefer bottles over a bladder for a couple of reasons, first I bring one bottle this is mixed w/ Perpetuem- a powder that adds calories through complex carbs. If I'm using a bladder setup that means carrying a handheld, which is OK, but gets tiresome. Second I can't tell how much water I have used or have left w/ a bladder- pretty easy w/ a bottle Third refilling a bladder can be a pain, refilling a bottle takes seconds. Evidently Anton also prefers bottles, so when I saw this pack it definitely got my attention. It's a vest style pack which for running is the cat's - much more secure w/ little to no movement. The other thing that caught my eye was the weight- 6.0 oz, seemed like maybe that was a typo. I put it on the scale and a M/L is 6.1 oz, so no typo Here's my typical loadout for a long run the front of the pack carries the two 20 oz bottles in stretch pockets that are secured w/ a small bungee/cord lock setup- you can easily remove/replace bottles on the go, it has two sternum straps that can be moved up or down on a rail like system to fine tune things- pretty slick below each bottle is a small stretch pocket secured w/ a velcro closure- I keep Clif blocks in one and electrolytes n the other, very easily accessed on the run above each bottle are larger stretch pockets- keep my camera in one, more blocks in the other the rear of the pack has two small zipped lat pockets, I keep my phone and keys in one and my headlamp/emergency bits in the other- these can't be accessed on the fly which is fine the main pocket is a larger stretchy pocket that has a bungee setup outside, it can hold a smaller bladder if you want (has a loop to hang a bladder and there are loops on the outside perimeter of the pack to route a hose), I put my emergency blanket, extra food and a few clothing items in it- w/ plenty of room to spare- the bungee setup would allow even more room for a rain jacket or the like holding all that stuff isn't worth a tinker's if it doesn't carry well- this little pack carries like a dream! I've had it out the last three days snowshoe running and it's solid going to take it out for a longer run tomorrow, but I'm confident it's going to do great
got in a 15 mile run today w/ the AK, pack rode great- no movement, bottles are handy as are the front pockets front view on rear view
Thanks for sharing the load-out / use of the pack. I had seen it elsewhere recently, but not with any detail. And, , that is some big sky country. I salute you for running it!
just got back from a long (38 mile) run in Joshua Tree NP that required more water than the two bottles and found that a 1 little bladder fit w/o any problem in the main compartment (we still needed to stash water at the half way point)- I'm going to look for a 1.5 liter bladder to give me even more potential range pack carried like a dream- no chaffing, no bounce, everything up front easily accessible
^Nice picture. I run with a Nathan HPL 020 hydration vest. Looks like your Ultimate Direction has a little more room for gear. The Nathan vest has a 2 liter bladder in the back and pockets up front. It's very comfortable. I've never done 38 miles with mine, but I've done 20+.
That is awesome. Do you have any recommendations for running with a single bottle? I generally only run up to about 6 miles but usually it is pretty tight/rooty singletrack and I like to have my handsfree so I usually just pay lots of attention to hydration before and after.
Personally, I'd say you're on the right track unless temps are in the 90's or above. I'll usually go five miles of rough trail in pretty much any weather without water ... as long as I've done a good job of pre-hydrating.
Seems like a great set up, I wish my feet problems would go away so I could run like that. Also, bad- mustache.
For short runs around 6 miles or so I use a Nathan speed 2 hydration belt. For longer runs I take out a small hydration pack but as Mt Warden mentioned I really don't like it for the reasons he cited. I might be looking into this setup thanks for the review Mt Warden. PS 38 miles SWEET RUN!
we had three guys use the 020, but they were eyeballing my pack pretty close for shorter runs I like my Nathan Trek- it's a single bottle waist pack that rides nicely, I also like that the additional pocket is fairly roomy have a review here: http://edcforums.com/threads/nathan-trek-pack.95754/
You sure it was your "pack" they were eyeballing? Edit: One thing really nice about a pack that holds bottles is how easy it is to refill at aid stations. Having to pull a hydration bladder or try to fill one while the pack is still on your back isn't very easy.
Nice design. I've gotten quite ultralight with my outdoor stuff in the past 6 months. Been using one of Oscar Delta UK's "Stealth Snatch Bags." I find I go longer, further and am less tired.
well that's what I hope they were eyeballing agreed; much, much quicker to refill bottles vs bladders- at an aid station or even out of a mtn stream for that matter
