Review on 💦 Stay Hydrated on Your Runs with CamelBak Men's Zephyr Running Hydration Vest – Innovative Body Mapping Technology – 34 oz by Antonio Bacon

In short: (+): What I liked about the vest is the custom fit, breathable mesh, overall weight, storage options, and hydration bladders. (-): What I didn't like about the vest was the rear access to storage space and the design of the bottles and bottle pockets. Overall I liked this vest for day trips and long runs. I would recommend this product to anyone looking for a training or adventure vest, but if you need a hydration vest for competitive ultra racing you might look elsewhere. Explanation of good, bad, and general feeling: I'm not a competitive ultrarunner, but I've run 100 miles. I would hate to use this hydration vest when minutes count. The back of the pack is accessed from the top, making it difficult/impossible to access anything on the back of the vest while running or when the pack is in general. I also found the bubble bottles uncomfortable after a few hits. They tend to sink into your pocket the more you exhaust the water in them, forcing you to dig them. Your position on the vest is low, so the best option is to pull the bottle out all the way, apart from craning your neck and tightening the entire vest to drink. Canteen removal and reinsertion isn't too difficult, but the focus shouldn't be on the vest or finding water, it should be on the trails and your surroundings. For these reasons I would not recommend this vest for competitions when time is of the essence. Other than that, the vest works on every other level. It has a minimalist design in terms of weight, allowing you to pack weight where it really counts. It has plenty of room for a long day hike, including a dedicated strap that holds up to a 2 liter tank. A divider in the large back pocket provides additional storage, including an internal zippered pocket for valuables you likely won't need access to during class. On the outside you have a stretchable mesh sleeve for items like a jacket that you may need quicker access to. What I liked about the front pockets is that they give you space to store your essentials, including a small stretch mesh pocket for junk. The design saves you from accessing items on your back for the most part. The mesh layout worked great in terms of breathability and sweat wicking. It also offered good stretch, which I felt made the weight of the water less noticeable when running. As I worked on the vest consumables during class, I found it easy to adjust the vest to make it comfortable and snug. The biggest win is bubble bottles. Loved the ability to lock the caps for carrying a full vest on a trail/course. I also like that you have to bite to drain the water so you don't have to fiddle with the locking mechanism while you work. The bite doesn't have to be strong to release water. Also, don't worry about not getting every drop of water back. The lid provides an airtight seal on the inside, so when you get close to the ground you can vacuum out essentially all of the water inside. I can't comment on the durability of the vest as I've only used it a handful of times. once during a 5 day window when I ran several miles in the Santa Rita Mountains south of Tucson, Arizona and the Southern Mountains in Phoenix, Arizona. While most of the time was spent on hiking trails, I did walk a few miles on trails. There was little overgrowth on the trails, including half a mile of thorny bushes that the vest held up well against.