Review on 🎒 17oz CamelBak Ultra Pro Hydration Vest with Quick Stow Feature by Brant Skogen

This was my first vest so didn't really know what to expect. It has several qualities: it's comfortable to carry even when fully loaded, with a 1.5 liter tank (not included) and two softflasks on the front - enough for a three-hour run in hot weather. The lack of a magnet system for the bladder tube didn't bother me as I hide it under the bottom of the strap where it doesn't bother me at all. It's actually a vest, not a backpack: don't expect a lot of stuff in the trunk if you're using a water bladder, but you can stash your sunglasses, sink, and granola bar in your back pocket. The side pockets are very handy for bars or gel (or whatever, see below). The mesh is really nice and feels good even in hot weather - much better than similar wraps I've used in the past. The front cords allow for effective load adjustment: I tighten them a little when the hydration bladder and bottles are less full and it works well. Now for the bad: - about the back pocket: things can fall out as careful as you store things. If you load it fully, you'll also have to take it off when you refill your bladder: there's no way to put back a full badger when there's something in it; In addition, the bladder's large opening design makes it difficult to refill without removing it completely. The phone pocket on the left shoulder strap is terrible: if you're carrying more than one '90s clamshell phone, it presses against your collarbone in a very uncomfortable way. I don't use this bag anymore, instead I keep a pack of tissues in there - the phone stays in one of the side pockets, which is fine if you're a little careful putting it back in. - two small pockets on the right strap are strange: nothing fits in the upper one; The bottom one can hold a bunch of car keys, but with difficulty. When racing I can put a small soft cup in there for a hydraulic piston, but it takes some effort. Why not just make a roomy bag? - IMPORTANT: After three months of use, the vest practically falls apart. Okay, that included cross-country running, including bumping into bushes, but no more than what you're supposed to do with a vest like this. The stitching broke in three or four different places and it will take me several hours to fix it. All in all, I suspect that CamelBak is betting on its reputation and no longer betting on quality. A little disappointment.