Gear Review! Ultimate Direction Jenny Pack

Who loves getting new gear?! I certainly do, but I usually think long and hard about my purchases since I am living the dream of a grad student budget. I decided in the fall last year that if my biggest point of soreness/pain after running 100 miles was in my shoulders and not in my feet or legs that I probably needed to make some changes, so I started seeking out a new pack. I have been using a Nathan hydration pack for the last two years, and though I have used it very often and loved it dearly, I needed to find something new. It's not you, it's me.

Look at that comfy fit!

The Pulse hosted a movie night back in the fall, so a group of us Boise runners got together for a viewing of In the High Country. The Pulse was also previewing the new UD line, so I got to try on the Jenny Vest before it was out in stores. It was perfect timing in my quest for a new pack, and I was a fan right away. Even without anything in it, the fit felt great and actually women-specific. Another thing that was instantly appealing was the fact that the pack sits much higher and more snugly on the back. It seems to me that even if the vest got full and heavy, it would not sag down on the shoulders. But more on me stuffing my pack too full later...

The pack that I already had is supposed to be for women, but I am pretty sure that the only difference is color. What does this mean for us if the packs are the same design? Well, let's just say that women's curves can make an improperly shaped vest or straps very uncomfortable. I found with my old pack that the chest strap was either cutting directly through the middle of the chest (very uncomfortable), or underneath (who needs a pushup hydration pack?), or above (bouncy..). The UD Vest actually fits snugly and can be adjusted in the right places to ensure that it fits right. There are two chest straps instead of one, which is much more comfortable in the chest area. There are also some straps that adjust under the arms so that different body shapes can be properly accommodated.  Does that seem like a lot of discussion about the chest area? GOOD! That's about the only thing that I think needs to be majorly considered in a gender-specific pack.

As far as other features that are good for the rest of us, I haven't found anything yet that I dislike about the setup of the Jenny Vest.

See here: two bottles, emergency whistle, zippered pocket on the left (my phone is in there to show that it fits), velcro pocket on the right with a gel. Observe that there are two beautiful chest straps instead of one.

The vest has two bottle pockets on the front that can be used instead of a bladder system, though there is enough space in the pack to fit a regular bladder. (I haven't tried out this aspect of the vest yet.) I am very excited about the bottles. As I mentioned, I developed some serious knots in my shoulders after my races, and part of this was due to carrying a bladder. The bladder itself is not a bad idea, but I was not utilizing it in the way that was best for my body. When stopping at aid stations, it can take longer than you want to stay for to hand off your pack to be filled by a volunteer. It is a hassle to take the pack on and off, you may have to change around your clothing layers, the pack will leak if the volunteer is not familiar with the closing mechanism, water sloshes around and can be annoying. Instead of filling my bladder in little bits at every aid station, I would have my bladder filled to capacity so that I didn't need to keep stopping at every aid station for water. This left me often with a very heavy pack. With the bottles, aid station stops have proven to be quick and easy. At Wilson Creek 50k a few weeks ago, I don't think I stopped at an aid station for more than 30 seconds (except for when I had to re-dress). Not only are the bottles quick to fill, but I think that I monitored my fluid intake much better  because I had a visual of how much I was drinking. Although the carry capacity is less- each bottle is only 10oz.- I think I hydrated better than usual. I also drank more electrolyte drink, as I am okay with putting something other than water in a bottle, where I prefer to keep my bladder reserved for water. Since I have never really monitored my water consumption before, I carried a SoftFlask with an extra 8oz of water in the pack, which I didn't wind up needing. I anticipate that I will put a bladder in the pack for training when temperatures get warmer, but if I am running a race where the aid stations are close enough, I am sticking with the bottles.

There are two pockets beneath the bottles. One of them has a zipper and has a secret hiding pocket (aka, it took me a while to realize it was there..) in the back, and one of them has an open top with velcro for easy access. I keep my phone and a bag of wipes in the zipped pocket and use the velcro pocket for things to which I want easy access: gloves, snacks, etc.

from the back!

Top pocket- phone and gel in there to see size. 

The back of the pack. This pack is very deceptive in that it appears impossible to fit anything into the small pack portion of the pack. It's not true! Somehow, there is magically tons of space in here. Again, I have yet to determine how this will look with a bladder, but I have no complaints so far. There is a small pocket on the top that is large enough to fit a phone, camera, more snacks, or something of the like. I really like this pocket because, for me, it is another one that I can access without removing the pack. This will vary depending on flexibility, but the pack has a high enough profile on the back that I can reach my arm behind my head to grab stuff in that pocket.

Left side pocket.

 There is another nicely sized pocket that runs down the side of the pack and could be used to store extra layers. Along the other side of the pack, there is another pocket that is designed to hold a bladder. It has some nice bungees to hold the thing in place so it doesn't slide down to the bottom. The hose for the bladder can run through either side of the pack.

Right side pocket with bungee for bladder. 

How to carry your trekking poles!

There is a good bungee on the outside of the pack as well, which is really nice for stuffing layers. Another thing that this can be used for is holding trekking poles. This was another required feature when I was seeking out a new pack, since the Nathan doesn't really have a good place for poles- the only way to put them into the bungee is horizontally, which does not mesh well with swinging elbows.

There are a few other bells and whistles, literally. The Jenny pack has a cool little emergency whistle on the front, which can be removed or put on another place in the pack. There is also a little clip on the inside of the top back pocket which can be used for storing keys (or the rings that you forgot to remove at the beginning of the race and can't keep wearing since your fingers are now sausages). The clip comes with an emergency hair tie, which isn't of much use to me, but will be helpful to ladies with longer hair. There are a few loops and straps that I haven't found a use for yet, but I am sure that I will be happy for them when the time comes that I need an extra strap for something.

Okay, things that I don't love. Well, nothing really yet. I felt like the pack was holding heat on my back a bit more than I usually felt, but it is likely just because the pack sits in a different spot. I am sure that I'll get used to that. I also need to get used to hearing the water in the bottles sloshing if they aren't completely full- very minor. My other issue was something to which I just need to adjust; I need to remember to take my bottles from aid stations! I left behind one of my bottles at an aid station during the race, but fortunately the lovely aid station workers from The Pulse kept it safe and sound for me.

Now, I'll bet you want to know what I love. In addition to all the lovely things that I outlined above, I would say that the fit-for-the-run was excellent. Sometimes the way that an item feels walking around is not the same as how it feels on the move, but I had no issues with this vest at all. It stayed nice and snug, didn't bounce, and didn't pull down on my shoulders. I didn't wake up the day after my race with golf balls in my shoulder muscles! That was my objective, after all. I also loved that I could wear my jacket over the vest since the back does not stick out too far. I often am swapping out layers and taking things on and off, so I appreciated that I could do this without removing my pack. I managed to PR on the course, which I wouldn't credit to the vest, but all of the added conveniences certainly didn't hurt! Overall, I am calling the Jenny Vest a WIN. It can be a rocky, windy, dirty, mosquito-infested, root-covered road, but I think that we're going to be happy together.

(Also, I should say that Jenny Jurek herself does a much better job showing off the vest than I do. If you are looking for a new pack and want to see how it works in action, check it out here.)