Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro Review
Disclaimer: I received an Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!
Since receiving the new Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro I've been dying to write this review but obviously wanted to get ample test miles in before doing so. Now that I've taken it out on several training runs, I think I'm finally ready to go!
This was my second time testing an Orange Mud product, the last time being the Gear Vest 2.0. I loved that vest, so I was confident the upgraded Gear Vest Pro would be even better and Orange Mud did not disappoint!
The Fit of the Gear Vest Pro
As with the Gear Vest, the Gear Vest Pro has a great fit. The bladder included with the vest sits snuggly between your shoulder blades and rests on your upper back. The nice thing about the placement is that it doesn't pull down on the straps too much and doesn't move at all while you're running.
To keep the pack totally secure, the vest also has 4 different straps you can adjust to customize the fit. There are two chest straps that have an adjustable length and are also positioned on sliders that let you shift them higher or lower on your chest. The elastic straps support the pack while allowing your chest to move freely with your breathing.
Finally, the Gear Vest Pro also has two separate straps on the sides. These make sure that the front and back of the vest are pulled tightly together so you don't get any rocking or shaking as you run. They also come with little attachments where you can coil any slack from the straps so they don't flail around while you run.
Orange Mud Hydration Options
The pack itself includes a 1L bladder and hose that cinches across the chest for easy drinking on a run. The hose for the bladder also comes with a lockable valve to prevent any spillage on the run. I also love the designs of their bladders. The entire top opens up so you can turn the whole thing inside out which is clutch for drying it out after a run.
The bladder fits incredibly easily but I tend to prefer using bottles on the front of my vests. Luckily, there are pouches on the Gear Vest Pro for additional flasks so I went ahead and purchased a couple from Orange Mud. They fit nice and snug and even come with an extendable mouthpiece so you can access your hydration without having to remove the bottles every time you need a drink!
Storage Upgrades
One of the major changes between the Gear Vest and the Gear Vest Pro was the addition of WAY more storage! As with the gear vest, you have two large pouches on the front (which can fit additional flasks) as well as two smaller pouches in front of those. They also kept the two fuel pouches on the shoulders of the vest for easy access to any snacks or gels.
Where they've added a TON of storage is on the back. Orange mud added a large gear pocket directly behind the bladder compartment big enough to stuff a jacket or some other extra gear. On the back of that, there's also another zippered pocket that includes a hook to attach your keys.
As someone who tends to overdress on a run, I appreciate the extra storage space so that I can shed layers anytime I need to. And as I'm considering signing up for a possible 100k in January, I know the extra storage space will absolutely come in handy!
Final Thoughts on the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro
There are a few other exciting features like an emergency whistle and optional attachments for trekking poles as well. Something else I'm sure I'll appreciate on my hypothetical trail runs ha.
As expected, this really is a massive improvement on the already great original Gear Vest. Orange Mud added plenty more storage to the vest which makes it a much more suitable option for longer endurance sports. I also like that you can customize different aspects of the vest to fit your specific needs.
I'm still not 100% sold on the 100k in January but I'd say I'm about 80% of the way there. If I do decide to register come June, I know I'll be getting plenty of use out of the new Gear Vest Pro and I can't wait!