I just got this hydration vest because carrying water bottles was cramping my hiking style. It's snug yet breathable, making me feel like a trail ninja. The 6-liter capacity is perfect—not too bulky and not too small. It has plenty of pockets, which is great for stashing snacks, keys, and my phone without feeling overloaded. The only drawback is that filling the bladder feels a bit complicated, but overall, it's a fantastic addition. I’m looking forward to many less-thirsty adventures ahead!

I have built up a rotation of three vests for different running occasions: this Pinnacle Pro 6 Liter, a Salomon ADV Skin 5 Liter, and Nathan's new Pinnacle Featherlite 1.5 Liter.I use this vest for long runs in hot weather. The Salomon has a nicer fit for my upper body shape/size and looks sleeker, but when the air heats up, I prefer the Nathan Pinnacle Pro. It's much softer, and I can wear it in the southern US sun with just my sports bra underneath (whereas the rough Salomon ADV Skin 5 chafes long gashes into my skin below my ribs and along my collarbone unless I tape up or wear extra layers). It has a lot more storage space on the back, and all of the back layers are lightweight mesh (unlike the heavy, unremovable bladder layer on the Salomon ADV Skin 5 that traps hot air against my back).Two things to look out for:- Nathan doesn't really have a range for thin runners. Pay attention to their sizing guide at nathansports.com. I wear a Small in other brands' running vests, but in Nathan's, I have to get XS and am at the absolute bottom (smallest) of their snugness range. I included photos so you can see that if you're smaller than me (which lots of distance runners are), then Nathan's vests and belts won't fit you. Even the XS is a little loose on me thus chafe-y around the armholes and ribs. (Strips of tape have been enough to prevent abrasions so far, but I'd rather the vest actually fit).- None of the front pockets have zippers. All of them are pretty low capacity yet also loose. I don't check my phone while running and don't mind keeping it in the zippered lower back compartment, but in my Salomon, I can safely slip my phone into either of the spacious front zippered pockets and not feel any bouncing. In this vest, even gels shift and bounce a little in the chest pockets.Despite those two issues, I'm loving this vest. The Hydrapak flasks are fantastic as always and work great with the pocket placement. The strap clips are easier to manage than on other vests I've worn.The back accommodates a Salomon 1.5 L bladder nicely. It can also hold one of those tall CamelBak 2 L bladders or a regular Osprey 2 L, but a slimmer, shorter bladder feels better balanced back there.I don't use poles so can't vouch for the proper use of the elastic straps, but one came in handy when I double-looped its toggle to hold my hat for a short while, so that was an unexpected plus.

I have a wide array of Nathan products for various needs. They really are my go to for running hydration. Given I'll run anywhere between 3 miles and marathons, I need different tools for different occasions.Where I live, it can be very hot and humid in the summer -- and that's typically when I'm ramping up my miles for fall marathon season. I have always used a handheld bottle, but came across the Nathan stand at the NYC Marathon last fall and was really intrigued. I was about to buy a vest like this on the spot for the race, but I figured that wasn't a great idea -- e.g., to trial run it on race day. So I held off.There are a variety of capacities available, but when it's hot, you want max capacity and so this will be my go to. I ran an early 2025 marathon so got to put it to use even before the heat hit.Overall, this is super well thought out design wise. First and foremost, if you are carrying this on your torso over a long distance, you want it to be secure, but comfortable, and they have worked that out quite well. The primary means of adjustment are the three straps across the front. They clip into place pretty easily and then you have a simple pull mechanism to tighten them down as you see fit. I didn't discern any slippage in the tightening either, even over a longer run with a full load of water.Then there are also pulls on the bottom on the sides to cinch that lower part down as well. It think this should provide just about anyone with a secure fit that is comfortable. I'll see how it feels as the hot summer months approach. But for now it's great and I don't notice any chafing.Functionality wise, it's got the two collapsible 20 oz bottles that slide into dedicated pockets on the front and are secured in place by little bungees around the necks of the bottles. These are both with a longer straw that extends upward and is kept from flopping around too much by little loops further up the vest. These are great for being able to drink by tilting your head down. It's not the most comfortable movement, but for a quick sip, it works great. The bite valves are perfect for this. They do not leak at all, and you just basically bite and suck and you get your sip. Because the bottle collapses as you use it (rather than being filled with air to replace the void left by water), you don't need to tip these bottles to make them work (which would necessitate taking them out of the vest, which would be cumbersome). So overall, as an easy, high capacity hydration mechanism, it's great. I will say that refilling is a bit more of an effort than for a rigid bottle -- just in terms of not being able to stand these up somewhere. But once they are filled, they slip back into the dedicated pockets pretty easily.On the face of the vest, there are also a couple of utility pockets (non zippered) that you can slide gel packs or other small items into. I carry a couple of gels, but don't want to add too much more weight (just for comfort).There is also a zippered utility pocket on the back at the bottom, and on the top there is a storage area for an additional water bladder (not included) if you want to max your water carrying capacity. There area also a couple of straps stays on the back that I guess are used for holding walking sticks (if you have those -- I do not). Thoughtful, I suppose, but not of use for me as a runner. So overall, this is a really great upgrade for my hot weather running. If you are thinking you might need something like this, give it a shot. I suspect that the people who designed this are runners themselves -- they really seemed to nail what's important.