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Ultimate Direction Adventure Vest 17L
Trail running · 17.5 L · 300 g
✓ Ships from Taupō · ✓ Easy 30-day returns · ✓ Covered by the manufacturer's warranty
Self-supported, fully prepared
The Adventure Vest 17 is the biggest-storage running vest Ultimate Direction makes: 17 litres across ten front pockets and three back compartments, built for self-supported runs, FKT attempts and days where you carry everything yourself.
Features:
- Universal and dynamic fit that wraps completely around the torso for a comfortable and secure fit
- Soft recycled monomesh liner is lightweight, breathable, and strong for next to skin comfort
- Includes 2 HydraPak Body Bottle 500's with bungee loop bottle holders to keep bottles up and in place as you drink
- Air mesh panels behind bottle pockets offer extra comfort and chafe protection
- 10 front pockets: 2 small clavicle pockets, 2 soft flask pockets, 2 stretch mesh shove-it pockets, 2 lower stretch mesh secure pockets, 2 zippered water / sweat resistant chest pockets
- 3 back pockets: large water-resistant main compartment, smaller water-resistant secure zip pocket, and large stretch shove-it pocket, perfect for quick access or wet gear
- Front buckle static sternum straps give bounce-free stability for larger loads, hook attachment lets you customise placement and fit
- Side bungee compression system is clean, quick, and adjustable while wearing
- Includes four removable bungee loops with hooks to attach trekking poles
Ships from our Taupō warehouse, typically 2–4 working days NZ-wide. Free Click & Collect from the Taupō showroom. Easy 30-day returns on unused gear. Covered by the manufacturer's warranty against defects.
The honest take
Best for
Trail running: self-supported runs / FKT attempts (UD's biggest-storage running vest)
Specs
| Volume | 17.5 LAll-day capacity: supported ultras, fastpacking and big missions. |
|---|---|
| Weight | 300 g |
| Load system | Race-style adventure vest: front bottles + large rear storage; universal wraparound dynamic fit, side bungee compression, front-buckle static sternum straps |
| Torso fit | XS/SM/MD/LG/XL: chest 73-127 cm overall (XS 73-84, SM 80-92, MD 84-100, LG 91-114, XL 100-127 cm) |
| Pockets | 13 pockets: 10 front (2 clavicle, 2 soft-flask, 2 stretch shove-it, 2 lower stretch secure, 2 zip water/sweat-resistant chest) + 3 rear (large water-resistant main, water-resistant secure zip, large stretch shove-it for wet gear) |
| Hydration | 2x500 ml HydraPak Body Bottle 500 included (bungee-loop holders); reservoir compatibility not stated on page |
| Pole carry | Yes |
| Best for | Trail running: self-supported runs / FKT attempts (UD's biggest-storage running vest) |
Specs published by the manufacturer.
Details + technologies
Brand technologies, in plain English
Ultimate DirectionAdjustable Sternum Straps
Height-adjustable chest straps hook onto rails to fine-tune the fit and stop the front load bouncing.
UD uses adjustable sternum straps across the range: "dynamic sternum straps with hook closure [that] allow for full chest expansion without bounce" on race vests, and "static sternum straps [that] give bounce-free stability for larger loads" on bigger packs. Benefit: dial in the fit and kill front-of-chest bounce as your load changes through a run.
Ultimate DirectionStretch Mesh Pockets
Stretchy open mesh pockets on the front and sides let you stuff gels, gloves or a flask on the move.
UD vests carry "stretch mesh shove-it pockets" plus a "stretch back passthrough pocket… accessible from both sides." Benefit: quick, one-handed stashing with no zip to fumble. Trade-off: open mesh isn't as secure or weatherproof as the zippered chest pockets.
Ultimate DirectionFront-Bottle / Rear-Reservoir Setup
Front pockets hold two soft flasks at your chest while a rear sleeve takes a reservoir, so you can carry both.
UD's layout puts bottles at the front and a bladder at the back: vests ship with "2 HydraPak Body Bottle 500s" up front and an "internal reservoir sleeve" behind. Benefit: split your fluids (e.g. water in the bladder, electrolyte in the flasks) and balance the load. Trade-off: the reservoir is sold separately, and running both adds weight.
Ultimate DirectionRecycled Monomesh Liner
A soft recycled next-to-skin mesh with stretch side panels wraps the torso so the vest moves with you.
UD builds current vests from a "soft recycled monomesh liner [that] is lightweight, breathable, and strong for next to skin comfort," with "stretch side panels [that] wrap around the torso for a secure fit" and air-mesh behind the bottle pockets for chafe protection. Benefit: a body-hugging, breathable fit. Trade-off: thin stretch fabric is less abrasion-tough than the pack body.
Ultimate DirectionBody Bottle (Included)
Lightweight collapsible soft flasks that shrink as you drink to stop sloshing and pack flat when empty.
UD vests include HydraPak-made Body Bottles that "shrink as you drink to eliminate sloshing and collapse fully to a tiny size when empty," in "ultra-durable, abrasion resistant TPU," with a "high-flow bite valve [that] auto-seals after each sip." Benefit: no-slosh chest hydration you can pack away as you empty it.
Every technology explained in plain English. Supplier claims stay clearly labelled as theirs.
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Gear Compare
Volume, load and fit. Vests against vests, never against a tramping pack.
Like-for-like only: Hydration vests. In-stock, fully-specced options are shown first; swap any column below.
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This product
 Ultimate Direction Adventure Vest 17L
$349.90
In stock
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|---|---|---|---|
| Volume | 17.5 L | 6.5 L | 7.0 L |
| Weight | 300 g | 222 g | 245 g |
| Load system | Race-style adventure vest: front bottles + large rear storage; universal wraparound dynamic fit, side bungee compression, front-buckle static sternum straps | Quick on/off front zip + cinch, bounce-free; elastic lower-rib band; extra-stretchy contoured body; narrower shoulder/back cut than the Xodus Vest | Race-ready running vest: uninterrupted front storage; easy on/off front zipper + cinch system for close, bounce-free contour |
| Torso fit | XS/SM/MD/LG/XL: chest 73-127 cm overall (XS 73-84, SM 80-92, MD 84-100, LG 91-114, XL 100-127 cm) | XS chest 70–78 cm · SM 78–88 · MD 88–98 · LG 98–108 cm | SM/MD/LG/XL: chest 80-120 cm (SM 80-91, MD 89-100, LG 97-110, XL 110-120 cm); lower-ribs 68-110 cm also specified |
| Pockets | 13 pockets: 10 front (2 clavicle, 2 soft-flask, 2 stretch shove-it, 2 lower stretch secure, 2 zip water/sweat-resistant chest) + 3 rear (large water-resistant main, water-resistant secure zip, large stretch shove-it for wet gear) | 9 exterior: 7 front (3 zip, 2 soft-flask, 1 stash, 1 envelope) + 2 back incl. lower pass-through | 11 exterior pockets: 9 front (3 large stash, 3 zippered, 2 soft-flask, 1 small envelope) + 2 larger back pockets incl. lower pass-through |
| Hydration | 2x500 ml HydraPak Body Bottle 500 included (bungee-loop holders); reservoir compatibility not stated on page | 2× Body Bottle 500 soft flasks included; reservoir-compatible to 1.5 L (not incl.) | 2x BPA-free Body Bottle 500 soft flasks included; reservoir compatible up to 1.5 L (not included) |
| Pole carry | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Trail running: self-supported runs / FKT attempts (UD's biggest-storage running vest) | Race-ready distances / long trail runs: ultra-breathable day-kit carry | Long runs / race-ready distances (men's; ultra-breathable day-kit shuttle) |
Pack fit is worth 20 minutes in person. Book a fitting in Taupō.