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Ultimate Direction

Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 12L

$324.90

A 12-litre vest for long days out, carrying fluid and mandatory kit without the bounce.

Ultrarunning · 12.0 L · 255 g

Colour: Onyx

Size: Extra Small

Size chart packs

This chart applies to Ultimate Direction running vests and vest-style packs. Aarn packs are one-size with an adjustable harness, so no chart needed; see the fit notes on the product page, or come in and we'll fit it with weight in it.

Running vests are sized by chest circumference so the load sits tight and bounce-free. Measure your chest, match the band below, then confirm against the size tab on the specific product; models vary and the women-specific Vesta runs a touch narrower.

How to measure your chest

Wrap a soft tape around the fullest part of your chest, under the arms and across the shoulder blades.
Keep it level and snug, not tight. Breathe normally.
Match to the band below. On a boundary, the adjustable sternum straps mean either works: size down for a racier fit, up for layering.

Ultimate Direction vest sizing

Size	Chest (cm)	Chest (in)
XS	73-84	29-33
S	80-92	31-36
M	84-100	33-39
L	94-114	37-45
XL	100-127	39-50

Women-specific Vesta models run slightly narrower (XS from ~70 cm chest). Some packs (e.g. Fastpack) use S/M and M/L bands rather than single sizes; check the product size tab. Source: Ultimate Direction vest size chart.

Quantity:

✓ Ships from Taupō · ✓ Easy 30-day returns · ✓ Covered by the manufacturer's warranty

Description

Built for the long haul

The Ultra Vest is Ultimate Direction's 12-litre vest for long days on the trail: water-resistant pockets, a fit that wraps the whole torso, and soft recycled monomesh against the skin. Unisex, with a size range that covers most bodies.

Features

A new universal and dynamic fit that wraps completely around the torso for a more secure vest-like 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
Added air mesh panels behind bottle pockets offer extra comfort and chafe protection as the miles tick by
2 large zippered ripstop chest pockets are water and sweat resistant, and large enough to accommodate most phones
2 lower front stretch mesh shove-it pockets
Includes four removable bungee loops with hooks to attach trekking poles; loops can be attached at front or back of vest for customisable trekking pole carry options
Front buckle static sternum straps give bounce-free stability for larger loads, and hook attachment lets you customise placement and fit
Large water resistant rear compartment with clamshell opening
Stretch back passthrough pocket is large enough for layers and accessible from both sides while wearing
Additional features include reflective logos for visibility, whistle, reservoir hose loop options, and easy to grab glove friendly zipper pulls
Reservoir sleeve and hanging strap in main compartment comfortably accommodates reservoir

Specs

Weight: 255 g (7.92 oz)
Volume: 12 L
No. of Exterior Pockets: 11
Reflectivity: Yes
Reservoir Compatible: Yes

Materials

Primary/Body: 84% Nylon, 16% Elastane, 88% Polyester, 12% Elastane, 100% Nylon
Secondary: 100% Polyester, recycled 85% Nylon, 15% Elastane

Measurements

Chest Circumference

XS: 73-84 CM | 29-33 IN
SM: 80-92 CM | 31-36 IN
MD: 84-100 CM | 33-39 IN
LG: 94-114 CM | 37-45 IN
XL: 100-127 CM | 39-50 IN

Shipping, returns & Click and Collect

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.

Ultimate Direction Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 12L

$324.90

The honest take

Best for

Ultrarunning: built for the long haul

Specs

Specifications for Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 12L
Volume	12.0 LAll-day capacity: supported ultras, fastpacking and big missions.
Weight	255 g
Load system	Ultra race vest: front bottles + large rear clamshell compartment; wraparound dynamic fit with stretch mesh side panels and front-buckle static sternum straps for larger loads
Torso fit	XS/SM/MD/LG/XL unisex: chest 73-127 cm overall (XS 73-84, SM 80-92, MD 84-100, LG 94-114, XL 100-127 cm)
Pockets	11 exterior pockets: 2 front bottle (bungee-loop), 2 large zip ripstop chest (water/sweat-resistant, phone-size), 2 lower front stretch shove-it, large water-resistant rear clamshell main, stretch rear passthrough (both-side access)
Hydration	2x500 ml HydraPak Body Bottle 500 included; reservoir compatible, sleeve + hanging strap in main compartment, hose loops (reservoir not included)
Pole carry	Yes
Best for	Ultrarunning: built for the long haul

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.

Find Your Path Tool

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.

Compare Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 12L with similar hydration vests products you can choose
	This product Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 12L $324.90 In stock	Compare with Ultimate Direction XODUS Vesta $299.90 In stock	Compare with Ultimate Direction XODUS Vest $299.90 In stock
Volume	12.0 L	6.5 L	7.0 L
Weight	255 g	222 g	245 g
Load system	Ultra race vest: front bottles + large rear clamshell compartment; wraparound dynamic fit with stretch mesh side panels and front-buckle static sternum straps for larger loads	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 unisex: chest 73-127 cm overall (XS 73-84, SM 80-92, MD 84-100, LG 94-114, 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	11 exterior pockets: 2 front bottle (bungee-loop), 2 large zip ripstop chest (water/sweat-resistant, phone-size), 2 lower front stretch shove-it, large water-resistant rear clamshell main, stretch rear passthrough (both-side access)	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; reservoir compatible, sleeve + hanging strap in main compartment, hose loops (reservoir not included)	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	Ultrarunning: built for the long haul	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.