Comments: I have used packs and vests from several leading brands and had success but always ended up having some sort of issue with reliability, fit, function...so I decided to go with Salomon to see if there was enough of a difference to justify ditching my other packs. Took this on a longer run today and the first thing I noticed missing was the tourniquet feel around my ribs that the bottom strap from my other packs had. The strap design and fabric of this vest makes it fit like a very comfortable sock around your torso. It doesn't sit so high that it rides up and is more easily adjusted than my 2 UD vests. When I was loading my nutrition, hydration, keys, phone, etc in it is when I realizes just how much more storage this thing has. You could take enough for a 2 day hike and still have room. After running for about 3 miles I felt like I wasn't even wearing a vest. No rubbing anywhere. No bouncing. Bottle access was easy. Inserting the bottles was also much easier than my other vests. If I had to come up with one negative it would be that this vest doesn't dissipate heat well, especially the black color. If I was on a long run in the summer I would rather have a white color, at least. For spring, fall and winter this will be my go-to vest without a doubt. Summer runs in TX.....not so much. Definitely the vest you need if you are on an ultra, long hike or other adventure where function and fit are a priority. I ended up getting the 5 for my wife as well.
From: Kris, Texas. September 13th 2020

Comments: Well designed pack, super comfortable but pretty delicate, you have to be careful with cords and zippers. Runs a bit small, if you are in-between sizes I recommend going for a larger size.
From: Anonymous. December 16th 2019

Comments: I've worn this vest on a few runs so far. Here's my experience:

Pros: Great fit, very comfortable, I can forget I'm wearing it. Full bottles and bladder bounce much less than I expected. I can fit a lot in this pack very easily. Love the stretchy fabric.

Cons: From other reviews, I'm aware that the cinch cord lock breaks, but I can deal with replacing that. The bottles are really hard to get into the pack, but I thought I could live with that, too. (Even though Salomon has newer bottles that solve this problem, they still ship packs with the old bottles. Ugh.)

What I can't live with: The soft flasks that I received are defective and the problem is really weird. I cannot drink more than 2/3 of either flask before the bottle collapses on itself. I'm literally sucking part of the bottle up into the nipple, but there is still plenty of water in the bottom. (Doesn't seem to be a way to attach a photo here). I've used Ultimate Direction body bottles for years and have never had this happen. I think the problem might be the slim design. FYI, Salomon won't replace bottles. They directed me to HydraPak, who manufactures the bottles. They replaced with the exact same bottles that have the same problem.

Still, the pack is so comfortable that I'm keeping it. I'm using my old bladder instead.
From: Tracie, Austin, TX. September 19th 2019

Comments: Overall, this is such a great pack! Perfect for those 100km to 100 mile races with all the accessible pockets and the 12L main pack. Sadly, the clip that locks the bungee cord on the side of the main pack broke just after one 100km race (yes, I used it new on a 100km race). Before paying for the item in our local Salomon store, I asked for the warranty as I felt that all that plastic clips were flimsy. And it happened and ruined an otherwise great pack.

The Salomon rep took it and said that they'll replace it and they have tried contacting others that bought the pack in the black colorway as the issue has been observed mostly in that color. Hopefully it's just a batch issue because I have an upcoming 100 miler and I don't want it to fail on me again on that event.
From: JL, Philippines. April 18th, 2019

Comments: My 2nd "hydration" pack and this is such an improvement from my 10 year old camelback. Did a recent 15 mile trail run and loaded this thing with the 30oz of water, as many gels and waffles i had left, with some other cloths to fill it up, very impressed. Stays in place and doesnt rub the inside of my arms (no chaffing). Im looking forward to using this to do R2R2R in April.
From: Nathan, Austin, Texas. March 5th 2019

Comments: Wow, this is even better than the last model, so many pockets in reach and my only real complaint before was the front straps and how they attached, they fixed that. No competition at this point.
From: Brian, California. February 21st 2019

Comments: I have owned three Salomon ultra vests from three separate years so I have experience with the upgrades/changes that they make between each generation of vest. They generally makes great products but there a few issues with this vest. First, the strap that hold the water hose broke within the first 20 miles of use, which unfortunately also happened to be in the first 10 miles of a 100k race I was running. It was super awesome to have a hose smacking my face and body on and off for 50 miles. A $175 shouldn't have shoddy construction for a crucial component of the vest.

They also made a horrible mistake by changing the strap hook across the chest. Seriously someone needs to be fired over this one. They are impossible to strap on while running whereas the previous ones were functional and easy to strap on while running. There is no rational explanation for changing the design unless someone at Salomon was trying to intentionally lose business.

My other less serious issue with the vest is sizing. Personally I have a 38" chest which puts me directly in between their sizes of XS/S and M/L. I ideally need a S/M which they don't make. I can't really get either size to fit me well but I can live with the less than ideal fit.

That being said, overall, the vest works mostly okay. Vests are so expensive that I'm reluctant to try another brand and be stuck with another vest that only works moderately okay as well. I wouldn't feel bad about all the issues if the vest was around $75-100 but for $175 it makes resent the Salomon brand.
From: Sancho, San Francisco. January 2nd 2018