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STABLE & STRONG Black Diamond Distance 6 Hydration Vest | RRP R3 299 | blackdiamondequipment. com This is the vest you reach for when you want to spend a bit more time on the trails. With a 6L capacity, it fits enough nutrition and clothing for a long trail run or hike. Weighing 209g at size XS, it’ s slightly bulkier than premium-priced, lighter trail vests. But unlike more minimalist packs, it won’ t bounce or let contents spill out as the trail gets bumpy.
The unisex design offers sizing from XS to L, with two front sternum straps with sliding rail adjustment that allow for a comfortable fit, regardless of your body shape. It sits securely against the body, with no bounce experienced. We found the structured fabric, which is quite stiff in appearance, keeps its shape nicely.
In the front, it has two pockets for 500ml water bottles and two smaller half-pockets for your gels. There is an additional zip pocket on the left side, ideal for your phone. Where it differs from some other packs is that the main back pocket can be accessed by either the left or right side as it opens up into one bigger space. There is an additional smaller zip pocket at the back( with a special key pocket) that’ s perfect for important items that you don’ t need to access readily. Each pocket has a small reflector tab, serving the dual purpose of allowing quick
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access and providing low-light reflection. The diamond mesh of the back panel sits comfortably against the skin, and we didn’ t experience any rubbing or chafing. The surrounding seam is soft and comfortable and the mesh used for the pockets offers a slight give, helping with breathability. It’ s made to accommodate quick drying and there is no waterproof pocket.
The pack comes standard with two soft 500ml flasks, longer in shape, and each with a fairly wide lid. There are no elastics around the lids to keep them secure and the bite valves are short and straight rather than curved or long, so you need to tilt your head if you prefer not to remove them to sip. The vest has space to accommodate a
1-2L bladder, but the bladder isn’ t included as standard. When not in use, the bladder space offers additional storage for your bigger, softer items.
There’ s a Z-pole carry system, comprising a simple band that wraps around the base of your poles and a second band on the top left side( you’ ll find it hidden in the side seam, behind the cellphone zip pocket) that sees your poles sit bow-and-arrow style across your back. When you’ re using your poles, there’ s a neat stash pocket for the cable and band, marked as such on the front of the vest.
It’ s priced mid-pack against mainstream adventure sport brands, and noticeably above budget options. But given its capacity and features, we think that’ s fair and competitive. It’ s certainly worth a second look.
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LIGHT & LOOSE LUXURY Compressport Eat My Dust Performance SS T-shirt | RRP € 70 + Racing Split Shorts | RRP € 75 | compressport. com This Swiss clothing brand has long been a favourite of many runners and triathletes. However, because it’ s made for the European market, some of the garments we’ ve tested before, especially the compression range, were a tad thick for our warm climate. However, the luxurious, smooth-to-the-touch, superlight and breathable fabric used in the new Eat My Dust collection is specifically designed to cope with the heat. The limited-edition capsule range includes performance T-shirts, shorts, caps, socks and compression gear and is made for those who push limits in intense heat. Inspired by desert energy, it comes in natural shades, black and a dusty pink with an interesting tie-dye look. The fabric is lightweight and breathable and the dynamic cuts are designed to offer comfort, freedom and performance across the most demanding terrain.
We tried the unisex Performance SS T-shirt, a versatile and seamless technical tee, that is soft and thermo-regulating with integrated ventilation – ideal for training and competition. I literally felt like I had no shirt on. The men’ s Racing Split Shorts are ultra lightweight, loose-fitting and ventilated with a built-in liner for optimal comfort and performance. Given the flowing feel of the top, we recommend sizing down on the tee, but not the shorts, which are fairly minimalist in design.
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