Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 6.0 Review [Ultrarunner Tested]

Best for Wet Weather

Overall89

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Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 6.0 / Ultra Vesta 6.0

Our score8.9/10

• Capacity: 10.3 L
• Our measured weight: 184 g
• Hydration: 2 x 500 mL Body Bottle III soft flasks included
• Best for: Wet races, technical descents, runners who like structure

Bottom Line : A structured vest that keeps electronics dry and bottles high enough to drink on a technical descent. Size down if you're between sizes.

Pros

• Weatherproof shoulder zip pockets
• High flask holsters, easy to sip
• Comfort Cinch pulls the load into your lower back

Cons

• Cinch needs shoulder mobility to adjust
• Cords fray if tightened when gritty
• Runs larger than the 5.0

In the Rain and on the Descents

The Ultra Vest 6.0 is a different kind of vest from the stretchy Salomons and Nathans. Its ripstop mesh is stiffer and more structured, so it feels like a light backpack crossed with a vest. James and Annie found that useful when the load was heavy and the ground was rough.

Its best trick is the weatherproof zip pockets on the shoulders. In downpours they kept phones and electronics dry when stretch pockets would have let the water in.

The flask holsters sit high on the chest. On technical descents, that meant a small tilt of the head to drink rather than dropping the chin and losing sight of the trail.

The Comfort Cinch 3.0 cord system at the lower back pulls the pack in against the lumbar spine, which kept the load from swinging.

What Wore Out

The Comfort Cinch needs decent shoulder mobility to adjust while running. Worse, after hundreds of miles on dusty singletrack, grit got into the cord channels, and tightening the cords while they were dirty frayed them. Rinse the vest when it's dusty and tighten the cords when they're clean.

Spec Sheet vs Our Test

• Capacity: 10.3 L. Ultimate Direction says 7.3 L of that is secured storage; the women's Vesta is 10.1 L (7.1 L secured).
• Weight: ours weighed 184 g. The Amazon listing gives 223 g without bottles for the men's vest and 220 g for the women's, so expect differences between samples and sizes.
• Hydration: two 500 mL Body Bottle III soft flasks included; takes a 2 L bladder, sold separately.

Should You Buy the Ultimate Direction Ultra Vest 6.0?

Yes, if you race in the wet or like a structured vest that stays exactly where you put it. Sizing is the thing to get right: the 6.0 runs bigger than the 5.0, so if your chest is on the Small and Medium border, buy the Small. The women's Ultra Vesta 6.0 is on Amazon here.

Compare With

• Salomon ADV Skin 12: our best vest for 100-mile races.
• Nathan Pinnacle 12L: our best women's fit and easiest access.
• UltrAspire Alpha 5.0: our most breathing room on climbs.

See all ten in our best hydration vests guide.

Our Testers

This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested by our ultrarunning team.

• Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and edits every guide. His rule: we say what we actually found.
• Annie Brown, Tester. An ultramarathon runner, Annie tested our vests through 100k and 100-mile race preparation.
• James Brown, Tester. An ultramarathon runner, James ran the same block of self-supported mountain long runs, hot-weather tempo sessions and technical scrambles.