The CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest. All photos: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
The CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest ($160) is an 11-liter running vest that combines some popular features, including a removable pole quiver, with enough storage capacity to carry everything needed for an all-day run. There is both a unitsex and a women’s version of this vest, and I tested the unisex option. Alli Miles, another iRunFar gear tester, wore the women’s version and found it fit her well. After well over 100 miles of testing on runs long and short, my assessment is that this vest gets many things right but also has a few features where the details left some things lacking.
The front pockets can hold the two included 17-ounce flasks and snacks. The storage in the back is significant, with one main pocket, a mesh overlay on top of that, a small pass-through pocket, and enough space for a two-liter bladder. CamelBak has also included their take on a removable quiver for carrying poles. The single size of this unisex pack has an actual weight of 9.3 ounces (263 grams) with the quiver and 7.8 ounces (221 grams) without.
Made with lightweight mesh as a base and other breathable materials, this pack excelled in warmer conditions. Unlike many other running vests, it minimizes the material under the arms, allowing it to run a bit cooler. With underarm straps to adjust the tightness of the pack, in addition to the normal sternum straps, it’s easy to dial in the fit. This increases the versatility of the pack by making it wearable for people of multiple sizes.
With ample storage volume and options, I frequently used this vest for long days on foot and on the bike. Its versatility earned it a spot in our Best Running Vests guide.
Shop the Women's CamelBak Zephyr Pro VestShop the Men's CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest
CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest Fit and Construction
The front view of the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest.
The overall fit of the unisex version of the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest offers plenty of breathing space in the chest area. Two straps on the bottom of each of the shoulder straps adjust the tightness of the pack and can compress it on the torso to minimize bounce, a feature not seen on many running vests but one that is fairly universal on more traditional mountain bike packs. These straps provide a second point of adjustability in addition to the chest straps, making it easy to change the pack’s fit when adding or subtracting clothing layers. Since this pack only comes in one size, this adjustability is key, making it easy to share this vest between two or more disparately sized people.
Unfortunately, this also limits the pack’s usefulness for people on either end of the size spectrum. I’m five feet, six inches tall, with what most running media would call an average build for a runner, though one who enjoys a good pastry at the end of her outings. The pack fit well with the adjustment straps on the tightened-up end of the spectrum.
The inside layer of this vest is an engineered knit mesh with a pattern that has a fair bit of lateral compliance and minimal stretch in the vertical direction. This allows it to conform to the body as it’s tightened around the torso, but it keeps the whole vest from sagging or bouncing under a load. This mesh is made of two layers with space in between, a feature that allows for increased airflow. The brand claims it uses body-mapping technology to increase breathability in key spots of the back. I’m unsure how effective this is, but I found the vest quite breathable. The shoulder straps are made only of this two-layer mesh and feel light and airy.
The back view of the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest.
The rest of the vest features a mix of polyester and nylon. Mesh pockets are stretchy yet secure, and the mesh seems to be slightly thicker and more durable than that found on many similar running vests. The zipper on the main back pocket is also a nod to increased durability and is a bit bigger than those found on other vests without feeling overbearing.
The front harness is secured by two straps with clips on the end. The straps can be moved up and down the daisy chain attachment system on each shoulder strap to dial in the fit. The top strap also has a hydration bladder securement clip on one side and a small whistle on the other.
In recent years, quivers have become increasingly popular for carrying poles, and CamelBak includes a removable quiver with this pack. It can be angled over either shoulder or removed altogether. There are no additional straps for carrying poles on this pack, which is unfortunate for those of us who lack shoulder mobility — or potentially just coordination — to use quivers. The quiver attaches with four snaps and is easy to take on and off.
CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest Hydration and Storage
The front pockets of the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest.
The CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest will carry a lot of water, which is a bit of a throwback to the days before lightweight water filters were part of every mountain runner’s kit and we had to carry all of our water from the start of a run. The two front pockets hold the two CamelBak Quick Stow 17-ounce flasks included with the vest, and the rear compartment can carry up to a two-liter bladder.
Each of the shoulder straps has three pockets overlaid on each other. The flask pockets sit at the bottom of the pile — and reach highest on the shoulder strap — and easily hold the included flasks. CamelBak makes its own flasks, unlike most other vest companies that use options made by HydraPak. My only gripe with the CamelBak ones is that they leak if you don’t tighten the lids on with some force. The flask pockets have a small bungee that you can loop around the top of a flask to keep it from sliding down into the pocket as it empties, but I never felt like it was necessary to use them.
On top of the flask pocket is a second pocket that you can tighten down with a bungee. These are big enough to hold a phone or a lot of snacks. A third zipper pocket on each side is perfect for small necessities — chapstick, sunscreen, anti-chafe cream, car keys, and the like. There’s also a small pocket on the right that is perfect for chapstick.
The CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest has a detachable quiver.
The back of the vest has three pockets: the main compartment, a mesh overlay, and a bottom pass-through pocket. The main pocket is big enough to hold everything you need for a day out, and a divider separates a bladder from the rest of your gear. Hose guides on either side make it easy to thread a bladder hose through and over whichever shoulder you prefer. There’s also a large loop to attach the top of a bladder to prevent it from slipping down.
The outer mesh pocket is perfect for a jacket or extra snacks and is stretchy enough to hold a fair bit of volume. The lower pass-through pocket feels slightly too small to be all that functional. It’s wide at the sides but gets quite narrow in the middle, so I found it hard to shove things into a spot where I could be confident they’d stay put. Getting a full jacket scrunched in there is a little fiddly, but gloves and a hat fit fine.
This vest works better if it has some volume of stuff in it. When empty, it tends to flop around. But that said, when carrying all the accouterments needed for a day in the hills, it runs well, and the quiver fits nicely over the expanded volume.
CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest Overall Impressions
The side adjustment straps of the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest offer increased versatility.
There are a fair number of medium-volume running vests on the market, and the CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest is one that can hold a lot of liquid and gear gracefully. The inner mesh material is soft and breathable, and the many storage options make it easy to carry hydration in flasks and a bladder.
The extra adjustability of the size of the shoulder straps makes this a versatile pack, especially if multiple people are using it, and the removable quiver makes it a viable option both for runs where you need poles and those when you don’t.
Shop the Women's CamelBak Zephyr Pro VestShop the Men's CamelBak Zephyr Pro Vest
Call for Comments
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