Disclaimer: Orange Mud sent me the Gear Vest Pro to review as part of the BibRave Pro Ambassador Program of BibRave.com. Read and submit race reviews on BibRave.com!
Orange Mud is well known for their packs in the endurance world. I am definitely on the "newbie" side of pack experience, so I was excited to get a Gear Vest Pro to test out.
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| Long Run Success with the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro |
Most of my annoyance with packs has to do with either rubbing or bouncing and I was very happy that the Gear Vest Pro did neither no matter what activity I used it for:
- I took it for one of my last long runs training for the Illinois Marathon,
- Itook it for shorter easy-paced runs during my taper to ensure that I would stay hydrated,
- I took it for a recovery hike, and
- I took it on some recovery bike rides that I did with my kids.
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| Mother's Day Bike Ride - Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro Stuffed with Snacks and Water |
The Gear Vest Pro has several features:
- 1 Liter Bladder that fits in the back pouch
- Shoulder pouches for gels (or my ancient iPod Nano)
- Front pouches to hold water bottles
- Back bungee to hold layers
- A whistle
Not only am I a pack newbie, but I never have had a "bladder" before so this was all new to me. I found this system really easy to use. You simply add fluid to the bladder, fold it and zip the darker gray plastic attachment across the top to seal it. The back of the pack has a velcro piece that you put through the top of the bladder to hold it upright along your back and then you can direct the hose to either side in front of you.
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| View of the back and bladder of the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro |
I liked that it held a larger amount of water because on bike rides with my kids, all of us could drink from it and then I wasn't messing around helping them get water bottles off of their bikes.
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| Will is a fan of the bladder feature on the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro |
I found it more comfortable to cross the two straps in front of my chest like an "X" - thanks to another BibRave Pro's suggestion. I was able to stash enough snacks in the pockets to feed five hungry kids on a recent hike we went on, so yeah - they're substantial!
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| Wearing the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro on a recent hike |
Now that it is getting warmer out (finally!), I have found the Gear Vest Pro to be breathable and haven't had any chafing from it yet, even with just a tank on underneath:
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| Wearing the Orange Mud Gear Vest Pro on a run |
The Gear Vest Pro also has the option to have a trekking pole attachment, which is not something I made use of.
If you would like to order the Gear Vest Pro (or anything else from the Orange Mud website), you can use the code BIBRAVEGVPRO for 15% off!
Have you tried the Gear Vest Pro or another Orange Mud pack before? What did you think?
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