24. March 2026

Ultimate Direction 6L Race Vest Review

I recently found myself in a horrible potion where I needed a new smaller capacity race vest. My old one had seen better days, gained a few holes, and expensive 90g Precision fuel gels had started to drop out mid race, an expensive and annoying place to be when you realise half your nutrition has disappeared between checkpoints.

After consulting with Sarah at myRaceKit, I finally decided on the Ultimate Direction 6L Race Vest (no fancy names here). For the shorter 50k races, mandatory kit requirements are low, a 5/6L vest is more than big enough for the job. After packing it with a waterproof jacket, rain proof trousers, emergency bivvy, head torch, spare battery, first aid kit, gloves, six 90g gels, and two 650ml bottles, I was good to go. 

The vest has so many pockets, a hydration bladder pocket next to the main back pocket, two front zip pockets, 2 side front pockets to stash gels and food in, 2 water bottle pockets with bottle retainers, a rear zip pocket for emergency bits and valuables, and a whistle. Bonus that all the fit adjusters and pole loops are easy to manage, nothing to break, quick tightening system.

The bag first perfectly, no bounce, easy adjustment, and space for so much more than what you really need to carry. I might have to look at the bigger capacity version for my next 100 miler!

The best was tested over a couple of training runs, then it’s race debut at the Tea & Trails 50k ultra in the lake district (see Dave Ward’s review for all the gory details). I really didn’t even notice I was wearing this pack, it stayed comfortable and didn’t move about on my shoulders or back for the whole race, I didn’t feel the need to adjust it at all.

I can’t recommend this bag enough, it is made from hard wearing materials, well-constructed, and the perfect choice for small races. If you need a new race vest, get yourself down to myRaceKit to try one out, you can even load it up and jump on the treadmill to test it properly.