Reviews

Dynafit Alpine Trail Running Vest | Review

The Dynafit Alpine Trail Running Vestis one of the lightest trail vests on the market, yet it's surprisingly feature-packed

Words: Holly Burns

The Dynafit Alpine Running vest promises to be a lightweight and minimalist trail running vest, ideal for those mid distance runs in the mountains.

This stripped down item is ideal for those who don’t want the unnecessary load of running with a full-sized bag, but would still like to bring those items that will allow them to keep pushing throughout the day.

Features

With five pockets on the front in total, this vest is not short on storage. Two soft-flask pockets on either side accompany two similarly sized long pockets where you can stuff gels and bars. Topping off the front of the vest is a separate, waterproof lined, zipped smartphone pocket to keep any valuables safe.

A zipped phone pocket sits on the front of the pack. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

On the back of the vest you have two additional pockets, a smaller one at the top and a larger one at the bottom of the vest, great for extra layers.

Dynafit have added adjustment straps to either side of the body of the vest allowing the runner to tweak things depending on the amount of layers they have on and how full the pack is. They have also cleverly made their snow-leopard logo double up as reflectors to keep you safe on those early morning rises on the trail.

Build

At only 76g, the lightweight and close-fitting nature of this running vest is designed so that the runner does not feel restricted. This, coupled with Dynafit using breathable materials, makes the perfect product for fast and light travel in the mountains.

Packed full, the pockets on this vest span the width and length giving it extra stability, keeping your items close to your body meaning you won’t get any annoying ‘bounce’ typical on traditional running packs.

The Dynafit Alpine Running Vest provides plenty storage for flasks and gels. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

Two mesh pockets provide storage at the back of the vest. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

Conclusion

I brought the vest with me across the English hillsides this summer from the South Downs to the Malverns and up in the Peak and Lake District. I tend to go out with a waist belt, but for heading out into the mountains you really need something a little bigger and so this proved to be my go-to vest.

I loved that you could really fill this pack up with everything that you would need for a fast and light day.

The pockets on it are great. The upper back pocket gave me enough room for a waterproof and my GoPro. The lower back pocket is much bigger and had entrances at either side spanning the width of your vest / back. I used this for an insulating layer which fit perfectly, but you could also use this pocket for a pair of poles if you prefer.

Adjustment can be made on the side of the vest. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

On the front of the pack, I found the two soft-flask pockets easy to use and the two pockets behind the flask pockets were more than capable of holding a few energy gels and bars. There is also a pocket in the front for your smartphone so you can keep any bulky items away from pockets in your shorts which makes for a more comfortable run.

This vest is unisex and comes in either black or grey (both complete with euro-fluro colours!), in one size. I did find that the vest comes a little on the small side, and for that reason, I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who’s a size large or above.

The top rear pocket provides storage for smaller items. Photo: Jordan Tiernan

Just a small gripe I had with the vest was the increased wear it put on my tops. This came from the bottom of the vest where Dynafit have used a rough material that will rub against your baselayer as you run. This rubbing caused bobbling on my baselayer. Just a small hitch, but certainly something worth noting.

Overall, I was impressed with this vest, when packed full, it allowed me to be totally hands free and thanks to the compression straps at the side of the vest you can cinch it in to make it extra snug against your body which kept it nice and stable when out on the trail.