I'll keep it short.
Cons:
- Doesn't offer anything you can't find any day, any time on any Salomon pack already. Except the Salomon packs do it all better.
- Weird crappy graphic on the back is stiffer fabric, which makes the back warmer
- Strange waterproof zippered pouch makes this vest unpleasant to use in the heat, and hard to access anything in it once packed.
- Questionable decision to make a black ultra race vest - think science already wrapped up how heat retentive black is a long time ago.
- Bounces like there is no tomorrow if you have two 500ml flasks up front. I've resorted to carrying one 300ml flask up front and putting a 500ml flask in the back to balance out. And it doesn't matter how much you tighten it up - the bounce is crazy
- No loops of any kind for pole storage
In short, I don't know why nnormal decided to make this fairly basic, uninspired piece of equipment given their mission statement of leaving 'no trace' - there's just no compelling reason for this piece of gear to exist.
Come to think of it, I'm not sure there are any positives to this vest given anything that's good about it has already been done 50 times over by other race vest makers.
NNormal Race Pack
Five liters is the perfect size for a running vest. It could be argued it is also the perfect size for a tub of ice cream, but that's a whole different conversation. When Kilian Jornet set out to create the best running gear available, the NNormal Race Pack was born! Inspired by athletes, the biggest request from the NNormal running crew was, "no bounce!" With that in mind, the engineers designed a pack around that central theme. Along with keeping bounce down, the idea was to have every pocket and feature easily accessible. Without overwhelming the user with choices, this vest offers a multitude of well-placed stash pockets for nutrition, poles, and jacket. Dream big, run far, be comfortable in NNormal's Race vest.
- Waterproof, zippered pocket can keep items dry when it's raining, or you're just plain sweaty.
- Front pole carry is easy to access for both stashing and deploying poles on the fly.
- Bounce and chafing are mitigated with this design that is a snug, yet comfortable fit.
- Includes 2 flasks, which is just thoughtful.
Update 2024: The Race Vest has new material in the back for better breathability, new bungee attachments up front, and a slight redesign of the front pocket layout.
| Specifications | |
|
Pack |
156g [S/M] 172g [L/XL] |
| Volume | 5L |
| Front Storage | 3 stretch pockets 2 flask pockets |
| Rear Storage | 1 stretch pocket 1 zipped dry-storage |
| Pole Attachment | Verticle carry on the front |
| Hydration Included | 2x 500ml soft flasks |
| Whistle | Yes |
| Specs Verified | Yes |
| SkyRun Says | |
| Usage | Longer days, longer races |
| Notes | Front pole carry is easy to access when on the move |
| Bottom Line | Built for efficiency on race day |
| Compare to other Running Packs | |
Related Products
Questions & Reviews
10/31/2023
couldn't agree more, so bummed with this vest
I'll add that the loops meant to keep the water bottles in place immediately come off...it's also very hard to get someone from Nnormal customer support on the line
I'll add that the loops meant to keep the water bottles in place immediately come off...it's also very hard to get someone from Nnormal customer support on the line
Comment on this review:
I have used this pack for training runs and on several epic long runs including the 4 pass loop in Aspen, the Skyline Traverse in Boulder, and Pikes Peak Barr trail. This is a great lightweight "race pack" as the name says. I don't think it could be made any lighter and it is similar to the Salomon Sense Pro 5, but better with some great improvements. First it's important to know that the Nnormal fit for L/XL is like a M/L in a Salomon hydration vest. If you are an XL in Salomon I don't think the Nnomal L/XL will fit. Fortunately for me the L/XL fits perfect.
Without looking a the vest in person, it's hard to see what the layout of the pockets are. So here's a description of them:
- It's got two pockets for the soft hydration flasks. What's nice about these compared to the Salomon Sense Pro pockets is these are wider so the flasks slide in easier and they fit more types of hydrapak flasks than the Salomon, which is pretty specific to just Salomon flasks. Also the flasks that come with this pack are made by Hydrapak, but do not have the hard bottoms of the ones that come with the Salomon Sense Pro pack, so they are more comfortable on your chest and slide in better if you have snacks packed in the two front pockets.
- Two pockets in front that overlap the hydration flask pockets. These can hold a lot of nutrition as well as a cell phone. I like the shape of these pockets much better than the front pockets on the Sense Pro because they don't extend as far to the back of the pack. This allows my cell phone to naturally and securely sit upright instead of sideways in the pocket making it unnecessary to have a front zippered pocket like the Sense Pro. The pack comes with two bungee straps that are for securing z-poles to the front by sliding one folded up pole into each pocket and using the bungee to secure the top of the folded pole to the shoulder part of the pack. I do not think this is a good way to carry poles as the poles are on top of your hydration soft flasks, they stick out a lot, you lose the use of the pockets for nutrition, and it's more trouble trying the put the poles away in this configuration then it's worth. I prefer to wear a tube style waist belt like the Naked belt with bungees for holding the z-poles at my lower back anyways.
- Above the right side hydration flask pocket is a small open pocket with a non-removable whistle in it. I found this pocket to be most useful for putting my Garmin In-Reach in and/or storing food wrappers and trash. The attached whistle in the pocket can only be removed by cutting the attachment chord holding it in. I found no matter what I did the whistle would work it's way out of the pocket and bounce around as I ran, so I decided to remove it.
- Probably the most unique thing about this pack is the waterproof pocket that extends across the bottom of the sides and back of the pack. This is a tube pocket that extends continuously from the zipper on one side to the zipper on the other side of the pack. This pocket is attached as a second layer on top of the inner main pocket of the pack. What I like about this is that if you don't need to use the waterproof pocket you don't lose the carrying space. I like using this pocket for my sunglasses and clothing that could soak up sweat like warm hat, gloves, and sleeves. The pocket can be accessed while wearing the vest, but not really easily and because it's a continuous sleeve of a pocket I found it's easier to take the pack off to access anything I need in the pocket.
- Finally the last pocket is the main pocket in the back that is only accessed from the top of the back of the pack. This is one giant pocket without any dividers or other inner pockets that extends to the bottom of the pack and across to the sides stopping where the front storage pockets end. This pocket can hold a ton! It says this pocket holds 5L, but compared to other brand 5L packs this definitely holds more. With this pocket I would have no problem storing everything I need to carry running Hardrock or UTMB in this pack.
Things to consider when purchasing this pack are that it is a race pack, it is super light, but has no rigidity to it, so if you are not carrying anything in it but the water flasks you really need to cinch it down to keep it from bouncing. It tends to wear better with items in the back to balance out the weight of the front flasks. So far I have had no durability issues, but you probably should be conscious of how you are taking care of this pack as it is so light weight.
There are three things I would add to this pack if I could and those would be first to add a small zippered pocket on the left shoulder above left hydration flask pocket to store electrolyte pills or spare headlamp battery as the right side has a pocket, but not the left. Second, I would add an internal pocket inside the huge back pocket above the waterproof pocket to keep all the items stored in the back from settling to the bottom of the pack. Finally, adding some sort of pole storage solution to the back of the pack. I think just putting the poles in the huge back pocket is better than using the bungee system it comes with for the front.
Ultimately, this is a fantastic light weight pack that is well thought out, light, and durable. It will be my go to for all upcoming races. Similar to the Nnormal Kjerag shoes this pack is the essence of what a running pack should be and nothing more. I am really impressed with the products Kilian helps design and puts his name behind.
Without looking a the vest in person, it's hard to see what the layout of the pockets are. So here's a description of them:
- It's got two pockets for the soft hydration flasks. What's nice about these compared to the Salomon Sense Pro pockets is these are wider so the flasks slide in easier and they fit more types of hydrapak flasks than the Salomon, which is pretty specific to just Salomon flasks. Also the flasks that come with this pack are made by Hydrapak, but do not have the hard bottoms of the ones that come with the Salomon Sense Pro pack, so they are more comfortable on your chest and slide in better if you have snacks packed in the two front pockets.
- Two pockets in front that overlap the hydration flask pockets. These can hold a lot of nutrition as well as a cell phone. I like the shape of these pockets much better than the front pockets on the Sense Pro because they don't extend as far to the back of the pack. This allows my cell phone to naturally and securely sit upright instead of sideways in the pocket making it unnecessary to have a front zippered pocket like the Sense Pro. The pack comes with two bungee straps that are for securing z-poles to the front by sliding one folded up pole into each pocket and using the bungee to secure the top of the folded pole to the shoulder part of the pack. I do not think this is a good way to carry poles as the poles are on top of your hydration soft flasks, they stick out a lot, you lose the use of the pockets for nutrition, and it's more trouble trying the put the poles away in this configuration then it's worth. I prefer to wear a tube style waist belt like the Naked belt with bungees for holding the z-poles at my lower back anyways.
- Above the right side hydration flask pocket is a small open pocket with a non-removable whistle in it. I found this pocket to be most useful for putting my Garmin In-Reach in and/or storing food wrappers and trash. The attached whistle in the pocket can only be removed by cutting the attachment chord holding it in. I found no matter what I did the whistle would work it's way out of the pocket and bounce around as I ran, so I decided to remove it.
- Probably the most unique thing about this pack is the waterproof pocket that extends across the bottom of the sides and back of the pack. This is a tube pocket that extends continuously from the zipper on one side to the zipper on the other side of the pack. This pocket is attached as a second layer on top of the inner main pocket of the pack. What I like about this is that if you don't need to use the waterproof pocket you don't lose the carrying space. I like using this pocket for my sunglasses and clothing that could soak up sweat like warm hat, gloves, and sleeves. The pocket can be accessed while wearing the vest, but not really easily and because it's a continuous sleeve of a pocket I found it's easier to take the pack off to access anything I need in the pocket.
- Finally the last pocket is the main pocket in the back that is only accessed from the top of the back of the pack. This is one giant pocket without any dividers or other inner pockets that extends to the bottom of the pack and across to the sides stopping where the front storage pockets end. This pocket can hold a ton! It says this pocket holds 5L, but compared to other brand 5L packs this definitely holds more. With this pocket I would have no problem storing everything I need to carry running Hardrock or UTMB in this pack.
Things to consider when purchasing this pack are that it is a race pack, it is super light, but has no rigidity to it, so if you are not carrying anything in it but the water flasks you really need to cinch it down to keep it from bouncing. It tends to wear better with items in the back to balance out the weight of the front flasks. So far I have had no durability issues, but you probably should be conscious of how you are taking care of this pack as it is so light weight.
There are three things I would add to this pack if I could and those would be first to add a small zippered pocket on the left shoulder above left hydration flask pocket to store electrolyte pills or spare headlamp battery as the right side has a pocket, but not the left. Second, I would add an internal pocket inside the huge back pocket above the waterproof pocket to keep all the items stored in the back from settling to the bottom of the pack. Finally, adding some sort of pole storage solution to the back of the pack. I think just putting the poles in the huge back pocket is better than using the bungee system it comes with for the front.
Ultimately, this is a fantastic light weight pack that is well thought out, light, and durable. It will be my go to for all upcoming races. Similar to the Nnormal Kjerag shoes this pack is the essence of what a running pack should be and nothing more. I am really impressed with the products Kilian helps design and puts his name behind.
Comment on this review:
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