Nathan Minimist Vest

Comments about Nathan Minimist Vest Hydration:

I'm a trail runner looking for a hydration system for long runs and races. The system works perfectly well, but the design is a bit peculiar. The bladder basically just hangs from a hook in an open-top mesh bag. The only thing holding it in place is gravity. I would rather the top sealed somehow to secure the bladder in place. Having said that, it works, but it's an odd design. There are no compression straps either, so the bladder bounces around a little bit, too. It's only an issue when the bladder is completely full, and I got used to it quickly, but if you're sensitive to such things, it may bother you.

The bladder material seems a bit thin compared to other bladders I've used, but it works perfectly well. It's easy to fill and has an odd fold-over and clip that seals it tight.

I have the gray model, which may be an older model compared to the red one on the Nathan website. The difference is that the gray one does not have a clip to hold the drinking tube in place across the chest. The red one does have this feature. I emailed Nathan about this, but they have not responded to my email in over a week. At any rate, the tube can be easily tucked away under the abdomen strap, so it's not a big deal. Still, it's definitely a design flaw.

I'm not a fan of the bite valve, either. It doesn't easily come apart like the Camelbak version and looks like it would be difficult to clean. I immediately replaced it with a spare Camelbak bite valve and it works fine.

There's a zippered pocked on the left side for a car key or phone and a couple of spots for gels. You won't be able to carry much more than this, but the name of the product is Minimist after all.

Overall, I'm satisfied with the product. It's not what I expected in terms of design, but it works as advertised. It's very light, fits well and I hardly know it's there while I'm running.

Service and delivery comments:

Arrived one day earlier than expected. Excellent service.

Comments about Nathan Minimist Vest Hydration:

I purchased this pack to replace a heavy CP unit, for big trail runs. I purchased it a week before a race (SOCAL Super Spartan), thinking I had picked the perfect unit... Well while it did fit great, caused no issue while running, and was hardly noticeable; it did have some flaws I cannot overlook.
The bladder is not really held into the pack very well, it just sits in the pocket with a little clip at the top. It's held in by gravity and the weight of that fluid. WELL during a race where you end up with your shoulders lower than your hips (ie bending over), this bladder can (and did) come out and smack you in the face. Now you can either keep running holding it, or stop to remove you pack and put it back in.
In closing I will say great for trail runs and fits great (straps are adjustable at the top to accommodate for different heights), bad if you won't stay perfectly upright.
6' 183lbs

Comments about Nathan Minimist Vest Hydration:

I love how the Nathan vests feel - very lightweight and the straps are comfortable - but this particular one needs work. The bottom set of straps fit right across the widest part of my rib cage (I'm 5'5") and you either have to tighten it so much that you can't take in a full breath or deal with it twisting around your body the entire run. The drinking tube's on/off switch is very difficult to do single handed, but you have to close the tube between uses or it leaks (don't have this problem w/ my North Face packs). It also doesn't have a magnet to attach the tube to the vest so you have to tuck it into one of the straps or it flops around. That being said, it is very minimalist and if you don't mind those inconveniences, it would be good for a 1-2 hour run pack.