Ultimate Direction Signature Series
Ultimate Direction launched the Signature Series: a series of three running vests designed by three of the most successful, most well-known ultra runners in the world — Anton Krupicka, Scott Jurek and Peter Bakwin. This was quite an unusual idea at the time; often athletes are paid sponsors who wear or promote products, but it's rare to hear of a company actually employing athletes to design their products.
The Signature Series vests use power mesh for zero bounce and state-of-the-art cuben fibre for its strength-to-weight ratio, integrating load carrying, performance and comfort into one system. With water bottle pockets at the front of the vest for quick and easy access, the Signature Series represented the next generation of ultra running hydration packs for runners.
Race Vest
The Ultimate Direction Race Vest weighed just 6oz, or 11.5oz with empty bottles, with a capacity of 4.5 litres for food and other essentials. This vest was all about bringing minimalism to the world of hydration. It was designed by Anton Krupicka, an American ultra runner whose achievements include winning the Leadville 100 twice, the Miwok 100K, the Rocky Raccoon 100 Miler, the Collegiate Peaks 50 Miler, the White River 50 Miler twice, the High Mountain 50K and the Estes Park Marathon.
SJ Ultra Vest
The Ultra Vest was the middle of the range, designed in collaboration with Scott Jurek, one of the world's most dominant ultra runners, whose victories include the Hardrock Hundred (2007), the Badwater Ultramarathon (2005, 2006), the Spartathlon (2006, 2007, 2008) and the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run (1999-2005). In 2010, at the 24-Hour World Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Jurek won a silver medal and set a new US record for distance run in 24 hours with 165.7 miles.
The SJ Ultra Vest weighed in at 7.5oz (13oz with bottles) and offered 9.2 litres of storage space — at the time, the best weight-to-capacity ratio of any hydration pack on the market.
Adventure Vest
The Adventure Vest was the largest of the range, with a 12-litre storage capacity to hold all your activity essentials, at a weight of just 12oz (or 17.5oz with bottles). It was designed by Pete Bakwin, an ultra marathon runner and mountain climber who had never found the right pack until Ultimate Direction gave him the opportunity to design his own.