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Not great for touchscreen use, but the softer and more durable material is a nice upgrade if comfort is your priority.

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The Nathan Pinnacle 12 is unmatched in the amount of accessible gear it can carry. For this reason, amongst others, it is the best pack we tested. The field of hydration packs for running is only getting stronger, and this pack still stood out amongst stiff competition. Twelve pockets and a hydration sleeve for a bladder provide extensive storage options for this vest, and the compatibility with soft flasks adds versatility for the user. The number of pockets is one thing, but the side-accessed kangaroo pockets are immense, and one of them is also accessible from the back of the pack for more rapid access at aid stations or when you're taking a break.
While this vest is pricy and made of lightweight, highly stretchable fabric, we still see value in a 12-liter vest that allows a runner to chug along without having to stop to access some of the main storage pockets across the back of the pack. At this point in time, no vest has a great trekking pole solution because poles are 15" long when collapsed, and most vests are barely this size. With all the movement of running, poles are bound to be a point of high friction if stored in any manner. If you store trekking poles in the vertical kangaroo pocket as intended, you can technically draw them from the pack while moving through the flank access to this pocket, but it's not a well-tuned system. We don't count it against any vest that you have to take it off to store the poles because the few vests with front storage options were also quite uncomfortable. We had very few slights to throw at the Pinnacle 12 &mdash; sure, it is heavier than some other vests, and the sternum straps are a bit stiffer, but we know this vest is reliable, and the user experience is refined to feel innate. 

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Having the water on the front allows for easy access to the bottles whether you want to drink directly from them while on-the-go or if you want to remove them to drink from them while sitting or standing.The Pinnacle 4 not only carries water, but this compact and lightweight vest also includes small pockets that are perfect for phones (including its case), extra food, and even a place to keep a jacked on the rear of the vest.This vest also comes in quite a few different sizes, meaning you don’t have to deal with those one-size-fits-all vests, and can instead get something specific to you.[Images courtesy of Nathan Sports]What do I like about the Pinnacle 4?Honestly, I am completely blown away by the water bottles on this vest! We find that we constantly use them, not only with the vest, but also keeping them with us when out boating, or just going into town

 It’s easy to do, and it is also the easiest pouch I have ever seen for cleaning because of this.Having this larger vest also allows you to keep more (or less) items, depending on what you need.Pros & Cons of Pinnacle 12Large water capacityLarger storage for itemsAwesome, and easy to clean water pouchStill very compact and lightweight considering the storage that is availableThe blue color isn’t my favorite, and prefer the black color of the Pinnacle 4What is the cost difference between the two vests?The best part about these two vests, is that price isn’t a huge differentiating factor! The Pinnacle 12 sits right at $200 (at the time of this writing), and the Pinnacle 4 is at $175 (at the time of this writing).Basically, you will want to choose the one that you want, and just go for it!Which vest is my personal favorite?This one is definitely easy for me, I highly recommend and prefer the Pinnacle 12

Pros & Cons of Pinnacle 12Large water capacityLarger storage for itemsAwesome, and easy to clean water pouchStill very compact and lightweight considering the storage that is availableThe blue color isn’t my favorite, and prefer the black color of the Pinnacle 4What is the cost difference between the two vests?The best part about these two vests, is that price isn’t a huge differentiating factor! The Pinnacle 12 sits right at $200 (at the time of this writing), and the Pinnacle 4 is at $175 (at the time of this writing).Basically, you will want to choose the one that you want, and just go for it!Which vest is my personal favorite?This one is definitely easy for me, I highly recommend and prefer the Pinnacle 12. I feel like the additional storage for both water and item storage outweighs the small amount of bulk that it adds.That said, every one is different, and you really can’t go wrong with either vest

 They are compact, and the collapse when you no longer have any water in them, making them extremely portable.The vest is also extremely comfortable, and obviously made of high quality lightweight material.Not having the water on the back also allows for your back to breath, and keep yourself from sweating back there.If you are someone that likes to go out running when it isn’t light, the vest is made with reflective material, allowing for you to be seen without wearing anything extra

This vest also comes in quite a few different sizes, meaning you don’t have to deal with those one-size-fits-all vests, and can instead get something specific to you.[Images courtesy of Nathan Sports]What do I like about the Pinnacle 4?Honestly, I am completely blown away by the water bottles on this vest! We find that we constantly use them, not only with the vest, but also keeping them with us when out boating, or just going into town. They are compact, and the collapse when you no longer have any water in them, making them extremely portable.The vest is also extremely comfortable, and obviously made of high quality lightweight material

Nathan Sports Pinnacle 4 vs 12: Which hydration vest is best for you?

 For reference, I have a fairly narrow chest (~34 in / 86 cm) and usually wear either a men’s Small or Extra-Small in race vests from other brands.With all the usual caveats out of the way, I’ll be up front about saying that I’ve had some issues with the Pinnacle 12L’s fit. Before everyone stops reading and starts shopping for other packs, I also want to make it clear that I think that the issues I’ve had are pretty specific to my body shape / size. I’ve been testing the Pinnacle 12L in the smallest size available (Men’s XS), and it still doesn’t seem to be quite small enough to get a secure fit

I also think Nathan just about nailed it with the pocket placement on the Pinnacle 12L — especially compared to the VaporKrar 12L. The new kangaroo pockets make it easy to access most of the pack’s rear storage; I still have to take off the pack to access the main zipper pocket, but I can easily stow jackets, gloves, hats, and various other items in the two kangaroo pockets without removing the pack. I will say that I’m a bit skeptical about Nathan’s claim that the diagonal pocket can be used for trekking pole storage — I haven’t been able to get my Black Diamond Distance Carbon FL-Z poles into or out of the pocket without removing the pack. Other than that though, I think the new rear pocket layout is a major improvement over the VaporKrar 12L

Gordon Gianniny in the Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest, Bear River Mountains, Utah.Who’s It For?Like the VaporKrar series packs, the Pinnacle 12L is designed as a race-day pack for runners who prioritize performance materials and light weight — and it has a fairly hefty $200 price tag to match. Based on my experience with the pack, I think the Pinnacle 12L is probably best suited for longer runs where you truly need 12L of carrying capacity — as I’ve said, I think the pack carries best when it’s fairly full. So if you do lots of running and racing where you’re carrying a fair amount of gear and want a lightweight, breathable pack with lots of storage options, I think the Pinnacle 12 L could be a solid option — especially if it fits you well and / or you consider going down a size

 Still, as someone who usually avoids hydration bladders like the plague, I was pleasantly surprised by the bladder carrying ability of the Pinnacle 12L.Gordon Gianniny in the Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest, Bear River Mountains, Utah.I also think Nathan just about nailed it with the pocket placement on the Pinnacle 12L — especially compared to the VaporKrar 12L. The new kangaroo pockets make it easy to access most of the pack’s rear storage; I still have to take off the pack to access the main zipper pocket, but I can easily stow jackets, gloves, hats, and various other items in the two kangaroo pockets without removing the pack

Nathan Pinnacle 12L Race Vest | Blister

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Nathan Pinnacle Vest Review - Ultra Running Magazine

New Pinnacle 12L Hydration Vest Earns REI Co-op Editors’ Choice Award

 So thanks for tuning in on today's video, i'm going to be reviewing the nathan pinnacle, 12-liter, hydration vest and with a name like pinnacle, meaning at the top of your game. Does this vest lived up to its name? Well, that's the question. We'Re going to try to answer today so stick around [ Applause, ] [, Music ]. Before i get into too far, i do want to get a disclosure out of the way this vest was sent to me for the purpose of review by nathan

 I happen to do a lot of filming when i'm out running so it's a great place for me to store my action camera on the selfie stick. It just makes it easier for me, so i don't have to carry that. Selfie stick action camera around! For you know 10 or 11 miles, i can get the footage i want then tuck it and store it away in that pocket. Moving on now and taking a look at the fourth pocket, that's also accessible in the back of the vest it's on the opposite side

 That'S laid right up against that one. Now this this one runs the full length down one side and you have access to whatever you want to keep in there out of the bottom. I think a lot of runners or people that use this vest might put their. Maybe trekking poles or something like that in there, because it does run the full length, but you could really put whatever you wanted in there now

 Oftentimes though i like to just put my cart, my key fob in there, because again it doesn't bounce around it's. It fits that perfectly, so it's just a nice place for me to be able to keep that also located in that same pocket is a safety whistle and for a lot of the longer marathon ultra marathon runs and just some of the races nowadays they do require That you have a safety whistle with you, so it's built into the vest. A couple other features i want to point out is we have loops up on the shoulder as well as here in the front, to run that rubber hose through, so it doesn't bounce around or, if you're, using, for example, a soft flask water bottles. In these front two pockets a lot of times they have that extended hose so that you can get a drink pretty easily nathan does sell those, and it works perfectly in this vest

Arc’teryx Gothic Glove vs Nathan Pinnacle 12L

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