Gear Review: Ultimate Direction Diablo hydration vest

This is my first vest-style hydration pack. I chose this model because:

- I like Ultimate Direction products 

- it can carry a lot of water if necessary

- it has a good deal of room for gear while still being rather minimal

- it has a built-in bottle holder

On the front you find two large pockets, plenty of room for a point-and-shoot camera on one side and room for whatever else on the other side (for me salts, chapstick and extra food). Above the zip pockets there are generous mesh holders that can carry 3-4 GUs each or two bars each. Good handy space.

 

In profile you see the built in bottle holder and outside mesh pocket, holding two 24 oz Camelbak bottles. The Diablo comes with an Ultimate Direction 20 oz bottle, but the slightly bigger bottle fits more snugly, while of course holding more liquid.

The mesh pocket is big enough to hold a bottle or a light rain jacket. At the top you see there is a small zippered pocket that is big enough to hold a decent-sized wallet and a cellphone.

This side pocket has a little interior pocket that could hold keys or a small phone. I really like having room to put everything in my pack on a day-to-day basis, my whole key set, my full wallet, my phone, my camera. I like having all that with me instead of leaving some of it in the car. This pack makes that easy.

*Note:  flaws should be pointed out -- the side pocket zipper zips upward, leaving it vulnerable to getting caught on a branch or something and zipped open by accident, much less likely than if it zipped downward.

The main pocket has a hydration bladder sleeve and comes with a 96 oz bladder (not shown). But for me, I really like using bottles and not a bladder on a daily basis for lots of reasons, but mainly they're much easier to clean. This pack can hold a couple of liter size bottles easily, with a little extra room next to the bottles and above them there's room for a big lunch.

 I've tested the pack using two full liter bottles in the main compartment, with one 24 oz bottle in the bottle holder. The ride on my back and shoulders was probably a little heavier and with slightly more bounce than the hydration bladder would have caused, but it wasn't bad at all. Add another 24 oz handheld that you can stash in the outside pocket later and you can have 110 ounces of liquid quite easily. 

 

That's what I really like about this pack, the ability to carry lots of water, or water and a good amount of gear for such a small pack. Using the 96 oz hydration bladder, you could easily add the two 24 ounce bottles for a total capacity of 144 ounces, or one gallon and one pint. Of course with all that weight it wouldn't ride as well, but you could always carry one or both of the bottles as handhelds until you drink them, and then stash the bottles on the pack. This pack is versatile and has the most capacity I've seen of any currently available hydration vest. It rides so well I will probably use it nearly every day from now on.

*Update:  After using the Diablo vest daily for over a week straight, I have some circular scars on both sides of my shoulders near my neck, the result of chafing. To me it's not a big deal and it doesn't hurt, and I still love the vest overall. But carrying 6-8 pounds every day does make it somewhat heavy on the shoulders. Like many other pieces of gear, there are pluses and minuses. I will just add some extra padding if necessary.

*Update after 6 months of use:  The Diablo has become my daily pack, and I've worn it almost every day since last summer. I always have what I need, from sufficient water in summer, to some water and an extra layer or two in winter. I do wish they had a bigger version because sometimes I can't carry as much as I want, but I've gotten by quite well, and the ride on my body of the vest style has been great. 

When carrying lots of water it digs in a little too much when running, but it's still been my best and most comfortable option. I discovered that I can use a strap to link one of my Ultimate Direction Solitaire packs onto the bottom of the Diablo, to easily carry another liter of water with more support and stability, because the Solitaire has adds a waist belt. I really love the Diablo and highly recommend it, and using bottles instead of a bladder on a daily basis is the only way to go. 

A bigger version with 50% more carrying capacity, based on the vest style, but with a waist strap, would be wonderful to have for winter. And generally, they could make the style much sleeker and they could make the pack portion wider to spread it over the back laterally, but the functionality of this pack cannot be beat in my opinion. 6 months of use and still loving it.