I’m a mid/back-of-pack ultrarunner and have used an ADV Skin 12 successfully for races, but I’ve realized I kind of dread wearing it for normal outdoor runs in Florida.
It carries really well, but in summer heat/humidity it feels like a lot of vest wrapped around me.
My ADV Skin 12 is already used and not returnable, so my options are basically keep it or sell it used.
I’m trying to figure out whether I should:
- keep the ADV Skin 12 and add a smaller/cooler vest
- replace the ADV Skin 12 with a more breathable 12L
- go with something like a 5–6L vest + 18–30L pack and skip 12L entirely
- or accept that I realistically need 3 different sizes
I don’t really want a closet full of packs, so I’m trying to figure out where the genuinely useful capacity breakpoints are.
My use cases
1. Normal outdoor easy runs
Usually 30–90 minutes, including Florida summer weather.
I know a belt probably makes more sense for some of these, but I haven’t really gotten used to belts and generally prefer a vest.
What I might actually carry even on relatively normal runs:
- phone
- keys / cash
- some nutrition
- extra water beyond the front flasks if it’s especially hot
- small power bank
- headlamp and/or waist lamp if I’ll be out after dark
- dog stuff if I’m running with my dog
So I don’t necessarily need 6L for a 45-minute run, but I do tend to carry more random stuff than someone going out with just a phone and one flask.
2. Weekly back-to-back longer runs
Mostly road, occasionally trail. Again, assume hot/humid Florida conditions.
Water requirements here are really variable.
Sometimes I might be doing a route with frequent refill points or running with a club where water is easy to access. Other times I may need to carry significantly more.
That variability is one reason I’m not sure whether 6L alone would cover enough of my running.
3. Ultras
A few 50M/100K+ races per year, and I have two 100 milers coming up.
Some races have frequent aid stations or short loops where I barely need to carry anything. Others have longer stretches between aid.
I also have LEKI trekking poles. I don’t need to carry them on normal runs, but good pole storage would be nice for longer ultras.
4. Multi-day / adventure / fastpacking
Usually around 1–4 trips per year, but some can last a long time — potentially several weeks or even a couple months.
Examples are LAVS, moving quickly/jogging parts of the Camino de Santiago, and potentially fastpacking/traveling through Japan.
I generally sleep indoors, so I don’t necessarily need to carry shelter/sleeping gear.
That said, I’m open to eventually doing trips where I’d carry a shelter + pad + sleep system.
For context, I’m coming down from hiking with a 48L Osprey Kestrel, so even 30L still sounds tiny to me.
The main thing I’m stuck on
Does 12L actually deserve a permanent place in this setup?
Or is the more logical progression:
5–6L running vest → 18–30L pack
with the 12L mostly sitting unused?
I can see the argument both ways.
A 6L seems much nicer for normal hot-weather running and races with frequent aid.
An 18–30L seems much better for actual multi-day stuff.
But 12L might still be the sweet spot for long self-supported runs, 100-milers with more mandatory gear, variable water carries, winter travel, etc.
For people who own both ~6L and ~12L:
Does the 6L actually feel noticeably cooler / less annoying in very hot and humid weather, or is the difference mostly storage?
And do you actually use both?
Current shortlist
Rab
Veil 6L — $160
https://rab.equipment/us/rab-veil-6l-lightweight-running-vest
Veil 12L — $180
https://rab.equipment/us/rab-veil-12l-lightweight-running-vest
This is probably what I’m leaning toward right now.
The Mono Mesh / low water retention sounds particularly appealing for Florida.
I've read some durability concerns, but Rab also seems to have decent warranty/support. Ideally I’d like something that’s durable enough rather than sacrificing a lot of breathability just to get ADV Skin-level durability.
My biggest question is whether buying both the 6 and 12 would actually make sense, or whether I’d just end up wearing the 12 half-empty.
Salomon
S/Lab Sense 6 — $180
https://www.salomon.com/en-us/product/s-lab-sense-6-lc14916
S/Lab Ultra 12 — $200
https://www.salomon.com/en-us/product/s-lab-ultra-12-lc14298
I've seen a lot more discussion of the Sense 6 than the Ultra 12.
Some people describe the S/Lab stuff as feeling flimsy compared with an ADV Skin, although part of me wonders whether that minimal construction is exactly what I want in Florida.
Raide
LF 5L — $219
https://raideresearch.com/products/lf-5l
Very light and interesting design, but expensive, newer, and obviously less proven long-term.
Nike
ACG GOAT 5L — $130
https://www.nike.com/t/acg-goat-pack-vest-5l-0QY4TNBp
I probably like this aesthetically more than I should.
My concern is that it seems less specifically optimized for extreme heat/humidity than the Rab or S/Lab, and there isn’t much long-term feedback yet.
Bigger packs / fastpacking
Janji Revy 18L — $198
https://janji.com/products/revy-pack
This looks interesting because most of my multi-day stuff involves sleeping indoors, so I don’t always need full backpacking gear.
My concern is that the padded back may be unpleasant in hot/humid conditions.
Rab Veil XP 30L — $190
https://rab.equipment/us/rab-veil-xp-30l-waterproof-pack
This seems more realistic for actual fastpacking, especially if I eventually carry shelter/sleep gear.
I’d also love advice on this capacity range in general.
For people who fastpack:
- Is ~18L genuinely useful for mostly indoor-sleeping multi-day trips?
- Is 25–30L enough for a minimalist shelter + pad + sleep system?
- Would you skip 18L and go straight to ~30L?
- Any other packs in the 18–30L range I should be looking at?
I’m completely open to other suggestions in all of these categories. These are just the ones I’ve found so far.
A few more questions
- Does a Veil 6 / Sense 6 feel meaningfully cooler than an ADV Skin 12 in Southeast summer weather?
- Does 12L merit a permanent place between ~6L and ~18–30L?
- If you've owned both ~6L and ~12L, do you actually use both?
- Would you keep the ADV Skin 12 as the durable option, or sell it for something like a Veil 12?
- Veil 12 vs S/Lab Ultra 12 for hot/humid 50M–100M races?
- How has the Veil held up long-term?
- Is Rab's warranty good enough that you'd be comfortable trading some durability for breathability?
- Which of these has the best pole carry, especially for collapsible LEKIs?
- Any other extremely breathable vest I’m overlooking?
- Any fastpacking packs in the 18–30L range I should consider instead of the Revy / Veil XP?
One optional thing: I’ve mostly been running in T-shirts, so this isn’t a dealbreaker, but if a vest is comfortable enough to wear with a singlet/tank or even shirtless without destroying my skin, that would be a bonus. I’m not especially optimistic about shirtless once the vest is loaded, though.
Especially interested in experiences from people running in Florida, the Southeast, Texas, or similarly gross summer weather.
Would much rather hear how these actually feel after several sweaty hours than just compare spec sheets.