Article by Renee Krusemark
I tested the Dash Short Sleeve Shirt 2.0 and Pinnacle 4L Women’s Hydration Race Vest.
Women’s Dash Short Sleeve Shirt 2.0 ($45)
The Dash Short Sleeve Shirt 2.0 is a great shirt. Giving a bunch of details about a shirt is difficult. However, at RTR we love details!
Fit: Nathan sent me a women’s size small, which is my typical size. The fit is women’s specific, but it’s not super short or tight, which I prefer. The volume is generous without being baggy. For some women’s specific-fit tees, I prefer a medium for the longer length. If you are between sizes, no need to choose the larger size. If you like a tight fit and are between sizes with a short torso, you could size down. For me, a small size is perfect.
Performance: The tee is very light weight and breathable. Nathan advertises the shirt as so “comfortable it’s good for casual use.” I don’t disagree (although the material is somewhat see through). The edging around the collar prevents bunching around the neck line, even when wearing a hydration vest. The performance in terms of breathability and comfort is awesome.
Comparisons: The light weight reminds me of the Odlo Chill Tech Tee shirt. Both shirts are light and breathable and have the edging around the collar. I wore a women’s size small in both. The Chill Tech Tee has a more women’s specific fit, and was a bit shorter than I like. For petite runners, the Chill Tech Tee might fit better. For me (or long torso runners), the Dash Tee fits better. For reference, I wear a women’s size small t-shirt usually, but need a medium size sports/compression bra.
Conclusion: I’m all for cheap running clothes, and $45 is a decent price for a performance t-shirt. The Dash Tee would make a great gift, and it’s a shirt I wear at least once a week when the weather is nice. Worth the price, and if you can find it at 15% off or more, it’s a for-sure buy. Nathan gives a discount to first responders, teachers, and military/veterans.
Dash Short Sleeve Shirt 2.0 is available at Nathan Sports HERE
Nathan Pinnacle 4L Women’s Hydration Race Vest ($175)
I wear a vest for most of my runs, even if I take only my phone and a key fob. As such, I’m not completely alarmed by the $175 price tag for the Pinnacle 4L, but I think that price is hefty and probably worth it only for runners who like/need a vest for a majority of their runs AND they know exactly what type of storage they need.
Of course, RTR hopes that our reviews can best guide runners to make a useful purchase! If I lost this vest, I’d miss it, so I think that says something about its worthiness.
The use is versatile: I think the vest is comfortable for short runs when minimal storage is needed AND useful for ultra distances. With the amount of water I took while testing this vest, it will work for self-supported distances of 50k up to 50 miles (maybe, if you’re fast). In a race environment with aid stations, the vest works for anything. Yeah it’s pricey for a 4L capacity vest, but surprisingly comfortable and versatile.
Fit: Nathan sent me a women’s size small. I suggest the same size you typically wear for a t-shirt, and if using the measuring guide on the Nathan website, measure at your bust wearing a bra you run in (obvious, but just a reminder). According to Nathan, the fit is meant to be tight or like “a second-skin.” The product details state if “you prefer tight fitting clothing, the compression fit hydration vests are going to be the best option for you.” I actually don’t like tight-fitting clothes, but I did not consider the vest tight in a negative way. The Pinnacle 4L is comfortable.
Performance and Storage: The vest comes with two 20oz ExoSpine soft flasks with long hoses for the front pockets. Those particular bottles fit perfectly, and the ExoSpine greatly reduces the flapping around of the bottles once the water is low/out. As someone who wears a vest often, I can’t stand it when soft flasks bottles start to flop around, either bunching down within the pockets or flopping out. The front pockets do not have a tension cord, but when using the ExoSpine bottles, I had no issues with the flasks flopping around. The long hoses worked well too and stayed in place. Unfortunately, you cannot buy the 20 oz ExoSpine bottles separately from the vest, which is a real bummer because that particular size of flask fits the best.
The 18 oz soft flask with ExoSpine can be bought separately. They fit well enough, but not as well as the 20oz. Because the front flask pockets are loose and do not have a cinch cord at the top, the vest performs the best with the original flasks. I ran with the 20 oz bottles in front and a full 1.5L bladder in the back. That’s a lot of water, but if you need it, I thought the fit and comfort worked great. The front has a magnet clip for the hose, which is a great addition that I wished more vests provided.
Even with full flasks in front, I was able to place my phone in one zipper pocket and a portable charger in the other. The zipper pockets are water resistant, but not waterproof. Like most vests, heat from the body will create moisture in those pockets, so anything in them that needs to remain dry will need to be placed in plastic bags.
The vest has two smaller pockets in front of the flask pockets, which I used to hold small gloves.
I used the two “kangaroo” side pockets to hold fuel. Those pockets are tight, and I had no worries of two to three gels falling out. Cliff Bars don’t completely fit in those pockets, but they stay secure.
The back pockets may be a make or break it in terms of purchase. There is storage to drop in a bladder, which was comfortable for me. The water sits in the mid back, not high (like the Salomon Active Skin) but higher than my Ultimate Direction Vesta 6.0. The back storage features no zipper pockets and works best to hold poles in a variety of ways or to access and store smaller items.
All pockets have a small Velcro opening. During a 50k race, I shed my headlamp, arm sleeves, and hat, and I was able to shove them in the smaller side openings without stopping. I can access the side opening while running, so getting items like a hat was not a problem.
(Photo credit: Mile90 Photography)
Conclusion: For a race vest with a “second-skin” fit, the Pinnacle 4L holds much more than I thought. For quick, short runs, the vest is comfortable when I only need small items (key and phone). The front storage is great when using the 20oz ExoSpine long hose flasks. I wish that Nathan would sell those flasks separately. For those needing storage in the back, the Pinnacle does not offer zippered pockets, but enough space for items like jackets and extra clothes. The main use of the back storage seems to provide numerous options for polls and to store smaller items via the side openings. $175 is a hefty cost for this vest as compared to other options, but if a runner uses a vest numerous times each week, it’s worth it.
Comparisons: Recently, I have worn my Salomon Active Skin Set 8 and the Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta 6. Each vest has its pros and cons, which highly depend on each runner and his/her own needs and preferences.
The Salomon Active Skin Set 8 fits much higher on the back when carrying a full bladder, which is my preference. The front storage is not as good though. The Active Skin Set 8 has only one, smaller zipper pocket. The back storage allows for a bladder and there’s a large zipper pocket. For front storage options, I’d choose the Pinnacle 4L. When using a bladder or needing to store items in the back, I’d choose the Active Skin Set 8. The sternum wraps on the Active Skin 8 are unmatched in terms of ease and quickness to adjust fit.
The Ultimate Direction Ultra Vesta 6.0 (RTR Review) is the women’s version of the Vest 6.0. The shoulder straps were a bit narrow for me to comfortably carry a full bladder in the back, and I didn’t have that issue with the Pinnacle. Petite runners might prefer the Vesta. I have far less issues with soft flasks flopping around in the Pinnacle, but that’s only when using the original 20 oz ExoSpine bottles (which can’t be bought seperate). The Vesta has cinch cords on the front flask pockets, the Pinnacle does not. I prefer the front pockets storage of the Pinnacle 4L. The Vesta has a bladder drop in pocket atthe back, along with a full zipper storage area and an outside open rear pocket. In terms of overall storage, and especially for carrying more items in the back, the Vesta 6.0 works better. As a daily vest for short runs or for races with generous aid station/drop bags points, the Pinnacle 4L is hands down more comfortable.
The Pinnacle 4L Women’s Hydration Race Vest is available from our partner REI HERE
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Samples were provided at no charge for review purposes. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and may earn commission on products purchased via shopping links in this article. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content. The opinions herein are entirely the authors'.
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