Article by Jeremy Marie
Compressport Ultrun Evo 10 Pack Review (180€/$190)
Introduction
Jeremy: The Ultrun Evo 10 Pack is the latest Iteration of Compressport's most versatile hydration pack.
With a 10 capacity, it aims to cover almost every trail distance, from a short and fast 30km up to 100 miles ultra, as long as you carefully choose your equipment with this volume usually offered by many brands.
The Swiss brand has departed from the front zig-zag closure and now uses a more standard “S” cord, and has revised the ft and pockets for this new iteration.
It’s my first pack from Compressport, and I was curious to see how their often very “techy” approach, light materials and know-how will incarnate in the classical go-to hydration pack.
Specs
With a 10L capacity, the Ultrun weighs a feathery 121g / 4.27 oz in my size L without the included flasks which add 62g / 2.2. That’s about as light as you can imagine. I mean, some running tops weigh the same. As a comparison, Salomon Sense Pro 10 weighed 168g in M, without the flasks. The excellent Instinct X10 weighs almost twice as much (but feels much more durable). With the pack in hands, that’s simply stunning, as it can also compress to the size of a fist.
At the back, there’s a top pocket, where you can put either easy to access items such as a rain jacket, or better IMO, the items that you don’t expect to use during your run (2nd layer, rain pants, emergency items…Etc).
It requires some shoulder flexibility to be accessed, I find it better suited for the main part of the load.
The outer layer is very stretchy - something common with all the pockets in the pack - so it can be really stuffed and the material will firmly hold the items against your back. A small velcro tab secures the opening.
Beneath this pocket lie a double tunnel pocket, one accessible from the right side, the other from the left one.
Here again the fabric is very stretchy, and those can be stuffed with nutrition (flask with powder for instance), headlamp…etc. This is also the place where I put my jacket, as I find it easier to access than the top pocket.
The amount of equipment that can be stored in those double pockets is quite astounding, and the weight distribution is really nice on the run.
Here again, each opening is secured by a small velcro tab which, despite its minimal aspect, perfectly does the job.
Finally we have one of Compressport's trademarks, the double elastic loops to hold running poles.
They’re the same as the ones on the FreeBelt pro running belt, with silicone grippers inside and ensures a firm hold of the poles.
You must pay attention when putting the poles in them, as their tips can rip the fabric quite easily. It takes some training to get the movement right and “secure” for the bag, but after that it works quite well.
At the front, there are two pockets at the top of the straps. One is zipped on the right shoulder, with the emergency whistle stuck here, and save from a minimal phone, will be best to hold some energy, a minimal headlamp, or keys. The other one is an open pocket which I found quite useful for putting papers and empty gels packages.
Two pockets for the relatively flat flasks - which won’t work as nicely with the rounded models from other vendors - both with a reflective elastic strap to secure the flasks.
Under those ones we find the classic pair of huge, stretchy drop-in pockets which can store…almost anything, from gargantuan amounts of nutrition to gloves, beanie, lamps, arm warmers…you get the idea.
On the left side, this pocket is topped with a zipper pocket in which I generally put my phone in (it holds a “Plus” sized iPhone).
An interesting feature of these zipper pockets, which shows some real life testing, is the angulation of the zipped opening itself, as it’s almost at 45°. On the run, it actually feels totally natural, both for opening and closing it, and it feels way better than a more vertical - or horizontal - one. This is a nice touch.
The “S” cord at the front, equipped with two reflective tabs, goes to a pair of clips on the right side. This is actually the only rigid part of the pack, as if two rigid rods were inserted in here.
Considering how unstructured the whole pack is, this is actually needed in order to minimize movement, but they were never felt while running.
One last, but not least, element plays a big role in the pack’s stability and adjustability: the two elastic straps located under the arms.
I initially did not pay attention to it during my first outing with the pack, and was a bit..meh, in stability.
I stopped and had a look at those, firmly cinched them down, and it completely changed the experience. The straps are, IMO, the most important things to adjust on this pack to ensure good stability.
Fit and impressions
Jeremy:
I was hesitating between size M and L for the pack, with my 104cm torso. Compressport website advises to get the bigger in this case, advice that I followed, and for the best I think.
I’ve already talked about how light and unstructured the pack is, so no big news there. Compressport knows its stuff and clearly delivers here. The stretch of all the pockets allowed me to pack a large amount of equipment and nutrition, and I had packed all the usual mandatory equipment for the UTMB race without much difficulty.
The fabric is soft to the touch, with no rubbing points at all. It definitely is a “fit and forget” pack, and its breathability is appreciated as temperatures are rising here in France.
As I mentioned previously, the fit largely relies on adjusting the two elastic straps under the arms. This is a mandatory step to get the most of the pack. Once done, I even advise to do a simple knot so that it won’t get unset while running.
The size L was a smart choice, even if I had to cinch those straps quite a bit.
The fit of the bag is really, really nice. Totally adjusted thanks to the lightness and stretchiness of the fabric, it really comes as a second skin and is totally forgotten on the run, no matter how much or how little you put in.
I’ve used it as a simple flask holder with great success, and also more stuffed during a 50km trail race with more nutrition, a wind jacket and it worked perfectly.
The flasks are very flat shaped, and positioned with a slight inclination rather than vertically, which I think plays a big role in the pack’s stability.
On one training run, I stuffed it with the standard long trail race mandatory equipment (poles, a warm layer, rain pants…etc) and it was a delight.
The one thing that I might criticize is the exclusivity of the flask’s shape to be optimal with this bag. I usually pack some empty flasks with just powder in them, and I had to choose the right flasks, flat ones, so that I do not compromise the great stability of the pack.
I admit this might be a very specific case.
Some will also criticize the lack of versatility for pole carrying, as you’re limited to the elastic loops here. No option for quivers here, which might block some users. The elastic loops work really well, I dd not feel the poles on my training run, but I think that a quiver is a superior design.
Conclusions
Jeremy: This is probably the best light pack I’ve used. The best compliment I can make to the Utrun pack is that it feels like a super “Sense Pro 10”, which was my reference until then as a “piece of fabric” -like hydration pack.
The seamless fit, soft fabric, all over stretch and attention to details (reflective tabs, scratch pads, orientation of openings…) makes for a very accomplished pack. The pockets are useful and easy to access, well-designed…
Furthermore, the pack is rock-stable, no matter the pace.
It can clearly be a do-it-all pack, considering the feathery weight, from a short outing or fast-paced 30km race, to a 100k or even 100M race, if you can carefully choose your equipment or have drop bags.
Brief Video Demonstration of the Ultrun EVO 10
Comparisons
Salomon Sense Pro 10 (RTR review): One of my best of all time packs, but the Ultrun pushes the envelope further. Better fit, more stretch, softer, and actually easier to access pockets.
The quiver, if that’s your thing, is a big plus for Salomon though. But the Ultrun is a better pack IMO.
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