Article by John Tribbia
Mammut Aenergy Trail Vest 12L ($149) and Aenergy Ultra Carbon Poles (awaiting pricing)
As a regular runner up Bear Peak in Boulder, I often head out in the early morning. I've started using a vest and poles to carry bear spray for safety and to provide support on the descent due to knee issues.
When Mammut sent me their Aenergy Trail Vest 12L and Aenergy Ultra Carbon poles, my main interest was the poles. I am already satisfied with my current vests, but I am always looking to upgrade my hiking poles.
After several outings covering Fern Canyon, West Ridge, and Bear Canyon in conditions from temperate March weather to appropriate winter season cold with wind, here's where I landed on both.
Aenergy Trail Vest, 12L ($149)
Fit
I'm 5'6" and 135 lbs, and I tested a size medium. I went with that because I don’t like too much constriction on my chest and fit is still snug and athletic. It locks in on uphills when you're leaning hard into a pitch without the harness shifting up or gapping at the shoulder. I've run it over a base layer in the 40s and skin-direct in the 70s. No fit change in either case.
Bounce on the descent is minimal. I ran down several multiple times with a full load: two 500ml soft flasks, a packable shell, my bear spray, and a phone. Nothing shifted or slapped. For comparison, I had been running in a Kiprun 5L vest regularly for shorter outings and the Mammut's bounce control is on par.
Ventilation
The 3D mesh back panel puts real space between the fabric and your skin. It's not a full channel-frame system like you'd find on a larger pack, but there's enough separation that I noticed the airflow running in direct sun in July. At the end of a 90-minute loop, my shirt was evenly damp rather than the concentrated pressure stripe you get from a flat foam panel. On the summit when the wind picks up, the mesh dries quickly.
Storage
The front chest pockets sit at the right height for access at pace. You can reach them without breaking stride. Flask retention uses bungee cord on each pocket and it holds 500ml flasks securely without being a battle to open. I've used vest pockets that require two hands and a pause to get a flask out.
The back tunnel pocket is the standout feature on this vest. It fits a packable wind layer cleanly, and access is from the side so you pull a layer out while moving without stopping or removing the vest. I actually stow my bear spray there and it doesn’t bounce much.
The zippered main compartment handles a phone, house keys, etc. That covers the essentials for a 60 to 90-minute mountain run. Extend the outing to three hours or need to carry more layers and you will run short on room. The 12L rating is accurate. It's not a pack that overpromises its capacity and then disappointingly under-delivers. It's built for short to moderate outings and it suits that use case well.
Durability
Several outings on various terrain including scrambling sections where I grabbed the vest to move across exposed rock. The ripstop shows no snagging or delamination. Stitching at the shoulder anchor points is clean. The zipper pulls haven't snagged once. The vest looks essentially the same as it did out of the box.
Pros
Bounce suppression holds under a full load
3D mesh back reduces sweat buildup noticeably
Tunnel pocket
Flask access is clean and one-handed
RECCO reflector included
Dedicated pole attachment bungee
Cons
12L caps useful range around 90 min
Chest strap is hard to secure with cold hands
Aenergy Ultra Carbon Poles
Weight and Stiffness
These are noticeably light the first time you pick them up. My instinct was to question whether they'd hold under hard use and they do. The full-carbon shaft doesn't flex or deflect under aggressive weight bearing. I drove hard into them on steep descents, braked with them on scree, and pushed off them climbing on long switchback sections. No structural movement in the shaft at any point.
For comparison, I've used the Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles for the past several months. The Mammut poles are stiffer under hard lateral loading and feel slightly more planted when pushing hard off rocky ground, which is great for descending. The Black Diamonds are a bit lighter, but the Mammuts are more solid.
Fold and Deploy
Three sections, push-button release. I've used twist-lock and lever-lock poles for years and the push-button fold on the Mammuts is faster than either. On runnable flats where I want poles stowed, fold-down takes under ten seconds with gloves on. Though the push button does require a firm push. Lock-up on deployment is equally fast. The lock clicks home with a clear positive stop; there's no wondering whether the pole is actually extended. Under ten seconds each way, consistently.
Adjustability
Seven length settings cover everything mountain running requires. I shortened them from my flat-terrain setting on switchbacks, collapsed and stowed them at the summit scramble block, and extended them to maximum on the scree descent off the west ridge for braking leverage.
The range from shortest to longest is wide enough that one pair works for both shorter runners and taller runners without compromise. I run at 5'6" and ran these primarily at 110-115cm on climbs and 120-125cm on descents.
Grip and Strap
The EVA foam grip stays comfortable over long efforts and absorbs sweat without getting slippery. On high-output climbing sections where my hands are working hard and sweating, grip didn't slip. The grip shape works in a standard hold and in the shortened low-grip position on steep pitches. The wrist strap is minimal, which works for some runners and won't for others. I ran with it most of the time.
Tips
The carbide tips bite cleanly into rock, root, and hardpack. Swapping to rubber tips for road sections or mellower trails takes about five seconds. Both tip types are in the package, which removes any compatibility guesswork.
Pros
Stiff under hard weight-bearing loads
Push-button fold is fast and reliable
7 settings cover the full terrain range and different runner heights
Carbide tips grip rock and root well
Grip stays secure on sweaty hands
Cons
Grip zone could be 2cm longer
Wrist strap is minimal; runners who rely on straps may want more
- Carbon needs more careful handling in transport than aluminum
Tester Profile
John Tribbia (5' 6", 130lbs) is a former sponsored mountain/trail runner who has run with La Sportiva, Brooks/Fleet Feet, Pearl Izumi, and Salomon. Even though he competes less frequently these days, you can still find John enjoying the daily grind of running on any surface, though his favorite terrain is 30-40% grade climbs. He has won races such as America's Uphill, Imogene Pass Run, and the US Skyrunner Vertical Kilometer Series; and he's held several FKTs on several iconic mountains in Boulder, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. If you follow him on Strava, you'll notice he runs at varying paces between 5 minutes/mile to 12 minutes/mile before the break of dawn almost every day.
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