The North Face Summit Series Run Vest 5 Review

By mid-June, it dawned on me like it does every year — summer is hotter than ever. As sweat poured down my face and I caught my breath at the top of a dusty trail climb, I was thankful to have two soft flask water bottles along for the run. I can’t get away with skimping on water like I can in the spring and fall on the roasting trails around Eagle, Colo., during the summer.

Nothing plummets my will to go running like a scorching hot day. I’ve been carefully selecting my trail running kit this season to venture deeper and longer on the increasingly common 90-degree days. The North Face’s Summit Series Run Vest 5 has been a near-constant companion primarily because it’s so light and airy. That’s great because those scorchers are exactly when I need extra water to go the extra miles. 

I’ve put some healthy mileage into the once pearly white vest and included soft flasks. Despite one oddity in the fit department, we’ve gotten along well on short, medium, and long trail runs alike.

In short: The North Face’s new Trail Run Vest 5 is a minimalist trail running vest built to meet the demands of elite ultramarathon trail races. The vest is built on an airy mesh chassis with varying levels of stretch in strategic locations. Two included soft flasks in dedicated pockets ride securely on the shoulders. Underarm pockets provide just enough space for snacks and packable layers. Despite an annoyingly high neckline, the Run Vest 5 packs in just enough versatility and storage for longer runs, but keeps its breezy character at the forefront. 

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Summit Series Trail Run Vest 5 Review

Trail running vests have exploded in popularity for good reason. A little extra water goes a long way for runners on the road and in the mountains. The North Face’s Summit Series Run Vest 5 is hardly its first crack at it, but it’s surely the most refined. 

This 5L-capacity vest is designed for top-level trail running athletes. However, I’ve found that those design characteristics translate well for everyday runners and racers alike. It’s TNF’s most minimalist vest, accompanied in the Summit Series line by the Trail Run 10.

Build

The Summit Series Run Vest 5 is exceptionally light. It’s a mere 169g on my kitchen scale without flasks. That’s no surprise when you look at the vest’s chassis, which is a mosaic of panels of varying stretch material. The back panel is a sturdy 86% nylon, 14% elastane warp knit mesh that offers just the slightest amount of give.

Moving from top to bottom, the over-the-shoulder panels look nearly identical to the back. However, they are actually much stretchier. Interestingly, the hem along each edge is more or less static. So functionally, they don’t bounce or stretch vertically, but rather horizontally or diagonally. I assume it’s designed to support the weight of the water flasks while allowing for some give during a running motion.

The vest straps reattach to the vest panel under the armpit with particularly stretchy mesh panels. These, again, are supported by static strips along the margins. This strategic stretchy layout not only minimizes bounce but also offers a custom-feeling fit.

Fit 

The Large Summit Series Run Vest 5 fits naturally on my 6’1”, 195-pound frame. The vest drapes nicely, and both sides are far enough apart up front to offer significant adjustability. I felt that I could move, crouch, and stretch without the vest restricting me. I had more space between my collar bones and the vest than I expected, but that didn’t end up being an issue on the move. The vest comes in unisex XS to XL sizes.

Adjustability is handled up front by two self-equalizing green elastic cords that hook to loop ladders on the inside of each vest panel. It creates a zigzagging elastic cord down the front of the vest that pulls tension inward. Each of the elastic cords can be adjusted with stealthy toggles that are hidden inside the stash pockets on the side of the vest.

It was very easy to adjust the tension on the move. I didn’t have any issues with them loosening over time, which is always a concern with this type of system. The vest got tight enough and stayed tight on a few rowdy mountain bike rides, too.

I love that the elastic cords are girth hitched to the loop ladder rather than sewn. That means you could replace the elastic cords of this vest in minutes without any specialized equipment or skills. You could also replace the cord with a heavier-duty version for an even more secure fit.

Pocket Layout

Flask Pockets

The most critical pockets in any running vest are the soft flask pockets. The Summit Series Run Vest 5, like most other running vests, has two of them, and the 500mL Hydrapak soft flasks are thankfully included.

I appreciated that the pockets absolutely swallow the soft flasks. They stick out the top just enough to drink from, but not enough to flop around. For further security, elastic bands stretching across the inside of each pocket wrap around the nozzle of each bottle to lock them in. It’s virtually impossible for them to bounce out of there.

Last, zippers on the sides of each flask pocket zip down about 3 inches, revealing an expanding gusset that makes it easier to slip the flasks in and out. 

Pockets for Snacks and Keys

Besides the two soft flask pockets, there is one zippered snacks and keys pocket on the wearer’s left flask. There are also four stretchy underarm snack pockets that expand to hold more bars and gels than I could possibly need on a run. 

The back panel has three big pockets. One is a reservoir pocket with an anchor point at the top that opens the full length of the back panel. Another is a stretchy pocket panel on the top half of the back. Finally, there is a horizontal pass-through pocket along the bottom of the back panel designed for storing trekking poles. 

I had no problem stuffing the pockets with snacks. They felt secure enough, even during one surprise tumble into the bushes. I was also able to add additional gear for longer backcountry runs. I stuck my Garmin inReach Mini, a packable rain jacket, a water filter, and lightweight pants in there.

The vest held it all seemingly securely, though my iPhone and inReach had to compete for a ride in the one secure zippered pocket (my phone won out). I wouldn’t complain about having one more zippered pocket somewhere.

Trekking Pole Pocket

I don’t typically run with poles, but I tested the pole sleeve anyway. While it carries collapsible poles out of the way, it’s not the absolute easiest system to use while wearing the vest.

It can be a slight challenge to slide the poles in without them snagging on the mesh. But once they’re in, they’re reasonably secure. 

Easy to Overload

Carrying heavier loads deep into the backcountry isn’t the Summit Series Run Vest 5’s niche. It lacks the structure and pockets to support that weight compared to something beefier like CamelBak’s Apex Pro Run vest or Black Diamond’s Distance 8. It’s more of a light and fast specialist.

Running Motion

I put a ton of miles into the Summit Series Run Vest 5, just waiting for some chafe. But honestly, we meshed pretty well. The vest is so dang light and breezy. That’s what tickled my interest in the first place, given that several of my trail runs have pushed past 95 degrees lately.

The Summit Series Run Vest 5 performed very well on the trails. If it hadn’t been for a creeping neckline (more on that next), I could have forgotten that I was wearing it.

The whole thing felt like it was elastically suctioned to my upper body (in a good way). It moved with my running motion. I didn’t need to time the pack’s bounce with my stride like I’ve had to do with poorer fitting vests in the past. I can infer that very fast runners would also enjoy the bounce-free agility. 

It’s a low bar to clear, but I was also able to access my snacks, water, and extra gear stashed in the front pockets without slowing my pace. It was also easy to tighten the elastic zigzagging cords without slowing down. 

The North Face’s New Trail Run Vest 5: The Rub

Running vests, by their very nature, face a big obstacle — they need to carry weight, disperse it across your body, and not chafe your skin after many long, sweaty, bouncy miles. The Summit Series Run Vest 5 was solid overall. This vest was comfortable and fit my body nicely. 

But I had one issue in the fit/rub department. The back panel crept up high on my neck unless I was carrying a lot of weight in the pack. For my day-to-day runs under about 10 miles, I got used to it. But it got annoying fast on longer, hotter runs.

At times, it crept up to what felt like the middle of my neck. And while the hem was soft and friendly on the skin, any sweaty fabric rubbing on the skin is going to cause problems over time. 

Fit is, of course, subjective. My back and neck are not like your back and neck. And my upper body is a little bit meatier than a typical trail running athlete’s. So I can’t say for sure who will face this fit issue other than me.

Could my poor posture be a culprit? My mom would probably say so. Still, if I were to make an adjustment to this vest, it would be a deeper cutout around the back of the neck to keep the hem below my T-shirt’s neck hole. 

Comparison

Over the last few seasons, the Rab Veil 6L has been my favorite running vest. It’s a stellar vest that’s a little bit sturdier in just about every way than the Summit Series Run Vest 5. It also packs in more pockets (not that I ever felt that I needed more) and utilizes a unique mono mesh chassis in place of mesh.

Both vests cinch down to your body with elastic equalizing connection systems that create a good snug feel. They both cut the bounce to a minimum. The major differences? The Summit Series Run Vest 5 is a little bit breezier on hot days, and the Rab Veil 6L would be my choice for carrying more gear into the backcountry. It fits my body slightly better, too.

The North Face Summit Series Run Vest 5: Conclusion

The North Face’s new Trail Run Vest 5 is about as breezy as trail running vests get. This vest is a great option for runners who prefer simplicity and minimalism over everything else. It has the features for trail running and racing — soft flask pockets, lots of snack pockets, and a trekking pole sleeve — and not much more. 

The fit is not as dialed on my frame as a few other vests I’ve tried, mainly due to a creeping neckline that’s downright annoying. But I’m not sure that will impact every runner out there. 

More than anything, I’ve enjoyed its breathability on really hot days. Where I’d usually skip on a vest for trail runs under about 6 miles, I’ve found myself throwing it on just in case for shorter jaunts in the blazing sun. A little extra water never hurts, and there’s barely a tradeoff. 

While the Summit Series Trail Run Vest 5 was designed for the UTMB and other ultra races like it, it should also meet the needs of most other trail runners. It’s light, breezy, and simple, with room for tons of snacks, a light jacket, and more.