Last year I upgraded from my old Nathan hydration vest to a Salomon Advance Skin 12. This was a worthy upgrade! While both feature breast pockets for smaller bottles on the chest as well as an old school, Camelbak style bladder in the back pouch, the main difference is the elastic straps on the Salomon.
Salomon Advance Skin 12 Hydration Vest
For me, this is a game changer. The old vest I had would bounce around after I had drunk from it, or would be too tight if I added things to its pouches.
Another feature of the Advance Skin 12 is the adjustable straps, which connect across the chest in one to three places, depending on your choices. I can also usually do this by feel without having to look at the connection points. This is useful when running and not wanting to take my eyes off the trail or path I’m on.
The Advance Skin 12 has allowed me to carry plenty of water. I used this on my 52 mile ultra in 2025, and it kept me plenty hydrated between aid stations. Normally I’ll use it to carry two water bottles on my chest, an iPhone, AirPods, tissues, snacks, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, and sometimes a few other knickknacks. For anything longer than 10 miles, I’m almost certain to bring this along for the run.
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