The Salomon Adv Skin 12. All photos: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
If you look around the start line of nearly any ultramarathon, especially those with a significant required gear list, you’re probably going to see a lot of people wearing the Salomon Adv Skin 12 ($165), and for good reason. You’ll also find iRunFar’s Editor-in-Chief, Meghan Hicks, fitting everything she needs into a previous version of this vest for a three-day fastpack through the Italian Alps that involved stays at refugios each night. In addition to taking this vest out on long days, I frequently shove two soft flasks and a windbreaker in and go out for normal everyday training runs with it.
It’s a vest that can do it all.
When Salomon updated this vest, it wasn’t surprising to see that the changes were mostly refinements instead of major overhauls, because why fix what isn’t broken? This 12-liter vest has been a go-to choice for many because it comfortably carries a lot of gear when needed, but it wears equally well with just a set of flasks in the front pocket and a windbreaker in the back. In short, it’s a great do-it-all vest for those who don’t want a pack for every occasion.
Salomon dialed in many of the major features of this vest in the previous version, including a pocket layout that offers ample storage, easy access to gear, and organization opportunities. For the most part, the pockets are unchanged both on the front and the back of the new version of this vest. Its stretchy material can still hold everything but the kitchen sink, and it feels like its actual capacity exceeds 12 liters. You can read more about the previous version of this vest in our 2023 Salomon Adv Skin 12 review. The pack is light, with an actual weight of 8.7 ounces (246 grams) for a size medium without the two included Salomon 500-milliliter soft flasks.
While the bones of the vest have stayed mostly the same, Salomon has made upgrades in some key areas, including the materials, the pole attachment system, and the rear pass-through pocket. They’ve also changed a few smaller things, like moving the key clip from the front shoulder into the main pocket, removing the little baggie-thing that was in the side pocket that the iRunFar team could never find a use for, and making small adjustments to bungee locations.
This vest comes in both a unisex and women’s version, and I tested the unisex for this review. In the past, many female testers at iRunFar have preferred the unisex version, and it seems like Salomon has changed up the new women’s version to more closely mirror the unisex in terms of pocket placement and layout.
The versatility and functionality of this vest have earned it a top spot in our Best Running Vests guide.
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Salomon Adv Skin 12 Construction and Fit
A front view of the Salomon Adv Skin 12.
The fit of the new Salomon Adv Skin 12 is essentially the same as the previous version of the vest. The Sensifit construction hugs the body without feeling overly constrictive.
One of the standout features about the fit is that it doesn’t feel like you need to have it overly tight through the chest area in order to keep it from bouncing. In fact, the small bungees over the sternum are thin and stretchy enough that they can’t physically be overtightened. The M-shaped front bungee system, which is made of a single strand, hooks onto two quick-link clips and adjusts with a single pull-through clip. Of all the hydration vests I’ve tried, this is the most seamless design I’ve used, and it avoids having to fiddle with small clips when fingers are tired and cold. It’s equally as easy to unhook the bungees from the clips as it is to hook them on.
Salomon upgraded the liner material of the pack, both on the back of the pack and on the shoulder straps. The mesh material on the back has much bigger perforations than before, increasing its breathability. It’s also a bit softer than the previous version, which is a plus since the older material had a reputation for being a bit scratchy, especially if worn next to the skin. Salomon also got rid of the nylon inner panel in the bladder sleeve to increase the overall breathability of the vest. This means that if you’re using a bladder with this vest, it will only have one layer of mesh between it and your skin, so any liquid will heat up faster than before. The inner material mesh of the shoulder straps is also different and once again soft against the skin.
The back of the Salomon Adv Skin 12, with poles in the updated carry system.
The beauty of this vest is that it fits just as well when it’s fully loaded down with a day’s worth of food and gear as it does when you’re just going out for a couple of hours and need to take some water, nutrition, and maybe a jacket. Compression bungees on the side secure loads of any size and are easy to adjust with pull-through clips that are accessible with the pack on.
Other positive changes Salomon made to this vest include a key clip that is now conveniently and safely tucked into the rear pocket instead of on the front shoulder, a location that past iRunFar testers didn’t like.
Salomon Adv Skin 12 Storage and Hydration Options
The Salomon Adv Skin 12 front pocket configuration, with hydration bottles.
The Salomon Adv Skin 12 can carry a lot of stuff and is a perfect vest for all-day adventures where you want to carry extra layers, safety gear, snacks, and plenty of water. Its pocket layout also makes it perfect for long races where you want to have easy access to everything while on the move. With 12 pockets, this vest has a spot for everything.
The front of the vest has the traditional layout of two flask pockets, specifically sized for the included longer and narrower Salomon 500-milliliter soft flasks. Two top-loading snack pockets overlay the flask pockets and are made of stretchy material, so they can hold a lot even when the other pockets are full. Over top of these are zippered pockets that are big enough to carry a phone. I generally use one of these pockets as a permanent home for my chapstick, sunscreen, and anti-chafe cream. They also easily fit a Garmin inReach for more remote backcountry adventures.
Two small pockets sit on the top of the shoulders, which I suppose could fit a gel or something similar. However, I don’t find them big enough or secure enough to be useful for much.
The back of the vest is dominated by a large main pocket with a vertical zipper. The sides of this pocket have a fair bit of stretch, while the main back panel is less stretchy. This results in a pocket that can expand to hold a lot of gear, but it doesn’t bulge weirdly with the more structured back panel. Salomon added a small extra pocket inside the main pocket to help with organization. It’s perfect for keeping a hat and gloves separate from the rest of your gear in the pocket. It’s also the new location of the key clip.
The Salomon Adv Skin 12 has an ample and secure phone pocket.
Behind this main pocket sits a bladder sleeve that easily fits a 1.5-liter bladder but will begrudgingly hold a two-liter bladder as well. The hose comes out from the top of the bladder pocket, and there’s a hose guide on the right shoulder strap to keep it from bouncing around. One of the small changes Salomon made to this vest is changing the clip used to keep a bladder from slipping down into the pocket. The new clip is smaller and easier to thread through the top of a bladder than the previous version.
Like before, the vest has a mesh pass-through pocket on the bottom. Salomon made the sides of the pocket bigger for easier access, and the middle of it is wider as well. The result is a pocket that can hold more stuff, and that all that stuff is easier to reach with the pack still on. The pocket is big enough to hold a windbreaker, gloves, and a hat, but it’s also secure enough to hold onto precious snack cargo.
Finally, Salomon also refined the pack’s pole-carrying system by changing the angle of the bungees and putting the adjustment point at the bottom of the bungees instead of the top. This means that you tighten the straps by pulling down instead of pulling up, a much easier way of doing things. You can also attach one of Salomon’s quivers to this pack if you prefer to carry poles that way. As someone without the shoulder mobility to use quivers, I appreciate how easy and simple the built-in pole carrying system is. If you prefer to pull on the bungees upward and from the side, it’s easy to switch their direction as well.
Salomon Adv Skin 12 Overall Impressions
Meghan Hicks fit everything she needed for a three-day fastpack (with refugio stays) in a previous version Salomon Adv Skin 12.
It’s always a bit worrisome when a brand updates a well-loved product, but the newest Salomon Adv Skin 12 addresses many of the annoyances of the previous version of the pack without changing any of its good features. It was a great pack before, and it’s only gotten better.
The upgraded inner liner materials fix potential skin irritation issues while staying breathable and stretchy. Pockets galore carry everything, and the 12-liter capacity is big enough for nearly any required gear list for an ultra. Salomon has long set the standard with the pocket layout and overall quality of this vest, and they listened to runner feedback to make small but valuable improvements with this one.
If I were to own a single vest that could do it all, this would be it. It works for everything from European fastpacks, where evenings are spent at refugios that provide bedding and all you have to carry is a sleeping bag liner, to all-day outings with extra layers, first-aid kit, and copious amounts of food, to ultras where your load may vary depending on the time of day or length of time between aid stations.
There’s a reason this vest has been a mainstay in the ultra world and our Best Running Vests guide for a long time, and this newest update indicates that it will probably stay there for a good while longer.
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Call for Comments
- Have you run in any version of the Salomon Adv Skin 12? What did you think?
- What features do you most value in a running vest?
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