Traick 5

The Deuter Traick 5 is a running vest cut like a garment: four-way stretch polyamide mesh that hugs your torso, with water up front in two included 500 ml soft flasks and 5 litres of stash space wrapped around you. It weighs 170 g and sits still at pace instead of bouncing.

Who it's for

Trail runners heading out for one to four hours, and fast hikers who want water on their chest. Deuter rate it five out of five for trail running. It suits a long run through the Glass House Mountains trails, a race at the Buffalo Stampede or the Blue Mountains, or a sunrise lap of Burleigh Head, carrying the 1-3 kg it is built for.

Capacity and fit

5 litres holds a rain shell, gels, a phone, a head torch and the mandatory kit most trail races ask for. Each shoulder strap carries four pockets, including a soft flask pouch and zipped and stash pockets, and stuff pouches and a zipped pocket sit at the back. Fit is by chest measurement: S fits 89-95 cm, M 96-102 cm and L 103-109 cm. Measure around the fullest part of your chest and choose the size that covers it; the bungee sternum strap fine-tunes the tension so you can breathe freely on a hard climb.

Drinking and refilling

Two HydraPak Streamer Flask LP 500 ml soft flasks come with the vest and ride in the shoulder strap pouches, where you can drink without breaking stride and refill at an aid station in seconds. For longer days, a 1.5 L bladder fits in the back through the side access, so you can carry up to 2.5 litres in total.

Cleaning and mould

Rinse the soft flasks with warm water after every run, squeeze them out and leave the caps off to dry. If you run with a bladder, empty it, rinse it and hang it open after each use; it is the damp, sealed bladder that grows mould, not the vest.

Looking after it

Modular bungee cords hold poles or a jacket on the back, and reflective details help on dusk runs. The fabric is made without intentionally added PFAS, and the vest is a bluepass product.