Trail/Mountain Running Packs with Ice Axe Loops

Looking for title. Best/only option I’ve seen is the BD distance packs. Grivel mountain runners too but the Mountain Runner Slim (7L) doesn’t have ice axe loops and the 12 does but also weights 18.7oz which seems high. Other issue is it has to have a small size or truly overlap that range, a lot of one size fits all packs don’t actually get tight enough for me to run. There have to be other options out there. Anyone have a rec? 

Check out the UD Scram

Yeah - the UD SCRAM, All Mountain, all the Fastpacks, FKT Vest, Skimo, and Adventure Vest 5.0 all have ice axe loops. 

I have and used all these packs except the Skimo. SCRAM and All Mountain don't really have loops, but buckles that keep the axe in place. With a little practice, you can get the axe out by flicking the magnetic buckle open if you want. I did a SCRAM review here. (Full disclosure: UD ambassador). The Adventure Vest comes in S - many of these other vests come in S/M and M/L. If size is important, it's what I would suggest. It's plenty light.

These look nice. I just wish they had a pack with a wider waste belt, however. 

I realize most people don't want the extra pack weight and don't carry a lot of weight to need it (maybe not ideal for trail running, I know) but, even on 20L packs I want a wide waste belt to help distribute any weight I can off my shoulders and neck and onto my waste and down through my legs.

Just thinking out load here, maybe I could make something like this work: https://www.aersf.com/hip-belt-black

Found another one: https://liteaf.com/product/the-minimalists-padded-hip-belt-removable/

Maybe, although these vests/packs are lacking a few things to make this work out well. One is that the design is to keep the weight pretty high up - where the bottom of the pack is higher than your iliac crest, so putting an additional hip belt on won't do what you want, unless you really loosen up the vest straps (and these vest straps don't function like normal backpack straps). The other is that these are particularly flexible vests/packs, so the weight won't really transfer down the back of the pack and onto the hip belt - the weight will just sag at the back. Doubly so, as a additional hip belt like the one you linked doesn't actually wrap around (or through if that makes more sense) the back of the pack. Again - you want a little rigidity to transfer the weight onto the hip belt.

I've done a 7 day unsupported ridge trip with the 45L version of the Fastpack - a size they don't make anymore. It worked out alright.

Long Ranger wrote:

Yeah - the UD SCRAM, All Mountain, all the Fastpacks, FKT Vest, Skimo, and Adventure Vest 5.0 all have ice axe loops. 

I have and used all these packs except the Skimo. SCRAM and All Mountain don't really have loops, but buckles that keep the axe in place. With a little practice, you can get the axe out by flicking the magnetic buckle open if you want. I did a SCRAM review here. (Full disclosure: UD ambassador). The Adventure Vest comes in S - many of these other vests come in S/M and M/L. If size is important, it's what I would suggest. It's plenty light.

Wow these packs look awesome. I’d only seen their fast packing packs (larger than I want) and pure running packs without axe loops. The adventure vest looks amazing. Scram too if I decide that’s the size I want and more of a pack vs a vest. How accurate would you say their sizing is? Most of the packs I’m seeing are reporting larger volumes than I would expect and than they appear to be from a comparable climbing or day pack

Zachary Zwick wrote:

Wow these packs look awesome. I’d only seen their fast packing packs (larger than I want) and pure running packs without axe loops. The adventure vest looks amazing. Scram too if I decide that’s the size I want and more of a pack vs a vest. How accurate would you say their sizing is? Most of the packs I’m seeing are reporting larger volumes than I would expect and than they appear to be from a comparable climbing or day pack

I’m selling a scram and an all mountain on ksl. I live up in Millcreek and you could check them out if you’d like!

Ultimate Direction All Mountain M/L 30L pack
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/64764830

Ultimate Direction SCRAM M/L 23.5L pack
https://classifieds.ksl.com/listing/64764813

If you are going fast and light. I’d get whatever vest you can find for cheap and either hand carry your axe/tools or tuck them between the vest and your back hooking the head on a strap. Wouldn’t be any less dangerous than having the axe strapped to an insignificant pack.

I also have an ice climbing friend who always hand carries in their tools and is always roped up and ready before I am. HYOH. 

Long Ranger wrote:

Maybe, although these vests/packs are lacking a few things to make this work out well. One is that the design is to keep the weight pretty high up - where the bottom of the pack is higher than your iliac crest, so putting an additional hip belt on won't do what you want, unless you really loosen up the vest straps (and these vest straps don't function like normal backpack straps). The other is that these are particularly flexible vests/packs, so the weight won't really transfer down the back of the pack and onto the hip belt - the weight will just sag at the back. Doubly so, as a additional hip belt like the one you linked doesn't actually wrap around (or through if that makes more sense) the back of the pack. Again - you want a little rigidity to transfer the weight onto the hip belt.

I've done a 7 day unsupported ridge trip with the 45L version of the Fastpack - a size they don't make anymore. It worked out alright.

Thanks for that. I see what you're getting at. 

Zachary Zwick wrote:

Wow these packs look awesome. I’d only seen their fast packing packs (larger than I want) and pure running packs without axe loops. The adventure vest looks amazing. Scram too if I decide that’s the size I want and more of a pack vs a vest. How accurate would you say their sizing is? Most of the packs I’m seeing are reporting larger volumes than I would expect and than they appear to be from a comparable climbing or day pack

The sizing is going to be on the conservative size, for sure. And what I mean by that is, if you add up absolutely every pocket on the pack (and there are many) you'll get close to the volume in liters stated. Like the Adventure Vest 5.0 is something I use in the Winter just on runs, where I want a few layers in just in case, but we've also used them for long alpine runs, where we may tuck in an axe, a 30m 8mm, and a pair of hiking crampons in them. Sometimes you gotta be creative with where you put stuff. I've done an absolutely minimal multiday with that vest, but I had to lash things on to the back of it to bring along things like a bivy. Compared to a pack that states it's around 17L, I would guess they're measuring the main compartment, which is going to be literally larger than any of the compartments on the vest  (it's all compartmentalized like that to avoid excessive bounce while you're running).

I'm not sure if I'd run with an ice axe over technical terrain. I come back from my runs bloody enough. Stickin' an axe between the pack and my back works well enough for a few miles, but I usually do that when I'm around the route on mixed terrain, and there may be a few places I'd like an axe, but may not need it again for another 800 feet, or I'm in a bad place to stop and put it in the loops and I'd rather just keep going down to a flatter spot, or whatever. 

And I don't know about you, but I used to lose things when I'm tired and the solution I've come up with was to always have a home for what I brought. Like, all my electronics and batteries go in a red bag, and my food goes in a green bag. For the ice axe, it lives on the ice axe loop. When I get up from a rest or something, I can check things real quick like - ok: have the red/green bags, I can wrap my arm around and feel the ice axe: we good! If I lose something, I know exactly what it is I'm looking for. OCD for sure, but I don't like losing big ticket items a few days into a few more day trip.

Echoing what Long Ranger said, I have the UD Mountain Vest and have used it for alpine/running adventures where Ive needed axe, crampons, rope (30m 8mm), helmet, minimal rap gear and I was able to juuust squeeze it all in there (with puffy and first aid kit). The ice axe loop is great and i was never worried about the axe falling out. There were some kinks to work out (like how to not have my crampons poking my back) but worked for back-to-back 8hr+ days. It does seem to carry the weight higher than other packs Ive used which took some getting used to.

The point about the BD distance having the space in the main pocket is key because I feel the bags are for slightly different objectives. If I could have a bag for everything I would have the distance for any runs where I might need minimal pro as it would carry that and a half rope well. Other than that the UD vest does it all and I would recommend. 

The Blue Ice Reach packs are running vest style suspension but built for scrambling/climbing. They have bungees to hold an axe up the center of the back. I'm not sure if you're looking for an option that will carry two tools or not, though.