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BD’s Cirque 22 Ski Vest Reviewed

By

Jason Albert

Ski carry, BD Cirque 22 Ski Vest

Alex Lee, with the Cirque 22 Ski Vest in action on the ascent with the ski carry dutifully employed.

  Oh, the wormholes. In learning about the origin and evolution of running, I came across a solid read from British climber/adventurer Andy Kirkpatrick. Towards the conclusion, he writes this about Bruce Thatcher—the ultra runner associated with developing and popularizing the running vest—summarizing what I love about the Black Diamond Cirque 22 Ski vest: “The…

Responses

  1. Ben Coffman

    Love this pack as well. The only thing I’ve come across that may fit into the same niche (midweight vest) is the mammut aenergy st 20 – haven’t tried it yet. My biggest complaint about bd vests (both running and skiing) is the material used for vest pockets. The best pockets are one of the biggest selling points, so it’s disappointing that the material is not particularly elastic. Compared to salomon vest pockets, which achieve the magical feat of both swallowing tons gear and still conforming tightly around small amounts gear, bd pockets are not nearly elastic enough. I find you risk losing items if you don’t stuff the non-zippered pockets tightly, and the non-zippered pockets don’t hold all that much at the end of the day (especially if you’ve already got flasks in each zipped pocket, or in the bottle pockets on their running vests). Both issues seem to be due primarily to a fabric that is not sufficiently elastic. All that being said, still the best thing I’ve found in this niche and I still use it regularly, just some clear room for materials iteration.

    1. Jason Albert

      Hey Ben, agreed that the material for the pockets is not stretchy enough, and at least on the newer version of the BD Distance running packs, I believe there’s no method to cinch the pockets closed. I mentioned in the review that I did a triage sew job to save a Distance 8 pack (1st gen), and the reason is/was that I’m not a fan of the new pockets. I needed to save the old Distance 8, I prefer the the 1st gen’s pocket design over the newer iteration.As you mentioned, the smaller pockets on the Cirque 22 Ski Vest are similar in design/construction to the new Distance pack’s pockets. For small items that I fear losing (when using the ski vest) I place them in one of the zip up pockets. (I only run a single soft flask in winter, and stop to refill from a Nalgene I store in the pack if I run low on soft flask accessible liquid.) That leaves the second zip pocket free for small/loose items. I use the lower pockets (the non-zip pockets) for stashing liner gloves, an extra ski hat, and my buff when I get too hot. Those items aren’t prone to falling out, at least that’s been my experience.

      And that Mammut Aenergy 20-25 looks pretty sweet. I’m a fan of roll tops, which that ski vest features. I’d like to see the BD ski vest with a roll top—it would make it easier to overstuff the main compartment with beefier puffies and insulated pants when it gets frigid.

  2. Travis

    I’ve always wanted this pack, but the pockets on the vest didn’t even hold my iPhone if I recall and had zero stretch limiting their functionality for me. Since I have serviceable packs it really has to be perfect to get me to take the bait. Going to try the Dynafit speed 20 this winter and see how it goes. Was less than $100 on sale. For those of you that have the pack, how breathable is the vest portion? It looked like something that would make me a sweaty mess if I didn’t layer right out the gate.

    1. Jason Albert

      Hey Travis—the zipper pockets, at least on the ski vest, are pretty sizable, I’m able to stash a newish iPhone in there with spare room for a bar/lip balm/etc., and still zip it closed easily. For the test, I did try to stuff the phone in there + a 500ml soft flash— no luck.

      (That’s not the case on my BD running vests when trying to secure my phone, I have a hard time securing it without feeling like I’m going to blow out a zipper.)

      1. Travis

        Thanks, Jason. If I find one I’ll have to check it out.

  3. David Hackbarth

    I really like the utility of the storage option features on this pack!
    ! My larger Gregory 30 to 35 don’t have anything in this area.
    Any suggestions?

    1. Jason Albert

      I often attach a CAMP Action Bottle Holder (~$20.00 at skimo.co) to a shoulder strap. This carries a traditional cycling water bottle, not a soft flask. I’ve loved it. I sometimes use a HMG shoulder pocket, but that’s getting spendy at $49.00. Had I known at the time, I would have gone the Gossamer Gear route, they have a great looking shoulder strap pocket for $20. They also sell a water bottle carrier called the Bottle Rocket that looks on sale for ~$14.00. Not sure you were seeking ideas for add-ons for the Gregory pack. For an entirely new pack with a waist belt, but featuring vest style features, the Blue Ice Firecrest might be an option.

      1. David Hackbarth

        Thanks Jason for the great suggestions! Best in your new venture!

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