High Above has been making Hip Packs and various bike accessories in Washington for more than a decade. Hip Packs are their tried and true, but their new product aims to fit the demands of riders who want a different way to carry more gear. Follow along with this two-article special as Paul Kalifatidi steals their new jetpack, er, Supernatural Vest Pack, gives it a proper shake-down, and takes the shredded remains back to their secret lab in Seattle. Spoiler alert, I was unable to damage anything besides my integumentary system. Now, I get to share my thoughts on what I believe is this segment-leading product. I managed to get out for a ride with High Above co-owner, Kyle Thackray, on the pack’s namesake trail.

I’ve tried many hip packs from large and small brands, and I still believe that High Above makes some of the best products in this category. High Above’s thoughtful, simple, and durable design stands out in a market where most products have gimmicky features, excessive straps, and flimsy fabrics; their packs are refreshingly utilitarian. Hip Packs are the bread and butter of High Above, with three different-sized options on the menu. These are great for short rides where stashing your phone, a tool, a tube, a snack, and a light layer are all that’s needed. So, that begs the question: what if you want to carry more?

Quick Hits

• Capacity: 6L total (2L water, 4L cargo)
• Weight: 20 oz (565 g) including reservoir
• Materials:
  • “Standard issue”: 400D Challenge EPX shell fabric, 210D liner, UHWMPE-reinforced stretch pockets
  • “Special Edition: Ultra 200shell fabric, 210D liner, UHWMPE-reinforced stretch pockets
• Storage: Two front stretch pockets, one internal zippered pocket with key clip, two internal stretch pockets, two integrated pump holders, adaptable
• Bungee system for bulky soft items (or groceries)
• Weatherproofing: YKK #8 waterproof zipper on the main compartment for unmatched durability and weather resistance
• Sizing: One size fits most (If you’re at the far ends of the spectrum, reach out to us [High Above] for sizing guidance.)

Why Use a Vest?

The waist and hips are a liminal space with lots at play. Shirts, jackets, and tops transition to liners, shorts, pants, belts, and pockets. Adding a relatively heavy pack to this complicated equation and then riding a bike with lots of bouncing and movement doesn’t seem like the best way to carry gear. It works for a few items, but I haven’t found a hip pack I like when packing a lot. Some offer water storage in a bladder or on a side bottle holster, but these compromise either the limited internal volume or the pack’s balance. At least that is my experience; I know others who have no issue. Still, I haven’t found one that securely holds enough gear for mega rides AND disappears into the background noise. I’ll still use them for rides where I don’t need to be a ton, but big rides still confounded me. Perhaps it’s the shape of my waist, or maybe it’s the weight of a lot of liquid, but the bouncing and excessive syncing of the belt to secure the weight distracted me from my riding. I found this to be the case among all the hip packs I’ve tried when they’re heavily loaded. Switching to a backpack solves the volume and weight distribution, but I still find the hip belt required for a riding backpack to be a bit annoying. Mountain bikers seem divided on the best way to carry extra stuff, but a different trail user group made the switch a long time ago. Even Spencer, who spent the last decade trying to avoid a backpack while riding or touring, sees some validity in the switch.

Trail runners embraced hydration vests to push their limits. The vest’s silhouette, which more evenly distributes weight and gear across the shoulders and chest, is a game-changer. It can carry more gear, liquids, and snacks than a hip pack, without the misbalanced bulkiness of a backpack. It also shifts the carrying duty to a less movement-intensive part of our body, making it more comfortable to be active. The increased body contact is better at dealing with bouncing than a hip pack. A backpack feels like a weight strapped to the back using a hip belt and two shoulder straps. A vest feels like a weight that is more evenly applied across the shoulders and chest using larger fabric panels; therein lies the difference.

Trail runners who also ride bikes started using their running vests for riding, and I was one of them. Brands noticed this trend and released bike-specific vests, but many of them still had too many proprietary parts, flimsy designs, and compromised or gimmicky features. My excitement was palpable when I heard that High Above was working on a vest, as I knew their design ideology would produce something different. I got in touch with the Seattle-based brand and have had the privilege of testing their Supernatural Vest Pack over the past few months. I’ve been putting it through plenty of muddy rides in Bellingham, WA.

Materials

The Supernatural Vest Pack is the result of over 50 prototypes and a thorough examination of the running and biking vest market. There were a few goals for the pack: greater durability than the competition, features that better cater to the needs of mountain bikers, and general riding comfort. The shell fabric that makes up the majority of the pack is sturdy 400D Challenge EPX, far burlier than any competitors currently on the market. The back of the pack is characteristically High Above: no drop-in pockets and simple features that will withstand the test of time. It’s utilitarian and confidence-inspiring. The shape of the pack was inspired by the faceted shape of the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, a stealth plane developed by Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works divisions throughout the 1970s. The exterior of the plane uses flat panels arranged in a way that minimally reflects radar waves back to the radar detector. The Supernatural pack achieves a similar appearance that helps shape the volume of the pack without adding bulk.

The Challenge EPX fabric that forms the body of the pack feels noticeably higher quality than the materials used in other vests that I’ve tried. I have competing products from two big-name brands, and the excessively lightweight fabric shows signs of wear. Much of the wear or damage that I’ve seen on other packs is in the stretchy fabrics used to make the chest pockets. These stretchy fabrics are inherently less durable than stiffer fabrics. To achieve durability up to their standards, High Above uses a fabric reinforced with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). This material is used in climbing equipment for its strength-to-weight ratio and abrasion resistance; Dyneema is a brand name you might be familiar with. I had a rather extravagant crash where I slid on my chest and arm across a gravel road at about 20 mph. Except for a small scratch on the surface of a chest pocket, the vest was undamaged. The folks at High Above were impressed that I could scratch it at all. My arm required six stitches, but the vest required none. If you want even higher quality face fabric, they periodically make special edition packs with Ultra200 fabric. It looks unique and unlike anything else on the market. The special edition price tag is higher at $400. I have one of these and love it, though functionally, it is the same as the more affordable “standard issue” pack.

The zippered opening to the 6L of internal storage features a water-resistant YKK #8 zipper to keep the inside dry. If it isn’t YKK, I don’t want it. After many rides in the rain, I can report that this works. One of the only downsides to all these high-end fabrics is that the Supernatural costs $240. Is this more expensive than other vests on the market? Yes. Is it going to outlive and outperform all of those? Yes. High Above is so confident in their products that they come with lifetime guarantees. Most likely, users will wear out zippers after a number of years, so High Above makes these easily and readily replaceable. Send your pack in for a refresh and receive one that is as good as new, but with a patina you earned.

Features and Organization

Aside from the materials, a standout feature of the Supernatural is the thought-out pockets and organizational tools. It’s clear that the people who made this pack ride mountain bikes a lot. For example, there are two velcro tabs to strap down a pump or other long object far away from the pack’s center and your spine. There are records of numerous injuries due to pumps smashing into vertebrae during crashes, so this is a welcome safety feature. I used both straps, one for my pump and one for my folding saw. If you’re curious, the pack won’t comfortably hold a Silky Big Boy, but it will fit a Gomboy or other smaller-bladed saws.

Inside the pack, there are several pockets and straps to organize your gear. A zippered compartment with a key loop is great for valuables. The loop is long enough that I had a spare activity key for my truck that lives in the pack. I don’t have to unclip the key to get into my rig. Two small drop-in pockets keep a multi-tool and other small items from jangling around inside the pack. A Hydrapack reservoir is included with the pack. I think these fold-over bladders are stellar and don’t mysteriously fill with air while riding like some other designs. If you fill the two-liter bladder, you’ll be down to four liters of internal storage. The drinking hose is easily trimmable to your preferred length and secures to a chest strap using a magnetic buckle. The riding-focused features continue with the full-face helmet carry system. A removable strap connects to the underarm straps, securing the helmet on your back in a comfortable and secure position. I don’t ride with a full-face helmet, but have spoken to friends who think this feature works very well.

The absence of an external drop-in pocket might feel like a missed feature, but I’ve changed my mind about that design choice since moving to the PNW. In Bellingham, we ride in rain and mud for much of the year. A pack with open pockets will catch water and debris. High Above’s use of a bungee system is excellent for carrying knee pads or rolled-up layers, not water and dirt. I frequently pick up groceries on my ride home and use the bungee for carrying my leafy greens.

Chest Pockets

Chest pockets are one of the obvious differences between vests and backpacks. They are better at keeping readily accessible items in a more comfortable position than a waist belt on a backpack or hip pack, while also helping to increase the carrying capacity of the pack. One of these chest pockets has a small flap over the top to help contain a cell phone. I have an iPhone 16 Pro in an Otterbox case, and the fit is tight. If you’re one of the few people with an XL phone and haven’t yet developed carpal tunnel, then you’ll have to use the main cargo area of the pack. I like having my phone readily available on rides where I’m frequently navigating. On another recent crash where I took an exploratory line into a drainage culvert, I tacoed my cellphone on a boulder (upgrade opportunity) when in my thigh pocket. I’ve resolved to keep it in the pack or the chest pocket. The other chest pocket is great for snacks or other small items. I do wish this one had a means of closure, as I worry about my AirPods or Dynaplug bouncing out. It hasn’t happened while riding, but they have fallen out when taking the pack off. I do not think that a zipper is the best closure mechanism for these chest pockets. I’ve seen them blow out on other vests from mud and overstuffing damaging the zipper. In short, these two pockets are great for storing frequently used items or things you want to have available while riding, like snacks, phones, and tools.

Adjustments

Adjustments come in the form of underarm and sternum straps. The underarm straps adjust to fit a variety of layers or torso sizes, and the position of the sternum straps can be customized to suit you. The ladies I’ve talked to have said that it fits incredibly well. Once adjusted, I had no issues with loose straps, and the pack stayed securely in place for all my rides. If you’re worried about fit, please contact High Above; they’ll help you out. The benefit of working with a small domestic brand is that they offer exceptional customer service.

Riding Experience

Riding with this pack is stellar; it melted away, and I forgot I was wearing it. There wasn’t any bouncing that detracted from the riding. The last thing I want to pull me out of my flow is the bouncing and jangling of gear. High Above nailed it with the riding tailored fit of the pack. Even when fully loaded with 2 liters of water, a sandwich, a multitool, a small bag of bolts, a tube, a pump, a saw, a windbreaker, a phone, and a small camera, I found it comfortable and not distracting.

The most frequent question I get is whether I find it too sweaty. Many people don’t like vests or backpacks because they lead to sweaty backs. Here’s my hot (and sweaty) take: anything that compresses your clothing to your skin and limits active air movement across this layer is going to cause some sweating. High Above uses a mesh that should allow greater breathability than a less air-permeable material. In terms of fluid dynamics, does this make a difference? Yes. Biologically, do I feel sweat-less? No, but that’s a reality I can live with. Is it like riding with nothing on? No, but that’s not the point. I’m riding my bike and moving, I’m going to sweat, and I prefer how this pack interacts with my riding experience compared to other options. It breathes enough to make it feel like I’m not wearing a tarp. I’m not riding in this pack to class, work, or a date, so sweat isn’t a huge concern of mine.

I have another hot (but slightly less sweaty) take: the vest is a more athletic option compared to the hip pack. It is better at moving fluidly with our bodies as we ride and distracts less from the experience. I forget I’m wearing it, compared to the bobbing of a hip pack that reminds me constantly it’s back there. I don’t think we all need to follow what top field racers are doing, but a quick look at the EWS and gravel pros shows that they agree. From all the photos and footage that I’ve seen, nobody in the professional ranks of racing uses hip packs. Hydration vests are standard equipment in the gravel world and even Enduro World Series racers occasionally use them to carry water and equipment for repairing their bikes on the fly. How we carry gear is far easier and more affordable to change than, say, wireless drivetrains and electronically controlled suspension systems. I think it is perfectly reasonable to be inspired by the pros when it comes to wearing a vest.

TLDR

High Above has created a market-leading product. Its features work, the fabrics are durable, and the fit is perfect. True to its name, this product rises high above the competition. It outperforms and will outlast all other MTB-focused riding vests on the market. A major shout-out to the team at High Above for all of their hard work and time in creating this.

Pros

• Carries weight very well with minimal movement
• The included 2L water reservoir is sufficient for pretty much any ride
• Sufficient volume for plenty of layers and snacks
• Organizational elements keep pumps and saws well away from the spine
• The bungee system is adaptable
• Enough features to feel capable, simple enough to be reliable
• Lifetime guarantee
• Ultra durable fabrics and construction that are repairable
• Tactical aesthetic

Cons

• Phone pocket fits an iPhone 16 in a bulky case, but it’s a tight fit
• No front zippered pocket, but this does mean greater durability
• Price is up there, but it’s a durable and repairable product backed by a dedicated small business
• One size fits most
• Tactical aesthetic

Get Yours at High Above.