Velocio UltraPack Jacket Review

Bikepacking, mountain biking, trail running, mountain town chilling — all are fair game in the new Velocio UltraPack Jacket. Think about it, when you’re on a multi-day bikepacking trip, you need a jacket that can do everything because there’s little room for much else.

Velocio UltraPack Jacket Features:

• Ultralight fabric is windproof and breathable
• Stashes into a jersey pocket with room to spare
• Casually styled while maintaining a snug fit for riding
• DWR designed without PFAS
• Constructed with nylon from recycled tires
• Rear zip pocket for essentials
• Reflective detailing
• Two-way zipper
• MSRP: $209

UltraPack can do just about anything

Not everyone is charting out multi-day bikepacking adventures, but with the new UltraPack, you certainly can. This jacket arrived just in time for a few weeks of cold weather, so I decided to use it nearly every day for mountain biking, trail running and hiking to mimmic the use it might see on an adventure when this jacket is all I have.

Pulling it on, the fit is just as Velocio says, “casually styled while maintaining a snug fit for riding.” I’d call that accurate. It’s not roadie-tight, nor is it super-baggy. It contours my body well enough to not get in the way on the bike or trail and it allows for excellent freedom-of-movement across all activities. Articulated elbows and on-bike shoulder cut are on full display.

On the bike, it lays nicely across my shoulders and feels perfectly-cut for the riding position and doesn’t inhibit any normal bike movements or maneuvers. I’m always keeping an eye out on sleeve length and there’s ample length for proper coverage. The cuffs feature a small elastic gather on the palm side and are glued and folded over on the top. It works well with or without gloves, but the top of the cuff can sometimes fold on itself.  The drop hem adds coverage for inclement conditions and features light silicone grip on the elastic to keep it in place.

I was surprised that the hood wasn’t helmet-compatible, but I’m grateful because helmet-compatible hoods can become unwieldy and parachute-like when not worn over a lid. Velocio made a good choice to have the UltraPack’s hood remain a streamlined affair. It fits over a running cap or alone and the modest brim adds face coverage during light rain. When zipped, the collar hits just underneath my mouth to allow a chin-tuck when the weather is particularly cold. And, it stays out of the way enough while trail running. A dedicated running jacket should sit below the chin, but since the UltraPack is made for versatility the chin hits just right. The Ultralight fabric has just a touch of natural stretch to prevent binding, but really it’s the fit and cut that allows movement.

With laser-cut armpit vents, airflow is quite good. And, that airflow likely contributes to the stink-free nature of this jacket. I’m honestly astounded that after multiple rides and trail runs, it doesn’t smell hardly at all. Nice job injecting the proper magic sauce to keep the UltraPack stink-free — something that your partners will appreciate should you actually use this on a multi-day adventure. So, I say mix it up and feel free to use the UltraPack on just about any type of adventure. Heck, it packs up into its own rear stash pocket and takes up very little space — only about the size of a banana. And, that pocket can also store a few essentials when worn, with easy access on-the-go.

The two-way zipper is a must and allows access to jersey pockets whenever the need arises. I’m always stoked when a jacket has that because I don’t have to unzip to reach into my pockets. However, the added length of the UltraPack (though generally awesome), does make it difficult to zip the lower zipper back down while riding. It sits down far enough that leg movements tend to stretch the zipper open, so you’re fighting against it. I had to stop pedaling and stand up on the pedals to pull the zipper all the way down.

The light DWR provides a touch of water-resistance, but don’t fool yourself — it’s not a rain jacket. Caught in a downpour, it will get saturated, but it will still be better than nothing. It does block wind very well and helps maintain warmth on chilly mornings at speed.

Fit: I’m 5’11” and 175 lbs, wearing the size medium (my usual Velocio size).

Buy Now: Visit Velocio.cc