High Above Supernatural Vest Pack
Stated Volume: 6L total capacity (2L water, 4L cargo)
Stated Weight: 565 g (including reservoir)
Materials: 400D Challenge EPX Shell Fabric, 210D Liner Fabric, UHWMPE Reinforced Stretch pockets
MSRP: $240 USD
Intro
High Above can be given a lot of credit for being an early mover on the hip pack trend that now seems almost ubiquitous in mountain biking. The Pacific Northwest-based brand has expanded to offer several different designs along with other thoughtfully made accessories, all made right here in the US. Our Bike team here at Blister has tried and loved several of their variants, including the Lookout, Venture, and the now-discontinued Nova. The durability and quality of those items have meant that they’re still in regular rotation.
While lots of riders graduated from the hydration packs of yore to fanny packs, or to carrying everything on our bikes thanks to all sorts of attachments and internal storage options, there are still plenty of times when a hydration pack’s ability to carry a bunch of water, snacks, and gear is appreciated, but where the added bulk of conventional designs is not. A few companies have started to take queues from the running world with the advent of vest packs, which use a lean form factor and more torso-hugging fit to prevent bouncing and otherwise unwanted movement while still offering the ability to carry a water bladder.
High Above has officially jumped onto the vest pack movement with their Supernatural pack, and in classic High Above form, it takes a slightly novel approach to the genre. Let’s see what they’ve come up with.
Design
Followers of High Above’s social media and newsletter will likely have caught hints of the Supernatural’s development in recent months, and High Above says that over 50 prototype iterations were made before landing on the final design.
[We also talked with High Above about the prototyping of the Supernatural and a whole bunch more in Ep.244 of Bikes & Big Ideas.]
The inspiration from running vests is readily apparent when looking at many of the Supernatural’s features. On the front, the straps have elasticated chest pockets for carrying snacks and small other items you might want to have handy, and the left one has an extra top flap closure to keep phones secure. The double sternum straps have elastic sections to keep even tension, helping to keep the fit as bounce-free as possible. The included double baffled 2L Hydrapak reservoir also comes with a magnetic hose retainer clip, which fastens to the shoulder strap.
The main body of the pack is rather low profile, with an external bungee for easy stashing of extra layers — think knee pads, jackets, etc. A weather-resistant zipper reveals the inner reservoir pocket along with several other internal pockets. The larger zippered pocket has an internal key clip, there are two stretch pockets for tools and other small items, and two pump holders too to help keep things organized.
Long rides with big descents can sometimes warrant a full-face helmet, but climbing with one is a drag in warm weather. High Above agrees, and they’ve also created a full-face carrying system that uses a nylon strap attached to three anchor points.
Mountain biking inevitably beats up on gear, and High Above emphasizes the Supernatural’s burly fabrics as being suited to a life of hard use. The Supernatural is also designed to be repairable in case of damage.
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) Most importantly, how comfortable is the Supernatural on an average ride, and does it achieve the promised “bounce-free” fit?
(2) How well does the Supernatural match up against other popular vest packs on the market?
Bottom Line (For Now)
High Above appears to have sweat the details with the Supernatural, and if the design can deliver an unobtrusive fit, it could be a compelling option for folks who want a durable pack for longer rides. A couple of us here at Blister have already been riding the new Supernatural, so be on the lookout for our Full Review after we’ve logged some more miles with it — but for what it’s worth, there’s a lot to like about its trail performance so far.