NNormal Thinks One Running Vest Should Do Everything
Photo : Nnormal official
The new Modular Trail Vest switches between 8 and 12 litres with a removable waterproof compartment — a simple idea that makes a surprising amount of sense.
Trail running vests have become increasingly specialised. Small ones for short races. Bigger ones for ultras. Another one for mandatory-kit-heavy mountain days. Before long, the cupboard starts looking suspiciously similar to the shoe rotation.
NNormal has taken a different approach.
Its new Modular Trail Vest starts as an 8-litre running vest, then expands to 12 litres by attaching a separate four-litre waterproof compartment to the back. Take it off for shorter days. Clip it back on when the weather looks questionable, the mandatory kit list gets longer or you're simply going further than planned.
It is an unusually straightforward solution to a problem most brands have traditionally solved by selling you another vest.
8 litres. Or 12.
The detachable compartment is the obvious story here.
It connects at the shoulders using quick-release clips, while two adjustable elastic cords pull the additional storage towards the body. NNormal says the system is designed to remain stable and bounce-free even with the extra compartment attached. More importantly, that additional four litres is waterproof.
That changes how useful the idea is.
Rather than simply adding more pockets, the modular section creates somewhere protected to carry a waterproof jacket, insulation, gloves or other kit you would rather not soak during a long mountain day.
Without it, you're back to an 8-litre vest that should cover everything from regular trail runs to lighter race setups.
The concept also fits neatly with how mountain days actually work. Distance alone rarely determines how much you need to carry. A three-hour run in stable summer weather and a three-hour run high in the mountains in October can require very different setups.
Kilian Jornet makes essentially the same point in NNormal's launch material: changing conditions often mean changing what you carry, and the modular design means he doesn't have to travel with two different vests.
That's probably the strongest argument for the whole thing.
The rest looks deliberately uncomplicated
Away from the removable pack, NNormal hasn't tried to turn the vest into a science project.
There are zipped pockets for valuables, breathable cooling zones, rear loops for attaching a pole quiver and soft Hydro Flask bottles included. NNormal has also focused on keeping the vest close to the body rather than creating a conventional backpack hanging from a running harness.
It comes in black and beige, and visually it's very NNormal: technical without looking excessively technical, almost no unnecessary detailing, and enough restraint that it doesn't immediately scream ultrarunning equipment.
That matters more than it sounds.
Running gear is increasingly being designed with the understanding that people don't only see it at aid stations. Brands like SATISFY, norda and NNormal have made visual restraint part of the product rather than something applied afterwards. The Modular Trail Vest fits comfortably into that world.
Photo : Nnormal official
One vest instead of two?
That's the bigger idea.
Modularity isn't new in outdoor equipment, but running has largely resisted it. Weight, movement and complexity make removable components harder to justify when everything needs to stay stable at speed.
NNormal's solution doesn't attempt to reinvent the entire vest. The part sitting against your body stays the same. Only the amount — and type — of storage behind it changes.
There's also a nice contradiction here. Adding another component sounds like making a product more complicated. In practice, the intention is the opposite: own one vest and configure it around the day.
NNormal launched the Modular Trail Vest alongside its new Trail Run Belt in late July, describing both as part of a broader hydration system built around functionality, durability and removing elements that don't add value while running. The vest is now available, including through NNormal's European store, where it is listed at €170.
Whether the detachable compartment remains genuinely stable when it's full is something we'd want to test before making any performance judgement. That's the crucial part of the design, and product photography can't answer it.
