Salomon ADV Skin 5 vs ADV Skin 12: Which to Buy

The Salomon ADV Skin is the most common vest on mountain race start lines, and almost everyone buying one asks the same thing: the 5 or the 12? They share pattern, fabric and fit system; the difference is how much gear you can carry and which races each one makes sense for.

Key differences

	ADV Skin 5	ADV Skin 12
Capacity	5 L	12 L (plus extra pouches in the Set)
Soft flasks included	2 × 500 ml	2 × 500 ml
Fit	SensiFit, no bounce	SensiFit, no bounce
Reservoir sleeve	Not designed for it	Yes
Ultra mandatory gear	Won’t fit it all	Yes, jacket and second layer included
Best for	10-30 km, vertical Ks	42 km to 100 km+

Choose the ADV Skin 5 if

• You mostly run races up to 30 km or vertical Ks.
• Your races have frequent aid stations and light gear lists.
• You want the lightest, snuggest vest to go fast.

Choose the ADV Skin 12 if

• You’ll run mountain marathons or ultras with full mandatory gear.
• You need a waterproof jacket, second layer, headlamp and food for many hours.
• You want one vest for everything: the 12 cinches down for short races, the 5 can’t grow.

Our recommendation

If in doubt, ADV Skin 12: it covers everything from a 20 km race to a 100 km ultra, and you won’t need a new vest when you step up in distance. The ADV Skin 5 is the better buy only if you’re sure you’ll stick to short races or already own a big vest for ultras.

For the Salomon fit at a lower price, the Salomon Active Skin 8 sits in between: 8 litres, same pattern, fewer pockets.

We compare these and 9 more vests (Ultimate Direction, Osprey, NNormal, Nathan…) in our best trail running hydration vests guide.