A 125 g vest designed by the brand that has organised the English Mountain Marathon for over fifty years is bound to raise an eyebrow. The OMM TrailFire has landed with a French retailer, without the name recognition of Salomon or Raidlight, but with one simple selling point: a near race-vest weight and a modular pocket system nothing else in our lineup offers. What does it really cost once you add everything up, and who is it actually for?
OMM TrailFire: 125 g and a Modular System, the Ultralight English Vest (Full Review)
6.8/10
- The front pockets are cut for 350 ml soft flasks, not the 500 ml format more common across the rest of our lineup.
- The chest closure hooks need you to stop to undo them, a point raised by a first test.
- Flasks, bladder and Compressor Pod are all sold separately: the final bill climbs well past the entry price.
- The front pockets are cut for 350 ml soft flasks, not the 500 ml format more common across the rest of our lineup.
The gist in 3 sentences
The OMM TrailFire weighs 125 g empty and sticks to four front pockets plus one rear pocket, built for a short outing with the bare minimum of gear. The Compressor Pod, sold separately, adds 5 L when the run gets longer, but every accessory (flasks, bladder, pod) costs extra on top of the entry price. A coherent choice for pure speed, a harder sell once your mandatory kit list grows.
6,8
/ 10 · Overall RunMorph score
Who it's forRunners targeting a skyrace or a short, fast trail, chasing the lowest possible weight on an outing under three hours.
Who it's not forUltra runners who need to carry the full mandatory kit list on a long race, without stacking up extra purchases.
OMM TrailFire: the ultralight vest from England's mountain marathon specialists
OMM stands for the Original Mountain Marathon, a two day, self sufficient orienteering race held in the British mountains for over fifty years. The brand that grew up around that event builds ultralight gear for that kind of effort, and the TrailFire is its short, fast running take on the concept. The model is nothing new: the earliest test reports date back to 2019, and the range has carried the same philosophy through several collection seasons. What has actually changed is its availability in France through a mainstream retailer, where it used to be reserved for insiders who ordered directly from the UK.
The philosophy is simple: strip out anything that doesn't earn its place on a run under three hours. Four pockets up front, one large stash pocket at the back, and an optional extension system for the days when the format stretches out. At RunMorph, we file it alongside minimalist skyrace vests such as the Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3, already reviewed, though it takes a different approach to expandability.
RunMorph's advice: before you're sold on the entry price, work out the full budget. The Compressor Pod, the flasks and the bladder are all sold separately, and the total climbs fast. If you want a vest that's ready to go straight out of the box, the Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3 or the NNormal Race Vest 5L include more from the start.
© OMM, official photo used for editorial purposes
Pros and cons
Pros
- 125 g on the official scale, confirmed by two tests carried out in the UK: one of the lightest weights among chest-rig style vests.
- The elastic cord adjustment hugs the stride without bouncing, from flat ground to downhills, according to a British test run over several outings.
- The rear pocket swallows a folded waterproof jacket, a real plus whenever the weather turns.
- The Compressor Pod adds 5 L on demand, a solution few vests this light offer at all.
Cons
- The front pockets are cut for 350 ml soft flasks, not the 500 ml format more common across the rest of our lineup.
- The chest closure hooks need you to stop to undo them, a point raised by a first test.
- The semi-rigid edge on the shoulder straps, where the elastic cords attach, proved uncomfortable for some women runners according to a second test.
- Flasks, bladder and Compressor Pod are all sold separately: the final bill climbs well past the entry price.
Objective technical data
| Brand | OMM |
| Model | TrailFire Vest |
| Base volume | Around 3 L, pockets included |
| Volume with Compressor Pod | 8 L (pod sold separately, + 5 L) |
| Empty weight | 125 g (manufacturer's official figure) |
| Sizes available | Two sizes from the brand, S/M/L listed by the French retailer: check the size chart before buying |
| Front pockets | 4 (two open, two with zip or velcro closure) |
| Rear pocket | 1 large stash pocket, accessed from the bottom |
| Bladder compatibility | Up to 2 L, in the rear pocket |
| Flasks included | No: 350 ml soft flasks recommended, sold as an option |
| Fabric | Stretch mesh (Airmesh), ventilated back panel |
| Side compression | Adjustable elastic cords with a locking toggle |
| Pole carry | Yes, Universal Gear Rail (UGR) plus rear attachment points |
| Reflective details | Yes, reflective trim front and back |
| UTMB mandatory kit compatible | Not recommended as is: capacity too limited without the Compressor Pod |
| Price | €71,99 as sold in France, RRP €79,99 |
Who is the OMM TrailFire built for?
You race skyraces or short, fast trails, under three hours
This is exactly the playing field OMM had in mind. At 125 g, the TrailFire barely registers at race pace, and the four front pockets are enough for two flasks, some gels and a packed-down windbreaker. Answer: yes, without reservation.
You head out for a full day, self sufficient, with the full mandatory kit list
The rear pocket alone won't swallow an ultra's mandatory kit list (certified waterproof jacket, a sizeable water reserve, a first aid kit, nutrition for several hours) without the Compressor Pod. And even with the pod, the volume stays modest next to vests like the Raidlight Ultralight 12L. Answer: no, unless you invest in the full accessory set and accept a still-limited volume.
You want one vest that covers both short races and ultras
Possible on paper thanks to the Compressor Pod, but pricey: you'll need to add the pod, the bladder and matching flasks, pushing the total close to a premium vest that ships complete from day one. Answer: with reservations, only if you're fine with that cost spread out over time.
© OMM, official photo used for editorial purposes
Comfort and fit in use
The TrailFire's strongest point comes down to one figure: 125 g, a number confirmed identically by two tests carried out across the Channel. One retailer does quote a different figure, though, listing 175 to 187 g depending on size: the most likely explanation is a product page tied to an earlier version of the model, since the manufacturer's own data and both tests all agree on 125 g. That's the figure worth keeping in mind.
On the trail, a British test describes a fit that stays stable from flat ground to descents, thanks to the elastic cord adjustment that cinches down in one motion. The same test flags the chest closure hooks as fiddly, though: you have to stop to undo them, where a continuous zip system can be worked without breaking stride. A second test, this one run by a woman tester on the English coast, points to a semi-rigid edge at the shoulder straps, where the cords attach: a discomfort some body shapes felt and others didn't. At RunMorph, we read that gap as a fit issue rather than a design flaw: try it on before you buy if you can, rather than trusting a single size.
Pockets, accessories and hydration: what to check before you buy
The TrailFire's four front pockets are built for 350 ml soft flasks. That's a deliberate weight-saving choice, but it limits compatibility with the 500 ml flasks more common across other brands in the RunMorph lineup. The same two tests confirm the point: the pockets don't take a bigger format well, so plan on the flasks OMM recommends from the outset.
For backup hydration, the rear pocket takes a bladder of up to 2 L, sold separately. The Compressor Pod itself adds 5 L of usable volume but makes the main pocket harder to reach mid-run: its full-length zip is easier to work standing still than moving, per the same field feedback. No flasks ship with the vest, unlike the Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3, which includes two. A realistic budget for full use: the price of the vest, then roughly €30 to €35 for the pod, about the same for the bladder, and around €15 per flask. The total can easily double the sticker price.
© OMM, official photo used for editorial purposes
OMM TrailFire vs Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3: the comparison
| OMM TrailFire | Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Empty weight | 125 g | 90 g |
| Base volume | Around 3 L | Minimalist format, no volume stated in litres |
| Expansion possible | Yes, + 5 L via the Compressor Pod | No |
| Flasks | Sold as an option | 2 flasks included at purchase |
| Bladder | Up to 2 L, optional | Not supported |
The Salomon S-Lab Pulsar 3 stays lighter and ships complete, a strong case for a short race with no extra thinking required. The TrailFire makes up ground on something the Pulsar 3 doesn't offer at all: the ability to expand its volume when the format of your outing changes. Against the NNormal Race Vest 5L, which bets on a bladder built in from the start, or the Raidlight Ultralight 12L, designed for long self sufficient efforts, the TrailFire occupies its own slot: the lightest vest in the lineup, provided you're willing to buy its accessories as you go.
Fitting the OMM TrailFire into your RunMorph training
The TrailFire earns its place on the fast sessions of a trail build: short hill reps, technical outings under three hours, or the skyraces that punctuate a race calendar. Its low weight doesn't cost you pace, even through the hardest stretches of a mountain interval session.
The right move: pair the TrailFire with the RunMorph trail plan, and save the Compressor Pod for the weeks when the plan calls for a longer outing that needs more gear.
© OMM, official photo used for editorial purposes
RunMorph verdict
The OMM TrailFire nails one thing precisely: weighing as little as possible while still holding your stride on a fast outing. At 125 g, it joins the narrow club of vests that disappear from the moment a skyrace starts. The trade-off has been clear from the start of this review: every extra litre and every extra flask costs more on top, and the €71,99 entry price climbs fast once you round out the setup.
The ideal profile stays narrow: a runner chasing the last gram for a short race, who already owns their own flasks. For more all-round use, over longer formats or with an ultra's mandatory kit, other vests in the RunMorph lineup cover the need better straight out of the box, with no accessories to bolt on.
RunMorph score: 6,8/10. An honest vest that delivers on what it promises, let down by a paid accessory ecosystem that dilutes its starting value for money.
What to remember for your training
- 125 g on the scale: one of the lowest weights in our trail vest lineup, confirmed by the official spec sheet and by two tests run in the UK.
- Four front pockets, no more: plan on 350 ml flasks, the format this vest handles best.
- The Compressor Pod needs ordering ahead of time: a useful 5 L once your outing passes three hours, but plan for it before race day.
- Work out the full budget before buying: flasks, bladder and pod all add to the sticker price.
- Keep it for short, fast efforts: skyraces, short trails, mountain interval sessions, not self sufficient ultras.