Hunting Vests?

JeremyKS · Post by **JeremyKS** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:38 pm

What is everybody using for vests? Im thinking of maybe going with a strap vest. This will be used for upland bird hunting.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:56 pm

Here is the vest I am going to buy will work great for training and hunting.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates ... hasJS=true

Cabelas has all of their Filson Vests on sale.

http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates ... hasJS=true

And if you like hydration vests this is a nice one. My buddy has one and he loves it.
http://cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates ... hasJS=true

silver elhew · Post by **silver elhew** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 9:37 pm

I have one just like the filson strap vest and love it it fits better than the regular vests for me and you can actualy where your winter coats under it and doesnt fit to tite when moving around.

Birdhunter1 · Post by **Birdhunter1** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:37 pm

I have a strap vest and a Columbia vest that is a front loader. Also I have a Columbia jacket with the pockets in the back and you can load it from the front.
95% of the time I opt for my strap vest because its lighter and more comfortable. When it gets extremely cold and the wind is blowing I'll grab my Columbia vest, since it is heavier and thicker it provides some warmth and of course a break against the bone chilling winds.
The jacket, it is nice, it is warm it is heavy. I thought I'd like it for the coldest of days I hunt but like I siad, it is heavy, it is warm and it is heavy. To me it's too warm once you start moving and whenvever you put birds in it I find it is not too ergonomic, it bares it's load very badly and after a few hours my shoulders and back are starting to feel it (this is when I'm guiding and carrying maybe 5-6 pheasants and a few quail). My other two vests I can keep loading them to literally birds are falling out with each step and it's heavy but comfortable.

The strap vest is a duck brown Redhead, that I saw at Bass Pro a few years ago on clearance for $10, i wish now I'd have picked up 20 of them things!

Springer · Post by **Springer** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:12 pm

I have what they called the guide vest by columbia.
it has a place for the ecollar transmitter, two quick load tubes for shells,
front loading for game and it has three pockets in the back for water bottles.

I don't know if they still make these but I really like it.
I usually just wear a sweatshirt when it cools off and
then I add a hooded lined flannel shirt when it gets real cold.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:26 pm

Springer wrote:I have what they called the guide vest by columbia.
it has a place for the ecollar transmitter, two quick load tubes for shells,
front loading for game and it has three pockets in the back for water bottles.

I don't know if they still make these but I really like it.
I usually just wear a sweatshirt when it cools off and
then I add a hooded lined flannel shirt when it gets real cold.

Got a picture? or a link?

Springer · Post by **Springer** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 7:25 am

I will have to take a picture of it tonight. I can't find a link to one, I don't think they make them any more which is to bad because I really like it.

gundogguru · Post by **gundogguru** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:20 pm

Ryan I have that vest you posted and I love it. It has everything you need in a vest and plenty of room to move in it. Good chose.

RuttCrazed · Post by **RuttCrazed** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:45 pm

I think I have the same vest as Springer. It looks almost identical to the one Ryan has picked out, but it has the "quickloader tubes" instead of the elastic shell holders (like on this vest:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

Rut

Post by **ezzy333** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:18 pm

I wear a blaze orange vest with two large pockets in front with zip closing and a game bag that can be loaded from the front. I look for the cheapest ones that include those requirements. I am only on my second vest ever though as tyhe first one lasted over 40 years and I happen to find one at Farm King at the end of the season three years ago. Ended up getting 4 of them for 100 dollars and gave three of them to family members. They work great and provide plenty of space for all of the necessities plus. I carry an extra leash and collar plus a couple of water bottles if the weather is warm plus the collar transmitter if I have it on the dogs. Maybe a pair of gloves and a dozen shells or so can be found also.

Ezzy

Birdhunter1 · Post by **Birdhunter1** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 5:08 pm

I have never had a vest with those shell tubes, they looked to me like they'd be more trouble (as in lost shells) than they'd be worth. Then again my favorite vest just has two side bag pockets with 1 button on the flap (never buttoned) and I occasionally when I bend over I drop a shell once in a while.

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:13 pm

I was wondering how those shell tube would work. I have a walmart special vest. Has a rear load game bag, 2 large front pockets, and 12 elastic shell loops. I like it but I am growing out of it.

Post by **Ayres** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:26 pm

For my vest, look at Ezzy's description of his vest and then add in that it's a Guide Series vest from Gander Mountain that was purchased on sale for under $30, and add in that everything that's not pockets and game bag is made of loosely woven mesh for hotter weather. (If it gets cold, wear a coat. If it's hot, not much you can do about a totally enclosed vest - that's why I went with mesh.)

I sewed on a piece of cord to make a loop off the hip side, so I can attach my transmitter via a metal clip latch.

I also bought a spool of blaze orange thread so I can make other modifications as needed (such as the one above).

RuttCrazed · Post by **RuttCrazed** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:33 am

Ryan wrote:I was wondering how those shell tube would work. I have a walmart special vest. Has a rear load game bag, 2 large front pockets, and 12 elastic shell loops. I like it but I am growing out of it.

I have never lost a shell (that I know of) in a couple of years of using the quickloader tubes. I don't wear thick gloves while hunting, but it might be hard to pull a shell out if you do. I really like the tubes and think they are faster than shell loops, but probably slower than a pocket full of loose shells when you need to load up multiples.

Rut

Wesley Boothe · Post by **Wesley Boothe** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:58 am

I am always in search of what is new in upland gear. I had been looking at the Pella bird-n-lite vest and the Mother technical bird hunting pack. I went with the Mother from Cabelas. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... &noImage=0

I love it. Very little load on the shoulders and carries everything I need and then some. The look really breaks from traditional upland gear but I am very pleased with it.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 8:09 am

Wes

That looks like a really practical vest.

Ezzy

Buckeye_V · Post by **Buckeye_V** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 11:39 am

I have a Gander Mountain Guide Series vest. Has front and rear game pockets, shell loops and a couple of zip-up pockets. It has some orange in the front and is solid orange in the back. Going on the second season and I like it a lot for hunting. For training it's not really good.

Springer · Post by **Springer** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:01 pm

I finally found my vest now if someone can help me
on how to post a picture from the photo album I could show you all.
Thanks.

Chaingang · Post by **Chaingang** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:26 pm

I've had good luck with the Quilomene vest for the better part of 8 years now, nice vest, supports the weight at the hips, lots of compartments. Another nice feature for those of us that use e-collars is a velcro tab that is attached to the front strap near the chest to attach your transmitter and keep it out of the brush.

http://www.quilomene.com/vests.htm

Post by **Ayres** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 7:34 am

RutCrazed wrote:I really like the tubes and think they are faster than shell loops...

I don't know. I've gotten used to my shell loops. I think what a lot of people do when they claim to fumble with them is to try to pull out the shell. What I do is to push the shell out from the bottom. Pops right into my hand. I can pop out two at a time with two fingers if I need to reload multiples. I think it's just what you become comfortable with.

As for the Mother's vest.... for $109 it's lacking on blaze orange - a requirement of 400 square cm to hunt upland in Illinois.

Post by **ezzy333** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:38 am

I've never understood the hurry to reload syndrome. If I have already shot that means those birds are long gone. If your dog is broke it is standing waiting for you to release it and if it isn't broke it is chasing the birds you just shot and missed or retrieving the ones you knocked down. I enjoy all of those things before I even think about reloading. For a matter of fact I can't remember ever shooting the third shell if I have one and seldom the second barrel unless I am hunting covey birds. I too always have shells in the loops but normally have some in my pocket too. I try to keep a lighter load or smaller pellet size for the first shot so I keep my shells seperate in different locations.

Like I've always said if you kill them on the first shot you dont need a second. I say that and then wish I could do it!

Ezzy

Wagonmaster · Post by **Wagonmaster** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 4:08 pm

We get into bunches quite often. I always stop and reload before releasing the dog, or moving myself. Even if we have a bird or two on the ground. It seems all it takes is one step, and if you have your O/U open and you are reloading while you take that step, well, it can be very embarrassing. That step sends more birds up. If you quick close the gun and try to fire, unfortunately you have reset the first barrel, so the gun will fire on an empty chamber, and without recoil it won't fire the second barrel either. If you try jam another shell in before you close the gun it just takes too long, and they laugh at you while they fly away. Done it too many times to count, so now I don't move until I have reloaded.

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 10:37 pm

http://www.browning.com/products/catalo ... ype_id=114

This is the one I have. Has all orange game bag in the back and zip off for easy cleaning.

Has a cover over the front pocket though on the right but you can pull the flap out for easy access. Nice vest. Got it cheap at a going out of buisness sale. Does good over here with all the bad city folk shots

AND IT SAYS pheasants forever on it HOW SWEET!

llewgor · Post by **llewgor** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:39 am

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/4366 ... e-Bag.html

I use this vest most of the year for training or hunting, it has large double pockets in the front and a large game bag, so I can carry lots of water or shells( I miss a lot). It has a transmitter pocket but I'm old fashion and like them around my neck so I don't use it. I don't like the Hydro pack it's hard to clean and doesn't carry enough water, so I take bottle water and carry them in the gamebag (because I miss so much)as the dogs drink the water the gamebag becomes lighter(no birds

) I like the strap vest because you can adjust the vest to carry the load lower which helps my back. This vest has alot of adjustments so you can adjust it to fit over a t-shirt in the summer and over layer clothing in the winter.

JeremyKS · Post by **JeremyKS** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 8:01 pm

Ive been looking at these 2 also anybody had expierence with these?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... hasJS=true

GsPJustin · Post by **GsPJustin** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 9:17 pm

I like the second one. It would keep you a little warmer in the winter. And let you pass with only a short sleeve shirt at times. Looks like a good vest to me. I DO love those quilomene vests though.

llewgor · Post by **llewgor** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:01 pm

JeremyKS That first vest looks a lot like my Browning vest except it has snaps on the front pockets and my has velcro. I have a friend who has the second vest and he likes it and I think it's a very nice vest. You can adjust both to ride low in the back so the weight of the birds are more distributed. Both look good to me.