doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Mail order hunting vest

I'm not real happy with the choice in my local area so am looking to buy a hunting vest via mail order/internet.

Just looking for a high quality vest which includes blaze orange. Not looking for warmth, just utility, comfort and great fit. This would be for use in the field, not the range.

Any suggestions and especially comments about specific fit. Because it's crossing the border, returns are not really an option.

Well, I suppose I'm not much different than most. I have about half a dozen or two laying around. We should all get together and have a booth at a Pheasant's Unlimited dinner.

My latest and most favored choice is the very pricey strap vest from Orvis. The full name is Waxed Cotton Strap Vest and they are normally $199 but it's your lucky day and they're a mere $159 today.

http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?...subcat_id=22671


I have not found another vest that has the spring metal open/close feature that this vest has on the shell pockets. I hunt hills, often very steep and brushy hills. I want to keep my shells in the pockets and the twigs and burrs out. This is the best rig I have found.

I use a Filson strap vest that has lasted for years. However this is deep Dixie and hot weather; in Canada you might want something a bit more substantial...Geo

Wing Works ... the best ... buy one you won't regret it.

http://wingworks.biz/

No offense, but I want my hunting vest for shooting, not overnight camping. Is there a wall tent in that thing?

okie dokie.

Canvasback, Check out the partridge Vest from L.L.Bean. I've tried many and like it the best. There are no brass buckles or zippers to gouge your gun stock. It is very well built. It has plenty of room for a days hunting supplies, and maybe a couple of grouse.I also like the full over the shoulder support. I have found straps pull down and form a false pocket on your shoulder causing poor gun mounting, ya that's why I miss them.
Dave

I like this Pella Bird 'n Lite strap vest, and they also make a full vest. The weight-bearing belt strap and side cinch straps are great for carrying the game bag weight. Besides the water bottle pockets, the big pocket on the back is good for carrying a Camelback water pouch -- I like this a lot to have ample water for dogs in the warm early season. Browning uses the same strap technology, but their version of the strap vest is higher with padding around the back side -- I like this better for being lighter and cooler.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6nwJ4OHYO8

I also have a small Quilomene vest with similar weight-bearing belt. It's designed for use with a Camelback, and worked great for me for years, but I switched for the added features of the Pella Bird 'n Lite.

Jay

If Filson still makes the "Original Hunting Vest" they work great but are warm early in the year and the price is obscene. I have owned one for over 30 years and it still serves me well. It has a front loading game bag, plenty of pockets and a pocket on the back up by your shoulder blades that can hold a sandwich and not get crushed. They are made of heavy canvas and the last few years tend to feel heavy at the end of the day. They didn't used to feel that way so I gather mine has gained significant weight from dirt and such over the years.

For warm weather I use their strap vest and I replaced the metal buckle with a plastic one. Filson has a couple of new strap vests that I have looked at and they are a cross between the Original Hunting Vest and the strap vest and are also well made with a front loading game vest.

Someone mentioned Bean and they make good gear but a Filson will be the last vest you buy. I know several folks who purchased the Wing Works and liked it.

I second Gunflint Charlie's suggestion, look at the Pella line. I don't know the model of my vest but is a more substantial version, has an excellent suspension system, holds two 20 oz. water bottles---one for me and one for the dog--- and has a deep back pocket for a rain jacket or snacks. Based on what you've said it may be a bit more than you want but their line of vests is excellent. My hunting involves some LONG walks for ptarmigan and prairie grouse so I like to leave the truck with everything I'll need for the day.

Steve

I have a closet full of bird vests. I have beaten the price barrier because Orvis and Beretta have had outrageous closeout sales in the Washington, DC area over the years. I also had the advantage of the "Filson employee program" as a seller of their products. Side by side events are great places for bargains also. My favority blaze orange vest is a Beretta product.

Filson, the Tin Cloth vests are still made in the USA.
I have switched from oiled Tin Cloth to un-oiled Tin Cloth for all my Filson.
You can ask for any of the oiled to made from un-oiled even if not cataloged.
The un-oiled is more supple and comfortable.-Dick

My favorite vest is a discontinued Cabela's cotton/nylon blend that is light, roomy, cool, and quick drying. I have tried for years to find another that I like as well, and nothing comes close. I have a Pella and it is well made, but hot. The Columbia Cockbird and its variations are pretty good and distribute the weight well because of the shoulder construction, but also hot. Columbia keeps changing their vests for no apparent reason (fashion?) so I'm not sure about the current ones. All three of these vests have separate water bottle sleeves and zippered or velcro compartments for all the stuff we carry on long hikes. I have also bought some less expensive vests and had a tailor shop add pockets, sleeves, and straps in an attempt to duplicate the old Cabela's vest. I don't like strap vests because I find that I get snagged in heavy brush and my gun mount can be hindered by clothing under the strap.

One of the better full vests I own was a Cabelas "Dog Handler " vest from about 7 yrs ago. I'm guessing it was a Pella or Columbia, probably the latter. It has since been replaced with something made in a different way with different materials.

Still, the pockets on most vests are the weak point, IMO. A simple snap or small patch of velcro are not adequate for my desires. Shells fall out or brush/thorns get in as I climb around the brushy hills. Then, when you return to the truck and put your vest away, the metal spring clasps keep the shells from falling out when stored in the vehicle. A metal spring clasp is the way to go for me.

That vest Dennis mentioned is a great vest for the long distance, isolated area hunter. Chukar hunters would be well equipped with those vests, IMO.

My absolute favorite is the Filson original vest. Many, many pockets. The ones made from tin-cloth are indestructible but can be a little too warm and heavy. I had them make me some from their lighter weight cloth for me and my wife and are very happy with them. They will make whatever you want out of whatever you want.

I bought mine many years ago from the Dunn's catalog. It's a strap type vest and has served me well for many years of rugged use in Vermont and Pennsylvania. My only regret is that I should have bought several of them for now I have to fight for it's use with which ever son I have along with me. Oh, I should add that it's not much for warmth but when Grouse or Woodcock hunting warm clothing is not a high priority for me. Good lock in your search.

Vern

I bought one of those in about that same time frame. Empty, it weighed about twice what my previous Cabela's vest weighed, and that was before it was soaked with sweat. After I weighed it, I sent it back. I called Cabela's corporate office to see who made the previous vest that I liked so much and they wouldn't/couldn't tell me anything. That's when I ordered the Pella and Columbia vests, but I don't wear them much because they are just too hot for the desert. Dove season is almost here.

A Filson strap vest and their original hunting vest. A Brady game bag and a well worn LLBean vest.

+1. My original is all but worn out, and I replaced it with another Orvis, slightly updated, at one of their discount sessions for $50. Like Chuck said, I really like the spring loaded pockets, not much bulk, nothing to scratch guns. I think I've OK for about 8-10 years...

Filson all the way. strap vest or hunting vest. I have the tin cloth hunting vest and absolutely love it. i believe they make one out of the shelter cloth as well that is more supple out of the box.
Made in the USA is the only way to go. buy it once, buy it right and never have to replace it.

I'm a Wing Works vest fan. The weight bearing belt takes the load off your shoulders and puts it on your hips.

canvasback,

Check your pm's.

SRH

I endorse the Filson "Original Hunting Vest" My father gave me mine Christmas 1985 and it is the one and only vest I have used ever since. It is getting worn on the shoulder and has been rewaxed a few times, but it still works as original. I have found many of the pockets do not get used often, but you you need them they are there. The button pockets never fail. Eventually I will add a piece of cloth on the gun shoulder which is wearing a bit. It is simply and works.

I cannot remember what magazine article or book author recommended it but it has been my standard through Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, and South Dakota.

The posters have me interested. I will go into the closet and try to identify my favorites and the features I like. I do like the Filson strap, but it is not orange. In the grouse woods, I like a lot of orange, both on me and my companions, especially on my companions.

OP is in Canada and wants blaze orange. The Filson original looks like it's not available in orange. I have an old Filson waterfowl vest and it's well made, but I can't imagine wearing a Filson for desert bird hunting when I'm walking in 115F temps. Nice pocket arrangements, though. If they made that in a lightweight, breathable version, I'd try one, even if I had to replace it every few years. I got about five years out of my favorite Cabela's vest before it started to shred. You can only patch it so many times.

A McALLISTER strap vest that's discontinued and one from Dunn's for cold weather. Hot weather a Browning LYON strap model. FILSON doesn't breathe and everywhere it touches you you'll sweat, its' uncomfortably stiff [as plywood] especially cold, takes forever to break in and when it does it needs rewaxing. It's a garment founded in the Alaskan Goldrush, who sadly, its' usefulness has come and gone. A romantic idea, like L.L. Bean pac boots, good for their day but modern MATERIALS HAVE LONG SURPASSED, THEM AND TIN CLOTH.

The big plus for me with strap vests is that they're much cooler than full vests in early season warm weather, and of course they can be worn over layers when it's cooler. I used a Filson strap vest for several years, but gave it away when I found the Quilomene. Since then I've had two others with belts for carrying the weight of the game bag -- a very good Bean with a high back that was too warm, and finally the Pella.

Most of my hunting is for pheasants. I'd never go back to any kind of vest without a belt to put that weight on my hips.

Jay

One of the reasons I prefer a full vest is that the vest acts as another layer of protection from the sun. Think about the way desert tribes dress in layers to ward off the sun. The vest provides some of the same protection, but without the chimney effect. A few years ago I started wearing a long sleeve compression shirt in a light color as my first layer (UnderArmor or equivalent), then a light, loose t-shirt, then the vest over those. Seems to work.

I prefer the Gentleman's Strap Vest from Kevin's Catalog in Thomasville GA. It comfortable and versatile. On the warm days, I just wear is over my shirt. On the cold days, I wear it over my jacket.



http://www.kevinscatalog.com/

Adam

After having hunted with a Filson waxed cotton vest for years I made a change last year to a Cabelas strap vest. Why? Well...the Filson is well made but has two features that are a bother....the brass strap buckles scratch/gouge gun metal/wood. and the game pouch is unlined and does not zip open, it's impossible to clean well and after a few years the game pouch become rank. Also, the straps would occasionally slip over my shoulder.

The Cabelas vest is not waxed, has an extra pocket on thr rest of the game pouch, the pouch is lined and zips open for easy cleaning. There is a center strap in the back that keeps the straps from slipping and the buckles are plastic and non gouging/scratching. Its really well designed and won't break the bank.

I've used Bean vests too, and they were nice, but I now prefer the cabelas vest(surprisingly as I'm not a huge cabelas products fan).

I also tried a Kevins vest and was shocked at the lack of quality, it was made from thin material and was generally poorly constructed....would've never held up on one trip to a real grouse covert. Was sent right back.

Filson strap mesh vest. I wear it from stifling hot opening day of South Georgia dove season, frigid snipe season, through the end of quail season. The mesh helps beat the heat.

I bought a Filson Original Hunting Vest (no blaze orange on it). Still has the tags on it, it is just too heavy to use in warm weather so I changed my mind and bought a Filson strap vest. If you are interested in my Filson Original Hunting Vest, send me a pm.


Eightbore: what Orvis store has discount prices on outdoor gear? The one in Tysons Corner (VA)?

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience. Lots to think about. It says something about the value we all place on the some of the items we use so much that this thread has generated such a response. I had expected three or four posts.

sernv99, the Orvis closeout sales were held at the Dulles Expo Center a couple of times a year until recently. Without explanation, they were discontinued. Now, much Orvis "stuff" is marketed at double gun events by a vendor who has an inside source at Orvis. Our poster, DGM, is my neighbor at the Chantilly Gun Show and sells a bit of Orvis overstock. Check it out at the end of July.

I like the idea of that Wing Works garb. But I have settled on a vest from Mother with a Camelback and have drug it and other Mother bags all of the globe. But I'm not sure if they are still in business:
http://www.seriousbirdhunting.com/2010/07/01/huge-mother-tech-sale-at-stp/64

Mother Tech was started in the 2000ish by Marty Grabijas.


Kind Regards,

Raimey
rse

If you like a hot weather, orange, hunting vest, I have used these mesh vests for a number of years and really enjoy them.

http://www.garynesse.com/products/details.php?id=68&name=Ultra+Light+Field+Vest+with+Recoil+Pad

My Filson vest is the high end "Pro Guide" version of their strap vest. It has a full back which is not too good in hot weather, but it has a plastic buckle with interior belt which allows you to leave the front open. It is a good general purpose heavy duty vest but overpriced at $195. I probably bought it at an Orvis overstock sale at 60% off. By the way, Filson is marked up 100% on most items. Go to work part time at a store that sells Filson and you will qualify for the employee program. Don't ask the boss about it, ask the Filson rep. My $295 Upland boots cost me about $80 under the program. We could buy two pair of shoes or boots a year.

Make sure you check out the hunting vest by J. L. Powell. [ JLPOWELL.COM ] Classic styling, many pockets, great weight distribution, waxed cotton, no velcro. Probably not suited for Geo on a hot weather quail hunt in Georgia. After hunting season I clean off the blood and feathers and use it as a photo vest. Interesting encounter last winter. I'm a photographer for Boyne USA and was taking ski photos on Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan and this guy skied up and inquired how I liked the vest. Extended his had, " I'm Josh Powell" The vest is a keeper, should take a look.

the tin cloth strap vest has a leather covered buckle now...solves one of your problems at least!

Is the brass strap adjuster covered? That's where I had gun scratching to contend with when carrying in the crook of my arm.

Now if they'd only line the game pocket and add a center strap in the back it'd be the perfect upland vest.

I like the Filson netted strap vest especially because there are 2 water bottle holders and I have to carry water for dogs. I did have to duct tape the metallic shoulder adjusters to prevent scratching my gun. I've tried numerous vests and I don't think there is a perfect one, at least I haven't found it.

But we all knew that.

The Filson comes close...

OH yes there is! it's the one you're wearing when you've made a perfect shot, with a gun you love and feels like an extension of you, over your dog who has done good,and you think of of your DAD AND ALL THE DAYS AFIELD TOGETHER in a millisecond and you can barely breathe.

I'll second that motion, Alvin. My Dad has been gone almost 20 years and I would like nothing more than one more hunt with him, no matter the hunting vest! I sure do miss him and I'm thankful he introduced me to the farm, the great outdoors and bird hunting in particular, but also the many, many other things he taught me. I'm hopeful he is somewhere where there are lots of birds and no closed hunting seasons. Oddly enough, when one of my 4-legged hunting partners departs this world, I get some solace and relief thinking that maybe I'm sending them to my Dad.....especially the best ones.