What to you like? I sweat like crazy, so it has to be stap in style, but still comfy and not restricting- Been looking at the bucks bags vest...Another custom vest out there, I can't remember the name, looked good. What do you use?
I have one of these: http://www.quilomene.com/product/101-106. It's a great vest that distributes weight really well even with a few birds in the game bag. I like the camel back feaure, although I don't use nearly as often as I thought I would. That said, I'm buying my dad a new vest for his birthday. I'm going to get him a Mother vest (day pack). They have all the features of my Quilomene plus they're a little more comfortable. http://www.mothertech.net/products_hunting.html
Kaari, I have the Mother day pack, and I love it, granted I went from cheap farmers market vest type to the Mother without trying any other pack. I did find out this weekend that the water bottle holders could be slightly tighter (Libby's nalgene bottle slipped out and thankfully stopped a few yards down hill), and that maybe a little bit more room could be given to the exterior zipper pouch. Since I went out alone I took a lot of precautionary gear...full first aid kit (first aid and some survival stuff), enough water to stay hydrated for a few days, lots of shells, and some food. You won't be disappointed with the Mother Day Pack.
I use the Mission from Mother. I've found that the extra space is usefull especially when carrying enough water for myself and two dogs along with some extra gear for longer hunts.
http://www.pineofalconry.com/product_more.php?id=47 is an interesting product, made by a good guy. I'm probably going this way. I've an older Cabela's classic strap vest, decent for the price, but not really in this league.
Andrew - the side pockets were never designed for water bottles, but for hats, gloves, etc. Hydration reservoirs is where it is at.
Marty...but a bottle and collaspable water bowl work so well since you can grab them easily and pour the excess water back into the bottle. Besides I can barely get my dog to hunt birds...how the hell am I going to teach her how to drink from a reservoir!? :clown: Don't get me wrong I find your pack awesome...but what if you sewed a cinch chord/draw chord into the top of the mesh pouch nonetheless?
Andrew - great suggestions. My dogs started drinking out of garden hoses early, early on - so the transition to a hydration reservoir is totally painless. Note that you can load two hydration reservoirs into any of our packs. Load one for the dogs first, and feed the tube out of the bottom. You'll find two exit ports. Load one into the top for yourself. When it is really stinkin' hot, I just throw a bottle in the game bag, as Kaari suggested. My sense is that a liter bottle, outboard of the game bag and away from your center of gravity, is the just the wrong position.
Kaari that is exactly what I did after the bottle almost ended up back at my car after my 1.5 climb to the top. 'I' just find it easier to grab without either taking the pack off or dislocating my shoulder trying to dig around behind my back.
Yeah - if you are married to the idea of a bottle, the Platypus soft bottles are the way to go. Two things piss me off about water bottles: 1. The water sloshes around. 2. You still have to carry the volume when they are empty.
:thumb:I've given up on vests. It started with fly fishing when, after a long day of casting my neck muscles would cramp up. I bought an special Orvis vest that was supposed to alleviate the problem, but I still had neck cramps and went to a chest pack. My hunting vests were never of the best quality, but with shells, water bottle and birds in the back, I felt like I was pulling a trailer along behind me. The hunting fanny pack I currently use puts the weight right on my pelvis, and while still somewhat heavy, takes the weight off my upper body which has enough to do packing my shotgun for hours on end.
We don't make vests. We make technical packs where the weight is on your hips. The shoulder straps just help steer the load.
I just got my Mother day pack in the mail. SWEEEET!!! I cant wait to hunt chukars with this on. I just loaded it up with my upland gear that i take on the slopes with me(2 boxes, 2 bottles water, extra socks and a colapseable dog bowl) and the difference between my old vest and this pack is amazing. It is so comfortable. I ordered this from Lynn on friday and had it in my hands as of 3 hours ago. Very impressed by the quick service and quality of the design. Thanks Martyg!
