Anybody else giving up on vests?

[TPhunter]

For 20+ years I've warn turkey vests to carry way more crap than I really need. They were always heavy, hot and uncomfortable to wear, so last spring I did away with the vest and went with a hip pouch...Best move ever!!!...I am much more mobile, I'm not sweating my butt off when the temps hit the 60's and I have less room to carry things I don't need. In the pouch I carry an assortment of mouth calls, shotgun shells, range finder, clippers for cutting limbs, 1 pot call, a few strikers and that's it...Then I have a holster for my long box which gets the most use anyway and it all fits on a wide leather belt...Plus I carry a turkey lounger chair so I don't need the pad to set on.

You can just see the holster in the picture, I'm the one in the back with the bored teenager looking at me (One of those quiet mornings with very litte gobbling)...The next morning he killed his biggest bird ever.

[Five Seasons]

best feature of my vest is the but and back pad so for that reason I dont think I could give her up. and the blaze orange straps for carrying the bird. Mine is mesh though so it's not hot. Got it on sale at gander a few years ago for $40. Originally $75 I think? Don't recall the make.

awesome pic btw

[G-Man]

I stopped using my vest 3 years ago, had way more crap than i needed. i now carry a "purse" shoulder bag that has 3 pot calls in it a push box, strikers,box, and extra facemask,gloves,shells. i do carry a turkey stool (aircraft aluminum) and a turket wing that fits between the web seat and the pad i attached to it. makes me a lot more mobile and comfortable. As for carring a bird out, a turkey carrier made of lether and piece of deer antler work very well and is small enough to fit in my pocket. An extra layer of clothes mesh or not is just too much in the spring anymore... use o wear longjohns and extra clothers to hunt early may when it was snowing...days long gone i'm afraid

[TPhunter]

Thanks Belo...The "Teens" dad took that pic.

G-man I'm with you on the mesh or anything else extra on my back...I sweat like a hawg anymore...Oh BTW we still get snow up here sometimes in May...Just a couple of years ago I had a nice tom coming in and it started to spit snow, before he got into range it was snowing so hard I lost sight of him and then he busted me moving trying to see where he was...Freakin flakes were the size of dollar bills floating down...LOL

[Early]

I, too, have given up wearing a "turkey vest"; I was toting way too much gear. Now I use a belt pouch or a small - medium shoulder bag for my limitied gear and hang a Shorty Evans seat cushion from my belt.

[jr.deerslayer]

I used to always hunt without one. Not anymore, hunting before work I just grab the vest and go. Magnet closures on pockets...super quiet and a nice seating pad. More organization then I ever had before, and light enough to wear what ever the weather.

[letinmfly]

Tim I gave up on the vests a long time ago and switched over to a multi compartment fanny pack. Fits everything I need and is much easier to work with and much lighter. In the fall I go even lighter with a longbox in a holster and two potcalls in a holster/pouch. I also carry a couple of mouth calls. I've found this to be a much better system for me and my style of hunting.

[Rev Ev]

I use mine mainly because of the padded seat feature. However, I was thinking about downgrading because this past fall I went to just a buttpack for deer hunting. I'm usually within a couple hundred yards of my truck if I need anything else. BUt my vest is so organized, not hot at all, and is very easy to keep track of, so I'll probably just keep it. I'm dragging it out tomorrow to check it over and repack it all. I think I like playing with my gear as much as I do hunting, or maybe its just been a long winter...

[HectorBuckBuster]

I love my vest or two reasons.The built in seat with back rest is awesome, and then the pouch to carry them 20ln plus birds out of the woods in.

[ants]

I like mine. I just grab it and go, knowing that everything I need is inside. I got a new one about 3 years ago that is all mesh except for the pockets, so its nice and cool.

[growalot]

I never used one...just a fanny pack and pants with lots of pockets

[nyslowhand]

Fanny pack & inflatable seat cushion. Refill fanny pack with deer hunting paraphernalia. The more room you have, the more crap you're tempted to tote along. Just me, but I'm a miniminalist.

[tughillhunter]

Never used either. Cargo pants always are the ticket for me.

[TPhunter]

I remember many years ago people were weighing their vest and posting the results on different message boards...I fondly remember mine back in the day coming in at 52lbs!!!

Now in my advanced years I knew I couldn't haul around 52 lbs of crap plus the 52 pounds of fat I've packed on that's why I switched...LOL

[Five Seasons]

Fanny pack & inflatable seat cushion. Refill fanny pack with deer hunting paraphernalia. The more room you have, the more crap you're tempted to tote along. Just me, but I'm a miniminalist.

i agree with this as well. I'm not a huge turkey hunter, so I generally just have my box call, some slugs, a few mouth calls, owl and crow locators, powerbar, thermocell, binoculars, facemask in pocket (because i cant hike with that thing on) and decoy bag. that's enough crap for me. But I realize some more experienced guys bring several calls because sometimes one works and the others dont.

Edited March 7, 2013 by Belo

[TPhunter]

Belo...Slugs?...you must be from the Southern Tier...LMAO!!!

[Uncle Nicky]

I love mine, big thick seat cushion to sit on, plenty of pockets, even a pouch to carry the bird in after I drop one. I even use it for squirrel hunting, less trouble than carrying a backpack around.

[ants]

I remember many years ago people were weighing their vest and posting the results on different message boards...I fondly remember mine back in the day coming in at 52lbs!!!

Now in my advanced years I knew I couldn't haul around 52 lbs of crap plus the 52 pounds of fat I've packed on that's why I switched...LOL

Your vest weighed 52 lbs??? I hope there was a big tom stuffed in the back before you weighed it!! LOL!

[Lawdwaz]

If only I didn't carry a mask, gloves, bug spray, shells, a box call, slate call, owl hooter, multiple diaphragm calls, shiit paper, matches, fire starter, compass, water bottle, snack bars, attached seat cushion and pouch to carry the bird I guess I wouldn't need a vest. Until I quit carrying all that crap I'll still be wearing the old vest.

Yes Dan, this is the Duxbak vest that Dick Kirby designed many years ago. She sags a bit when you toss 20lbs of shear joy into it! I've sew it back together many times and one zipper is chicken chow mein........

[Five Seasons]

Belo...Slugs?...you must be from the Southern Tier...LMAO!!!

lmao! good catch. i shoot hevi-13.

water bottle,

forgot about this and the lighter. But after i drink the coffee or water its amazing how much lighter it becomes. wish i could drink from the creek. haha

Edited March 7, 2013 by Belo

[Lawdwaz]

Funny thing.......I drank from creeks for the first forty (yea, 40) years of my life without a problem. I don't anymore for obvious reasons. As kids we'd drink from creeks, rivers, lakes etc. Guess I just got lucky as I never had the beaver fever!!

[Five Seasons]

Funny thing.......I drank from creeks for the first forty (yea, 40) years of my life without a problem. I don't anymore for obvious reasons. As kids we'd drink from creeks, rivers, lakes etc. Guess I just got lucky as I never had the beaver fever!!

a good fast flowing cold creek leaves little chance of giardia or cryptosporidium. It's what we've done as humans to the earth that leaves me weary.

[josephmrtn]

I use an old army coat w the sleaves cut off....

Funny thing.......I drank from creeks for the first forty (yea, 40) years of my life without a problem. I don't anymore for obvious reasons. As kids we'd drink from creeks, rivers, lakes etc. Guess I just got lucky as I never had the beaver fever!!

Ive done that... not within the past couple yrs tho

[WNY_Whitetailer]

I haven't given up on my vest yet. I carry 2 decoys in the back pouch as well as an assortment of calls in front. It works for me.

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[CVAC085]

Glad to see this posted about vests. I was thinking about buying one, but it seems like it'll be ok to carry a backpack or hip pack like some of the members previously posted. And just carry some necesseties (sorry for that mis-spelling) for the limited amount of time I'll be allowed to hunt in the woods.