Any thoughts on turkey vests?

[ezmorningrebel]

i bought that nomad vest and while i really dig the layout the quality just seems really poor. zippers and buckles are crap. i guess i could slowly replace them all as they fail but i may just return it. just ordered up the cabelas tactical tat'r II that's on sale and will see how it compares. going to try and go get my hands on an alps vest here shortly to see how the quality is on those as well.

 

[SandyCreek]

replaced my worn out cabelas vest with the alps kickstand vest this year.. it seems like its going to be really nice.. i like the kick stand vests you can set up in a lot of places that i hunt without any big trees like fence lines etc. without the need for carrying a chair

 

[jmez]

I had a Bucklick Creek vest and hated it. The seat is comfortable but you have to take the vest off to get it down. You have to at least unstrap it, reach back and wrestle it out. No easier to put back up. I prefer a vest with a seat that just flips down with one hand and then you can leave it down if you want to jump up and move quickly.

Tactical Tatr looks like a really nice vest. I've looked them over in the store but until my current vest wears out I can't justify buying one. That is what I'll get when I need a new one. Currently have a Cabelas brand vest, not sure which one. Pack wouldn't work well for me, I take too much stuff I don't want to have to go digging for at every set.

 

[quackaddict]

I'm in the same boat. Tenzing used to make a TP14, not the TV14 they still have in production, but they were damn expensive, and aren't in production anymore. I've been thinking really hard about ordering a Knight and Hale RNG 300.

I really like having a pack for hauling a bird off the mountain, but I really hate digging through a pack to get to my calls.

As far as a pack for turkeys though, an Eberlestock X2 is a pretty decent turkey pack.

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[ezmorningrebel]

I had a Bucklick Creek vest and hated it. The seat is comfortable but you have to take the vest off to get it down. You have to at least unstrap it, reach back and wrestle it out. No easier to put back up. I prefer a vest with a seat that just flips down with one hand and then you can leave it down if you want to jump up and move quickly.

Tactical Tatr looks like a really nice vest. I've looked them over in the store but until my current vest wears out I can't justify buying one. That is what I'll get when I need a new one. Currently have a Cabelas brand vest, not sure which one. Pack wouldn't work well for me, I take too much stuff I don't want to have to go digging for at every set.

you're thinking on the bucklick creek is what turned me off to the alps impact vest. that and i think i want a little more padding underneath of me for long sits. as much as i question the quality of the nomad vest the layout and functionality is hard to argue with. when you pop the seat down you can undo the bottom buckles and leave the sternum strap buckled and it drapes perfectly and everything is so easy to acess. i may just run with it and if a zipper breaks i'll put in a ykk. luckily i have a wife and mother-in-law that are handy with a sewing machine. i'm still going to give the tactical tat'r a try and see. i went by sportsmans last night and put my hands on every vest they had and nothing appealed to me more than the nomad. the only alps they had was the super elite 4.0 and definitely didn't like that one.

 

[FlyGuy]

Has anyone tried using that ascent vest that Sitka released last year for Turkey's? I prefer to have a pack with me, but I like having the pockets in front for calls and such. Seems like it would be a good "hybrid" option. I've never seen this vest in person. I know it was designed for elk/deer hunting so I can't say if the pockets are going to be as well laid out as a turkey vest would be for things like slate calls, box calls etc.

Ascent Vest | Sitka Gear

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[tallbuchholz]

I switched from a day pack to Midway USA's turkey vest this year and will never go back. The seat and all the pockets are just too nice. Relatively inexpensive vest with a comfy pad, padded straps, and more pockets than I know what to do with. Hiked a little over 5 miles a day in South Carolina opening weekend and took a nice tom. It was cold in the mornings but I had enough room in the bag on top of my bird to hold my bulky layers. Highly recommend.

 

[ezmorningrebel]

i got the tat'r II and while the quality is obviously better on the cabela's vest than the nomad, i much prefer how the nomad is laid out. one thing that completely baffles is how small they've sewn the pockets for your pot calls. i can't even get my large diameter calls into it. i also don't like the combination of a zipper and bungee closure. having the dedicated thermacell pocket on the nomad is also a selling point. i've seen complaints about the pockets on the nomad being shallow but its better than having one giant area for all your stuff to disappear into IMO. i'm going to run with the nomad and if something breaks i'll just fix it.

 

[bradb]

I like the buck lick creek type of seat. YEs a little bit of a pain and more padding would be nice. But nice ot have a seat to lean back on anyplace.
All have there trade offs
Now the first vest with that type seat I had held up for years and carried out over a 100 birds in it(not all mine) The most recent from Basspro has ripped in 2 years

 

[Ratamahatta]

I went the other way. Not a fan of vests when I can put everything I need in a pack.

Same here, a pack and small pad to sit on and I'm good to go.

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[1shotgear]

It all depends on where I'm going and how far I go in! I like having a vest for short hunts and if I'm not brining much but I tend to push towards my Ascent 12 Sitka pack. Its small enough to hide but yet has the room for my decoy, water, snacks, calls and a few other things i may need to bring plus I have strapped a bird to the back as well

 

[Sodbuster]

Have always used vests.Depending on whether I am hunting public or private ground I may wear two.For public land hunts where I may move quite a bit, I have one feather flex hen in my main vest. In a lightweight larger vest(outer) I carry a flock of flexes. I can drop this vest, set up the flock in the dark, then stash the lightweight vest where I am going to sit for awhile.
If I need to move I can grab the flock, bag and stash in that vest and then go running.

My main vest is the old style Tenzing TP14 with the built in chair. Pockets everywhere organizes everything I carry just the way I need it. Bought two on clearance from Bass Pro years ago and gutted one. Removed the aluminum braces and metal hardware and made it a lightweight.It has packed out several birds.

 

[quackaddict]

Well, I picked up a few call holders that will fit my pack belt, and I just ordered one of the Kinght & Hale RNG 300 vests. I'll play around with both setups this year and see how I like them.

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[DougP]

Well, I picked up a few call holders that will fit my pack belt, and I just ordered one of the Kinght & Hale RNG 300 vests. I'll play around with both setups this year and see how I like them.

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Careful with that. I had one of those clipped on the belt of my pack while hunting the Gila last year. It fell off, and even trying to back track with my GPS tracks, I couldn’t find it.

Mine had snap buttons. If I use something like that again, I’ll modify it with a more secure attachment.


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[quackaddict]

Careful with that. I had one of those clipped on the belt of my pack while hunting the Gila last year. It fell off, and even trying to back track with my GPS tracks, I couldn’t find it.

Mine had snap buttons. If I use something like that again, I’ll modify it with a more secure attachment.


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Did you have any luck out here? Heading to the Gila Sunday for the opener, and then heading back next Thursday for a 3 day trip.

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[Sodbuster]

Here is the modified Tenzing in action.

 

[DougP]

Did you have any luck out here? Heading to the Gila Sunday for the opener, and then heading back next Thursday for a 3 day trip.

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I had luck, but not the good kind!

We hunted about 3 full days. With country that big that you aren’t familiar with (by living close and scouting a ton), you either need a little good luck, or more than 3 days.

This was my first Western hunting trip and learned a ton. We were camped in a very remote area that was 2+ hours from the nearest gas station. We wasted basically a whole day getting gas, and then were very limited on options toward the end of the hunt in order to conserve fuel. If I go back, I’m bringing a bunch of extra fuel cans.


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[DougP]

Here is the modified Tenzing in action.

That’s my setup exactly. Benelli+new Tenzing vest. The only difference is the successful harvest


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[Sodbuster]

DougP

That’s my setup exactly. Benelli+new Tenzing vest. The only difference is the successful harvest

The combo works well for long distance foot powered hunting.Light and bullet proof.
Sounds like you learned a lot on your hunt.Good luck next time.

 

[quackaddict]

I had luck, but not the good kind!

We hunted about 3 full days. With country that big that you aren’t familiar with (by living close and scouting a ton), you either need a little good luck, or more than 3 days.

This was my first Western hunting trip and learned a ton. We were camped in a very remote area that was 2+ hours from the nearest gas station. We wasted basically a whole day getting gas, and then were very limited on options toward the end of the hunt in order to conserve fuel. If I go back, I’m bringing a bunch of extra fuel cans.


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Let me know if you come back this way, and I'll try to give you the latest and greatest. Those birds are typically in pockets, but it can be tough to find those pockets sometimes.

I just got back from three days there myself, and didn't hear a single gobble.

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