Let’s see your bird vests.

rbljack

WKR
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
1,015
Location
Snyder Texas
IM not hearing much about the Chief Upland Over/Under Vest. Ive been comparing my options, and am really struggling. Chief Over/Under, Marsupial Gear Upland Vest system and the Final Rise. Our 1 year old lab completes his Basic Gun Dog training (hes been gone for 4 months) and comes back tomorrow. Fairly new to upland bird hunting, but have been hunting deer and elk many years. Looking forward to working with the dog on dove, quail pheasant, and sand hill crane here in west texas. Which brings up another point/question: Early season bird hunts into October and even November can be warm. How well do these vests work in the warmer conditions? thanks!
 

huntineveryday

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 8, 2019
Messages
251
IM not hearing much about the Chief Upland Over/Under Vest. Ive been comparing my options, and am really struggling. Chief Over/Under, Marsupial Gear Upland Vest system and the Final Rise. Our 1 year old lab completes his Basic Gun Dog training (hes been gone for 4 months) and comes back tomorrow. Fairly new to upland bird hunting, but have been hunting deer and elk many years. Looking forward to working with the dog on dove, quail pheasant, and sand hill crane here in west texas. Which brings up another point/question: Early season bird hunts into October and even November can be warm. How well do these vests work in the warmer conditions? thanks!
After putting hands on Final Rise, Pyke Gear, Chief Upland, Hunt Redi, Alps, and Scheels vests at Pheasant Fest last year, I saved up and bought a Final Rise. It just felt like it was built well and met my needs the best. Pyke and Hunt Redi felt well built as well, but I like the Final Rise layout better. I've since had hands on the Orvis Pro and felt like it was more on par with the Chief Upland vest in quality.

I realize that doesn't address marsupial gears vest, but I'm guessing it's the same build quality as the Final Rise and you just need to pick the layout you like better, at least from everything I've looked at.
 
OP
Tleek

Tleek

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
195
Location
Northern California
I love these modular high end vests, and might end up with one one day, but I’m wondering if we overestimate our needs sometimes.
 

jmez

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2012
Messages
7,426
Location
Piedmont, SD
For the Final Rise users here, How has the fabric held up? I see the newest version (Summit XT) is now using the 1000D fabric. My biggest take away so far is that the Marsupial does appear to have heavier fabric, but smaller pockets. I am looking into the hybrid or sidekick versions myself.
Mine has held up well. 2 seasons on mine and no signs of wear. It rides in back of my truck all season. If I take it out of the truck I just toss it on a shelf in the garage. It doesn't get any special treatment. I hunt about every weekend mid Sept to end of Jan.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
 

rbljack

WKR
Joined
Dec 5, 2014
Messages
1,015
Location
Snyder Texas
Mine has held up well. 2 seasons on mine and no signs of wear. It rides in back of my truck all season. If I take it out of the truck I just toss it on a shelf in the garage. It doesn't get any special treatment. I hunt about every weekend mid Sept to end of Jan.

Sent from my moto g power (2021) using Tapatalk
Is yours the XT version or the original Summit? Definilty looking forward to hearing more about this vest. I think ive decided on the Final Rise Vest, just have to pick a version and color now...LOL
 

adieatrick

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
104
Location
Omaha, Nebraska
Loving my HuntRedi. This year was the first full year on it and it is great. Super comfy once it gets broken in. Initially it has that "stand the carhartt jacket up" feeling
 

twodogs

FNG
Joined
Dec 2, 2015
Messages
43
Location
Montana
Anyone rock the orvis or llbean technical vests?
I used the LL Bean Technical vest for a number of years, but I switched to a Chief Upland vest two years ago. The game bag on the LL Bean vest flopped around too much if you had birds in there. The CU vest keeps everything close to you. I hate having birds and other gear flopping around when I'm following my dog. The CU is my favorite out of all the brands I've tried (e.g., Columbia, old-style Orvis, LL Bean).
 

TSAMP

WKR
Joined
Jul 16, 2019
Messages
1,475
I ended up ordering the marsupial hybrid vest on sale and returned it. It was very well made but the shoulder straps had fairly thick padding which I didn't care for.

The fabric is very stiff and heavy duty. I'm sure it would break in over time but I think ill try the final rise instead.
 
OP
Tleek

Tleek

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jun 11, 2018
Messages
195
Location
Northern California
I ended up ordering the marsupial hybrid vest on sale and returned it. It was very well made but the shoulder straps had fairly thick padding which I didn't care for.

The fabric is very stiff and heavy duty. I'm sure it would break in over time but I think ill try the final rise instead.
Thanks for mentioning that. Thick padded straps would be a deal breaker for me. So akward shouldering the shotgun straps like that.
 

roosterdown

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 8, 2022
Messages
189
Location
Afton, MN
For the Final Rise users here, How has the fabric held up? I see the newest version (Summit XT) is now using the 1000D fabric. My biggest take away so far is that the Marsupial does appear to have heavier fabric, but smaller pockets. I am looking into the hybrid or sidekick versions myself.
I have the FR Sidekick which I believe is 500D. One season in (SD brush) it looks brand new other than a few blood stains (and all my sewing modifications). I have no doubt I will be using this vest in 10, 15 and more years.
 

JDDuf

FNG
Joined
May 23, 2022
Messages
13
After not having a vest during spring turkey season this year in going to be trying out the Cabela's Tactical Tat'r Pro Turkey Vest this fall
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2021
Messages
21
My wing works vest I have had for several years. Custom sized and made for me. I wanted no orange as I jump shoot ducks. I took a bucket of soapy water to it last year and looks like new except for a couple blood stains.
 

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Joined
Mar 23, 2022
Messages
437
Currently have an Orvis vest. It’s been great so far. I believe Orvis has them on sale for $99.00 on their website. I would like a Final Rise vest but not willing to pay x3 the cost of the Orvis vest for one.
 

Greenbelt

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 2, 2023
Messages
147
I had a Badlands vest. I wore it out in a single season, went right through the fabric in the pockets and the belt from pushing through brush.
I bought a Q5 Centerfire. I've been pretty happy with it, it's very modular. I wish the backpack attachment wasn't so "little school girl" cute. I could use something bigger for carrying my big puffy layers. Also, the beam-thing that is supposed to keep the bird bag part open - it never does. The beam just folds up under the weight, so I still have to forcefully shove my shot birds in there. Oh well, minor gripes.

My wife had a Bird'n'Lite bag. But, it was too small to hold a limit of ptarmigan and some hare. She'd have birds falling out while walking around. Also, blood would always leak through and stain her clothing.
So, she bought a Wing Works bag that she absolutely loves.

I've noticed that the Scandinavian ptarmigan hunters don't use American style bird "vests". They use a normal hiking backpack with a mesh sack on it, such as these from Lagopus. Also, video here.
Looks super weird to our eyes, but I'll bet our weird vests seem really strange to them.
I'm considering going this way to make carrying camera gear easier.
I've done this set up for the last two years chucker hunting. Hunting chukar is dangerous and the hardest hunting I've done hands down (including elk and deer hunting). So I need emergency equipment for the dog, myself, enough water for myself, and dog. A bird vest set up could never handle any of this. I don't really know any chukar hunters who wear "bird vests" from where I'm from. I use a Patagonia back pack and usually some type of bag to toss the birds in.
 
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