The best vest-less system for turkey hunting (imo)

[Shadow14]

I ditched the traditional turkey vest about 4 years ago and have been tweaking and playing with a bunch of setups and I think I finally found the best system for me and figured I’d share.

I took a Kifaru Steelhead chest rig and attached it to a marsupial gear hydration pack/yoke. I tried the kifaru hydration pack at first but the straps were too narrow and wouldn’t carry the weight well. With this, i am able to carry 3 pot calls, 4 strikers, a scratch box, box call underneath in a nomad case, roll of trumpets, two locator calls, call conditioners, snacks, shears, sawyer straw/collapsible bladder, and a turkey turkey tote. In the back i have a half roll of tp and 550 cord. Gloves and mask are carried in my cargo pockets. I took out my 10x42’s but am considering getting a pair of Maven 8x30 for turkey and most deer hunting. I clip my Glenda Green seat to my back belt loop or bottom of the hydration pack with a cheap carabiner.

The only thing i don’t like is the material of the pack can be noisy when you sit against say a pine tree so I’m still trying to figure out a way to quiet it down…

This setup carries the weight very well for me and is streamlined and ideal for hunting the mountains here in Southern Appalachia. I also use this setup deer hunting/scouting as well. I found this chest pack to be the about the biggest between FHF,Marsupial, HPG, and Kifaru. I tired the marsupial modular belt system with this too but didn’t like the clutter and found it to be too much.

It looks like FHF just released a new hydration pack that i might try and attach to this chest rig. Looks to be a little bigger and modular which would work better for deer season or fly fishing…

If I’m going hunting close to the truck and not hiking a bunch, i will opt for the Glenda Green satchel over this or a vest. This thing is dynamite and very well designed. Only thing i dont like about it is it makes carrying alot of water hard and after hiking for a long time it starts to get pretty heavy on the one shoulder though the extra padding helps... I highly recommend trying this satchel first if you decide you want to ditch the old vest

What vest-less systems are y’all running?

 

[mike.adams.467]

I've been running and gunning for turkeys for 50 years. I have stuck with a fanny pack and a seat that clips onto my belt. If I am setting up on a gobbler I take off the pack and set it beside me. I travel pretty light, without a lot of gear.

 

[TWoch]

I’m switching to a fanny pack and an old lone wolf hang on seat clipped to my belt. Tired of carrying all the stuff I don’t need.

 

[Fullfan]

I would lose every one of the strikers within about 20' of the truck. I'm still vesting it after 40 some years, being able to haul a gobbler in the cargo part of the vest has come in handy when I find myself 2-4 miles from the truck.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not really much of a turkey hunter. I run a cabelas vest sometimes and sometime I just run a day pack. I take it off and put it in front of me when I set up.

 

[TWoch]

I still wear a vest a lot. I just like having a sneaky option for when it gets thick and i wanna b light. I always have 550 cord with 2 slip knots for a light tote with multiple uses.

 

[butcherboy]

Same pack I use for elk hunting. Remove some stuff I don’t need. Use hip belt pockets to carry a few calls. When I get a bird I just
Put it in a garbage bag and then between the pack and frame just like an elk quarter. If I have some decoys then they can go inside the pack or the bird can and decoys in between.

 

[fatlander]

Marsupial harness, with a pair of loppers sans binos if I’m bringing a pot or box call.

99% of the time I bring my natural voice.

I once carried enough turkeys calls for Custer’s army in my vest donned with old gobbler boney patches.

Finally realized that I killed more of my turkeys scratching leaves and soft talking with my natural voice than I did with the beautiful custom calls that I loaded down my vest with. Don’t carry a cushion anymore. Sitting on the ground sucks no matter what. Toughen up butter cup.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hnthrdr]

Chest pack with some 8x binos and nutruck, plenty of room for all essentials. Little water, some lickies and chewies, couple calls and a few extra shells

 

[dtrkyman]

RNG 200 veast is barely a vest, been using it for the past several years, If I go on a quick hunt I grab my gun and a mouth call.

 

[Loper]

This year I bought the AGK hydration pack to use with my AGK max bino harness. I had less than a liter of water in the hydration pack which left plenty of room for snacks and a few other items. I don’t carry a ton of calls so the bino harness worked out ok for carrying them. I like this set up for going out to scout or hunting a few hours from the truck.

 

[WoodDuck]

For the last 5-6 years I’ve been using a Seek Outside frame with a Merlin talon, along with a seat I stole from my old turkey vest. Seat clips onto my back with a gatekeeper.

Between the Merlin, 2 hip belt pockets, and my Marsupial bino harness I can carry everything I need along with a bladder. I am pretty light on gear though, as I only carry diaphragms for calls.

You will love the Maven 8x30. Great bino for archery elk, tree stand deer hunting, and turkeys. Easy to pull up quick with one hand while hunting the timber.

 

[Bendejo]

The marsupial multi pack is pretty sick. Taking it on its maiden voyage this weekend for a youth hunt.

 

[gaswamp]

I ditched the traditional turkey vest about 4 years ago and have been tweaking and playing with a bunch of setups and I think I finally found the best system for me and figured I’d share.

I took a Kifaru Steelhead chest rig and attached it to a marsupial gear hydration pack/yoke. I tried the kifaru hydration pack at first but the straps were too narrow and wouldn’t carry the weight well. With this, i am able to carry 3 pot calls, 4 strikers, a scratch box, box call underneath in a nomad case, roll of trumpets, two locator calls, call conditioners, snacks, shears, sawyer straw/collapsible bladder, and a turkey turkey tote. In the back i have a half roll of tp and 550 cord. Gloves and mask are carried in my cargo pockets. I took out my 10x42’s but am considering getting a pair of Maven 8x30 for turkey and most deer hunting. I clip my Glenda Green seat to my back belt loop or bottom of the hydration pack with a cheap carabiner.

The only thing i don’t like is the material of the pack can be noisy when you sit against say a pine tree so I’m still trying to figure out a way to quiet it down…

This setup carries the weight very well for me and is streamlined and ideal for hunting the mountains here in Southern Appalachia. I also use this setup deer hunting/scouting as well. I found this chest pack to be the about the biggest between FHF,Marsupial, HPG, and Kifaru. I tired the marsupial modular belt system with this too but didn’t like the clutter and found it to be too much.

It looks like FHF just released a new hydration pack that i might try and attach to this chest rig. Looks to be a little bigger and modular which would work better for deer season or fly fishing…

If I’m going hunting close to the truck and not hiking a bunch, i will opt for the Glenda Green satchel over this or a vest. This thing is dynamite and very well designed. Only thing i dont like about it is it makes carrying alot of water hard and after hiking for a long time it starts to get pretty heavy on the one shoulder though the extra padding helps... I highly recommend trying this satchel first if you decide you want to ditch the old vest

What vest-less systems are y’all running?



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Shadow, you on GON forum?

 

[Shadow14]

Shadow, you on GON forum?

Yes sir I am! Dont spend alot of time over there anymore but Ive been on that forum since 2012 lol

 

[Shadow14]

The marsupial multi pack is pretty sick. Taking it on its maiden voyage this weekend for a youth hunt.

I love it! What box call holder do you have? You running a hydration pack with that?

 

[Bendejo]

I love it! What box call holder do you have? You running a hydration pack with that?

I'm using the older version of the mystery ranch bear spray holster. It's a little snug on my lynch, but smaller box calls slide in easy.
Not using a hydro pouch with this, as I need a little more room. A day pack with other essentials (coffee, extra layers, snax, first aid and TP) works fine. Also I like the idea of chest pack and backpack being separate.

 

[Long Cut]

Your setup speaks to me. I’m in the process of ditching my vest and going to some bino harness-based setup.
Possibly adding a fanny pack, but crawling with a fanny pack & bino harness is miserable.

Tell me more about that shotgun you have

 

[Shadow14]

Your setup speaks to me. I’m in the process of ditching my vest and going to some bino harness-based setup.
Possibly adding a fanny pack, but crawling with a fanny pack & bino harness is miserable.

Tell me more about that shotgun you have

It’s an older H&R single shot 20 ga dipped in mossy oak greenleaf. 20 inch barrel that got cut down, threaded, and had upgraded sights added as well as a rail. I threw in a coke, vortex red dot, and a comb riser on it and now she’s a lightweight, deadly little gun. Patterns out to 40 well with 2 3/4 in TSS #9's.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Fanny Pack + Pocket gang here. Maven 8x30s around my neck with the included strap (shortened) and a backpack on if I need one with a sit pad. I’m waiting on a multicam everlestock bando bag which seems like it will be perfect.


I played with multiple chest packs but I just can’t get used to them. Having to put them on and off every time I want to add or subtract a layer and the massive sweat puddle that inevitably appears behind them just gets annoying. I can barely put up with a minimalist bino harness for western hunting.