Best of the Vest
Field & Stream; South ed., May 2009 by Cassell, Jay
OUR TEST PANEL HIKES AND HUNKERS IN FOUR NEW TURKEY VESTS > By Jay Cassell
1 “liked the full-length back support; the fastening system as a whole is excellent.”
[MARTIN]
2 “The magnet in the back helps when you are trying to reattach the seat.”
[POLAVIN]
3 “I was very impressed with the seat design and overall innovation.”
[MARTIN]
4 “Made of heavy material, with very good snaps. Overall quality is very good.”
[WOLF]
Not so long ago, turkey hunting vests had no seats, no blaze orange flagging, and no reinforced shoulders. The pockets were big and basic, with elastic loops for shells and calls. Vests today come with specialized pockets for shells, mouth calls, box calls, slates, and shock gobble calls. Pockets are magnetized and easy to access. Seats are comfortable and don’t require that you be a contortionist to unfold or put one back in place. * For this test, we asked four manufacturers to send in their newest vests. All were close in price and had features that stood out in some way. Testers were asked to load the vests with their gear, hike in them, unfold seats and sit in them, and then evaluate their construction, performance, comfort, and functionality. Here’s what they found.
L.L. BEAN DOUBLE L ($90) *****
800-441-5713
llbean.com
THE LOWDOWN L.L. Bean’s popular fishing vest, the Magalloway, was the foundation for the Double L.a garment so new the company didn’t even have time to sew on its logo before our tests. Featuring a suspension yoke system, well-thought-out pockets (including a “quiet” pouch for a box call), and a padded seat that slides on a railing, the Double L comes in Mossy Oak Obsession or Real tree AP camouflage.
The panel liked this vest across the board and placed it first by a considerable margin, with Martin and Wolf giving it their highest scores. Ferencz thought the seat concept was great; Martin admired the pockets, saying they were strategically positioned with plenty of storage. Polavin said it was comfortable and could be worn in warm or cool weather. Though Wolf loved the vest, he worried that the seat could come off the rail if you pushed it too far up.
HITS “Plenty of pockets; some are specific to certain calls, others can hold random equipment.”-Wolf
MISSES “The collar is not comfortable and gets in your way while sitting.”-Ferencz
“The orange marker won’t stay snapped on.”-Wolf
PRIMOS GOBBLER
($85) ****
601-879-9323
primos.com
THE LOWDOWN Billed as a “holster for your calls,” the improved Gobbler vest carries everything from diaphragms to slates and boxes, in pockets big and small. A bellows pocket holds a gobbler shaker call; expandable foam pockets hold slates; a Silencer Box Call Holster separates lid and box for silent carrying. The waterproof, detachable seat connects to the vest with a powerful magnet. Mossy Oak and Realtree patterns are available.
There was a tie for second place between the Gobbler and the Ol’ Tom. Both Ferencz and Polavin gave the Gobbler high first-place scores. It was Ferencz’s favorite by far, and he cited the mesh as perfect for hunting in Florida. He also liked the pockets, designed for specific Primos calls, as well as the waterproof seat. Polavin loved the seat magnet and said the vest was really comfortable. Martin, however, gave it an extremely low score, saying it was basic, with little innovation.
HITS “The foldable pocket covers and large back pouch are good ideas.”-Ferencz
MISSES “They should use magnets, not zippers, so the vest is quieter.”.Martin
“It’s overpriced.”-Wolf
OL’ TOM TIME & MOTION STRAP
($85) ****
662-895-3651
oltomgobbler.com
THE LOWDOWN Ol’ Tom won our previous Reader Test on turkey vests three years ago, so we gave them the chance to try again with the Time & Motion strap vest. And while this technical design garnered good scores, tying for second with the Primos, nobody marked it first (or last).
One size fits all on this adjustable vest with padded shoulders. Like the others tested, it’s loaded with functional pockets, most of them elasticized. There’s a useful gun cradle, a bloodproof gamebag, and an orange flap that packs away. A strong magnet secures the seat. You can choose from among four camo patterns.
Martin felt that the vest was durable and offered a variety of ways to store gear. He liked the magnets but wished there were more, and said that the spine pad was awesome. Wolf liked the design, praising the pockets and light weight. Polavin appreciated the coolness factor but said the Ol’ Tom didn’t have as much room as the others.
HITS “If you are a minimalist, this vest is for you.”-Polavin
MISSES “It’s bulky when full of gear.”-Ferencz
“Several areas had visible stitching errors.”-Wolf
CABELA’S SPEED HUNTER
($80.$90) ****
800-237-4444
cabelas.com
THE LOWDOWN Once you configure this vest and its 2�-inch-thick Speed Seat for your body, you can easily deploy the seat without needing to detach anything. The lightweight vest has full shoulders to distribute the load. There are call-specific and form-fitting pockets, some with magnetic closures