I need/want the ease of the front loading game pouch. Not sure what brand I wear, plenty of pockets, inside and out. I really don't wear the vest much, our season opens the last saturday in Oct, so not many days where it is in the 50*s prior to noon, I wear a LL Bean waxed canvas coat most of the time, tough as nails. It is warm, I can wear it with little else from mid 30*s and lower, just with different undershirts and what buttons I close on the coat. My old GSP really got hot in temps over 50, so I was done when that happened, seldom we have 50s in the mornings during season, there have been very few days I didn't hunt due to heat, most outtings I am finished by noon/1:00. My new GSP is a black one and he seems to heat-up worse that the last one (white/liver) in the heat.. My old dog wouldn't stop hunting in the field. In 70*s temps I am assuming he would suffer heat stoke in short order, my last one also wouldn't get into water to cool off by himself without me holding him there (which I had done before), he just wanted to keep hunting.
Just no need for a strap vest at this point. It seems like on the occations I hunt with fellas without the front loading game pouch, they need help getting the birds in. My crowd is getting older. The parcels are small here (and usually very good bird numbers), I water at the truck, never carry any water for me or the dog. In my coat/vest, I carry my cell phone usually, a bell on a snap hook, a lenght of rope & shells (keys, wallet and license are in my pants pockets), the collar remote is around my neck. I do keep a large duffle bag of other paraphernalia that might be needed, including extra of about every clothing item I am wearing. I might not travel light, but I hunt light.
I enjoy completely different enviroment than walking the grasslands for miles in search for an occasional bird, which it sounds like many do. The same quary, but much varied habitat and conditions, needing different tactics, strategies and equipment sometimes.
enclosures. In well over 10 years of use this has prevented shell loss on numerous occasions. biggest reason for upgrading is more pockets, and my vest blaze orange is very faded. the adjustability of the Chief Upland appears to be significant- nit cheap and made in the USA as well. likely the last vest I’ll ever buy.
chiefupland.com
