With my recent foray into bird hunting as with most of my hobbies I have found myself needing new gear after all isn’t that why we do any of this? Seriously after a hunt with my buddy Gregg and using his loner vest I realized I needed my own one because it would be nice to have and two I am twice Greggs size so I began looking for a quality vest on line in both fit and function. I am not a small man so my search often includes a couple of X’s in the size, nor am I going to lie I wanted something that looked cool.
I bounced around a few sites and few sites and began to narrow on the Orvis Waxed Cotton Strap Vest, while there are many great vests out there this one was appealing due to its classic style and features combined with the fact it came in at a cost of $129.00 so while not free it is a quality vest and not as expensive as a lot of the others. Now that you are totally emotionally invested with how I came about buying this let’s see what the factory has to say,
“Redesigned with a new dry-waxed cotton fabric, offering a drier feel and a softer hand. Our most versatile all-season upland hunting vest comes with waxed-cotton pockets for longer life in the field. Exclusive Easy Entry® closures at front pockets give you quick onefinger access to shells. Fits easily over layers. Straps and belt made of heavy-duty nylon webbing. In dark khaki, olive/blaze. Dry waxed cotton, nylon webbing, and polyester mesh. Spot clean. Imported. Sizes M/L(chest sizes 40-44), XL/XXL(chest sizes 46-52).” -ORVIS
So for all the technical stuff aside here is the nitty gritty of the review. We have been hunting down in Calexico on the US Mexican border, interesting fact early November is still super-hot out here, like wow this kinda sucks hot. So first great thing I have to say about this vest is the mesh back, plenty of breathability. It actually feels at times like a loose belt with suspenders than a vest.
Continuing with its comfort and the ability to move our first pheasant hunt was on the opening day of archery. I was rocking a recurve bow so getting off a quick shot with this vest was not an issue at all.
As for shot gun opener the easy open large pockets where great for carrying shells and the two additional pockets where great for carrying additional gear. The game pouch worked great (yup bagged me a bird) but it also has two sleeves set up for water bottles that worked great. Finally while it went unused for me there is also a large top pouch giving you a small backpack option.
So all and all, this is a great, comfortable and, affordable vest. It is extremely well built and durable and will be my hunting vest for a very long time. Oh and on a side note great company Orvis, but I would suggest if you buy from them go by a hat or something cheap first so once you sign up for their mailing list you can save some cash. I get an email a day from them with some sort of discount of sale. Other than that let me know if you have any questions and happy hunting!
