Looking to move from a belt to a lightweight "vest". Would like to get the Filson below but can't find it in stock anywhere. Anyone have any similar recs?

Burdett and Sons in College Station carries Filson. Generally those vests don't hit stores until right before dove season. I have a couple of them, they last forever.
The shooting bag is good too. It is a belt with two shell bags in the front and a bird bag in the rear.

Check eBay. A good used one is just as a good as new but a fraction of the cost. I have a couple of vests and a belt from Filson. I like the vest myself but use the belt regularly as well. These last forever.

https://dove-gear.com/

came here to say that whatever the wait is, do it.


my filson vest is one of the best pieces of outdoor gear i've ever owned.

Austin has a Filson store if you are close?

Get it. I bought my boys those for Christmas. They'll own that for life. Good stuff!

C@LAg said:

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Have a couple similar from Orvis. They are awesome. May check there.

Why the switch from a belt to a vest? I only ask because i think this year im going to a belt from a vest.

beb08 said:

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Why the switch from a belt to a vest? I only ask because i think this year im going to a belt from a vest.

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i like the weight distribution over the shoulders. makes it not feel like you've got a pant full of toilet stuff

Are you dove hunting only?

Or are you walking a long distance with water for your self and dogs as well as shells and other gear?

If you're doing a lot of upland hunting and walking for hours I'd go for the vest with the load bearing waist belt like a Wing Works, Q5 Centerfire, Final Rise, Orvis or something along those lines.

[url] https://q5outdoorproducts.com/product/q5-centerfire-vest-complete/[/url]

I have the Centerfire. Their customer service is amazing. If you have any questions they get right back to you & answer any and all questions almost immediately.

If you are dove hunting close to the truck the other vests that hang off your shoulders should be fine.

The one on the right is over 30 years old. It has some patching on it, but is still going strong. The newer one on the left I got from Gun Dog Supply a couple years ago. I see they still have them listed when I checked just now. .

I have an upland vest, this is for hot weather dove. Gun dog supply has them listed for preorder, but not in time for south zone white wing over Labor Day. I got the Filson mesh vest for my dad last year. I may just be stuck with saggy britches for another year. I'm in Houston so will check with Gordy & Sons just in case.

I always hunted with a belt. I don't like reaching around my back to find a bird or deposit one. Too much CFS makes that move more difficult. I added some bass pro camo 3 inch wide suspenders to my belt rig and upgraded the belt to a 511 tactical web a few years back and really like it. It does everything I need for a simple rig. I don't hunt more than a few hundred yards from the truck and don't have a dog.

The Filson was too small for me when I tried it on.

I have used a similar Filson vest in the past. The quality is good and it works as designed. However, I much prefer the newer style vests that have the waist belt designed to transfer the weight to your hips rather than carrying it on your shoulders.

Been thinking alot about something that is a belt set up with a shell pouch on one side and bird pouch on the other. I hate the bird bag in the back. Not because of weight, just the way it flops around when I walk. The vest style is more than I want to wear in September heat. I usually hunt from a stationary spot so I don't need to carry a significant ammount of shells or birds on my waist. Last year I used a shell pouch designed for trap and skeet. I dumped a box of shells in my shell pouch(one box at a time)and put birds in my bucket. Maybe I should just stick with that.

Like Aggieangler93 said. Add some suspenders. I have a strap vest that I bought in high school, but I've used suspenders on the belt bag too, just to check it out. It is part of my loaner kit.

RK said:

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Looking to move from a belt to a lightweight "vest". Would like to get the Filson below but can't find it in stock anywhere. Anyone have any similar recs?

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That vest looks like it would be too big for most birds to wear

Orvis makes a waxed cotton strap vest like that. Looks to be in stock online.

RCR06 said:

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Been thinking alot about something that is a belt set up with a shell pouch on one side and bird pouch on the other. I hate the bird bag in the back. Not because of weight, just the way it flops around when I walk. The vest style is more than I want to wear in September heat. I usually hunt from a stationary spot so I don't need to carry a significant ammount of shells or birds on my waist. Last year I used a shell pouch designed for trap and skeet. I dumped a box of shells in my shell pouch(one box at a time)and put birds in my bucket. Maybe I should just stick with that.

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I am the same. My old shell belt had a ripstop nylon bird bag and 2 ripstop shell bags but the best part about it was that they would slide anywhere you wanted on the belt. I usually carry one box of shells in one pocket up around the 1 o'clock position and carry my bird pocket at about 3 o'clock. That allows me a water bottle or cold beer in the other shell pocket at about 10 o'clock. Other than that, I haven't found anything I really need unless I am hunting in South Texas with big whitewings. In that case, I like to replace that water bottle/beer on left side with another box of shells, sometimes #6s.

I like my rig so much that I am thinking about drilling through the suspender clips and using pop-rivets there instead, so that they can't come off the 511 belt at all. I've hunted with it for 2 seasons now, and it fits my needs perfectly. On occasion, when hunting in the rain, the suspender clip would slip off one side if I was really husting to a bird (didn't want to lose it in a corn field). That's why I am thinking about riveting the clip. I think I can use a hot metal rod to make the 511 tactical belt hole, so that it doesn't fray. Then it will be good for another 20 years. I think I have already gotten 20 years out of the shell pouches.

ETA...If I ever get to do some pheasant or quail hunting up in Iowa, that Q5 vest looks like it would kick butt!

AgLaw94 said:

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Orvis makes a waxed cotton strap vest like that. Looks to be in stock online.

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this one is pretty close, but it's quite a bit more bulky (as are most upland vests) w/ the water bottle pockets and zippered back pocket. would probably be my 2nd choice, though as the back is all mesh, at least.

https://www.krsaddleshop.com/GAME-VEST?custcol_size=27&color=27&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrPig3anK8gIVSubjBx0ruAJsEAQYASABEgJmAfD_BwE

saysomethin said:

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https://dove-gear.com/

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There's an aggie ring in a bunch of the pics on that site.

I can personally give a thumbs up for the "Dove-Gear" vests. I would not trade mine.

Gamehide Upland And Dove Lightweight Hunting Vest https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BQDK7V7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_N5XJ43CYY5XPG56C7RVQ

I ordered this yesterday morning before seeing this thread

I really wanted a strap vest though

RCR06 said:

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Been thinking alot about something that is a belt set up with a shell pouch on one side and bird pouch on the other. I hate the bird bag in the back. Not because of weight, just the way it flops around when I walk. The vest style is more than I want to wear in September heat. I usually hunt from a stationary spot so I don't need to carry a significant ammount of shells or birds on my waist. Last year I used a shell pouch designed for trap and skeet. I dumped a box of shells in my shell pouch(one box at a time)and put birds in my bucket. Maybe I should just stick with that.

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front loading vest for the win

i'm going to give the dove gear solution a shot. since we always go opening weekend outside of brownsville, it's hotter than hell so mesh, and minimalist coverage are what i'm most looking for. could probably do without the bottle holder and sternum strap, but those are easy fixes if the vest is otherwise good to go.

I know the owner of Dove Gear and can vouch for his Aggie ring. He likes to play 42 also! He has a guarantee on his that says if you don't like it, he'll buy it back. I can't see any risk there. When I get tired of my home-made frankenstein rig, I am probably going to try his product out.