survival vests

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paleo25

Joined
Jun 16, 2002
Messages
217
I know some of you like the vest type kits, I got my Major Surplus and Survival catalog today they have a survivial vest on sale for 19.95 lots of pockets......it looks pretty nice item nuber 1-3545
 
It will probably do exactly what you want it to do. When I first started experimenting with using a vest to carry a kit, I used an old fishing vest that had 10 pockets. When I loaded it up with everything I felt I'd need, I looked like the staypuft marshmallow man. I tried removing items and cutting back to the bare minimum and it didn't help at all. I still looked like I was carrying a whole lot of gear, which is something I wanted to avoid so I could wear the vest in town or in the wild. Then I started looking at the military issue vests and at the more conventional multi-pocketed vests including those carried by majors. They all presented a look that I wanted to avoid except the photography vests and travel vests. Then one day I was browsing through the local Woolrich store while the wife was next door buying towels and stuff. They had a vest with a ton of pockets that looked like it would be considerably less intrusive than what I had looked at previously. I ran next door and helped the wife and then we stopped in and I showed it to her. A short time later she came home with it for me. It still looks like I'm carrying gear, but it isn't near as bulky because the gear is spread out over a larger area because of the larger number of pockets. I've probably shown it here before, but this is the vest loaded with my gear including a pair of pocket binoculars.

vestkit001.jpg
 
longbow, looks pretty nice, I am thinking about getting one...I am looking for something like that, where I can wear it around and not draw too much attention
 
I also wanted an everyday vest that would carry enough stuff but look "seminormal". I settled on a Filson Cruiser Vest custom made in wool mackinaw cloth. It has 7 pockets total of various sizes. The back is a full pocket that will accept lots of relatively flat items with out looking like a hunchback.

8L.jpg


Check out the other Filson vests at:
http://smtp2.thewwwstore.com/filson/8.HTM

Expensive but wear forever with classic designs. I have worn my custom wool style 8 everyday for 5 years. It is just now showing signs of wear around my hard items like SureFire E2, Sebenza, Silva MatchSafe, and Opinel in the left front divided pockets.

I find this vest is perfect, covers belt carry items very well and people now notice when I am NOT wearing it. Perfect.
 
That's a good looking vest. I've got a cruiser coat in wool that I really like. Warm and toasty.
 
Longbow50,

Yeah, this is a great vest, sort of my urban wearable PSK. I have tried other Photo and Hunting vests that just made me too wide. This Filson has patch pockets so it is not suitable for bigger things like Binos, but it prevents me from loading up more stuff. My vest weighs in at 5 lbs loaded with my EDC items. I currently have stowed in the vest:
Small Sebenza
SureFire E2
Silva Matchcase w compass
Opinel #7
Streamlight Stylus
Calendar Book
Minox 6x Monocular
Sharpie
Bandana
Portable Aqua, full bottle
0.5L Water bag
Swedish Firesteel
ClickClack Tinder tin, vaseline/cotton
Maya Wood block
Window Punch
DMT diamone Hone
Teeny File
Sewing repair kit, heavy nylon/sailmakers needles
Moleskin
4 AA batteries
2 123A batteries
3 AAAA batteries
ACR whistle
Contact kit
Tacoma Mountain Rescue Tube Tent
15' Paracord
Boiled Wool Balaclava
Wool Fingerless gloves
Plastic Trash Bag
36x36 Silk Scarf
Emergency Contact Lists, Calling card numbers etc
Small first aid packet, bandages, CPR shield, Latex Gloves

Then the vest covers my "Tool" belt, which is best not seen by the average Office Worker;)
 
Dang, you carry a bunch in that vest. You're right, the multipocketed vest like I wear will make you wide, that is unless you're already sorta wide, then people don't seem to notice as much.:D

I've taken the bino's out of the vest and wear them on my belt along with my leatherman tool. My pocket contains a lighter, a maglite solitaire, a P38 can openner, a SAK and a small yet mighty whistle. My other pocket holds a CRKT Apache II linerlock folder. It'll be easier to put up a photo of my vest, but it holds:
  • Engineer Lensatic Compass
  • Large trashbag and space blanket rubberbanded together
  • Potable Aqua & Aqua Plus
  • One gallon ziplock freezer bag
  • Camo do-rag
  • Diamond sharpener
  • AAA mini maglite
  • 2 Trioxane fuel bars
  • Extensive food gathering kit (fish and trap)
  • 2 Pitch Witch fire starter
  • Spark-lite firestarter w/tender
  • longlife candle
  • film container of strike anywhere matches
  • Medical kit
  • Package of Body Guard insect repellent towelettes
  • 2 super absorbant kotex pads
  • pair of camo knit sure grip gloves
  • 60' of 550 paracord
  • good wad of TP
  • reflective signal device
The vest and contents weighs in at just under 5# and distributes the weight fairly well. I'm waiting on wifey to pick me up a brass match safe with compass that I'll add to my pocket keyring kit. I have a similar kit contained in a camera case for hot weather carry, except that I don't carry near the cordage and along with the AA minimag I also have an LED and there's less fish and trap supplies. Also waiting on a German issue utility knife that supposed to have an awesome saw blade that'll go in the vest and another SAK for the camera case, but with our budget, picking up the additional stuff goes slow.
 
You should check out the Royal Robbins 5.11 Tactical Vest. QUALITY all the way! Lots of pockets, black or khaki, made not to print. About $50 if you shop around on the web.
 
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