primos predator vest

[bigben]

I just got this vest yesterday but have hunted with it all night last night and then all afternoon today and have a few comments on it.  I know when it came out alot of people seemed to critize it on most of the boards.  I figured yesterday that I needed a new one.  I have been using a strap style turkey vest for a while now and it really does not cater to the predator hunter.  all the pockets that are on it are not big enough for the misc stuff that most callers brings the binos shooting sticks howlers remotes decoys ecalls and such.  I had more empty pockets mainly because they were too small for the objects I used.  so I have been contemplating a upgrade so I bought a back pack that had a folding stool with it.  I like it other then the fact it was too small for me.  the shoulder straps were uncomfortable and on top of everything the seat gave out at the most inoportune time.  so I got the new predator vest from primos. 

I was waiting my turn yesterday to talk to randy anderson and while I was listening to him talk to new and upcoming predator hunters I was eyeing up this vest.  when I first seen em on the market I did not think I would ever buy one.  after looking at it for a while I started to like the way it was layed out.  so when I finally got to talk to randy I asked him what the biggest one they had was?  he said 3X would you like to try one on?  sure why not if it did not fit then no biggie I wasn't getting it.  I put it on and it would be a bit snug with a real heavy jacket on but about 75% of the season I hunt with a zip up hoodie sweatshirt.  so I got it.  after I got home and started to transfer all the stuff out of my old vest and back pack to the new one I really started to like the lay out.  all the pockets are huge but you can reduce the size of them with snaps on the side of the pockets.  there is one zipper on one pocket which I really like all the rest are buttons.  I allways hated to reach for a howler and then have to try to open a zipper quietly.  they keep all the flaps closed with huge buttons.  they are about 1.5" in dia.  so it makes it easy to get too.  another thing I liked about this vest is the pocket in the back.  I can carry my foxpro and I have a piece of 3D material that I put over top my legs when I am in more open spots and both fit nicely in the back pocket.  in fact I did not even know that my foxpro was there.  another feature I liked was the rifle and shotgun loops.  I allways hated the fact that I just grabbed a handfull of shells and threw em in a pocket and the dang things clanged together.  with loops the rifle shells and the shotgun shells were there when I needed em on quick reloads with the hornet last night.  another thing is the water bottle pockets.  it holds em so they dont leak and they are easily accesable.  the only thing I could pick on this jacket is there is really no fold down seat like my old vest had.  there is a nylon flap that comes down so your bottom does not get wet but nothing really thick to keep the roots and rocks we did not see from being a pain in the ass literally.  they do incorperate a foam area in the mid to upper back where your spine is so while leaning against a tree your back does not get sore.  another thing that it seems companys forget is liscense loops on the back.  but this coming year everything is going to be computerized in pa so I will not have to worry about putting alot of holes in the back for my license.  I thought it was a good buy for 50 dollars(show special)  I believe that they sell them on their website for 75 plus shipping.  anyhow on a scale from 1-10 I give it a 8.5 because I wish it was a bit bigger and also wish for a foam seat.  the only reason that I think that they did not put a seat in it was so they could sell bark a loungers.  even randy told me the first thing he did was cut his nylon flap out. 

thinking back I should have had randy sign it so I would have had a athuntic signiture series vest. lol. 

[Bob D]

Thanks for the review bigben. I got mine in the mail yesterday from Midway ( $30 plus shipping). I will try it out this next weekend.

[ATLRoach]

I like the vest but hate the pattern.. I wish they would sell it in a darker pattern like Mossy Oak Break up or an Realtree APG. They don't do much good for us eastern guys.

[bigben]

allright a bit longer term usage review.  I used this vest a good bit this early season hunting for coyotes and have used it on some trips north.  the biggest gripes I hate about this vest is 1 it really is not big enough if you wear anything more then a hooded sweatshirt.  october and most of november and sometimes even into december I can get away with just wearing camo "blue" jeans and a camo hooded sweatshirt.  this year is different with the cold that we have been having.  I got the biggest they had.  so if you try one on in the store with a light jacket make sure that there is room under your arm pits for a bulkier jacket.  another major PITA is that there is no seat attached to it.  and they way the vest is designed there is no simple way to add one.  I guess that is one of the reasons why they did not put one on.  the final gripe is the remote pocket is pretty much useless for a remote of todays size.  I think the only one that will fit in it easily will be the primos remote.  no foxpro remotes will fit in it without falling out when you do not want them too.  like when you bend over to set the call and decoy down.  in turn the remote slips out of the left chest pocket and just like a bungee jumper jumping off to low a bridge with too much cord it smacks something on the ground weather it be your call a rock your decoy maybe your gun.  with some modification it could be made to fit.  biggest problem is the antenna.  other then that I really like this vest.