I've seen a lot of the other options but really just enjoy seeing other peoples set ups. I use a run n gun 300 and like it pretty well. I carry 1 slate call 2 strikers 3 mouth calls and a gobble call. The rest is shells flashlights and a couple locator calls (owl and crow) I don't really need a vest but I carry it mostly for the seat cushion. Hoping someone can show me something that will make me change this up as I really don't need a vest. Especially interested in other seat options but I'm not going to carry around a chair
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I run a backpack with an HS Strut chest rig run to the bino points on the shoulder straps, an HS Strut seat attached to the belt and tucked into back when not in use. There's some photos of that setup here. It's just what works for me.
Turkey vest alternative
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=17578&share_tid=100762&url=http%3A%2F%2Foldgobbler%2Ecom%2FForum%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D100762&share_type=t&link_source=app
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I have tried vests and sachels and about everything in between. I'll start out the season with some new gadget that I bought, but by the end of the season I am always back to using a backpack-style daypack for my secondary gear needs (food, water, extra clothing and accessories, emergency kit, etc.) and carrying calls and quickly-needed stuff in the pockets of my cargo pants, shirt, and jacket.
Here's a quick DIY hint for those that might want to try it: I cut the cargo pocket (including the pant-leg part under it) off of old cargo pants and sew that pocket onto my new pants. Doing that adds the cargo pocket plus another pocket that is created when you sew it to the new pants. For those that don't want to carry extra baggage in the form of a vest or pack, this is an easy way to add storage space on your pants. I have found it to be quite handy....might be worth a try if you have old cargo pants that you will be discarding anyway.
The last few years when I was not wearing a vest, I used a Shocker Cut-N-Run pack and thought it was ok,mine is covered in blood, I have switched to carrying a chair on most my hunts the last few years, and if I dont, I just use a seat from a vest and use a carabiner to attach it to my belt, I also tried a sling pack from banded and like it but I'll use it for floods while duck hunting.
I was thinking of going with a chest pack/harness style this year to try but I ended up ordering a Glenda standard satchel, I also was waiting on the new sling packs from alps to become available on amazon.ca, I will buy one when they do.
I was hesitant to go back and use a satchel/murse etc but at the same time, I can just leave it in the vehicle and take less if I choose and I have tested and tried a lot of vests and I like the idea of less clothing. I do like the sling packs and like the way you can adjust the ones I have, or have tried. I also have a few that I purchased from amazon that are "no name" molle built, I ended up sewing some of my og patches on them and I just use them to store calls at home.
If I was walking 4-5 miles a day, I think I would stick with my rng 300. I have seen some pretty slick ideas the last few days on the forum about different setups, I love it. I find it to be one of my favorite hobbies during the winter months after bow hunting, trying to come up with a perfect setup for the spring.
Cabelas is once again offering their Speed Seat Half Vest. Has a great seat that moves into position effortlessly and plenty of storage for necessities without the hassle of a full vest. I know I like mine.
Quote from: The Heartbreak Kid....... on February 10, 2022, 03:54:38 PM
I find it to be one of my favorite hobbies during the winter months after bow hunting, trying to come up with a perfect setup for the spring.
That perfect set up is like the holy grail, many have spent years searching and no one has found it yet. Good luck trying, it's half the fun of pre-season! :fud:
Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on February 10, 2022, 02:27:41 PM
I run a backpack with an HS Strut chest rig run to the bino points on the shoulder straps, an HS Strut seat attached to the belt and tucked into back when not in use. There's some photos of that setup here. It's just what works for me.
Turkey vest alternative
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?share_fid=17578&share_tid=100762&url=http%3A%2F%2Foldgobbler%2Ecom%2FForum%2Findex%2Ephp%3Ftopic%3D100762&share_type=t&link_source=app
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nice setup. but isn't it really just a 3 piece "vest"? ;)
i can see the benefit of dropping the backpack off and still having your seat attached to you. where i live the public land tracts just aren't big enough to necessitate needing to fill a backpack though
i use the rng 300 quite a bit. usually used if i figure i'm going to be in one spot for a while. the back pack is nice for a snack and a camelbak.
last year my most used set up was an ol' tom shirt with a pot call, a crow/hooter, a few mouth calls, a wing bone around my neck, shotgun slung over one shoulder, turkey chair over the other
the best set up is when you hear a bird from the truck and have the confidence to venture forth with just a mouth call and your gun
I run two things which I found works best for me. Both are from a brand called Marsupial Gear. One is a bino harness with extra storage and also I use the belt system from them also. The belt system is completely customizable with different pouches and accessories. It can also be used for deer, dove, rabbit, squirrel etc... If you buy all the accessories you can do anything with it all season long.
If I use both together I have plenty of storage for a all day hunt if needed. Perfect for hunting when covering ground on public land. All their stuff is made in the USA also. Good people to do business with.
For a seat I purchased some camo fabric and sewed me a pouch which I put a wheel barrow inner tube in. The pouch has a shoulder strap also so just throw over my shoulder. Don't have a pic with me but and can send one if your interested.
Website below:
https://www.marsupialgear.com/
I'm using the marsupial setup I rigged together this season. Used the 300 last season. Gonna give this a go. May use a Fanny pack also.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220211/5d0d6fb74daaedf3969643ff7e91d697.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220211/c71d1f85ec1f0f5e27f755da90f11c06.jpg)
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As far as a seat goes I have a thermarest fold up seat stuffed in the water bladder.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220211/05748feac1a4f3c48e32cd2593ec8f7a.jpg)
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Quote from: richard black on February 10, 2022, 09:53:55 PM
Cabelas is once again offering their Speed Seat Half Vest. Has a great seat that moves into position effortlessly and plenty of storage for necessities without the hassle of a full vest. I know I like mine.
I love the 1/2 vest speed seat too. The only thing I added was a box call holder(for my push pin) and extra pot call holder. I also added suspenders. When it gets warmer, this is my set-up. Works fantastic...
Lol I feel like some of y'all are adding so much that you pretty much have a vest. I like the looks of the outdoor vision turkey pro if I was going minimal.
Some really nice-looking set-ups there, guys. Some of you minimalists quite obviously are not hunting places where it is likely to be 20 degrees out an hour before daylight and get up to 70 degrees by mid-day. If you are, I would like to know where you stuff all the clothes you need to put on and take off under those conditions?... :D
I'm with Gobblenut. I don't often need a jacket here at home but if I have one it will be removed during the morning. Carrying that, the water and some snacks...I just can't make it work well with less than a vest. I don't carry a lot of calls, usually a couple of pots and a few strikers but the snippers for brush, the thermacell and a couple of extra shells need to go somewhere. After 36 years of wearing a heavy gunbelt, a waist pack isn't the answer. I find a strap vest isn't so terribly hot that I can't deal with it given the convenience it offers.
The main reason why I either want a vest,sling pack or murse is because of the extras and clothing, when I use something other than one of my vests I carry a strap to strap my hoodie or coat to whatever I am using, or even the turkey lounger the last few years.
I was thinking last night of a chest pack again, and a beard buster seat. I then could go with my turkey lounger when I was not going far, or the beard buster seat when I am hiking further. I find as I have gotten into my 40's that I take comfort over mobility, for the areas that I hunt the majority of the time. That does not always mean I need to carry a ton of calls anymore, I used too but the last few years I haven't, and I am probably not going back to it.
I bought the Glenda Green standard for the sole reason that i can carry my extras with me, and I had not tried it yet, I assume I will find it too big and keep it for storage at home and in my truck, however I love the thought of slinging it filled with a thermos of coffee, a lunch,2 bottles of water and everything else over my shoulder and slinging my turkey lounger over the other and going and relaxing out in the woods for the day, I have used a lot of vests seats and other cushions, and I scoffed at turkey loungers for a decade, then I hit my 40's and tried one, I will take the pro's over the con's of one, in 90% of my hunts. I'd rather carry it then a lot of calls.
The options out there today are far superior to even anything we had a decade ago, the ones in this thread look interesting.
If I'm traveling light in the hills all I really need is my chest harness and my old army surplus hydration pack.
I can fit a puffy jacket in the pocket of my hydration harness. I'm hunting in Ga and our season starts second weekend in April. More than likely won't need much of a warm layer. If you do it won't be for long.
Quote from: GobbleNut on February 12, 2022, 01:54:55 PM
Some really nice-looking set-ups there, guys. Some of you minimalists quite obviously are not hunting places where it is likely to be 20 degrees out an hour before daylight and get up to 70 degrees by mid-day. If you are, I would like to know where you stuff all the clothes you need to put on and take off under those conditions?... :D
You are correct. We have 30 degree mornings, 40-70 degrees by noon, when we have to be out of woods. I may remove my sweater, and stick it in my bird bag in my limb hanger vest. In warm weather, I use the Cabelas 1/2 vest, don't need spot for clothes....
You could always run a military chest rig like this one. Trust me they are super light I wore one for about the last 15 years in The Army. They are MOLLE capable so you can mix and match to your hearts content. If I am just doing a morning hunt for a few hours I run one. I have about three of them all rigged up differently. But granted I had them issued to me. But I did buy some extra MOLLE attachments to fit what I needed. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220213/d2de1040139042814b1d555c2e93dfdf.jpg)
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Think it has to be about 12 years since I dumped the vest, seems the more room I had the more I carried. I got to the point of "What do I really use to kill turkeys" and from there started cutting out those non-essentials. Now and again, I might grab a different call just to use it, but I have my go to's.
My first hip pack was a Badlands, not "made" for turkey but it worked. Only problem I had over time was the magnetic closure, the "rope" magnets cracked/broke and after losing one of my favorite calls it was time to replace that pack... I did go to the Avian X Sling Pack and while it works great, I would have some individual changes to make it better (for me).
The gear is the same (even found a replacement for my call on e-bay)
Pack Dump
MK M GOBL
Don't care for those harness rig carriers with all those straps pulling on myself ... I will carry a Glenda Green Satchel over any of that other china made stuff.
Carry one call and what ever shells the gun holds is all you really need. The only days I like a vest is when carrying out more than 2 turkeys.
Quote from: Bottomland on February 11, 2022, 02:45:02 PM
I run two things which I found works best for me. Both are from a brand called Marsupial Gear. One is a bino harness with extra storage and also I use the belt system from them also. The belt system is completely customizable with different pouches and accessories. It can also be used for deer, dove, rabbit, squirrel etc... If you buy all the accessories you can do anything with it all season long.
If I use both together I have plenty of storage for a all day hunt if needed. Perfect for hunting when covering ground on public land. All their stuff is made in the USA also. Good people to do business with.
For a seat I purchased some camo fabric and sewed me a pouch which I put a wheel barrow inner tube in. The pouch has a shoulder strap also so just throw over my shoulder. Don't have a pic with me but and can send one if your interested.
Website below:
https://www.marsupialgear.com/
Thanks for the link. I enjoy supporting American made companies and really like that fishing model. Too bad I hadn't learned of Marsupial before I ordered my RNG300 last spring.
I received my Glenda Green satchel (murse) and it's perfect for holding my gear, in the truck, for me anyway. I think it is well built, well laid out and a great addition for me. I don't think it's something I will use in the field a lot,I do like it for a trip, or holding different items I can change out at my truck. The search will continue for me.
I can't see myself carrying it and a chair in hunting,even when I am not going in a far ways.
I can't imagine a satchel no matter how nice being more comfortable than something with two shoulder straps. A Kifaru hydro harness is completely Berry compliant. Every single piece of fabric and thread on that harness is made in the USA. Hand sewn in Colorado.
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It isn't, I loaded mine up and I will not be hauling it around in the woods but I figured as much and its perfect for vehicle and trip duty. But everybody has different wants,needs and tastes.
I will be trying a harness type setup next, I am not sure which one yet but I think that is next up to try out.