Badlands Turkey Vest

[Old Timer]

For you guys who own this vest give me the good, bad and the ugly. Couple questions are you comfortable leaning against a tree? And where do you carry your water bottle? A little pricey but vest looks well thought out. Thanks

[Bowhuntr73]

I love mine. I've tried others but I love all the gear Badlands make. The vest is the super comfortable, fits great and is well organized with a lot of neat pockets and storage areas. I like the magnetic closures and how the zippers work. I can stuff three decoys , light jacket , water bottle in the back pouch. I don't use padded seat but it is like 4 inches thick! One complaint is box call holder, a little tricky to attach flap when a call is in there. Should have just done a magnet there. Badlands warranty is the best. You rip, break a zipper, etc. They fix or replace quickly. I have their packs so I know my mistakes , no questions asked they fix it. A little pricey but IMO the best apparel and hunting gear out there for the money.

[Tom007]

Honestly, I had an early Badlands vest, and after using it on a few hunts, I sold it. For me, it was not comfortable because it sat too high. Even when I adjusted it, the comfort wasn't there. They are Extremely well made, except the pot call pockets were very small, it was tough to zipper in the larger pots. Great seat, over-all a good vest, just not for me. I bought it the first year it came out, I do not know if they made any changes since then. I went this year to the Sitka because of the quality, layout, comfort, and adjustability.

[Nathan_Wiles]

I used one all last season, it work well for me. I run a water bladder in mine for all day hunts. Quick hunt; I picked up a water bottle pouch off Amazon and clip it to the side strap next to my thermacell.
It does ride high, I prefer it that way. It's easier for me to access the pockets seated.
The box call pocket is a little finicky, and the pot call pockets are tight, but i love the striker pocket and the pocket layout overall
suits me. I found mine marked down in new bottomland. Seat cushion is good stays up so far this upcoming year will test it more.

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[Old Timer]

From the review it appears to be a nice vest. But I looked at the way box call pocket is designed and I don`t know if I could live with that. I`m a big box call guy. That said I have not ruled it out. Thanks for your comments..

[Nathan_Wiles]

I carry a short box in mine, it fits. It could be an inch or two longer and still fit but not wider or taller. The Fulkerson M2 box will not fit.

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[Old Timer]

Nice calls! I usually carry a Lynch or one made by Dick Kirby I have some others that are custom but not in appearance that run real well. Thanks for sharing.

[mcw3734]

This is the first turkey vest I've owned, used to run with a small backpack. In short: I'm very happy with it, but it took some customization work.

The Good:

1. The seat is thick, comfortable and doesn't seem to get in the way when not using it.
2. It does ride high on your chest, but as Nathan indicated, I feel that makes for easier access when sitting down.
3. I like that it has a bladder bag option.
4. Overall quality.


The not so good:

1. The box call closure catch is a pain. I don't use a box call, but I use that space for my pruners. Opening it is easy, but to close it takes two hands, and even then you have to concentrate on it. I might look to modify that if I can.

2. It only comes in 1 size. I'm 5'11", ~165 lbs. 32" waist, very much a Medium in most clothing lines. But even with all the adjustable straps sinched all the way, it still felt too loose. I'm a runner-gunner and I wanted things comfortably snug. So I ended up taking it to a seamstress I know. She cut the material connecting the front and back of the vest (around your ribs) out and sewed what was left together. This made a huge difference and made it a much better fitting vest. (Pics attached).


Hope this helps.

[Old Timer]

Glad you made it work for you. Thanks for posting.

[Bowguy]

Idk how the handle the turkey vests but imo a very quality company. When I bought it I made purchase because of lifetime warranty. After maybe 10 years I had one zipper get somewhat bad and the handle for daypack. They fixed even stuff I didn't see no care about. Weeks ago I saw a tiny pin hole i the base from a misplaced bow hook. I def overload bad too. The hole wasn't even worn through and tiny but I figured they could patch it. Nope sent me whole new bag. If/when I need another vest I'd def consider them. If you get it let us know how you like it

[TonyTurk]

For anyone interested, this vest is on sale at a couple of places.

The Badlands website has it in Approach camo for $183.99, normally priced at $229.99. 

The bottomland version is currently listed on Amazon for $169.99.

I don't know when the sales will end. 

[Old Timer]

Idk how the handle the turkey vests but imo a very quality company. When I bought it I made purchase because of lifetime warranty. After maybe 10 years I had one zipper get somewhat bad and the handle for daypack. They fixed even stuff I didn't see no care about. Weeks ago I saw a tiny pin hole i the base from a misplaced bow hook. I def overload bad too. The hole wasn't even worn through and tiny but I figured they could patch it. Nope sent me whole new bag. If/when I need another vest I'd def consider them. If you get it let us know how you like it

Well i`m gonna take a shot with this one. My 1st vest sat high I did not mind it. Box call pocket looks iffy but I want to shop now not right before season starts. I`ll give my 2 cent review after I try it. Thanks everyone for their input. Good day.

[Tom007]

Idk how the handle the turkey vests but imo a very quality company. When I bought it I made purchase because of lifetime warranty. After maybe 10 years I had one zipper get somewhat bad and the handle for daypack. They fixed even stuff I didn't see no care about. Weeks ago I saw a tiny pin hole i the base from a misplaced bow hook. I def overload bad too. The hole wasn't even worn through and tiny but I figured they could patch it. Nope sent me whole new bag. If/when I need another vest I'd def consider them. If you get it let us know how you like it

Well i`m gonna take a shot with this one. My 1st vest sat high I did not mind it. Box call pocket looks iffy but I want to shop now not right before season starts. I`ll give my 2 cent review after I try it. Thanks everyone for their input. Good day.

Good luck with it, can't argue Badlands quality......

[Old Timer]

Well the Badlands vest arrived today.
The good: Well made, light 1 3/4 pounds lighter than older vest. Sits high but im able to reach my calls. Pot calls and strikers fit for me. Seat seems very comfortable.
Not so good: short box fits fine. My Lynch which I consider an average size I have to fiddle with.
Shoulder straps are not as comfortable as my older vest, could be a problem, jury is out on that. I might have some padding made and box pocket corrected by a seamstress. Like Tom said great quality but could use some tweaking.

[Tom007]

Well the Badlands vest arrived today.
The good: Well made, light 1 3/4 pounds lighter than older vest. Sits high but im able to reach my calls. Pot calls and strikers fit for me. Seat seems very comfortable.
Not so good: short box fits fine. My Lynch which I consider an average size I have to fiddle with.
Shoulder straps are not as comfortable as my older vest, could be a problem, jury is out on that. I might have some padding made and box pocket corrected by a seamstress. Like Tom said great quality but could use some tweaking.

I had the same thoughts on the shoulder straps. They dug in, so I added some slip on pads from camo shoulder bags I had. Once I did that, they were better. Good luck with it.....