Okay, so I actually gave the Shrike an honest test tonight and hunted for about four hours. I have been using my Kestrel Flex since it cooled down, but tonight was around 50 degrees so I gave the Shrike a try. Here are my thoughts:
Pros:
- Lightweight - The Shrike (gorilla mesh) weight feels similar to my Cruzr XC. This is a good thing. My Kestrel Flex has really been feeling heavy lately. But I do like the Flex.
- Comfort - I was pleased with the comfort and did not feel hip pinch or any discomfort. I would rate it similar to my Flex comfort.
- Integrated linesman belt. - Yes, I’m listing it as a pro. I was pleasantly surprised that it actually worked pretty good. It’s light, comes with a quality carabiner and adjusts easily. Mine is setup left handed, which is what I wanted. But adjustment is on my left side. Normally my adjustment is on the right side Via Ropeman and carabiner. Since the adjustment is on my left, this will take a little getting used to. But I didn’t feel like this was a negative. I just stuck the linesman in a dump pouch like I would do with any linesman…unless you prefer daisy chaining.
- Quality - Like most aerohunter products, the Shrike is well built. Stitching and materials are very good. I like the heavier waist belt. And the buckles are nice ADF Raptors. Although I like my CRUZR XC, the buckles and waist belt are not near as good as the Shrike. I appreciate some of the details like the flex bans to hold excess strapping versus plastic clips and the cords that hold the leg strap Buckles in position.
Cons:
- The linesman loop IS too small. Mine is smaller than my flex’s loops and I cannot get more than two fingers in it. I would prefer larger loops but it works.
- Web bridge - it is easy to adjust but I just don’t care for web bridges. The edges can be uncomfortable on arms and hands. And I don’t think the web slides in the carabiner nearly as well as amsteel. I will probably add an amsteel bridge and run two bridges.
To summarize, it’s comfortable, light and well made. I can use the integrated linesman’s, but I can see how it could turn people off. But I thinks it’s worth a try. So I plan to run the Shrike and my Flex. I’ll make a few tweaks but I think it’s gonna be a good addition. It could end up being my go to. Always wanted the Yarak, but I guess this is close enough.