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Turkey Vest Modifications

always89y

always89y

Well-Known Member
Vendor Rep
SH Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
2,315
Location
Knoxville, TN
Evenin' gents,
I'm settled in on using the turkey vest to carry all of my gear in, with a few modifications. Thought I would share and see what you guys who are using one have done.
1. 1st thing I did was reinforce the shoulders, and back with stronger webbing.
2. I added heavier material to the inside of the back hame carrier pocket to keep things from poking through and ripping.
3. Added a few buckles on the back panel to secure sticks or my LW platform.
4. I'm beefing up the seat to stiffen up for use as a knee pad.
How about you fellas?
 

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Made some upgrades now that I'm settled in on one sticking. I have my stick, platform and long rope secured in the back. I didnt like the way the platform deformed the back flap and took up room, so I cut a hole and bound it to relieve the space that was lost. I can still put 4 sticks or the LW hand climber if needed.
 

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always89y said:
Made some upgrades now that I'm settled in on one sticking. I have my stick, platform and long rope secured in the back. I didnt like the way the platform deformed the back flap and took up room, so I cut a hole and bound it to relieve the space that was lost. I can still put 4 sticks or the LW hand climber if needed.
Click to expand...
Thats slick, I wanted to try a vest this year but wanted to nail down climbing method. I do like your mods here, thanks for posting.
 
Ya, its pretty handy. I hang it right in front of me (picked up from @boyne bowhunter video). I can drop the sitting pad down and put my knees into it. The molly loops on the back make for easy hanging of gear that I want close at hand. I feel like it limits my movement as well.
 
always89y said:
Made some upgrades now that I'm settled in on one sticking. I have my stick, platform and long rope secured in the back. I didnt like the way the platform deformed the back flap and took up room, so I cut a hole and bound it to relieve the space that was lost. I can still put 4 sticks or the LW hand climber if needed.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insight. Have the same vest it appears. Took it out for the first time last weekend and loved it. Going to beef it up as you have, was worried about the little buckles.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
I added molle webbng at the bottom of my vest, to hang my sticks while climbing. A kydex J-hook fits a loop of paracord on each stick, they're easy to hang, reach and move to the tree as I go up.

I like your opening to avoid sharp stand parts cutting a hole in the game bag area. I was thinking of adding a layer of cordura inside mine for the same reason.

I pack my sticks in with a movable single-loop aider as a carry strap. Maybe I could flip them upside down - so the paracord loop still hangs in the J-hook, but the bottoms might flip up near my shoulders and hook to rubber coated wire there. I haven't worked on it, just an idea.

I also want a way to buff it up and maybe carry out a quartered deer somehow - add internal webbing over the shoulders, maybe add kifaru cargo panel - like cover - but I think it may require a frame to work. I have a pack frame, but that's also another thing to carry, climb. hang and work with.

I think there's room for a saddle-specific turkey vest modification that fits our specific uses, but am not actively working on it.
 
The little buckles seem to hold up well. I did reinforce all of the strap joints with some 1 inch webbing and box stitched them. Also ran some upholstery thread on all of the panel joints. They seemed a bit flimsy. Let me know what you end up doing. Would love to get more ideas.
 
JBDaddy said:
I added molle webbng at the bottom of my vest, to hang my sticks while climbing. A kydex J-hook fits a loop of paracord on each stick, they're easy to hang, reach and move to the tree as I go up.

I like your opening to avoid sharp stand parts cutting a hole in the game bag area. I was thinking of adding a layer of cordura inside mine for the same reason.

I pack my sticks in with a movable single-loop aider as a carry strap. Maybe I could flip them upside down - so the paracord loop still hangs in the J-hook, but the bottoms might flip up near my shoulders and hook to rubber coated wire there. I haven't worked on it, just an idea.

I also want a way to buff it up and maybe carry out a quartered deer somehow - add internal webbing over the shoulders, maybe add kifaru cargo panel - like cover - but I think it may require a frame to work. I have a pack frame, but that's also another thing to carry, climb. hang and work with.

I think there's room for a saddle-specific turkey vest modification that fits our specific uses, but am not actively working on it.
Click to expand...
The cordura was a good add. Since I'm one sticking, I just have a piece of zingit on the step and platform. i take them both out once at the tree and throw the stick on the tree and platform on a molle hook on the saddle. I rapel down, so both hook to the saddle on the way down. 2 minutes of packing up once down and I'm on my way.
The main reason I started using the vest was so that I can un-ass an aluminium canoe without alerting all of the critters! The vest completely encloses the gear making it very quite and wearable.

I wonder if some kind of collapsible pack frame could be carried in to haul out game?
 
always89y said:
The cordura was a good add. Since I'm one sticking, I just have a piece of zingit on the step and platform. i take them both out once at the tree and throw the stick on the tree and platform on a molle hook on the saddle. I rapel down, so both hook to the saddle on the way down. 2 minutes of packing up once down and I'm on my way.
The main reason I started using the vest was so that I can un-ass an aluminium canoe without alerting all of the critters! The vest completely encloses the gear making it very quite and wearable.

I wonder if some kind of collapsible pack frame could be carried in to haul out game?
Click to expand...
Cant post pics but I just sewed a bag to pack out deer. If you can imagine a boys mail carrier. A bag hanging in front and back of you. Light wt. and can be kept in a pack w/o taking up any space. Ready, just in case. I carry a small sling pack so this works well for heavy objects. No blood on it yet though. I sewed it from two nylon feed sacks just to try before buying materials. Easy to wash up.
 
Blacksmith said:
Cant post pics but I just sewed a bag to pack out deer. If you can imagine a boys mail carrier. A bag hanging in front and back of you. Light wt. and can be kept in a pack w/o taking up any space. Ready, just in case. I carry a small sling pack so this works well for heavy objects. No blood on it yet though. I sewed it from two nylon feed sacks just to try before buying materials. Easy to wash up.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a practical way to carry. Post up some pics when you get a chance.
 
Blacksmith said:
Cant post pics but I just sewed a bag to pack out deer. If you can imagine a boys mail carrier. A bag hanging in front and back of you. Light wt. and can be kept in a pack w/o taking up any space. Ready, just in case. I carry a small sling pack so this works well for heavy objects. No blood on it yet though. I sewed it from two nylon feed sacks just to try before buying materials. Easy to wash up.
Click to expand...
I delivered papers as a kid with one of those. Can't believe I didn't think of it. Great idea.
 
always89y said:
That sounds like a practical way to carry. Post up some pics when you get a chance.
Click to expand...
I've been on here a long time and still can't figure out how to post pics. Just visualize two sacks sewn end to end at the tops and a hole cut out larger than your head w/ the sides intact, making the straps. Really simple project. I may keep the feed bags instead of buying material because its washable and really low bulk. I like a sled but this can always be w/me, just in case I find a dead deer somewhere.
 
always89y said:
Evenin' gents,
I'm settled in on using the turkey vest to carry all of my gear in, with a few modifications. Thought I would share and see what you guys who are using one have done.
1. 1st thing I did was reinforce the shoulders, and back with stronger webbing.
2. I added heavier material to the inside of the back hame carrier pocket to keep things from poking through and ripping.
3. Added a few buckles on the back panel to secure sticks or my LW platform.
4. I'm beefing up the seat to stiffen up for use as a knee pad.
How about you fellas?
Click to expand...
Good Job. I've been looking at vests, trying to determine how good of one I need to buy to do away w/ my small pack.
 
Blacksmith said:
I've been on here a long time and still can't figure out how to post pics. Just visualize two sacks sewn end to end at the tops and a hole cut out larger than your head w/ the sides intact, making the straps. Really simple project. I may keep the feed bags instead of buying material because its washable and really low bulk. I like a sled but this can always be w/me, just in case I find a dead deer somewhere.
Click to expand...
I use Flickr.com to hold the pics I post here. I only upload selectively to Flickr. Then I just cut and paste the link to the photo on Flickr. As long as Flickr is running, my photos appear on Saddlehunter. They are really BIG on Saddlehunter for viewing enjoyment.
 
always89y said:
Made some upgrades now that I'm settled in on one sticking. I have my stick, platform and long rope secured in the back. I didnt like the way the platform deformed the back flap and took up room, so I cut a hole and bound it to relieve the space that was lost. I can still put 4 sticks or the LW hand climber if needed.
Click to expand...
Turkey vest looks nice. I had a crazy idea of a turkey vest/saddle combination, kind of like a Unisaddle. I know you like unusual ideas. What do you think?
 
bj139 said:
Turkey vest looks nice. I had a crazy idea of a turkey vest/saddle combination, kind of like a Unisaddle. I know you like unusual ideas. What do you think?
Click to expand...
One of my favorite things about the vest is how everything is right there in your face when you hang it in front of you. For me, having it attached would make that difficult. If your using the back only for sticks/platform, that would be awesome!
 
I'm really liking switching over to a vest system....I looked at the turkey vest but I prefer knee pads so when a different direction but the concept in the same. If I liked a tree pad I would be using yours as a reference to build off of. You do good work on all your projects. Diy4life
 
Thanks brother. I've actually taken the pad off and went to knee pads as well. To heavy and bulky, and one sticking hurts!
 
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