First Look: The Chief Upland Over/Under Vest System
OutdoorHub Editor: Keenan Crow 12.16.20
So you think your Christmas shopping is complete. Well, not quite. There’s still one gift you need to order, whether it’s for you – everyone buys Christmas gifts for themselves, right? – or the hunter sitting around your tree. It’s the Chief Upland Over/Under Vest system.
In today’s upland hunting market, it can be difficult to find an affordable hunting vest that covers all the bases in comfort, organization and a truly adjustable and customizable fit to match the hunting style of you and your dogs.
Chief Upland is rewriting that narrative.
By teaming up with strategic innovators, gear designers and technical apparel engineers they developed the ultimate upland hunting platform. A technically-advanced vest system that is Over-built and Under-priced to create significant value and a comfortable fit that is unparalleled by any other brand of upland hunting vest on the market. With an expandable, front-loading game bird pouch covered in MOLLE panels, YOU get to choose exactly where to position your water bottle(s), Quick Grab Ammo Pouch, Gun Stock Rest, or any of the other attachments the company has to offer.
Like a Waterproof Electronics Pouch, or a MOLLE D-Ring – which I plan to use for attaching my dog’s lead whenever necessary.
On the backside, the vest features a conveniently-sized rear compartment that opens to interior storage, (perfect for holding a first-aid kit for your dog) plus more organization pockets and a clip for your keys.
Next to the seemingly endless customization options the MOLLE panels offer, the Over/Under Vest’s biggest claim to fame is the front-loading bird bag. This feature is really awesome!
By simply unhooking the front portion of the vest, users then gain full access to the game bag without having to awkwardly bend their arm backwards like a chicken wing to get a bird in the back of their vest.
This is probably a good time to explain how flat the vest lays when the game bag is empty, because it’s actually quite deceiving how much storage is actually available in this vest when you lay it all out. Below is a side-by-side image showing an idea of what the vest looks like when it’s together vs. open. This feature will come in handy for easy cleanup after a long day of hunting, plus there’s even a designated spot if you have a hydration system you want to incorporate with the vest, as well.
They truly thought of everything here!
Bottom Line/ Conclusion
If you’re looking for an upland hunting vest that does it all – except break your bank – the Over/Under Upland Vest is going to be tough to compete with!
Despite all the options you have to customize the vest to work for you, it’s far from fragile. All vests are meticulously crafted using 1000D CORDURA, Hypalon and leather accents, combined with rip-stop lining to make it water and briar-proof, while retaining a light, 2.56-lb. weight. The Over/Under Vest is currently offered in two different color ways; Earth-Tone, or Blaze Orange for safety.
One of the most popular questions that comes up concerning an upland vest is always, ‘Is it hot?’
Truthfully, I’ve been hunting in temperatures hovering just above freezing the past week, so ‘hot’ hasn’t really been an issue lately. However, I am very anxious to see how the engineering built into this vest performs during those warm September days next year!
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I’ve been running the Over/Under Vest system through rigorous field testing the last couple weeks of the Ruffed Grouse season here in northern Michigan – without much to show for it, unfortunately – so stay tuned for a proper write-up on how it performs when the weather warms up, and once I’m able (hopefully) to get some birds in the bag!
However, if you saw everything you need and you’re already sold on all the awesome features I have discussed, check out even more details at chiefupland.com.
MSRP: $149 – Pre-order by December 30, 2020 and receive a FREE quick grab ammo pouch. A limited quantity is available at this exclusive pre-order price.
