Guide PRO Vest – Wind & Water-Resistant Soft Shell Hunting Vest, Durable & Quiet with Fleece Lining for Cold Weather

I've been wearing the Guide PRO Vest (and it's accompanying pants that was also sent for review) for about 5 months now. In that time it's proven to be absolutely essential. I'm an outdoor pro, and it was a constant companion throughout my work season. I'm at the tail end of a lengthy contract and it's been worn every single day. It's a fantastic vest that works equally well as a internal or external layering piece. It has a simple but useful pocket layout. It Thermal regulates well and the fabric used is quite good. Like The rest of the Pro Guide line, the vest uses a nylon fabric outer layer bonded to a microfleece inner layer. Bonded fleece linings aren't as unique as they used to be. Which is good, because they're fantastic! And the cost has gone down. This approach allows for a very thin high performance fabric. It allows the fabric to move and stretch with you in ways that a traditional stitched in lining can't. It's a small and for some overly expensive change, but as an outdoor pro, I have found it to be a worthwhile one. In my review of the accompanying pants, I praised the interior fleece lining for its comfort and insulation, and was very impressed with the wind resistance, but was a little disappointed about the water resistance. An inherent limitation of the DWR treatment used, but did say that the fast drying nature of the exterior fabric helps mitigate that to an extent. All that continues to be true about the fabric, but the equation is different because this is a vest. It's a supplement to you're layering system. It's a great way to add some light (because of the lack of arms) wind resistance and insulation to non-wind resistant garments but still maintaining good thermal regulation. It's just OK water resistance shines when paired with a breathable light rain layer or windshell above it and can help counter any moisture that wets out the upper layer. The Guide Pro line has a recommended temperature range of 32-45°F, which is a good ballpark for the pants and presumably the jacket (which I tried to get but for review too, but a error prevented it) but being a vest, it's a viable layering piece at higher temperature ranges. Around the mid '60s I would say. But at the lower ends you would benefit from insulation layers with more coverage. Depending on personal preference, I would shift the recommended temperature range anywhere from 10° to 15° upwards. The pocket layout is simple but effective, it's a 4 exterior pocket design, with no interior pockets. I know some people really like interior pockets, but it's exclusion makes this a very sleek and easy to use layering piece without anything that might get caught up on layers underneath it. The vest has two hand warmer style pockets at the bottom, these are zippered and lined. They are on the roomy side and an excellent asset for hauling small items or keeping your hands warm. Above it are too inwardly facing chest pockets. Inwardly facing pockets are ideal for mid layers because you can just unzip the upper layer and reach into the pocket without too much fuss. They also allow for easy access when wearing backpack straps. But they are poorly suited and potentially uncomfortable when wearing chest rigs, harnesses, and plate carriers. As far as I can tell the inside dimensions of both upper chest pockets are the same, what differs is entrances. Both are zippered, but The one on the left doesn't have a lip and has a slightly shorter zipper track, The one on the right has a protective track over the zipper and the zipper extends all the way to the bottom of the pocket. Both are very handy. They also both have very small hardly noticeable lanyard loops using a plastic d-ring. What often sets a good design a part from a bad one with great fabric is attention to detail. This vest is a good design. The zippers are of good quality and have garages and storm guards when appropriate. All of them have zipper pulls for easy access. The hem is adjustable with cord locks on either side to cinch it down. Which isn't an unusual feature for insulated garments but The hems used are thin and low profile, much less likely to snag on equipment or create uncomfortable pressure points. When they aren't cinched down, They stay in more of a upwards position, making for a sleek and uncluttered hemline. There is a slight drop tail to keep you warm and dry when sitting down without restricting movement. At the time of review request, and now as of writing the review, the smallest available size is a medium. This also seems to apply to the dealer network. KUIU offers a small on their website. Normally I wear a men's small and still have room to spare. But if you look at size chart, a medium is much closer to a typical men's small especially when it comes to hunting clothing. So make sure you look at the size chart before ordering. My medium fits exactly like a typical small. Making this a nice relaxed fit that works well either under or over layers. A KUIU size small, would still fit, but after trying this garment and a few other medium KUIU garments with similar sizing, I'm quite happy with the medium. Note that some might find the armholes to be a little tight, fortunately I am not one of those people. I elected to go with the ash colorway as I wanted more versatility over a camo colorway. And since it can be worn as a mid-layer I don't run into the issue of being out of compliance with the camo requirement policy (all visible equipment must be camouflaged) of some of my largest employers. It's a very good color way but it's a bit of an odd one. In the photos it looks more like a light green, but in person it's more of a greenish gray to my eyes. I found that some people see it as green other people see it as a bluish gray. But it's definitely a distinct color from KUIU's stone or gunmetal gray. The color way works well in a variety of different vegetation and lighting conditions. And like a lot of greens works well in low light. That said, I would prefer if the colorway was a little closer to Ranger Green. I've tried several different insulated vests in the last year. This one is hands down my favorite. It's pricey, and depending on your needs you can get similar insulated performance for cheaper, maybe even more insulation if you are willing to sacrifice other things. But I feel that the balance and combined feature set are well worth the price point. My work season would have been a lot more miserable if it wasn't for this garment. I feel like it pays for itself and it's earned its place is my current favorite vest.

Toray Primeflex® Nylon is much nicer than I was expecting from a nylon shell material. It is also quiet as there’s no crinkling sound as nylon sometimes makes, and I can run my fingernails across the material without a sound or it snagging on anything. The interior micro-fleece lining is also softer than I was expecting. This has been very nice to wear in the cool early mornings, and I’m sure it will work well in even colder temperatures this fall. There was a light drizzle this morning and it certainly worked well to keep my torso dry. I suspect it would do well in the rain, although I would normally try to wear a full rain jacket if I know it’s going to be raining hard. I really appreciate the full sized zippered pockets. The two upper ones easily swallow up a large iPhone, Kindle or other items I might want to carry, and the lower hand warmer pockets are about as large as they can be. They easily fully accept my larger than most hands, and the micro-fleece lining is warm and comfortable. I do appreciate that they made the pockets as large as they could for the given size of the vest. I’ve had other vests and jackets than use the same amount of material to make their pockets, whether it’s for a size small or size XXL. I would normally order a size XL, tall if available. This fits me as I hoped it would, but it also seems to be a bit snugger than it should. I will wear this over a shirt, perhaps as thick as a flannel shirt in the winter, but not always as the outer layer. If I need additional warmth I would wear a coat over it. Perfect size for me. However, as this is a hunting vest than can come in camouflage colors I would expect some to want to wear this as the outer layer over a few additional layers or a heavy hoodie or sweater. If I wanted to wear it like that I probably would have wanted to order it one size larger. There is a cord in the hem to cinch it tight to block the wind, and that would be handy for the larger size, especially if it wasn’t worn over a few layers. This is a premium warm, lightweight hunting vest. Quiet soft nylon shell with a soft micro-fleece lining. Four large zippered pockets up front, high collar that zips up to keep your neck and throat warm. Size chart seems accurate, but you may want to size up one size if you want to wear there over a few layers. I absolutely can wholeheartedly recommend this KUIU Guide PRO Vest.

If you are an outdoors enthusiast, you know that having the right gear can make or break your adventures. I tend to be a more of a budget spender, but splurged on this vest, and have been nothing but impressed. First off, it is very lightweight, but feels incredibly solid. It is very well made and looks like it will hold up. Has a few handy pockets and looks great, so could definitely be worn out on the town without looking out of place. The fit is where I was pleasantly surprised. Following the size guide, I went with a XL, and it fits perfectly. Not only that, but unlike some garments that leave a lot of extra material in the belly area, this has much more of an athletic fit/cut. Not tight by any means, but it hugs your body and is not bulky., The weather is still warm here, but I am looking forward to testing this as temps drop. Yes it is expensive (relatively), but it seems the price of everything is high these days, and at least with this you get something that will last.

Qué es muy práctico, ligero y muy bello