ALPS OutdoorZExtreme Upland Game Vest

It's a nice game vest/pack combo but I wonder if the person that designed some of the features hunts. it's got some great features like H20 capability although it would have been nice if they stated which of their H2O hydration reservoirs fit this pack ... I bought the 3liter alps outdoors res and it was tough to get it in the compartment but it did eventually fit. the pack is designed pretty much for everyone from 32" waist to super overweight waist size so if you have a 32-33" waist like me there is a ton of leftover strap from tightening it to fit ... I plan to cut that off and melt the ends or restitch it because both sides of the buckle hang down past my knees at the moment. Also who the heck needs gun gussets on a vest? The place where the shell pouches are on every other vest ever made has these two gun butt gusset platforms that fold out so you can rest the gun butt on them? who would do that though? seems like a slight safety risk if the gun slipped out and the but hit the ground with the muzzle pointing toward you or who knows where ... I would hope they read these reviews and take this advice ... get rid of those and put the shell pouches in the front closer to the buckles ... it's a little weird having them on each side of your body. also the pouches are designed to hold a box of shells, LITERALLY a box of shells, but again what upland hunter puts a box of shells in the pouch? We don't need that, we need quick access to shells not a pouch to hold the shells that are still inside of a box. So yeah you can get around that by just putting shells in there but it's possible they could fall out the way it is designed if you are climbing or bending over for some reason. My solution is I put about half a box in each side then use the two water bottle pouches on the back of the pack to store another half box in each side which seems to work fine and you can reach the shells still without removing the vest. I hunt chukar and I'll be damned if I'm going to do that much climbing and hiking and then run out of shells so I like to bring more than I need. Don't get me wrong this thing fits so much nicer than any upland vest and we know those things never fit right it's just that some of the features will take some getting used to because they aren't traditional. The poke is super easy to access so thats another check box on the positive side ... Nothing is worse than your dog bringing a bird back and you struggling to reach your poke to stuff it in there when more birds get up and you are fumbling with the poke still. I feel like I'll get over these small quirks and it really is constructed well, which is on par with my experience with Alps outdoors products being very well made (I have an Alps outdoors duck blind/dove seat that has lasted 4 seasons already and shows little signs of use even though it's been used hard). I give it a positive outlook over all, there are just a few things they could do to make it even better for upland extreme vest 2.0 whenever that time comes. so to recap positives are it fits well and is fully adjustable, is constructed very well, had H2O capability, has plenty of storage for radios, maps, gps, phone, snacks, etc..., has and extremely easily accessible poke. cons the shell pouches are a little weird, the gun gussets are not a good idea, and the waist straps are really long if you are an average sized person. with a little tweaking the waist straps can be modified to work just fine.

I spent a couple of weeks looking for an upland pack that I could use for half day trips as well as multiple days in a row. The pack quite effectively transfers all of the load to your hips. Overall the construction and fit is awesome. I will break my thoughts down Pros and Cons style. I will try to be very critical for everyone.Cons:1. The flip down gun rest is a little to far back to be comfortable to use consistently. While it is a nice for an occasional break not for use all the time. The flip down rest can be difficult to flip occasionally.2. The water bottle holders could be approximately 2-3 inches deeper.3. The game pouch can be difficult to access with a pheasant especially if you have limited flexibility with your shoulders. Quail and smaller bird are a cinch to get in. The trick I figured out was to use two hands, your free hand to push open the pouch to be wider and help pull the bird inside.4. The pouches for the shells are tight for a 12 ga box. You need to make sure the flap goes around both corners of the box.5. The hydration pouch is tight. I believe that it states an 8” wide pouch can fit. I would recommend using a water pouch that is 7” or less to help with sliding the water pouch into it.Pros:1. The durability of the bag is awesome. I just finished a 3 day hunt with it in Central Kansas walking through plum thickets some of the toughest vegetation on gear, and there is no fraying of the stitching. I was concerned about the neoprene on the shell box holders but there is only slight fuzzing. I plan on waxing the neoprene to help ensure the fabric doesn't get damaged. In total I have hunted approximately 7-10 days with it.2. The zippered pouch is perfect to carry a knife, scissors, a couple of snacks and any other miscellaneous items.3. It is extremely comfortable. I wore for at least 8 hours a day on my 3 day hunt and it by far was so much better than a coat with game pouch. My shoulder were never sore and the weight transfer to my hips were awesome.4. Adjustability is impressive. It will fit with any amount of clothing.5. Shoulder straps never got in the way of me shouldering the gun.Final thoughts: this bag has lived up to all of my hopes and it has helped me enjoy my hunts that much more. I would highly recommend this pack to anyone. The durability, comfort and ease of use makes it worth all the money. I think Alpz has constructed an amazing bag. Though I think with a couple more tweaks they could make it absolutely incredible, thus the 4 star rating. Regardless this is the bag for you if you are upland hunting.

My husband gives this a 4/5 only because the shell pouches should be more forward on the vest. Otherwise he’s very happy with it!

I did not try it yet in the field, this fall I will for sure, but my initial thoughts when I unpacked it is that it is tough with good quality material. It feels comfortable as well. I got the Large version. My frame is slim, I wear Medium shirts and I am 6ft2. I might update this review when I get to try it this season.

The only upland vest you'll ever need. Has all the bells and whistles including a left and right shot gun holder. Largest game pouch to date and beats out my Filson game(over 20 years old) vest hands down. Now, I'll see how long this bag will last for.

Husband loves it! The best vest he’s ever seen.

LightweightLots of pocketsEasily adjustableI LIKE IT