Turkey vests have a funny way of turning into junk drawers. You start the season thinking you’ll carry just the essentials. By the third hunt, you’ve got extra calls you don’t use, old snacks you forgot about, and at least one pocket full of old wrappers and other crap you don’t need.
I’ve run enough setups like that to know where it leads. I end up spending as much time digging for gear as I spend hunting.
The Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II Chest Rig takes a different approach. It strips things down to a compact chest rig that forces you to carry less so you can move more. No bulk. No built-in seat. No extra layers of “just in case” clutter you’ll never touch.
At first, that felt limiting. Then I took it into the woods.
In short: The Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II Chest Rig cuts the junk so you can move faster, hunt lighter, and stop fumbling with your gear. It holds everything you need and nothing you don’t. If you’re a run-and-gun turkey hunter, this might be your new go-to.
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lightweight
- Comfortable design
- Roomy main compartment
- Quick-access call pockets
- Durable construction
Cons
- Straps are difficult to adjust
- No dedicated slots for mouth calls
- First impressions
Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II Review
First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about the Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II wasn’t any flashy features or its quality build. It was what was missing. I’m an aficionado of a well-stocked turkey vest — the kind with a million pockets and dedicated spots for everything from mouth calls to emergency toilet paper.
This rig has none of the standard gobbler-getting bells and whistles. No bulky back panel. No overloaded pockets. No built-in seat to drag behind you like a tractor through soft dirt.
It’s actually way closer to a bino harness than the traditional turkey vest. But that’s the whole point.
This rig is meant for the minimalist run-and-gun turkey hunter who doesn’t want to haul half the garage into the turkey woods.
If you’re used to packing for a morning hunt like you might spend the night (i.e., with snacks, dekes, 27 calls, rain gear, maybe even a Lazy Boy), this one will feel way too stripped down.
It did for me.
Field Testing During Spring Turkey Season
I carried the Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II Chest Rig through most of North Carolina’s spring season. Sometimes I set up in a pop-up blind, but turkey season is where an ADHD hunter like me can really shine. My style usually involves a pre-dawn crawl through brush and greenbriars to watch the sunrise with my back against an oak tree. Only to have to crawl again at first light to follow the birds and set up somewhere new.
ADHD aside, when it comes to being prepared, I tend to err on the side of overpreparation. Extra calls. Backup gear. Snacks. An extra layer. Stuff I might only need if things go sideways.
The problem is that stuff gets in the way during an active hunt.
The limited space in this setup forces a little discipline. Every piece of gear has to earn its place. What surprised me is that I never felt underequipped. The layout makes it easy to carry the essentials plus a few just-in-case items without turning into a walking gear closet.
Where it really shines is mobility. You move faster. You slip through brush without hanging up. When it’s time to drop and crawl, there’s nothing digging into your back or catching on the ground.
Call Pockets
Like any good turkey vest, this vest has thoughtfully placed call pockets. Every call has a place, in that just right Goldilocks way.
The exterior pot call pocket is shaped the way it should be. Not too loose, not too tight. It holds the call securely but doesn’t fight you when you need to pull it out quickly.
The striker sleeve is just above the pot call pocket. It’s simple and effective, and keeps you from having to dig around for it. However, I wish it were a little more secure. I lived in constant fear of losing my striker during some heat-of-the-moment belly crawl.
One real star in this setup is the magnetic locator call pocket. You can easily open and close it with one hand, and it makes zero noise.
There’s also a dedicated box call slot and two zippered pockets for stowing things like some compact binoculars, a rangefinder, and other essentials like snacks and T.P.
Fit and Comfort
This ain’t your granddaddy’s turkey vest, but it’s honestly a lot more comfortable. Instead of sliding arms through holes and pulling it closed like a jacket, this one slips on like a bino harness. That means the weight stays centered on your chest. No sagging on your lower back or bouncing against your sides when you’re hoofing it through timber.
That said, adjusting the straps takes some patience. This isn’t one you want to throw on as you’re heading into the woods on opening morning. It took some tweaking, retightening, and second-guessing before I finally got the fit dialed in. But after the initial struggle, it ended up being one of the most comfortable setups I’ve worn on those long, all-day roaming hunts.
But probably its best feature is the low-profile design. This one isn’t bouncing around, flopping, or generally getting in the way. Once you have the fit set, it almost works like it’s part of your body.
Durability
Built from 500D Cordura, this chest rig is plenty durable. It held up to briars, rain, and mud without breaking a sweat. While the fabric is rugged, it isn’t at all stiff or noisy. And the stitching held up well during a season’s worth of use. The zippers are also solid. So is the magnetic closure.
Where It Excels
Mobility is the headliner. If you like to cover ground, adjust on the fly, and stay aggressive with birds, this rig fits that lifestyle better than a traditional vest.
Organization comes in as a close second. There are dedicated pockets for all the calls you don’t want to fumble for during the chase. And since everything is positioned in a way that makes sense, you won’t be digging around or shifting gear in the middle of the action.
The minimalist design also forces you to trim the excess. That may sound like a negative, until you realize how much junk you’ve been toting around the turkey woods all these years.
Where It Falls Short
If you’re the kind of turkey hunter who likes to sit still and stay put, your backside will notice the lack of a seat real quick. Sure, you can carry a cushion, but that starts to chip away at the minimalist approach. Also, there’s no easy way to clip one to this rig.
The strap system also needs work. It functions well once set, but the initial adjustment will be clunky enough to frustrate impatient hunters. (It’s me. I’m the impatient hunter.)
Final Thoughts
The Outdoor Vision Gear Turkey Pro II chest rig isn’t the kind of turkey vest that’s trying to be everything to everybody. It focuses on doing a few things really well. Staying light. Staying organized. And staying out of the way. If your style of turkey hunting leans toward movement and adaptability, it’s going to be hard to go back to a full vest after using it.
If it just had a built-in seat, it would be darn near perfect.
