Venture Waistcoat Green

Customer Reviews

1. Well designed and practical Review by Birds Illustrated Autumn 2009

   BIRDWATCHERS come in all shapes and sizes (sadly, for many of us, we are far larger than when we started out with binoculars), but that fact is not always reflected in clothing ranges on sale in Blacks, Millets and other outdoors retailers.
   
   However, Country Innovation is a company that has won a loyal following from birdwatchers by being responsive to their needs and has now launched new versions of its popular Venture waistcoat for both men and women.
   
   As a more-than-satisfied user of the original Venture poly-cotton garment for the past decade, I was very interested to see what changes had been made. The new men’s waistcoat is a tad wider (someone else has noticed those ever-expanding waistlines!) and the four bellows pockets are all wider than on the original, making it easier to insert or extract fieldguides or other essential equipment.
   
   The two large pockets contain zipped compartments to secure loose change or other valuables. You can secure your keys to a fob located inside the left-hand security pocket.
   
   The new garment now boasts 13 pockets, two more than the original, as the modern birder needs somewhere to put his pager and mobile phone while actually looking at birds.
   
   The most noticeable change is the discreet padding in the shoulder section to offset the impact of carrying a tripod and though this helps take the weight up to 444gms, the extra thickness did not make me feel too hot, even in humid summer conditions.
   
   I’m pleased that the new design retains a collar to stop binocular straps chafing the neck, but the new version offers a further innovation – a tab on the back secured by Velcro to hold the strap more securely.
   
   Another Velcro’d tab above the right breast pocket helps to keep telescope or camera straps from constantly slipping off the shoulder and should be a boon to anyone overburdened with equipment.
   
   The front zip opens from top or bottom, which makes things more comfortable when driving or when scrunched into other confined spaces. The dense weave of the fabric helps deflect wind, but is breathable, feels soft to the touch and is quick drying if you get caught in a shower.
   
   While the fabric does not rustle, you will need to keep the metal press-studs on pockets secured to avoid an irritating ‘chink-chink’ sound as you move around, but after several months of testing this is the only ‘fault’ I could find to criticize. The waistcoat was so useful and comfortable, I found I was using it for shopping just as much as in the field.
   (Posted on 07/09/2009)

2. An extremely light and very well designed waistcoat Review by Birdwatch Magazine August 2009

   For those photographers, like me, who hate carrying a bag with them, especially during the summer, a waistcoat is an ideal solution. This new version of Country Innovation's Venture waistcoat comes with even more pockets than before, as well as a couple of other refinements that make it worth another look.
   There is a total of 13 pockets, an increase of two on the original version, including security pockets tucked away inside other pockets, inside pockets and side pockets big enough to hold a decent-sized field guide. And if all that isnt enough, there is also a key fob attached to one of the side pockets so those keys dont have to be frantically searched for, and a tab on the back of the neck to hold a binocular or camer a strap in place. Light padding on the shoulder areas increases the comfort level when carrying a tripod or heavy lens slung over the shoulder, and there is a collar to prevent your binocular stap rubbing. Made of polyster and cotton, the waistcoat is light in weight and rustles very little. It also feels as though it will stand up to the kind of treatment I tend to give of all my coats and jackets, wihich i have to admit isnt with a great deal of care. I found this a very comfortable garment to wear and extremely light and very well designed and has a quality feel to it.
   The side pockets are large enough to hold a camera body or a small telephoto/zoom lens, while there are enough pockets to carry everything else that i would need for a day in the field, the only problem would be remebering which pocket the spare memory cards were kept in!
   Over the years Country Innovation has built up a steady reputation for providing quality clothing for birdwatchers and photographers and this new waistcoat is destined to become another well-used item in my wardrobe.
   By Steve Young Birdwatch Magazine August 2009 (Posted on 07/09/2009)

3. great Review by jack

   great (Posted on 03/08/2009)