Venture Waistcoat Green  

Customer Reviews

1. An excellent purchase Review by Elizabeth Steadman

   Value
   Quality
   Price

   I am very pleased with this waistcoat. It is light and comfortable and has all the pockets I require for my photographic and sketching materials which means that I do not necessarily have to take a back-pack with me.
   (Posted on 29/03/2012)

2. An indispensable addition! Review by Philippe Stoop

   As a photographer, I was looking for a practical and functional sleeveless waistcoat - one that doesn't make you look like a warrior geared up with rations and ammunition or a fly fisherman lost in the city! With the Venture Waistcoat from Country Innovation, I found what I wanted. Discretion is very important to me and with 13 handy pockets, six of them hidden; they are a useful precaution against pickpockets. Four are equipped with bellows pockets and two of them may contain up to a 70mm zoom camera (focal length). An efficient neck flap is provided to protect the neck with a 1/2 carnation eyelet on the back and in winter, the waistcoat can be attached inside a lightweight waterproof jacket without exchanging the contents of the pockets.
   
   The closure has a double zipper opening that keeps the jacket open but tight. This prevents the snap and flap that are often found on competing vests and claws the back of cameras. The top of the shoulders and upper front are slightly padded to provide a nice outfit and the size (XXXL) is well proportioned.
   
   With the Country Innovation Venture Waistcoat I have an indispensable addition to taking pictures outdoors. (Posted on 01/11/2011)

3. Everything I expected it to be. Looking forward to wearing it for a long time to come Review by Misterbeal

   Arrived by post in less than the promised time. Excellent fit. Has all the features described. Great value for money. (Posted on 23/07/2011)

4. Useful Review by Glen

   Quality
   Price
   Value

   Nice material, light and easy to pack away. Never managed to fill all the pockets yet! Any chance of a cheaper one with fewer pockets and preferably in blue...or red even? (Posted on 13/07/2011)

5. Good value Review by rambleon

   Having tried many other multi pocketed waistcoats this is the one that provided the best design at the best value. Very pleased with it, but it would be improved with a poachers pocket at the back. (Posted on 26/05/2011)

6. A well made and versatile product Review by Michael

   Having compared this item to a previous manufacturer's brand which I owned, I have found this to be very lightweight and well suited to the cause. As a keen photographer and birdwatcher, I look forward to many happy trips where I can put it to good use. (Posted on 25/05/2011)

7. 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)

8. 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)

9. great Review by jack

   great (Posted on 03/08/2009)