So many options and Chinese knock offs out there. Can I please get some options/recommendations from folks that have one? I had a flambeau one I liked that died and they don’t make them any more. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have been rocking a hooded jacket from them for 4-5 years and it still works great. Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
I own both a ScentLok Reactor heated vest and a Pnuma heated vest. Both have pros and cons. The ScentLok vest is nice because it's insulated and can be used as a layering piece even without the heat. Plus, it takes any USB battery bank, so you can use as big or small of a battery as you want. I like that the Pnuma vest is worn next to your skin as a base layer, but it has an annoying proprietary battery that doesn't give you that much battery life. If you need to replace it during a hunt, you have to dig through all of your layers to get at it. ScentLok just came out with a heated merino wool shirt that looks really sweet. I have one ordered, but don't have any real-world experience with it yet. I'm assuming I'll wear it next to or close to my skin like the Pnuma vest, and it takes any USB power bank. So it seems like the best of both worlds. I had a Milwaukee heated jacket years ago and it worked, but it was bulky and the battery pack was huge. I still have it around here somewhere but haven't used it in years.
I have the Milwaukee vest with a couple different size batteries. I use the larger battery for hunting and the smaller one for downhill skiing or around town. I have had them (wife has one too.) for a few seasons now. They work great and have survived multiple washings without issues. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have an Aris brand vest. It's fleece-so quiet. Mine has 8 heating pads divided into 3 zones. There are 5 warmth settings. 4 pockets. One for the USB battery, 2 for stuff and another for your cell phone. That pocket also has a usb cord that with the correct adapter could charge your cell phone. I really like the heated collar on windy days.
Thanks guys! I really appreciate the input. I hear you on the proprietary batteries Justin, my last one was that way. They were expensive and didn’t last long. That will make the decision for me for sure. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have the Milwaukee as well as the Ororo. I prefer the Ororo. It has a smaller battery that doesn't bother me like the Milwaukee batteries. Also has a boost mode when you first start it and heats up fast.
I bought a cheap on on Amazon this year actually. Kemimoto is the brand. I wanted something that was thin and didn't get in the way of my other layers. Combined with a 10K mah battery, it works outstanding. I grabbed two batteries and the vest for I think 125 dollars. My only complaint with the vest is that it does not seem to breath real well so if you're doing any type of hiking in and getting sweated up, it seems to make you clammy. I was originally going to just buy the pnuma vest and batteries, but I have to be honest here, their batteries are small capacity and you're pretty well stuck with using them only. I liked the idea of getting a vest that can operate on any battery source. Plus the batteries can double to charge your phone, etc if you need to.
I forget the brand, wife bought me one for christmas, but I already can envision on really cold days I'll have my 4 foot extension USB cord run to my pack where I have some massive USB plugable batter packs that I could run the thing full heat all day if I had to. The Pnuma one I wouldn't take for more than $20 because of the properietary battery concept - they missed the mark big time there IMO
I also have the Arris, first time with it last year. I wear it right over my base layer. Quiet fleece material. The zip in panels for sizing work really well, I was able to get the fit how I liked it pretty easily. I mostly used the medium setting (green), a time or two I used high (purple). It has 5 settings, green and purple are settings 3 and 4 respectively. I generally sit around 3 to 4 hours, normally don't need the vest until I've sat about 45 minutes after walking in and climbing the tree. I could use the vest for two sits and then I'd charge, maybe could've got a third sit but it would've been close so I just charged after two sits. The Scentlok heated merino shirt sounds very ideal to me. The vest feels a bit bulky under my outer layer, but I've never really liked wearing a vest. If I didn't already have a vest the merino shirt would be my first choice.
Man, ya know, that ScentLok heated shirt looks nice... all but where they put the freakin power button. On my vest, its on the top left of the chest, making it easy to pop open your jacket and turn it on or off. Having it way down there might be a PITA. The vest I have is not bulky at all, just two thin layers of material to enclose the heating elements. I didnt' want something that I couldn't wear my normal merino base and mid layers. This one, I can put my silk weight base on, then the vest, then my expedition weight merino over it. It works, but the cut of the vest isn't very forgiving as its sort of short. Think biker vest.
I haven't looked at where the controls are on the heated shirt, down low does sound like a pain when it's under a couple layers. Still, I like the idea of a heated setup that doesn't feel any different to wear than a simple base layer. I have a pair of heated socks that are bluetooth, I just put an app on my phone and can turn them on/off and change the heat level all from my phone. A heated base layer shirt with bluetooth controls, I couldn't give them my money fast enough. My Arris vest the controls are in the same place as yours, simply unzip outer jacket a bit and hit the buttons. Mine isn't biker vest short but it just reaches my waist line. But I'm 5'7", so probably fit like a biker vest on a normal sized person ha ha.
