Heated Vest

Starting to think about staying warm for Wisconsin rut. What's the heated vest you all recommend? I use to have a Milwaukee vest but never got that warm and eventually stopped working.

Thoughts on the TideWe heated gear??

 

I haven't used any of the TideWe stuff but I have used both Pnuma and ScentLok heated vests. I prefer the ScentLok vest because it takes a standard USB battery bank and not a proprietary battery. Plus it's insulated so I can wear it as a normal outer later when I want.

When the temps drop I don't hunt without a heated vest of some sort. IMO it's a game-changer as it allows me to get away with a little bit less bulk and stay just as warm. This is very handy when saddle or mobile hunting when you're typically more physically active getting setup and are worried about carrying in additional layers.

I haven't tried them out yet, but I know Muddy Outdoors just came out with a full line of heated apparel as well.

 

this is the key. I bought one a few years back that was super warm, but the battery crapped out and you can't find it anymore. I suppose I could re-wire it...?

but have since bought a cheap-o one from Amazon that takes standard USB and just use that one. Nice to be able to take a few batteries out into the field for all day sits, plus my batteries have multiple outs and can power the vest and phone or even my flashlight in case of emergency.

 

I have a heated vest off Amazon, it is an Arris brand. Had it a couple years, no issues. I like that it can be made to fit perfect, they come with different size side panels for each side and you just put in the one that gives you the best fit. They have a zipper on both sides for the side panels.

I just pulled the trigger on a heated shirt. I took a gamble on one from Amazon, Venture was the brand I think. Reviews were mostly good and the only recurring complaint was the battery life of the included battery, so I also ordered a 16,000 Mah spare battery. It is a generic battery source for heated clothing and comes with USB, 3.5mm, & 3.8mm plug ins. It will be able to power my vest or the new shirt. I'm hopeful the shirt is decent, I'm cheap and just couldn't make myself order the Scentlok shirt.

Something else to consider is bluetooth. My Arris vest does not have it, but I have a set of heated socks that do. I love being able to control them fully from my phone. The new shirt I have on the way also has bluetooth. The vest isn't too bad to adjust without bluetooth, but socks or a shirt that is under a few layers, it is pretty convenient.

 

I have tried a couple different ones and broke down and bought the Pnuma. IMO, its the most versatile. I'm an old ass anymore, so I wear mine quite a bit, even during the early season. Its pretty nice to be able to turn it on and warm up the ol back muscles at times. I like that I can wear it next to skin and its pretty form fitting, meaning it really heats you up quickly and you can feel it.

One thing I will say. There is a significant different in heat output between the 7.4V and 5V systems. Normal USB can't push anymore than 5V. Thats why all of clothing in that volt range are cheaper and you can use any usb power pack. But it definitely does not get as warm as a 7v system does.

The only draw back to the Pnuma is their batteries. Its honestly the bigger investment when you buy the vest. I personally have 3 batteries and can get through an entire day with those. I don't run the vest on anything but low and find it plenty warm enough. The cool thing is the pre heat mode it does when you first turn it on, giving you max heat until its up to temp, which really warms you up, then it automatically backs off to low and sustains heat for longer. If you keep a look out, you can find the Pnuma vests on sale from them quite often. It comes with a battery and charger and if you order two more batteries and charger combos, its around 225 for everything if I recall.

I'm a huge fan of this vest.

 

I wish I saw more consistent good reviews of the Milwaukee ones, having chargers and batteries already is a huge plus, but I just keep seeing too many reviews that seem legit and negative.

menards has an "actionheat" heated vest for $110 that comes with small battery, but also USB so easy to have extra batteries. I'll have to see if they have them in stock local because its hard to know from website how nice it is.

 

That is a major plus of the Pnuma compared to others. I do like having it next-to-skin as I feel like I'm getting more benefit out of the heat, which is then trapped inside of my insulating and outer layers. I just hate the battery system.

 

I've had the their merino wool visor beanie since pnuma launched and its finally time to replace it.
That is a hat that BHOD should copy and get on their website.... that hat is amazing
I've tried other brimmed hats and they all fail in comparison to the pnuma one.

They have lifetime warranty and I'd warranty the hat but it was given to me for free from pnuma and think it'd be pretty crappy to ask essentially for a 2nd free hat.

 

My wife and I have Milwaukee vests. No issues the few years we have had them. Maybe I’ll look at something else when they die but I have no complaints and already have the batteries.


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I have the TideWe vest and it worked great last winter. The battery bank is pretty large but last for awhile. I would run it on medium and could get plenty of hours out of it. The heated collar is really nice. I should have ordered one size smaller as it is a little bulky, but I can still use it as an inner or outer layer.