I am demanding when it comes to waterfowl gear. It must be able to hold up in extremely harsh conditions. Waterfowl hunting clothing is no different. It needs to be designed to keep you warm and dry. I recently had the chance to try out Kuiu’s new Flyway Insulated Vest from their Waterfowl collection. I decided to wear the Kuiu flyway vest while using a kayak to paddle into shallow waters to chase down birds.
This vest is rated for cold to frigid temperatures. I waited until the temperatures could put this vest to the test. The morning I decided to go, the temperatures were in the high teens to low 20s °F. The Fiberball® Insulation did precisely what it advertised it would do. It kept my core body temp warm and comfortable. I used this vest as my outer layer. I combined it with a base layer undershirt and a heavy hooded sweatshirt as the middle layer. I was worried that this might not be enough clothing to keep me warm. I used the adjustable hem cinch, which helped keep the vest close to my body and seemed to help trap the warm air near my chest.
The zippered chest pockets are the perfect size for keeping items such as keys, wallet, and a phone dry and secure. The YKK® zippers were easy to use even while wearing gloves in frigid temperatures. The upper hand pockets have a magnetic closure and are lined with Sherpa fleece. They kept my hands warm while waiting for birds to fly into range. The lower hand pockets are lined with Sherpa fleece and have a magnetic closure. I found these lower pockets perfect for holding extra shells.
One feature I did not think about until I got on the water was that this vest cuts the wind perfectly. The wind was blowing hard enough to push me around in my kayak, but it did not penetrate the vest.
The underarm gusseted pattern on the Kuiu flyway vest was large enough to allow unrestricted movement while paddling my kayak and when I was shooting. It felt like the vest was moving with me as I swung through shots and even when I used my paddle as a push pole while navigating the muck and mud of the shallow water I was hunting in.
I was delighted by how well this vest performed in the field. I plan on adding this vest as one of my go-to pieces of cold-weather hunting clothing. The Flyway Insulated Vest is offered in sizes Small, Medium, Large, XL, 2XL and 3XL. It comes in the Valo Camo pattern and comes in two solid colors: Ash and Gunmetal. It retails for $219.
