Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

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DeLo727
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Location: Wilmington, NY

Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by DeLo727 » Fri Jul 01, 2016 5:53 pm

I have heard a lot of good things about the TZ pack over the years but I never really liked how the only orange on it was in the form of a cover, so I was pretty excited when I saw they had come out with a blaze version. I was pretty hesitant to pull the trigger because I have grown quite attached to my pack over the last few years (Camelback Strap Vest). I admit however, that it was for sentimental reasons rather than function. Im a gear guy and I usually want more pockets and storage. I want it to be easy to carry everything I need for the day and to carry it conveniently. So I finally pulled the trigger and I have to say that I am very impressed. Wanted to write a detailed review because when I was thinking about buying this pack one of things that held me up was the lack of any good reviews at all. Bear with me because this gets a little long winded.
Tenzing has been known to make some pretty great packs and this one is no different. This pack has a total of thirteen pockets or storage areas and all of them are pretty nifty. This pack is more of a "pack" than it is a vest which is why I like it so much, but it does the vest part pretty "bleep" good too. It's very lightweight and is clearly built well. It has heavy duty zipper pulls, its made out of tough fabric and it's very functional and lightweight. I think the whole thing weighs just over 3 pounds.
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Now I'm gunna post some photos of the features. Before I move on to the next photos you'll notice some of my favorite features on the back. It has the heavy zipper pulls. It also has load lifting straps to help pull some of the weight where it needs to go. Those are the straps you see in the photo above that come over from the front and clip into the center of the back with heavy clips. It also has a bungee system which is great for carrying a rain jacket or something similar, this is a feature that I admit I won't use too much, but I use similar systems in my fly fishing adventures and they are great. The three yellow "I" shaped points are attachment points where you can clip anything you want.
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In the above photo you see the secondary back pocket from above, which can be seen in the 1st photo right below my grouse patch. It's big enough to accommodate a map, couple of granola bars, things like that, its not huge but its a great spot to stash a couple things that you want to get at quick.
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In the above photo you see the main zipper pouch on the back. Its good sized, big enough for a lunch, camera, jacket or whatever you want. There is plenty of room there to carry everything you need for a day. It also has a pouch inside where you can put a cell phone or something like that.
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In the above photo you see the front bellow pocket. Before I go on this vest is identical on both sides in the front like many others. How you feel about this pocket will depend on what you have used over the years. I find that its not the easiest to get into compared to others I have owned but this could be a benefit. The reason its tougher to get into is because of the elastic that keeps the pouch cinched up. I think it could be good because it will help to keep items in the pocket, and its not where the shell loops are stored. You can also see the mesh radio pocket on the right of the photo where I put my transmitter.
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In the above photo you see the secondary front pockets. This is where the shell loops are located and you can just dip your hand right down into it without having to open up a flap. Its pretty neat. You could also stash a few things in there.
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In the above photo you see where you can access the wrap around game bag. Like some other packs this makes it easy to load birds into the back of the pack by putting them down into the side and sliding them back. They have zippers to close them up and keep the game bag a little less baggy.
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In the above photo you see one of my favorite features. We all know how it can be hard to find a vest that fits well but this pack has a lot of adjustment areas. The biggest being the main waist belt which can be raised or lowered into belt loops to make it sit better right where you want it.
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In the above photo you will see another really nice feature. By unclipping the load bearing straps and unzipping one small zipper you can completely open up the whole game bag for easy access and easy cleaning (usually done once a year at my house lol). Its just a well designed pack all in all.
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In the above photo you see the entire front of the pack. You will notice a small tab front and center where you can put a two or three liter hydration pouch. This much has channels in the shoulder where you can feed the hydration tube over the shoulder and into a clip that holds it securely, you can see those photos below.
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Urban_Redneck
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by Urban_Redneck » Thu Jul 07, 2016 4:00 am

How does the sizing run? How much?

Thanks

MSU Aggie
Rank: Senior Hunter
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by MSU Aggie » Thu Jul 07, 2016 6:48 am

Do you have a rough idea of how many roosters would fit in it?

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DeLo727
Rank: Senior Hunter
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by DeLo727 » Thu Jul 07, 2016 10:09 am

The sizing was pretty good. I usually wear medium packs and I had to put the belt loop in the top spot with the straps tightened down all the way and it fits nice so I imagine it would accommodate at least to an L if not XL. I have the M/L size. As far as roosters I would think 3 comfortably. Could probably stuff a couple more in no problem though

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Urban_Redneck
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by Urban_Redneck » Thu Jul 07, 2016 2:55 pm

How much did you pay for the vest?

ECO
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by ECO » Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:56 pm

Got one last year and used it all season, awesome vest with no complaints. Wish they would have had the all orange option like you have last year. Nice review!

mask
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Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by mask » Sat Jul 09, 2016 10:18 am

Excellent critique, Thanks. At about 220 bucks it looks like a good investment. I'll be getting one for my upcoming birthday so thanks again.

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DeLo727
Rank: Senior Hunter
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2015 4:15 pm
Location: Wilmington, NY

Re: Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by DeLo727 » Sat Jul 09, 2016 6:15 pm

thanks guys. Im always looking for in depth reviews so it was my pleasure to do one. I have a few more coming up. And I paid 179 for it on Ebay with free shipping from KinseysOutdoors

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GSP4ME
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Tenzing BV16 Upland Bird Vest Pack

Post by GSP4ME » Thu Aug 04, 2016 11:06 pm

Excellent review. Just picked one up on amazon for under $150.

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