With the 300R we were given two sizes, extra small/medium and large/xl. I wore the sm/med. and it fit me well but i always felt like i was in between sizes. The Green Jacket takes care of that. There are now three sizes; small/medium, medium/large, and large/XL. I fit well in the medium/large which Astral suggests a 38"-44" chest size. I find that when fitted the Green Jacket sits a little higher on my torso then the 300R with more flotation riding in my chest area rather then around the stomach and kidney area. This however does not take away from the protection of the vest. i find that there is even more protection on the back panel as well as the padding that surrounds your ribs and kidneys feels much more protective. I found that having more of the flotation higher in the chest area there was less bulk in the stomach area allowing for an easier tuck when hucking your meat off that sick waterfall you've been dreaming about. I also found out more then once on our Mexico excursion that the Green Jacket is a swimmers jacket. I felt very confident in not only how the jacket floated me but also how much easier it was to swim in.
The 300R is definitely a much more simple vest with only three points of adjustments and the quick release belt compared to the eight adjustment points on the Green Jacket (three on each side and then two in the front) and the quick release belt. On the other hand it does feel like a much more snug and firmly on you jacket. i guess i can deal with it taking me an extra 30 seconds to get it on and off.
The Green Jacket comes with some nice features as well. There is the standard knife patch, daisy chains sewn onto the shoulder straps, spots for a whistle, padded shoulder straps, a back support built in, a generous front pocket, as well as a front pocket for an Astral throw bag, an anchored belay loop, and two side pockets. The padding on the shoulder straps could be a little more and come up on top of the shoulders more to really be effective for alleviating some of that portaging pain and i'm not sure how much the built in back support does but i certainly am not going to complain about it. Every bit of support helps when it comes to our backs and kayaking. i use one of the side pockets for my Astral tether and haven't found a use for the other one. It is nice to have an option which side you stow your tether or leash on. the large front pocket is plenty big for me to carry my small pin kit consisting of; a pulley, two biners, two slings, and two prussik loops as well as my skull cap. i don't carry an Astral throw rope and i feel that with my pin kit in the front pocket to add a throw rope would make it too bulky for me. On the other hand with my 300R i didn't carry a throw rope either but instead i carried a three foot piece of plastic tubing with a rapid air valve on one end to act as a snorkel in case of a pin, this would fit nicely in the rope pocket of the 300R. The Green Jacket has more of an open pocket for the throw rope which doesn't work for me. I think that if another snap was added to allow access to both sides of the throw rope pocket i would be able to carry my snorkel without a problem. This rescue vest has a lot of usable features rather then just a bunch of overdone gimmicks.
Overall i am very pleased i decided to take a chance on the Green Jacket. It is a very practical easy to use rescue vest whether you're using the the built in belay loop to rappel around a portage , towing a boat back across the river after a rescue, or you're swimming your ass to shore because you screwed your line up.
6 comments:
While I agree that I really like the fit of the new vest, I'm disappointed that they chose to put a single snap and a weak strip of Velcro as a closure for the front pocket instead of the zipper I ad on the 300R. I've already had items falling out of the new pocket.
Astral also moved the side "Web Toe" pockets further toward the back, making them very difficult to reach to re-stuff the tether.
Hi, That's a great review. I'm stoked to hear that you're digging the GJ.
Regarding the Back Belt - This feature mostly helps with keeping the jacket in place. More so that offering back support. The back belt tightens around your mid/lower back and keeps the back of the jacket from riding up. This feature might be easier to appreciate after a swim. So hopefully it's going to be a while before you get to feel it...
Enjoy your jacket. Safe Travels.
The Astral Crew.
Been putting off purchasing a new jacket for two years with hopes that Astral would put out a jacket that was not a waist hugger (no offence to the 300R but it just didn't work for me.) The lil bro wheeled and dealed and I almost had a tear when I saw it under the tree. After several runs in both play and creek situation I have found that it has an ideal balance of what you need and what you don't want. Well positioned straps with low fiction, movement with your body, a flac jacket sence of security, and ample pockets. I know that other have found problems with the front pouch but I love the ability to carry more at quick access. The single snap and velcro is backed by a hard piece of plastic that has a solid flip feature (think those stupid collared shirt strips that keep them straight.) Bottom line, try to get into a shop and try it on before any other 2009 purchase, or just buy it.
larry, i'm surprised you find the velcro and snap an issue, i have only had it open once or twice on me and that was after a pretty big hit and everything stayed in the pocket. yes the tow pockets have been moved back but they were not an issue for me.
yonton, yes the vest really does stay in place durring a swim. much more so then the 300R. thanks for a great product.
Larry's bang on with what he said there. Great vest, but the main pocket has such week velcro (and the snap is not easy to close with cold hands) that the least bit of pressure from stuff packed into the pocket or even just a rough hole can rob you of your pocket's contents, you'd almost want to sew a zip into it.
Is it possible to repalce the velcro yourself or would that somehow void the jacket?
Post a Comment