Woolrich Elite Vest Review

freetrapper · March 13th, 2007, 02:56 PM

I posted this in another post but thought it might deserve its own post. I hope this is the right place for it.

After a long study of vests on the market I finaly broke down and ordered the Woolrich Elite Series Lightweight Discreet Carry Vest. I got it from http://www.rogueelite.net . He is a member of this site and was very good to work with. At the time he was offering a discount for members but I am not sure if that is still valid.

The vest was designed from the ground up for concealed carry just like they advertise. It has several very nice features for concealed carry use. Some worth noting are the hidden elastic magazine holders in the pockets, the simple velcro tab to close the vest quickly if the wind comes up, and the way the cargo pocket flaps can tuck inside the pockets and velcro there makeing the pockets open top for use as "dump" pockets at the range. It is a cover garment only and does not have a hidden place to conceal your firearm other than the four visable pockets. It looks far less "tactical" than you might think.

The vest is well designed and very well constructed with high quality light wieght material. I have worn it with a nice botton up shirt and dockers to some business casual meetings and it looked fine. I have also worn it with sleevless t-shirts on the weekend and the wife says I do not look too stupid. While it is light wieght and vented very well in the back it is still warmer than I hoped it would be. However it is far cooler than any other photographer type vest I have tried.

As for complaints, I have a couple small ones. It is long enough to cover my G26 in an OWB holster but is none too long. It gets the job done but will work much better with an IWB rig. A few more inches in length would have been appreciated. I also had one chest pocket that the velcro was not very good on. It looks fine but does not stick as well as it should. This has not been a real issue for me so I did not test out their customer return policies.

All in all it is a great cover garment and I will be getting another in a different color soon.
__________________

retsupt99 · March 13th, 2007, 03:29 PM

How does it compare with the 5.11 tatical vest? Looks identical...

On mine, I took out the bulky valcro in the pockets for vest carry...not pratical for me...I don't really load mine down with all kinds of 'stuff'...it's all on my person...the vest just covers everything.

ret

QKShooter · March 13th, 2007, 03:55 PM

Yes, Combat Carry members still get a discount.

CLICK HERE To Go To Jamie's Lasted Post

freetrapper · March 13th, 2007, 04:22 PM

Question:

I see that my original post was edited by somebody, I assume it was a moderator. How can I tell what I did wrong that needed to be edited?

9mmMike · June 20th, 2007, 12:14 PM

I picked up a Woolrich lightweight vest at the last TRP shoot in Langhorne. It's a nifty color called, I think, sage. It's light green to me.
Anyway, this vest is working out well. It is the first vest that I've had that actually seems to fit.
I have always had bad luck with vests. Even my other Woolrich vest does not fit as well. The XL (that I have) is too big and the L seemed too small.
This new lightweight vest, size L, fits well.
It is not as good at hauling a ton-o-gear at the range but it is great for concealment.
I used it for a round of Sporting Clays on Saturday and it was up to the job of carrying a double handful of shells. I normally just keep refilling my vest pockets as we walk between stations and this worked just fine.
I wish it had just one inside pocket for carrying a phone or wallet but the front chest pockets work OK for this as well.
It has the standard Velcro tab to hold it close without zipping and that works great.
So far this is the only vest I've found that is workable for me in situations other than the range.
I carry a G26 in an Alessi CQC/S (that's OWB) and it conceals fine. I'd be worried about trying to carry the G17 OWB though.
Obviously, any IWB would be cool.
That's it so far,
Mike

P95Carry · June 20th, 2007, 12:34 PM

Hey Mike - welcome - even if you did join a year ago

I hadn't seen you around here before.

OfClanMcnab · June 20th, 2007, 02:09 PM

Wow, I'm glad to see this review. I ran across a website selling Woolrich Elite Tactical clothing, and this vest caught my eye. I'll probably pick it up next month. Also glad to hear rogueelite.com has discounts for members here.

9mmMike · June 20th, 2007, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P95Carry

Hey Mike - welcome - even if you did join a year ago

I hadn't seen you around here before.

Thanks!

So many boards, so little time....... LOL

I will try to stop in here more often as we (TRP and DC) are kinda sorta related "ish".

OfClanMcnab · June 20th, 2007, 07:59 PM

Nine Mike Mike Mike.

normal · June 21st, 2007, 10:56 PM

My wife got me one for Christmas last year, because it does not look to bad (big AR mag pockets, etc...). It does look good and it is functional. I agree about it being cooler. It is made of ripstop and has the slit in the back for breathability. Excellent vest.

March 13th, 2007, 02:56 PM	#1
freetrapper Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 353	Woolrich Elite Vest Review I posted this in another post but thought it might deserve its own post. I hope this is the right place for it. After a long study of vests on the market I finaly broke down and ordered the Woolrich Elite Series Lightweight Discreet Carry Vest. I got it from http://www.rogueelite.net . He is a member of this site and was very good to work with. At the time he was offering a discount for members but I am not sure if that is still valid. The vest was designed from the ground up for concealed carry just like they advertise. It has several very nice features for concealed carry use. Some worth noting are the hidden elastic magazine holders in the pockets, the simple velcro tab to close the vest quickly if the wind comes up, and the way the cargo pocket flaps can tuck inside the pockets and velcro there makeing the pockets open top for use as "dump" pockets at the range. It is a cover garment only and does not have a hidden place to conceal your firearm other than the four visable pockets. It looks far less "tactical" than you might think. The vest is well designed and very well constructed with high quality light wieght material. I have worn it with a nice botton up shirt and dockers to some business casual meetings and it looked fine. I have also worn it with sleevless t-shirts on the weekend and the wife says I do not look too stupid. While it is light wieght and vented very well in the back it is still warmer than I hoped it would be. However it is far cooler than any other photographer type vest I have tried. As for complaints, I have a couple small ones. It is long enough to cover my G26 in an OWB holster but is none too long. It gets the job done but will work much better with an IWB rig. A few more inches in length would have been appreciated. I also had one chest pocket that the velcro was not very good on. It looks fine but does not stick as well as it should. This has not been a real issue for me so I did not test out their customer return policies. All in all it is a great cover garment and I will be getting another in a different color soon. __________________ __________________ Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~ Thomas Jefferson Last edited by rstickle; March 13th, 2007 at 03:08 PM..

March 13th, 2007, 03:29 PM	#2
retsupt99 VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 22,807	Looks Just Like My 5.11... How does it compare with the 5.11 tatical vest? Looks identical... On mine, I took out the bulky valcro in the pockets for vest carry...not pratical for me...I don't really load mine down with all kinds of 'stuff'...it's all on my person...the vest just covers everything. ret __________________ "That I cannot do." "Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks." *********************************** NRA Life Member

March 13th, 2007, 03:55 PM	#3
QKShooter Assistant Administrator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Off Of The X Posts: 23,495	Jamie Just Posted A New Thread Yes, Combat Carry members still get a discount. CLICK HERE To Go To Jamie's Lasted Post __________________ Liberty/Tyranny ___________________________ Ain't That A Shame! Be Happy! *http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OG3u...1&feature=fvwp*

March 13th, 2007, 04:22 PM	#4
freetrapper Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 353	Question: I see that my original post was edited by somebody, I assume it was a moderator. How can I tell what I did wrong that needed to be edited? __________________ Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not." ~ Thomas Jefferson

June 20th, 2007, 12:14 PM	#5
9mmMike Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SE PA Posts: 15	I picked up a Woolrich lightweight vest at the last TRP shoot in Langhorne. It's a nifty color called, I think, sage. It's light green to me. Anyway, this vest is working out well. It is the first vest that I've had that actually seems to fit. I have always had bad luck with vests. Even my other Woolrich vest does not fit as well. The XL (that I have) is too big and the L seemed too small. This new lightweight vest, size L, fits well. It is not as good at hauling a ton-o-gear at the range but it is great for concealment. I used it for a round of Sporting Clays on Saturday and it was up to the job of carrying a double handful of shells. I normally just keep refilling my vest pockets as we walk between stations and this worked just fine. I wish it had just one inside pocket for carrying a phone or wallet but the front chest pockets work OK for this as well. It has the standard Velcro tab to hold it close without zipping and that works great. So far this is the only vest I've found that is workable for me in situations other than the range. I carry a G26 in an Alessi CQC/S (that's OWB) and it conceals fine. I'd be worried about trying to carry the G17 OWB though. Obviously, any IWB would be cool. That's it so far, Mike __________________ Freedom is not free. visit http://www.therallypoint.org/forum/index.php

June 20th, 2007, 12:34 PM	#6
P95Carry Assistant Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South West PA Posts: 25,468	Hey Mike - welcome - even if you did join a year ago I hadn't seen you around here before. __________________ Chris - P95 NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member. "To own a gun and assume that you are armed is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!." If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

June 20th, 2007, 02:09 PM	#7
OfClanMcnab Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 205	Wow, I'm glad to see this review. I ran across a website selling Woolrich Elite Tactical clothing, and this vest caught my eye. I'll probably pick it up next month. Also glad to hear rogueelite.com has discounts for members here.

June 20th, 2007, 07:59 PM	#9
OfClanMcnab Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 205	Nine Mike Mike Mike.

June 21st, 2007, 10:56 PM	#10
normal Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Illinois Posts: 197	My wife got me one for Christmas last year, because it does not look to bad (big AR mag pockets, etc...). It does look good and it is functional. I agree about it being cooler. It is made of ripstop and has the slit in the back for breathability. Excellent vest. __________________ "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace" George Washington

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