Rothco Outback Vest - Khaki

Excellent quality, but material is a bit heavy for a vest.

I own this vest as well as the Rothko Plainclothes Concealed Carry Vest. This will be not only a review of both but a comparison of the differences between the two products.Both vests are very good quality garments. Stitching is secure, and the snap, zippers and velcro fasteners are all secure with models. The material is a heavy cotton that is not stiff and also not too flimsy. It has a nice, worn look to it. The vest has a nice mesh lining and is vented in the back for hot weather comfort.Now onto the details:On the upper right shoulder there is a pocket with an attachment ring. Because I use this vest on the range as a shooting instructor, I do not want anything where the butt of a rifle goes, so I use this pocket for my range pass...I just clip the ID to the ring. The pocket measures 4"x4.5" and is a great place to stash your ID.Right next to that pocket, with the opening towards the center of your chest is a diagonal pocket secured by velcro. Interior dimensions of this mocker are about 3.5"x4.5"Below this pocket are three stacked pockets secured with velcro. The outermost one has a mesh exterior so you can see what is in the pocket Dimensions are about 3"x5" and this is a great spot to stash essentials like a few bandaids and chap stick,Directly below that is a zippered pocket that measures 6"x7 The lining of this pocket is nylon and for me is a great place to stash my oakley sun glasses in their case.There is a hand warmer pocket and a bellows pocket with three compartments. The outermost one is a bellows style and measures about 7"x7" and is secured with two pieces of velcro. Directly behind that pocket are two more pockets that you access from the top. These don't secure but will hold your stuff with no problem.On the left shoulder there is a zippered pocket with a key ring. This pocket measures about 3"x5" and is a great place to clip your kets and stash some cash. Below that is a bellows pocket with two pen pockets and an exterior zipper. You can access this pocket through the zipper or the top flap. Very handy.Directly below that is a set of pockets that are identical to the ones on the lower right side.Inside the vest there is a 6"x6" chest pocket on both sides. On the Concealed Carry Vest each of these pockets have been replaced with two pistol magazine pockets and a interior pocket on each side designed to hold a small handgun.On the back interior of the vest, at the waistline there is a zippered interior pocket, secured by a zipper that measures 7"x6". This is a great place to stash valuables that you would not want a pick pocket grabbing. A passport could go here is you were traveling.On the back exterior there is a large pocket secured with two velcro tabs that measures about 10"x9". I store a larger notebook and the roads and ends in here when instructing.The other difference between this vest and the Concealed Carry Vest is the zipper. The zipper on the Outback vest is a one way zipper like you have on most jackets. The concealed carry vest has a zipper that zips up or down to open. This facilitates getting to a concealed handgun quicker.Other than the minor differences noted these vests are practically identical. I am not a huge fan of wearing a vest as a primary concealment garment. To me nothing screams "GUN!" like seeing somebody in a vest like this, but if that is your thing this is certainly a high quality vest that will serve you well.

I like the vest, it is well designed and fit for travel, but the two hand warmer pockets inner seam are not stitched to prevent fabric ripping off. If they take note and fix it I would give it a five star.

This is the second Rothco Outback vest I own. My first one was purchased about 7 years ago and it is still going strong. That one had zippered on/off sleeves, which was a nice feature but I wanted another so I could have one with sleeves and one without, since removing the sleeves and putting them back on was a minor annoyance to an otherwise fantastic vest. That vest has seen a lot of travel, hiking and otherwise daily use and abuse and still looks like new. This new one I must say is EXACTLY the same material, construction and design as my old one, with a few minor changes in the amount and style of pockets, but other than that ( and the sleeves) this is identical. I got a lot of use from the old one and I see no reason why this new one will not perform the same. I have an Orvis vest which is similar but heavier material and it is nearly 40 years old and my daughter confiscated it, but these Rothco vests are in the same category in my opinion as the much more expensive Orvis vests ( I paid about $80.00 for that one almost 40 years ago). For sizing reference, I am 5'9, 165 lbs, and the large is a tad big, which is how I like my vests, not too tight and loose enough to wear something heavier under it. If I wanted a more 'tailored' fit, I would suggest a med, but the large is how I like my vests, loose and roomy.

I’ve used vests like this for over forty years to accommodate my DSL Camera, GoPro Video Camera, iPads & accessories, First Aid Kits, Water, Protein Bars, etc.Over the past 18-months I lost over 100 lbs. & all my other vests were huge on me. I have tried numerous vest - from Amazon, Photograph Supply Stores, etc. -but could find one that was exactly what I was looking for, was comfortable, made from quality materials, was sturdy, and not ridiculously priced.I’ve used this twice in my travels and was greatly impressed by the comfort level and large amount of items it held.I would buy it again and/or recommend this to anyone!

The vest is inexpensive, light and loaded with (22) pockets. It is worth wearing on a warm day, and does not keep one overly warm. However, its strength is its weakness. Carrying around a bottle of wine in the large rear pocket, I found upon removing the wine that the pocket material (not the seams) had ripped along its entire vertical length, though at no time did it feel too tight. In retrospect, I would go for one of the more expensive (and hopefully, more rugged) vests if I was looking at a new purchase.