Best RCD vests?

[nosightsneeded]

This is why I have to run a vest on Gus.  I started using it in June. I couldnt run a full vest on him because he would overheat. This plate just suits my needs. It lets him run all day and not overheat and protects him.  This is the original bay vest he offered that was cordura and seat belt webbing. It cut through the cordura but never cut through the seat belt webbing. They aren't for everyone but I really like mine., and I like my dog without all the scars.

[TColt]

TColt, not trying to be a smart a$$, but how long have you been hog hunting? The majority of injuries I see on catch dogs are in the lower chest area... no matter what size dog it is. I don't care how big your dog is or how good it is holding the hog... any decent size boar with some fight in it will throw and toss that dog around like a rag doll.

with catch dogs three years or so. Only serious cut I have seen on my dog to where he could not be hunted was on his shoulder by a 300+ hog when he wasnot wearing a vest. One of the two times he has not worn a vest. And he has been cut two other times. Minor flesh wounds. Cut decent under the chin and a couple weeks ago in the front of his upper chest. He was wearing a different dogs vest.

I have also not seen any pigs toss him around like a ragdoll and he's been on plent of big ones. He's been drug off on a tree before but never slung around. Granted he is rarely the only dog holdin the pig.

I also don't run that exact vest pictured. Like I said before mine has flaps coming down in front. That model shown is a bay vest, and I agree that does leave a decent area open. That's why I ordered mine with the leg flaps. once dog is caught on the ear, nose, whatever on the head I don't really see how those areas are still vital? 

[cantexduck]

 fan club is out in  today.


  To the experts...... how many hogs have those plates been up agenst?

       

[TColt]

Last spring quite a few, at least fifty, this summer not so many cuz we don't hunt much in the heat. This fall we been on a few. I was on quite a few hogs last year especially for my limmited time. I am a full time college student athlete so I am very limited. I am by no means an expert I just do thing the way I have seen as the best way. We have alot of running pigs so I like my dog to be able to move. I have a budy that runs a vest on his pit that covers her so much that if she falls over she can't get back up on her own, but that is what she needs cuz she gets there and locks on and dangles from the hogs ear getting tossed around "like a rag doll". Everyone has their opinion of what's right or what works for them and my opinion is that you can't beat a L3 plate for a runnin catch dog.

[TColt]

fan club is out in  today.


  To the experts...... how many hogs have those plates been up agenst?

      

if you want to hear it from an expert ask Paul. He has a lot of experience with the L3 plate.

[nosightsneeded]

Never claimed to be an expert I leave that to you!     Now go answer my question on about the bed liner.

[cowcountryhogdogger]

That plate pictured on my dog is strictly a bay plate.  However I am having a beefed up version of that plate made for my CD.  I'm having leg flaps and a chest flap added to the CD plate as well as another layer of vipercloth in the chest and quilted as well.  I simply posted that plate so an idea could be seen of the new design that L3 is making.  What I'm looking for in a vest/plate is protection without comprimised range of motion and minimal amount of heat being trapped under it.  This particular vest may not be for everyone, but the plate pictured did keep my bmc from being cut in the vitals this last weekend and I expect no less of the new CD plate I'm having made now.

[stoked]

Just as Chris pointed out the heart is still avail. I have seen two dogs die from puntures inside of that red circle(well, oval). That plate looks like it protects the upper end but leaves alot of skin unprotected.

ill have to agree with ya'll, i've seen a lot of dogs get cut in that area.

the vest looks great though. the design is great. maybe adding a couple of leg flaps will be perfect!!

what do yall think??

i like the vest a lot...

[TColt]

i have one for my dogo with two inch leg flaps and one for a pit with four in leg flaps, ill see if i cant get some pictures of the pit one. I lent the pit one out to a buddy to try out, ill see if he cant send me a pic.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

I have used them all, and they all have their place. I will pick a vest that will give my catch dog the best advantage possible when hunting that particular hunt. Lots of things to consider, I hunt open flat pasture, heavy brush, canyons, standing milo/haygrazer, and river bottom. Whats the temp, how many catch dogs on the hunt, rough or loose curs, how far will I be sending the catch dog to the bay, how long will it take me to reach the caught hog.

I have 4 different styles of Uglydog vest, Titan shorty, devastator (2), The "Ugly dog" vest with the felt panels, and one of the old regular black ones. Uglydog make the BEST full coverage vest there is, bar none.

I also have 1 L3 breast plate, the old style and will be ordering one of the new viper cloth ones as well. I believe that L3 makes the best Breast plate there is, bar none.

A breast plate is not the same as a full coverage vest, its cooler, it offers more mobility, but it does not offer total protection. I believe that the better a dog can move the less likely it is to get cut, the breast plate allows the dog to have full range of motion through the shoulder allowing the dog to spread it front legs wide for stability. This helps the dog stay on its feet and control the hog. The breast  plate also allows the dog to run almost like it was only wearing a cut collar.

If I am leading in, or hunting heavy brush or milo, ect... I will use and Uglydog vest. If I am hunting open country where I am letting my catch dog run with the curs, or will be sending the catch dog from very long range, or its to hot for a full coverage vest, I will use a L3 Breast plate. In the summer when its to hot for a full vest the L3 offers superior protection compared to just a cut collar and it runs very cool.

I am just glad we have some great products to chose from to protect our dogs.

Paul T

[got2catchem]

TO ME THATS WHY ITS SO GREAT THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY. AS LONG AS YOU ARE CATCHING PIGS AND HAVING FUN YOU GOT TO BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT.

X2

I'm like Rex, as much as I hate to say it. The L3 vest on Paul's Dogo looks pretty good. I also really like the shortend kevlar vest that Clifford is wearing. If I had to chose, I'd probably run the shortend kevlar just because of the fact that it has been tested and tryed longer. I may be wrong but I still kinda see the L3 vests in the trial and error stages. where more testing in the woods is needed. Either way until the perfect vest is made, I'll keep using what has been working for me.

[mradel]

I don't see it as not being proven. The breastplate has been around in Australia for longer than most vest companys in the US have been in business. Two layers of seat belt have proven to be about 98% cut proof in Australia, Viper Cloth is thicker and tigher woven than seat belt so why wouldn't it be tougher. Also a breastplate is ridged and comes much farther down over the shoulder than a leg hole vest. Add that with a custom sized brisket strap and you are better covered than any leg hole vest on the market. And those little leg flaps on vests just flip up and out of the way when a pig hits them any way offering little or no protection and if they are getting shreaded they will not do much to stop a cut. Like Paul said in a tight spot nothing beats a full lenght vest, but if you compair the protection offered by a breastplate as oposed to a short vest the breastplate comes out on top every time.

[boarwild]

[nosightsneeded]

IAM NOT BASHING ANYONES PRODUCT BUT MY EXPERIENCE IS THAT I BOUGHT A CUT COLLOR FROM THEM ONE TIME. WHEN I GOT IT I WAS SHOCKED AT THE QUALITY. THEY USE THE SAME MATERIAL AS EVERYONE ELSE, BUT IT LOOK LIKE A 5 YEAR OLD PUT IT TOGETHER EITHER THAT OR THEY DID IT WITH THEIR FEET.  THATS JUST MY ONE AND ONLY  DEALING WITH THEM. 

[mradel]

L3 had some 5/4 layer kevlars built buy them that had five layers in the chest and four layers in the body and it got cut through all the time. Let me restate that it got poked through. It was good at stoping cuts but had little protection against bites and pokes. I think he gave the two he had left to Cody and the others he trashed. He told them that he had lots of holes in it and still they made it thinner with less layers of Kevlar.

[Bryant]

Lots of people don't realize there are about as many types of Kevlar as there are colors of the rainbow.  Just stating that it's made of "Kevlar" doesn't really say much...

There is Kevlar that's made specificallty for puncture resistance.

[mradel]

Thats the point I was trying to point out. kevlar doesn't mean your dog it protected.

[catchrcall]

I couldn't disagree more about the leg flaps.  the leg flaps on both my devestator and my guardian kevlar have several pokes in the outside layer, one cut all the way through the flap, and very few pokes on the inside.  I like the leg flaps a lot, I think they at least keep a hog from getting under the vest through the leg holes.  each to his own.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

The only people who don't like the L3 plate are people who have never used it......

Take this for what its worth, but if anyone here thinks that I would run Adora in a piece of cut gear (L3 Plate) that was going to get her killed you are out of your mind. I have gone over this product with a fine tooth comb and studied how my dog engages and holds a hog. She cost $1,000 dollars as a 6 week old pup, and I have a solid year invested in training. She is a good enough Dogo to raise some pups out of. So to me, she is quite valuable, and I trust the L3 Breast plate to protect her. I also use a devestator or Titan when I am leading in, but when its hot or she is running with the curs, or when sendind from long range, my choice is the L3.....Sure am glad I have both.