Field Armor V2 Upland Hunting Dog Vest

Dog TrainingEditor's Pick
Written By Matt Gehrmann

Editor's Personal Pick — This is gear our editor carries afield.

The orange chest protector Alan wears in most of our photos — American-made, and the vest that fit an English cocker without chafing.

Why we picked this

Alan wears a vest because of one grass seed. It went into his ribcage, and getting it out took two surgeries and a vet bill of about $10,000. Since then the vest goes on every time he works — September dove fields, December quail hills, five days of Sierra cover in between. Peter tried a few vests before settling on this one, the V2 Mesh from Field Armor, a Metro Detroit company that builds them in the USA. On an English cocker it's the one that fits: no rubbing in the armpits, even at the end of a ten-mile day. It's the orange vest in most of our photos of Alan.

Quick specs

  • Category: Dog Training

  • Brand: Field Armor (Metro Detroit, Michigan)

  • Versions: V2 Mesh (hot weather — the one Alan wears), V2 Insulated (cold weather), or both as the All Season Bundle

  • Protection: Chest and belly panel with a skid plate

  • Closure: Heavy-duty zipper, grab handle on top

  • Mesh build: Vinyl-coated polyester with breathable mesh; Field Armor says it blocks 93% of sunlight and runs up to 5° cooler at the surface in direct sun

  • Insulated build: Vinyl-coated polyester mesh shell, 1.5 mm neoprene middle layer, nylon lining

  • Sizing: Measure the deepest part of the chest (just behind the elbow) and the belly (just behind the ribcage); at the top of a size, go up one

  • Made in: USA

  • Warranty: One-year craftsmanship warranty; 30-day returns; Field Armor refunds a properly fitted vest that chafes

  • Price: $110 at Field Armor (💲💲)

  • Beginner score: 4/5

  • Editor's verdict: Cheap insurance against the injury that put Alan on the table twice.

The full review

California's worst bird-dog injuries rarely come from birds. They come from grass awns — foxtail and cheatgrass seeds shaped to drill one way and keep going — from barbed wire on every fence line, and from broken oak and chaparral at chest height. A vest won't stop an awn in an ear or between the toes; you still check those after every hunt, and our foxtail season piece covers what handlers and vets look for. What it does is cover the chest and belly, the part of a flushing dog that hits cover first. That's where Alan's seed went in.

Fit is the whole game on a small dog. A vest that gaps at the chest lets cover in, and one that's cut too tight behind the front legs rubs where they swing. Peter's test was simple: by the end of a ten-mile run, no chafing in the armpits. Field Armor backs that up in writing — a properly fitted vest that chafes is refundable, with photo proof — but the promise only covers a vest sized right. Measure the dog before you order instead of guessing from a breed chart.

For most of California, buy the mesh — it's the version Alan wears, September dove through December quail. Early-season fields run hot, and any layer adds heat to a dog that's already working hard. The mesh numbers above (93% of sunlight blocked, up to five degrees cooler at the surface) are Field Armor's, not ours; we haven't measured them. The insulated version is for cold, wet late-season mornings. If you hunt both ends of the season, the All Season Bundle gets you both.

The small things are good. A zipper goes on and off a wet, excited dog faster than a row of buckles. The grab handle on top gives you something to hold besides the collar at a fence or the tailgate. And the orange helps you keep track of a black dog in tall grass.

Pro tip - put the vest on at home for a few short sessions before opener, so the first time he wears it isn't the first morning of a hunt.

What we love

  • It fits a small dog — no armpit rub on Alan after a ten-mile day.

  • Mesh for heat, insulated for cold — buy the one that matches your season, or both.

  • Zip-on, with a grab handle — fast on a wet dog, useful at fences and tailgates.

  • Made in the USA, with a written chafe guarantee on a properly fitted vest.

  • About $110 — a fraction of what Alan's grass seed cost.

What to know before you buy

  • It's another layer in the heat. Mesh helps; it doesn't replace water, shade and quitting early. Read Heat Safety for Bird Dogs before September.

  • It covers the chest and belly, not the whole dog. Ears, eyes, feet and armpits still get checked after every hunt.

  • Sizing exchanges cost a shipping fee. Measure the chest and belly twice.

  • Order from Field Armor directly. The link below is the product page.

  • Newer models exist. Field Armor now sells a MAX vest and has announced a V3. We haven't run either; the V2 Mesh is what Alan wears.

Where to buy

California Upland doesn't earn a commission on this link.

See also

Matt Gehrmann
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