The history of the American Outdoorsman began as a television show back in 1988. It was there that they uncovered the country’s natural treasures for all viewers to see. The show continues to this day, featuring hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventure activities. With the Olympic Trail Vest, AO has ventured into the clothing realm by providing us with a clothing line that fits, is functional, and gives us the style and performance we all want and need in our outdoor clothing gear.
Design
The Olympic Trail Vest is the optimum layering piece for all strenuous outdoor pursuits when cooler temperatures prevail. It can be worn as an under layer or an outer layer and will keep your core warm and snug all day long. Quilted in such a way that there is no stitching, allowing it to stretch and form an insulating layer around all body types. I wore it outside while burning leaves and doing some light yard work on a day where the temp was in the low 40s and with just a flannel shirt on underneath (I would have much rather been inside watching football). Combined with the undershirt, I was very comfortable for the 4 plus hours that I was outside.
Function
The first thing I had to get used to was the zipper. Most outerwear for men has the zipper on the right side, (at least the jackets in my closet do), and after 40 plus years of doing something a certain way, it took a few times for me to get used to it. The side hand pockets are more than big enough for hands with gloves or mittens. The upper chest pocket held the iPhone 7Plus and had room to spare.
There really isn’t much more to the vest than that. I found it to be comfortable, light and very easy to wear while working outside. Sizes to seem to run a bit on the long side, (not a bad thing). I received the XL and being 6’1′ and 215, it was still a bit big for me. I am not sure that I personally would use it as an underlayer, I don’t see myself trekking up any glaciers anytime soon. It works well for what I need it for and the temperatures that I deal with on a routine basis. I would recommend this vest to anyone who is just looking for a lightweight, warm, comfortable vest to just throw on over a long sleeve and go.
