EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I was looking at it on ebay has anyone used this vest?
If so whats some of the pros and cons?

would like some opions on this vest as well.

No personal experience, but it looks hot.  I am not sure about the weight and it only has one leg flap on each side whereas most ugly dog vests have three.

meant to post link

http://cgi.ebay.com/The-GLADIATOR-IMPACT-GEL-HOG-DOG-CUT-VEST_W0QQitemZ380145474064QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58826f9a10

Another gimmick, Very poor sloppy fit from the picture, means more resistance with motion working against the dog.

How much does the gel weigh?

 it does not allow the dogs to move as i think the dogs should be able to , the dog cannot even jump in the back of the truck with the the vest on.....what is yalls  opionon a on good vest at a good price. :'( as i've got 175 in a vest i dont realy like  :'(

Has anybody who actually used the "gladiator" have an opinion?  

Opinion without experience is really only speculation... (probably biased opinions to start off with anyway)

I am biased to vests and other equipment that does not fit right or protect a dog as a I feel it should.

Have you hunted with the gladiator?  If all anybody knows about the gladiator is what we see in the picture, then we're all speculating...

Don't knock it till you try it....  I haven't tried it, I'm not knocking it.  I value many of the opinions from the experience of the people on this board.  Surely someone on here has tried it...   

How bout Billy Mays on the Impact gel thats in the vest... ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoV2Bp_c7aI

From my experience, ALL brand new vests do not fit the dog well.  It's not until the vest is hunted in and begins to adopt the shape of the dog that it starts to look well fit and look like the vest works with the dogs movement.  IMO, All brand new vest need to be broke in.  I do not agree with calling the vest a gimmick. 

My Disclaimer = I never even heard of the gladiator before this thread and know nothing about "gel" protection.

I don't know anything about this gel packed vest, but anyone with a question concerning cut gear should HIGHLY value Uglydog's "biased opinion". ???

Her entire life for the past ten years has revolved around developing, testing and USING the vests we all put on our dogs... so I believe she's more qualified than anyone on this forum to give an opinion. ;)

It looks like someone's used the vest... ;D

I'm just looking at the components of the vest and I'm wondering where the cut resistance is going to come from.  I've never seen cordura and nylon stop good cutters with regularity.

my opinion doesn't really matter all that much as my dogs are young and i don't have my own experiences with vest, but i do think there is a point where "more is less".  As in to much stuff means less of what the object (vest) is meant to do. 

since she has no personal experience USING the vest to develop an opinion, we'll rank her opinion's value above everyone else who also hasn't used it.  But I would value ANY opinion from ANYONE who has actually used one above hers. 

IMO, it's a general rule of thumb that it's a trade off between protection and movement. More protection = less movement. Less protection = more movement.  Now I'm sure that there is a sweet spot in that ratio that designers have found to build a popular vest.  In the Gladiators case, i interpret based off visual speculation, that the vest provides more protection, less movement. But certainly, not a gimick.

My Disclaimer - since I used to be in the business, I know that if I want to sell a product, I should put a picture which is someones first impression to like or "dislike" a product without being able to put and try on my own animal that I need to make it look good and and need to include some info about Feild Testing a product, That part does not take a genius to figure out. That was not there.

Since I have put hundreds of dogs in vests and worked with seamstress for fit and benefits of dogs, then tested for mobility and function for years, I  can look at it and the angle and picture provided -Then Own MY Opinion of what is Good and What is not, maybe the angle of picture, maybe the squatty dog, either way that is not good marketing if the product is that good. Thats My opinion from what I can see-
Since It was Posted on the INTERNET ASKING, then I can post my opinion, You can read or not read it, but seems that you think I am biased against a product that does not have my name on it? So who is judging here?
Josh whats your real deal here?

This is JMO, but i think that the gel would make the vest hotter towards the summer months. Kind of like the camel back backpack with the water bag. Between the weather and your body heat, after a couple hours it starts getting warm.

Also, alot of people buy their vest on looks. Just like on ebay, you have no way of knowing exactly how the vest fit, how hot the vest will be, or the quality of the vest. You are buying by what you read and see. If i were looking for a vest, i would not pick this one because like uglydog said, it has a sloppy fit. I think the vest should fit snug, and mainly need to be broke in around the leg and neck areas. And it looks hot and allows minimal movement. My observations are all based on the LOOKS of the vest. It may be the best vest ever made, but it doesnt LOOK like it. JMO  ;)

DANG IT! somebody always post before me and throws my post off!  ;D

I think you represented your experience and expertise alot better in this last post than you did when you referred to it as a "gimmick". 

I like to think of myself like Fox News... Fair and Balanced.  I own protection gear from Flatwater, Tejas, Hoot G., Extreme Outdoors, Ugly Dog and Southern Cross Kennels.  All have their pros and cons.  I don't know what gear you run Crystal, but I'm guessing a majority of it is Ugly Dog.

Well Josh since you must know - I bought gear from all of those and  few more and with experience in owning and feild trialing/showing other breeds of dogs It did not take long to realize that my purchased "cut Gear" was hindering movement, Then not offereing the right protection in the right places and I started working towards finding the best product for my own dogs - that led to my friends and hunting partners asking me to get their stuff  made like my stuff, and their friends, friends and so on and it grew into a business because It was taking too much time. I have not sold a vest in 2 plus years, so it looks like you are being Biased.
Someone asks for help I still give it to them, not all vests are gonna fit all dogs correctly, Usuall (not always) I can look at a dog and know what will fit them best by body shape, Usually I can look at a vest on a dog and tell you it will have rubbing problems or the dogs gonna move stiff, or the dog CANNOT GET FULL EXTENSION/range of Motion ON THE FRONT LEGS and this is one of my biggest gripes. I put my time into studying this, and will stand my ground cause - when I am right then I am right, and I am confident that I know what I am talking about. I don't owe anybody here or anywhere an explanation or a resume', but will offer to help anyone that wants it or asks it.

Josh, I have used many, but now I stick to what works, what I have feild tested, and I am still feild testing vests that over 6 years old, That vest that is that old is still holding up, still has not been cut through it, so yes I use the stuff I had a hand in designing that still works. I also use stuff that is sold by UglyDog Ranch that is manufactured elsewhere, because it has the qualities I look for in a vest.
Seems to me a investigator/reporter would have come out and ask to be fair and impartial.

NOW ENOUGH OF HIJACKING THE DERN POST, IT IS OFF SUBJECT Now, And I appologize for that

Crystal, I apologize if you took personal offense to any of my post in this thread. 

Josh, its not just you, but most don't understand how much concern, time, effort, my heart, I pour into hunting with dogs, taking care of dogs not just mine. Trying to look out for yours and everybody elses too. If there comes a time when UglyDog Ranch stuff becomes crap and hurts dog, and I know it, I won't be putting it on my dogs either, its hard not to take stuff personal that you care so much about. Appology accepted, and THank You for that. I appologize if I come across as a know it all, time is short and I usually don't type but a short to the point message.

I use saddle pads with the inpact gel and see the need for it there, and am happy with them so far, but what cut resistance does the gel have? Maybe im wrong here but catch dogs are usually injured do to a cut not the impact therefor I would suppose that the gel is only added weight and heat. Also what if the gel is cut through....how do you repair that? Again I can only suppose.

Here is a picture of my dog in the Gladiator vest. I do not have enough time in it to give a good opinion yet but when I do I'll let yawl know. However, I can say I like the way the vest feels and fits and like the adjustable chin guard. It is light weight and has good movement, even wet. It does not seem to hinder my dogs at all and I do feel they have the most protection they can get. Yes, it will be too hot in the summer months. My Guardian is too small for Sledge so I though I’d try something new. When I find some dang hogs over 100lbb with some teeth I’ll update ya……



(http://i46.tinypic.com/8z03v6.jpg)


(http://i50.tinypic.com/2iwarye.jpg)

Look forward to the feedback MPorter.

I do not know anything about the gladiator cut vest! But I do know that I have had a lot of cut vest and I always ended up with a catch dog cut. Either through the vest or where the vest did not cover. I was a penny pincher when I first started just buying cheaper vest. Finally I got tired of having dogs that could not hunt because they were injured. So I spent a little more and bought 3 guardian kevlar vest from wildboarusa one for each catchdog. Since then I have had very few injurys and none of them would keep a dog from hunting. I think they (wildboarusa) have a very good product that works! JMO!!

mporter,

they should have put the pic of your dog on there ad. It looks like it fits your dog alot better than the one they have pictured.