2026 is the year of the turkey vest, and KUIU’s Rival is a great one.
by Jace Bauserman
Ask a turkey hunter what his most quintessential piece of gear is, and chances are good you’ll get a litany of answers. Those answers could be calls, shotgun, rubber boots, decoys, and so on. However, most, especially sage gobbler-getters, will tell you the turkey vest is the most critical piece of gear.
The current industry trend shows that those who claim the turkey vest is the most important piece of turkey gear are right. I’ve been chasing gobblers since I was 15. I’m 46 now. I’ll let you do the math. In the months leading up to the 2026 spring season, has presented the biggest turkey vest push I can recall. There are some excellent new turkey vests on the market.
As I pen this, I’m sitting in a South Dakota turkey camp. Yesterday, I called a lone tom 200 yards across an open flat, and my oldest son, Hunter, jellied his head. That hunt marked my fourth of the spring, wearing KUIU’s all-new Rival Turkey Vest.
Here’s what you need to know about this new vest from KUIU.
Rival Turkey Vest Comfort
KUIU makes amazing apparel, packs, bino harnesses, etc. I’m not at all surprised that, for the most part, I love their new vest build. The Rival is light, durable, and available in Verde and Valo. You can go with either pattern, but for me, spring means green. The Verde pattern is a win.
The vest weighs 2 pounds 15 ounces, has an internal volume of 610 cubic inches, and comes with a storage bag and seat. The storage bag will hold a dead bird or your decoys. It’s a great addition. Turkey hunters spend equal time walking and sitting on their derrières. Any vest worth its salt should ride comfortably on the torso. The Rival does. The vest feels athletic, doesn’t hinder movement, and doesn’t make you look like you’re wearing a saggy piece of clothing from an 80s rap video. This vest is sweet.
The patent-pending BackTrack seat is thin but comfortable. The seat Velcro’s to the inside of the vest and runs on a clip-on nylon strap. To deploy the seat, reach back, unfasten the Velcro, and pull it down. The clip sides on the nylon. The system is quiet and effective. I’m not coordinated enough to stow the seat without removing my vest, but I’m sure it can be done, and reattachment is simple. KUIU also includes a pair of adjustable leg straps. Let me explain. The straps are stored inside pockets. The webbing straps feature boot stirrups. Adjust the straps, put your boot soles in the stirrups, and lean back. The added tension and support let you sit comfortably. If you’re familiar with a stadium chair that you can lean back into, that’s the general drift.
Rival Turkey Vest Pockets
I think I despise it when a turkey vest or backpack has pockets and compartments that don’t serve a purpose. Good news: The Rival Turkey Vest doesn’t have a single non-purposeful pocket. My one complaint is the box call pocket. It does have a divider that separates the paddle from the box to prevent those annoying squeaks. However, the pocket is too short. If you buy this vest, go with a short box with a short paddle. That was, in my opinion, a bit of a ball drop by KUIU. My Dave Holloran box call will not fit. I can stow it in a side pocket, and the pocket keeps it generally quiet.
I love the pot-call pocket the most. An internal sleeve lets you hold a pair of pot calls, and the magnetic closure provides silent access while maintaining security. On Sunday, April 12, I crawled 150 yards to deploy a jake-and-hen decoy. All the magnetic pockets stay closed. No gear was strewn about. I didn’t arrive at my next calling destination and realize in-the-vest items were lost. The slate call pocket also holds mouth reeds, but I don’t utilize that feature. I wear my mouth calls in a squeeze-open pouch that goes around my neck.
The drop pocket holds three strikers. Two is never enough, and I don’t use four. Well done, KUIU, going the trio route. The vest features an integrated shotshell holder and internal stretch-mesh storage pockets.
The Rival’s Back
The back of a turkey vest is as important as the front. I want sensible storage options. I don’t want an open game-bag style back that makes the vest flare out or causes me to take flight in a stiff spring wind. The Rival’s Back is perfect. A small, zippered pocket on top is great for a headlamp, sunscreen, etc. The main back pocket has a divider. The back portion of the pocket is for a hydration bladder up to three liters. The front portion was perfect for my jacket, hunting license, and other miscellaneous gear.
The back features daisy chain, Molle webbing down both sides, and a pair of buckles that let you attach rain gear or anything you can think of to the pack with two adjustable straps.
The Rival: How Does It Hunt?
This vest hunts like a champ. It’s well-made and was well thought out. I appreciate the low-profile shoulder straps that make gun mounting easy without increasing the length of pull. Because the vest is light, it’s also airy. It doesn’t keep heat in but allows air to circulate. The pad is slim but comfortable. Most of the time I sit on the ground, but on dewy spring mornings, the pad is nice. Since the pockets are purposeful, vest organization is easy.
In four hunts, I’ve walked 18 miles in the vest. I’ve ran, crawled, and fell fast asleep during midday lulls. This turkey vest is excellently made, and KUIU should be happy with their entrance in the turkey hunting vest world.
Is KUIU’s Rival Turkey Vest the best turkey vest I’ve ever used? It’s too early to tell. I have a couple of ALPS models I love, and I feel like Chene did a great job designing their new-for-2026 vest. What I can tell you is that the Rival Turkey Vest is worth its $249 price tag, and if you purchase it, you won’t be disappointed. It will serve your needs and likely become an integral piece of your spring turkey arsenal.
