I don’t want to dissect everything today
I don’t mean to pick you apart you see
But I can’t help it
– Alanis Morissette

Some things are a matter of opinion.  Some things are just facts.  If you’ve followed my various adventures with PFDs over the years you’ll know I come to this fact with just a bit of resistance. When it comes to PFDs, Kokatat wins.  Sure other companies make some nice pfds for certain applications. Yet none of them seem to focus much on open water paddlers.  Here’s a simple test.. Who offers well a thought out VHF pocket on their PFD?  Well, who offers any sort of VHF pocket?  It’s such an odd thing to overlook you’d be tempted to call in Molder and Scully to root out the conspiracy.

Now I am not kidding you, I have at least 6 and probably more PFDs hanging in my gear shed.  NRS, Solquist, Astral, you name it. Each one comes with a memory of settling. While each had features I really liked,  they also required that I sacrifice something for something else.  The only vest that never felt like a sacrifice was my old Kokatat MSfit Tour.  It’s tough, fits well and has pretty much everything you’d want to spend days on the water.  The only other vest that sort of sparked my fancy was an older PeakUK vest that was not available in the states.  The PeakUK offered one big massive net pocket and lots of attachment points.  Nice.  Of course it also came in black which tickled me pink!

The love of black and that big pocket caused me to purchase something close to the PeakUK, a Aquavest from Astral Buoyancy.  We bought 2 in fact.  In 2007 when I paddled around Puerto Rico I used the Astral.  The Astral offers great fit and amazing comfort. However, to carry all the gear I also wore a North Water guide vest.  The Guide Vest is worn over your PFD and gives you all the crazy pockets you need when you spend days and weeks on open water.  The  arrival of the Guide Vest on the market to my mind is simply proof of what I’m on about.  All you need to do is ask your typical BCU coach what you should have on a PFD and design for it.  While I understand that this is not exactly  “mass market”, you’d still think more companies than just Kokatat (to their credit) would give it go.

Last year my Astral was starting to show it’s age (and heavy use) and I was again starting to think about a new vest with lots of pockets.  Of course I looked at them first. Astral says I can, “Run the $#@% and pick up the pieces…” but they still don’t conveniently account for a VHF radio.

I spent a bunch of time at Canoecopia last spring and online hunting for a vest that would suit my needs.  In fact, after PR I had a much better understanding of how it all would work.  I found it odd that even though a few years had passed, other companies had yet to challenge Kokatat’s expedition vests.  The direction of the flow was becoming obvious.  While I took time to shop I did the most logical thing,  I went back to my trusty old MSfit Tour.  Ah, Kokatat wins.

So here’s where we sit today. I have to get a new vest before Scotland.  My MsFit Tour is so old it’s ripping… I still really want a black vest. ( I don’t want a Mango PFD or leisure suit for that matter.) In the best of all worlds I’d have a black MSfit, but at the moment we just can’t get the stars to align.  I’m also not going to buy a crappy vest simply because it’s black either. There is really no option. Kokatat simply makes the best PFDs out there for tripping.   In fact if anything HAS changed since I bought my first black Astral is that today Kokatat makes the best “black” vest as well with the Ronin.  It’s more the “big pocket” variety but with more options than my old Astral.  Kokatat wins.

I’ve decided I’ll go with the Ronin and use my North Water Guide Vest again.  Of course a week after I buy it, Kokatat will probably offer the black MSfit (it’s not like they don’t have the fabric now).. ** Either way, quality over vanity or at least a healthy compromise. Kokatat wins again.

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** UPDATE: I was pretty excited to hear that the stars actually have aligned and I can get the MisFit Tour in Black.  Thank you so much Kokatat!

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