Stinky, but worth the price!
Pristine and well-packaged. Beautiful, bright yellow color will make me very visible on my walks, which is what I was hoping, as I walk on the gravel and paved roads around my rural homestead, and the drivers aren't often very careful. Also, there's the DUST I choke on quite frequently, so bright colors are a must. ;) The vest is heavy and will take some getting used to. It is just the right amount of "difficult" for an "older model" woman trying to be pro-active in building back some muscle mass, core strength, and bone density. It isn't quite 10% of my body weight, but it is enough to be getting on with. It's an odd sensation, making me feel a little top-heavy and wobbly, which I think will be outstanding in re-training my core. My shoulders are held at a much better position when walking with this weight on them, and I found that my hands didn't swell as much. (I've suspected impingement in my shoulders for years.) This is like wearing a heavy backpack, only the weight is much better distributed. It still fired up all the little muscles between my ribs and up and down my back to wear it, and I had to stop and adjust it several times to stop the cramping. But after about a 30 minute walk (much shorter than my usual walk), the cramping stopped and I felt great. I am going to LOVE this thing! I also wore it during a short bout of bodyweight exercises to re-train my hip and hamstring muscles, and let me tell you, they were definitely "shouting" for joy after just five sets of 30 second reps! Boy, do I have my work cut out for me, getting back into any kind of shape. But I'm hopeful that this very functional and practical way to incorporate weights into my life again without having to pay for a gym membership or other expensive equipment will do the trick. Or at least help. And the fact that this beautiful, pristine vest was "used" and still came in the full package without a mark or dent or tear made it a great value for the money. The only thing that is a bit of a downer is the outrageously appalling stench of the thing, and the fact that it is not water-resistant or water-proof. Walking in the rain will be very impractical with this on, as it is too bulky to wear under a rain jacket, and the packaging cautions against getting it wet. Now, that seems kind of silly from a design standpoint, to make an item that is likely to get very sweaty during one's workout not resistant to moisture, to say nothing of what one could get up to while rucking. I love to trail walk. There are often streams or unexpected rainstorms or other things that could potentially get the vest wet, and it would be super nice if the manufacturer would address this design flaw. In order to increase the versatility of the product, it really should be water resistant, at the very least, and downright water proof to make it a banger of a product. The price point is wonderful and makes it accessible to most, but this one flaw might be a deal-breaker and deprive them of a sale, so this really needs to be addressed, in my opinion. :) I will push past the horrific stench, because I have great confidence that this item will be a valuable addition to my arsenal in the fight against age, loss of muscle mass, loss of bone density, and the battle of the meno-belly. It's kind of fun to wear (even if I have to leave the bottom strap so loose it literally does nothing because I don't want The Girls crushed beyond recognition), & a lovely color so I feel less like a Space Marine and more like a woman in the fight of her life to retain some semblance of fitness as she faces the big 6-0 approaching much faster than she is ready for! Cheers! Read more
