I spent a few months deciding which strap vest to buy. I went over pros and cons of ~20 vests made by several companies. I settled on the Duck Camp Upland Strap Vest for a few reasons:
Price - some were $300+ which I just could not justify.
Size - the areas where I hunt are fairly small and I'm never more than 1-2 miles from my car. I didn't need extensive storage offered by some other vests - no MOLLE webbing or lashing straps needed.
Waxed Canvas - I hunt a lot of thorn and bramble-heavy cover which tends to be rough on gear. I was worried some of the nylon vests out there would get damaged more easily.
Amount of Orange - I wanted extensive blaze orange to satisfy my state's requirements. Having a blaze strap vest would allow me to layer differently for all weather conditions when I don't have blaze orange winter jackets/coats. Other strap vests that I was looking at had much less orange.
Company - I have some other Duck Camp lifestyle gear and have been really happy with the product and overall message of the company. I wanted to try their strap vest vs. a more technical product made by a more "historical" brand.
I have used this twice now, and have some feedback:
Blaze orange - The orange really isn't truly blaze orange. It's more dull, maybe more of a 'regular' orange - a "matte" blaze orange. It looks nice, but I don't think this would satisfy my state's fairly strict blaze orange requirements. I'm attaching a photo of this strap vest next to a blaze orange hat and another blaze orange vest.
Shell pouches - There are no shell loops in the pouches. I assumed there weren't as it was never specifically stated, but shell loops seem to be standard in the more higher-end vests. This isn't a deal breaker for me (as I obviously bought the vest), but it would be nice.
Shoulder buckle locations - Others have said the buckle location is inconvenient with stock/butt placement when in the field. I have not experienced this. I also use an auto-loader so rarely rest it on my shoulder like an O/U or a SxS.
Fit is big. I'm 6' 185 lbs (generally a L in everything) and it fits very big, even with all straps fully tightened, including the waist, it's still a little bit too loose. I wanted this to fit a little more snug, or at least more adjustable for a tighter/looser fit if needed (hunting in a t-shirt vs. winter jacket). It will be better when I have to wear a thicker jacket, but I generally think I'm right in the middle of sizing, especially with OSFA products. I currently have the shoulder straps almost as tighter as they go and the waist strap as tight as it goes. The other two side straps are very tight, but I also have them set for where I want the pouches.
The middle buckle. It's ok. I definitely looks cool and classy, but I would have preferred a regular buckle. This one is hard to do/undo with gloves, and it did come apart once while I was bending down.
Overall, I do like it. I think it looks great. I like the style. It's subtle but cool. It's not garish and full of logos like some others out there. The waxed material has held up well so far (still looks brand new). The storage is a good size for smaller covers. Over the last two hunts, I've easily carried an extra layer, gloves, two full water bottles, a bag of dog treats, and a leash. The price also did not break the bank. My complaints are minor, but still just a few things to think about before you buy this strap vest. I'd probably give it a 3.5/5.
