Fieldsheer Mobile Warming Backcountry Vest
Paul Gallaher
This fall I’ve been able to test the Mobile Warming vest from Fieldsheer.
Details:
First, this vest is from the Mobile Warming line of heated clothing from Fieldsheer. It is filled with Primaloft synthetic down as an insulation layer. The outer layer is made of Waterpell water-resistant nylon outer shell. The vest comes with two side pockets next to the waist that are big enough for hands and have zipper closures. There is also an interior pocket behind the left-side hand pocket. The vest has adjustable waist cinch straps.
This vest, per the name, is heated via a Mobile Warming system powered by a 7.4 volt lithium ion rechargeable battery. The battery is fairly compact and fits in its own pouch inside one of the hand pockets where it connects to the heating system. The heating system of this vest has several innovative features including an exterior multi-colored LED push-button where four heat settings may be selected. The four heat settings are; 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% power. Additionally, Mobile Warming has a bluetooth enabled “MW Connect” cell-phone app. The app allows the user to check battery levels and to select one of the four heat settings of the vest. The four heat settings allow for between two and 10 hours of heat to the vest depending upon settings selected by the user. There are three heated zones on the vest, one across the upper back and one on each side of the upper chest.
Wear testing:
I live in the high mountains of Colorado which means that cold weather and even occasional snow start coming in very early fall. This has given me the opportunity to test the features of the vest in a variety of conditions. I’ve worn the vest for my job working outdoors as a Nordic ski groomer. Recently, I wore the vest on 50% power under an insulated jacket on a 10 degrees F morning. I got so warm I had to turn the vest off! This size-large vest fits me well as I am 6’3” and 170 pounds. It has good length and is long enough to provide ample coverage to the waistline. I do like the adjustable elastic waist cord to keep the wind out and the heat in! I prefer the use of the push-button heat selector on the outside of the vest to control the temperature as it allows me to keep my hands inside my gloves on a cold 5-degree morning. For more moderate temperatures, I believe using the app would be a nice benefit, especially to check on remaining battery power.
Regarding battery power, I tested this vest both indoors and outdoors on the “high” heat setting and in both cases the vest kept heating for about two hours. That’s pretty good battery life on the highest heat setting. Recharging the battery when depleted takes between three and four hours. Fieldsheer does manufacture and market extra batteries for those who will need to extend the heating time of their vest. These spare batteries are available directly from Fieldsheer. For cold weather days or when I am headed outdoors for a prolonged period of time, this Mobile Warming vest will definitely be in my quiver of tools to keep warm!
This vest comes in three colors and has sizes available from small to 3XL.
Paul Gallaher
Paul grew up in Minnesota where he learned to love the outdoors, riding his bike, fishing and canoeing in the summers and skiing in the winters on Minnesota’s 300 foot-tall “mountains”.
After finishing college, he was commissioned as an officer in the USAF eventually becoming a special operations and reconnaissance instructor navigator flying and serving around the world for twenty-two years.
Living and traveling around the world has given Paul opportunities to explore outdoor passions. He is an advanced scuba diver, a pilot, a sailor and has skied in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland.
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