Vista Maverick review

I have been reviewing my bows for the past year or so but I have not really touched on the support gear for them.  As any archer is aware of, the support gear is a vital part of archery.  Tools, string wax, tabs/gloves, arm guards, quivers, arrow pullers, etc. all add up to allow an archer to perform his or her best, be it that one shot on a whitetail deer or a whole shoot worth of arrows at a tournament.  This time, I'll be taking a closer look at one piece of my gear that I find particularly important - my quiver.

Over the years I have been shooting, I have used a variety of quivers from belt-mounted target style side quivers to bow-mounted hunting quivers.  Since I transitioned into traditional archery from Olympic recurve, I found a back quiver to suit my tastes more than the full-featured target quiver that hung from my belt.  Sure, it was nice to have all the big pockets, pouches, and multiple arrow tubes, but I found that often got in the way of walking a course or kneeling.  On a whim, I tried a back quiver just to see what it was like and I found it to be very easy to use and out of the way.  I do not remember what brand or model that old back quiver was, since I got it used and have long since given it to a friend.

While on a search for a better back quiver, I came across the Maverick on Lancaster Archery's website and it looked like a very well-appointed quiver that would suit my needs.  While looking for more information on-line in the way of user reviews (of which there were very few), I came across a barely-used one for sale.  The owner thought he would try a back quiver and found it just wasn't for him.  His loss was my gain, so I quickly sealed the deal with him and the Maverick was on my doorstep within the week for just over half the price of new.



- Design -

The quiver is made of a ballistic nylon material with a camo print exterior and faux-fur trimming on the main strap and the interior of the quiver compartment.  The main strap is about 2" wide and has felt padding under the faux fur on the part that would rest on the shoulder.  There is a waist belt strap around the base that allows for secure positioning on the body.  Both are adjustable for length.  The 2-strap system is designed to be ambidextrous and switched by the user as needed.  I ended up altering the strap system on my Maverick, which I will get into later in the review.  I am not much a fan of camo print for anything - bows, shirts, hats, etc.  I understand the value of good camo in a hunting environment, but I would have liked the option of an all-black quiver.  I suppose nothing some Rit fabric dye or even black spray paint can't fix.

Best buddies like PB & J

The quiver features a large zippered accessory pouch on the front, which also doubles as the front wall of a open top pocket.  At the top of this pocket is an adjustable strap, which appears to serve as a means to secure a take-down bow, or possibly strap on a one-piece for hands-free carrying.  This big open pocket is one of my favorite features of this quiver since I have used it many times to store my ILF and bolt-down bows when I am on the move.  It also has served as a pouch to carry other things like a CamelBak hydration bladder.

Everything in one easy-to-carry package.  Just grab and go!

The main arrow compartment is divider-less and tubeless and is completely lined with the faux fur to provide some noise suppression from the arrows.  One could stitch in their own dividers if they so chose, but I prefer the wide open mouth which makes arrow retrieval and insertion very easy without having to bump it forwards or be double-jointed.  I usually only carry one type of arrow when I am out shooting so I don't care if my arrows get mixed together.  On the off chance that I break an arrow or need to put one away, I simply put it in the take-down bow pocket and it is far enough away that I am unable to accidentally grab it.

Cavernous main compartment for easy insertion and removal of arrows.  It can easily hold 3 dozen arrows.

The base of the arrow compartment is rectangular and has a 2" thick replaceable foam block secured with a pin running across the width of the quiver.  The foam is there to allow a hunter to stick broadheads into to prevent them from damaging each other.  I have never used broadheads with my quiver so I cannot comment on the durability of the foam, but it is nice and solid and I see no damage after years of use.  The base lacks any kind of anti-penetration plate below the foam so wear and overzealous placement of a broadhead could pierce the bottom.  It would be simple enough to measure and cut out a piece of aluminum or thick plastic to place beneath the foam as a precaution.

The really nice feature of the quiver is how the reinforced back is slightly curved and will actually collapse to prevent arrows from jostling about and being noisy.  This is a big deal for me as I have tried some basket type back quivers that are annoyingly noisy because they are rigid.  The Maverick collapses easily, but is able to straighten up enough so that if I arch my back a little while reinserting arrows, I can slide them in effortlessly.  Additionally, the collapsing back helps retain arrows within the quiver in the event that I have to bend forwards or side to side.  I've bent forwards touching my toes with a full dozen arrows in the Maverick and not one came close to falling out.

A view of the takedown bow pocket and the adjustable strap

- Shooting -

It is my observation that back quivers are not all that popular with most archers - even within the traditional archer community with whom back quivers are most associated with.  It seems that very well may be due to the range-of-motion required of the shoulder to allow one to effectively use a back quiver.  When I asked a number of folks at my traditional league, many cited that very reason for why they use a hip quiver.  One fellow said he is too barrel-chested and no back quiver he has encounter can fit him.  I suppose anatomical limitations are another reason.  Another commonly cited reason was the lack of accessory pocket accessibility.  Hip quivers have pockets that you can dig into at a moment's notice.  Back quiver pockets are like backpacks and require you to take off the quiver in order to access them.

All I see is a bow and some arrows just floating next to the tree.  Where did the quiver go?

For those of us who do have sufficient shoulder range-of-motion and are not too big, the Maverick is a very comfortable quiver.  The main strap is thickly padded and has a layer of the golden faux-fur.  It does not dig into the shoulder at all, but I found the faux-fur to annoyingly leave hairs here and there.  I eventually got tired of it and gave the strap a haircut, trimming off most of the fur and leaving only enough for padding the strap.  The waist belt is 1" wide and stitched into the base of the quiver on both sides with a plastic buckle in the middle.  I estimate the belt will extend to accommodate a 42" waist, but not much more.  Fortunately, I am lean enough to not have any issues with the belt being too tight, but as it is, the Maverick will be a tight fit on larger shooters.

I found the two belt combination to be not all that secure, allowing the Maverick to slide up and down a bit on my back and a little side to side as I walked up and down stairs, bent forwards, backwards, and side to side, and moved my arms about in a windmill pattern.  I opted to rig up a 3-point harness system by cutting off the right side waist belt and stitching the buckle onto the mid-point of the shoulder strap so I could attach the left side waist belt there.  The resulting strap system is very similar to the 3-point system found on the Timbuk2 messenger bags and is nice and solid feeling.  I repeated the same movement tests with my new strap and the quiver moved much less than before.

My 3-point harness system.  If you look closely, you can see where I cut the left side belt and restitched it on the main strap.  It loses the ambidextrous ability, but I don't care since I'm right-handed.

 At the point of writing this review, I have worn the quiver for about 3 years now and have had probably well over a thousand arrows go in and out of it.  I have taken the quiver small game hunting and out to the range countless times and it continues to be the trusty sidekick to my bow.  I routinely carry accessories like: string wax, extra string, bow stringer, hex tool, spare nocks, spare points, spare glove, screwdriver chisel (for digging out arrows stuck in wood), bug repellent, sunscreen, and water bottle.  Amazingly, the large zippered pouch has the capacity to swallow up all that gear and still have room for more.  I also routinely carry a few bareshafts in the takedown bow pouch so I can tune my bow and arrows on the fly if I ever feel something is amiss.  I've been able to carry at least this much gear in my hip target quiver, but the back quiver centers the weight more on your back and it feels less cumbersome when out in the field and walking to the next target.  One really cool ability I found of the Maverick is the ability to store a hydration bladder in the takedown bow pocket, as I stated earlier.  It is a bit of a tight fit for all but the smallest of bladders, but it really makes staying hydrated out in the field so much more convenient.

All this and more will easily fit in the large zippered compartment

In a hunting situation, the Maverick performs wonderfully.  I only bring it with me for small game, as I will loose more arrows (and lose more arrows) than when hunting for deer.  I normally use rubber screw-in blunt points when going for squirrels and rabbits and those have no issues going into or out of the quiver.  I have tried Judo points before, but the spring-loaded claws do get caught up going into the quiver and sometimes coming out.  I have to take extra care to pull out the arrows with Judo points so that I either do not damage the quiver or tangle the points together and pull out multiple arrows at once.  As far as noise goes, the Maverick is as quiet if not quieter than most other back quivers thanks to the collapsing middle that keeps arrows from rattling about.  I still do get arrow clatter if I move fast and tilt enough to shift the load, but it is a lot better than a rigid basket type back quiver.



- Final thoughts -

The Vista Maverick is a major part of my archery tackle and I am almost never without it if I am out shooting.  If I could change a few things about it, I would like one in all-black fabric.  Honestly, the golden faux fur looks gaudy to me and I don't like it at all.  I'd eliminate it from the strap entirely and replace it with simple foam padding like a backpack strap, and possibly from the main compartment and replace that with some thick fleece.  I'd also add a couple accessory pockets on the sides for holding items that require more accessibility like a monocular or a knife.  These are additions I could possibly add on myself and would be relatively simple enough with a stitcher and some patience.

Overall, I feel the Maverick is as close as I have gotten to my perfect quiver without going to a custom maker.  I have tried a number of production back quivers over the years and all had some major omission that was enough for me to kick to the used gear market.  For the price of the Maverick, I feel one gets a lot in terms of a sturdy piece of essential archery gear.  It doesn't look all that great (at least to me), but it fulfills the role it was meant for beautifully, and functionality is so much more important to me than aesthetics.

A back quiver isn't for everyone, but if you are like the idea of one or just want something that can carry all your gear including your bow, give the Vista Maverick a look.  I don't see them come up all too often on the classifieds, suggesting to me their owners like them.  Unless something much better comes along, mine will remain with me for the long haul.