Desi- it's not overkill. It's pretty much perfect. Light and slightly rigid. It conforms to your body for even weight distribution without foam.

Ladies and gentlemen, scoot back from your keyboard so the drool doesn't ruin your computer...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67tnraY9jM

love
nick

Excellent review, Nick, thank you! I might have to check this out.

Nice work on the vid Nick, great to see the yellowjacket finally released! I would like to see it in some different color schemes: black/olive green or camo might entice my credit card out of the wallet.
-AJ

Dear Newtribe,

Please stop making awesome new saddles.....I have bills to pay!!!

all joking aside, it looks awesome and great review Nick. I'm with moss on the color, something a bit more camo would be nice to see but the price sure is right!

I've been climbing on the Yellow Jacket several months. I highly recommend it.

As I am sure most of you know already that New Tribe is taking a poll on color preference for the yellow jacket. This makes me think that they have heard that yellow may not be the best choice for everyone. Let them know your preferences quick so they can make it in NT green or something similar.

http://www.newtribe.com/

Once they come up with a yellow jacket in NT green or something similar I may have to buy two. My son wants one but not in yellow (he's 7yr. old, knows what he wants). As for me, I travel a lot so replacing my special Vi in my travel climb kit with one of these would be most excellent.

To NewTribe: Please hurry with a color selection. Winter is coming and climbing season is almost over. Also, it would make a great Xmas gift for my son.

Thanks ahead of time

BKS

Here's the deal on color. I'm a traditionalist, meaning I like to disappear into nature. The yellow jacket has offered color variety. If you take the yellow bag out of the picture, the % of yellow surface area is overwhelmed by black. Very little yellow shows in a climbing photo. I don't classify this piece of gear as alarmingly yellow. My white helmet and red Fly are the standouts.

Keep your color preferences. Color sells (personal experience). However, don't hesitate to purchase a solid piece of gear based on a few swatches of yellow. If you're color blind or if you climb in brightly colored shirts, why are you waiting?

I've got the first production lot of a legacy - that's a first for me.

Very good point JimK. Everyone has their preference and style of climbing. I am an avid hunter and spend the better part of the hunting day in a tree, trying to not be seen by the deer. That is the reason I would prefer something more subdued. To each his own. When I am rec climbing, I usually wear darker earthy colors so as to blend into the canopy as much as possible.

This also helps to avoid distracting other people while they are enjoying the outdoors. Also, my Special Vi is perfect for my type of climbing. However, when I see a peice of climbing gear that I want but I dont really need, I could talk myself into it easier if the color is right. (Damn this gear lust

Thats just my preference and $.02

BKS

$179.00 with video review.

http://www.newtribe.com/store/index.php ... ucts_id=88

Edit: I see the video has already been posted. Looks like a very nice light harness

Whenever I'm getting something for outdoor/backcountry use, I also prefer muted earth-tone colors that blend in -- but as Hunabku has pointed out, a few minutes work with a Majic Marker can solve the brightness of the Yellow Jacket Saddle. Some people might worry that the coloring process would weaken the fabric, but I seriously doubt it would be enough to worry about; probably less than 1 to 2 percent.

Still, I remember a study done in a national park about 12-15 years ago -- think it was Yosemite -- where visitors to one of the more popular and crowded campgrounds were issued large, biright-colored tents and asked to use them for a weekend. The next weekend, visitors to the same campground were asked to use tent colors that blended with the environment. The conclusion of the study was that the majority of campers enjoyed their outdoor experience when the muted color tents were used.

My biggest concern with the Yellow Jacket is that it hasn't been on the market long enough for possible long-term problems to become evident; I'll wait another six months or so before deciding to buy one (and for my finances to get better).

If anyone has a yellow jacket and they just can't handle the color, I would be willing to take it off your hands

Indeed. Maybe too much attention being paid to the color issue.

I'm just being a big baby, ever since I saw Nikosi designer Casey Jones in his custom camo saddle I've wanted my next harness the same.
-AJ

I've had mine since Valentines Day of this year if that helps ya any. That puts us at the 6 month mark today!

This is a near perfect travel harness.

love
nick

Like Nick, my Yellow Jacket has been in use for 6 months. There's one singular reason why I don't wear it routinely: I give it to my new climbers so that they can have the best climbing experience possible. The form fit dynamic diminishes pinches and bruising.

Because the same skill, design, machinery and materials go into it's manufacturing, I regard this with equal confidence as a seasoned line of saddle - minus padding.

I see this saddle referred to as "a good travel saddle". If it was side by side with a Tengu, which one would you choose as your primary rec saddle? From what I've read, It sounds nice and comfortable with no pressure points. That would make it a "primary" instead of a convenient packable model in my book

Dan