Recently, I bought heated vest from HELIOS for my wife to use while hiking to the Grand Canyon, and she loved it! The salesperson at HELIOS was courteous and friendly, even suggesting a waterproof jacket if it got too cold. She also sold me on the fact that this was the first of its kind, and the company made it to “be a good representation of American technology at its best.” I was also very happy with the quality of the jacket, as well as the fact that I didn’t have to dig through old camping equipment for stuff to put into my new heated vest! The only thing that disappointed me was the price — I’m on a budget, but it was priced so low that I could buy two or more for the price I paid for the one. The fact that I bought a jacket that kept me very warm while being so lightweight and easy to carry around making up for the slightly higher price.
After getting used to the vest, I started to wonder why I never thought of purchasing one before. Is it just because I’m an American and we don’t need to be concerned about temperature during the summertime? Is it because I’m used to the cold weather jackets I’ve worn in the past — I definitely prefer the weight, fit, and style of these over bulky mountain and backpacking jackets? Or is it that I live in a very warm area where I’d be uncomfortable if I had to go into the cooler climate during the winter? I’m not sure, but I’ll probably look into getting a heated vest from HELIOS for my next trip and see how I like it!
One thing that I love about these products is that they are very affordable, and I don’t think I will be needing a heater on any of my trips to Canada (unless I plan to fish there). I actually brought one for my trip to Florida last year and never once did I get cold! The reason I did not bring one is because I live in a very warm area and rarely ever get cold unless I travel south for a month or so. In addition, if I had brought a heater I would have been better off to buy a chest-pack type because I could carry it with me in my backpack, similar to the way I would pack a picnic lunch. Overall, this item is great and will make any winter trip a lot more comfortable!
