You're going to the store to buy something – something you don't think about too much. But you should. It's a safety item. In this case, something that could save your life.

With that in mind, do you go the cheap route or do you get the best you can find, produced by the best in the business?

Lucky for bass anglers, several good companies make lifejackets, or "PFDs" (personal flotation devices), at different price points. But only Mustang Survival makes floatation and severe weather gear for the military, NASA and bass anglers.

Only recently has Mustang brought its 35 years of literally life-or-death lifesaving equipment design to bass fishing: "Saving Lives for a Living" is the company's slogan.

"We saw a market that we were not in that needed this type of technology and we are expanding our footprint to include it," said Frank Leffelaar, Mustang's manager of marketing services. "Professional and recreational anglers alike fish in all types of adverse conditions, and with our knowledge and experience we felt we could help develop products specifically for those people."

Research under the toughest conditions known to man has been brought to the bass fishing market with the Deluxe Inflatable Collar PFD. These are made of the best 420 denier nylon fabrics with built-in U/V protection, and have a neoprene collar for comfort and easily re-armed inflation mechanisms.

Ray Scott Likes It

This PFD was recently named the PFD choice for the Bassmaster Tournament Trail, and now counts BASS founder Ray Scott among its endorsers.

"Most boating accidents involve occupants being thrown from the boat, and the Mustang auto-inflatable will pop them up in 3 seconds – head upright and out of the water," Scott said. That head-upright part is key. Many PFDs are Coast Guard-approved, but won't keep your head afloat if you are knocked unconscious.

"Too many of us just throw on any jacket and don't realize that if knocked unconscious the wrong jacket won't save you," Scott noted. "If you look at the fine print on some lifejackets, you will see there is no guarantee that they will keep you face up. And if not properly worn, with the crotch strap attached, the lifejacket will ride up and could actually hinder you from saving yourself, even if you're conscious.

"They also may not work in adverse conditions. That's a scary deal, and that's why I totally endorse Mustang. Mustang has been in the survival business a long time. They know how to make products that withstand even the most extreme conditions.

"Instead of loading tackle and rods into the boat first, anglers should first make sure they have good lifejackets for every angler," he noted.

Stylin'

The Mustang PFDs look cool and are comfortable. As Scott said: "The collar is the major difference between the Mustang PFD and the others on the market. They use a neoprene cloth on this collar that's super soft. And the other thing I like is the collar lays down on your shoulders in the back. It doesn't stick out like a wing like others I have used do."

The model the BassFan staff tested was an MD 3083 Deluxe Inflatable Collar Automatic PFD. One BassFan staffer wore the jacket the entire day in the office, and even while sitting at a desk the jacket was comfortable, lightweight and out of the way. The neoprene collar is smooth and the jacket sits naturally down the chest, not restricting arm and shoulder movement.

How about on the water? Take the 2005 Federation National Championship as an example. Numerous anglers wore them to the weigh-in stage simply because they forgot they had them on. Now that's comfortable. Even so, comfort is important, but safety comes first at Mustang.

Notable

> We liked the fact that the jacket is sewn to the strap and doesn't turn during inflation.

> In the boat we also liked the soft materials, quick-click plastic front buckle, easily adjustable sizing straps, non-corrosive metal adjustment buckle and the built-in whistle.

> Re-arming is a snap. Even though very damp conditions can cause inadvertent discharge of self-inflating PFDs, we found this occurred very rarely with the Mustang. If stored in a dry place, usually this does not happen.

> Top-dollar Mustang PFDs are fitted with a new hydrostatic inflation technology that eliminates the the risk of inadvertent inflation in high-humidity conditions. Hydrostatic pressure caused by submersion of only 4 inches causes the pressure valve to release the firing mechanism and inflate the jacket.

> Mustang does make child-size vests, but not inflatables.

Bottom Line

Safety on the water has on occasion been taken too lightly. Mustang Survival makes it easier from a performance and comfort standpoint to be safer than ever. If you own a boat, we recommend purchasing this product. It could save your life – but your life isn't cheap. Here's some MSRP info:

> MD3083-Deluxe Inflatable Collar PFD = $170-$200

> MD3183 Deluxe HT Inflatable Collar PFD Auto Hydrostatic = $190-$210

Is it worth it? We think so.

For more information, click here to go to www.mustangsurvival.com.