Advice of Hunting Gear- Jacket, Pants etc.

[NeilLedger1981]

So I have been looking around for Camo, and I'm wondering if any of you seasoned Hunters have any suggestions on Gear, something I could possibly use for every hunt? Brand? or Do I have to get two sets of gear for spring and winter? Also what are good boots to buy?

TIA

 

[Ganderite]

When you buy camo, pay attention to the noise factor of the material. I like polar fleece because it is quiet.

 

[Deanx]

Depends on how much you want to spend. For very cold weather I have a Shivershield jacket and a Shivershield vest. They are only 1/8" thick but if you are moving you can't fasten the jacket or you are too warm. Pricey though.

 

[park.city]

don't get too wrapped up in camo or brands or appearance... make sure it fits, is warm and is quiet. dull earth tones work just as well as any "high tech camo"

 

[Butcherbill]

Something light, breathable and quiet is important. I like military camo, German primarily over realtree but that’s just personal prferance. Earth tones and drab colours work just as well, let’s not forget how many successful hunts have taken place in jeans and a red checkered jacket or a carhartt for that matter. Weather and the time of the year will dictate what I’m wearing a lot of the time, once it turns wet I wear my German gortex camo rain gear. I’ve been bone dry sitting in the mud in the rain in that stuff, great camo pattern as well.

 

[mikeelliot]

I spent money on Sitka and do not regret it.
Durable quiet fits great and easy to layer up or down.
Used it in fall archery hunts +25C and late November-25C hunting.

 

[savagelh]

It's easy to dump thousands on camo. I just buy shells and layer good clothing underneath. I have a sitka downpour that I really like but haven't worn it a whole lot let put it fits over a base layer and puffy jacket so it's good for a lot of different temps. I like cabelas dry plus pants. They are quite and comfortable and one of the most important things to me is that they don't catch burrs.

Camo is a lot like fishing lures in that it catches more hunters than game. The most important thing is being comfortable. Avoid cotton and if the temps are down, merino wool and regular wool are your friends. Goretex is great for wet weather. Don't neglect your feet either.

 

[scruffee]

I used to buy cheap hunting clothing, it worked but heavy/hard to pack gear was not enough for my style of hunting. I've recently been buying some Kuiu and Sitka gear, I'm building a complete suit with several light layers. So fare I have nothing bad to say, sometimes its worth putting a little more money on clothing and boots to be comfortable.

 

[Butcherbill]

It's easy to dump thousands on camo. I just buy shells and layer good clothing underneath. I have a sitka downpour that I really like but haven't worn it a whole lot let put it fits over a base layer and puffy jacket so it's good for a lot of different temps. I like cabelas dry plus pants. They are quite and comfortable and one of the most important things to me is that they don't catch burrs.

Camo is a lot like fishing lures in that it catches more hunters than game. The most important thing is being comfortable. Avoid cotton and if the temps are down, merino wool and regular wool are your friends. Goretex is great for wet weather. Don't neglect your feet either.

Agreed, layering has always worked best for me. Easy to strip or add a layer, I’ve switched to merino base layers and light quick drying pants and jackets over top. Add a goretex outer rain shell when the wet season hits, good boots and socks are a must. If you can keep warm and dry regardless of the weather life is good.

 

[murph83]

I have a couple camo jackets...that I hardly ever wear when hunting. I tend to care more about staying warm then if I look like a tree. And its just as easy to wear brown pants and a green shirt and not spend all the money on camo. Buy good footwear, hunting is fun..sore feet suck!

 

[safehunter]

I think it depends on what you are hunting.
Im 90% waterfowler and hunt pressured birds so camo matters. Birds see well but hear little and smell not at all. Fleece underlayers sure but IMHO that stuff picks up burrs like a magnet. TBH i pick up outer layers on sale and end of season clearance and prefer good waterproof shells that i silicone spray yearly.
Also a big fan of the rubber boot. Not as comfortable to walk in maybe, but im walking through water constantly and dry feet matter. Insulated chestwaders are also a good investment. So are a couple quality camo tarps that you can string a decent blind out or shred and add to your jacket.
My hunting partner picks his clothes off the rack at army surplus stores and downs plenty.

 

[Bustercluck]

I picked up a Sitka downpour jacket last year. Brushed face over goretex. Quiet and dry. I bought it big enough to layer up underneath. I also bought the fanatic bibs to go with it, but I should have purchased the downpour pants instead. The fanatic bibs are nice when it gets down to -10 or -20, but not even close to waterproof.

As long as the terrain isn't too rough I like wearing my muck boots. It really depends on conditions, but I find them comfortable to wear and they keep your feet dry.

 

[xingyc]

I believe camo pattern is for humans, most animal we hunt doesn't have good eyesight. Depends on your method of hunting, if you hunt from tree stands, you need cloth that keeps you warm and dry. The cheap route is to buy military surplus cloth, considering our military use G wagon, the mil surplus clothes should be quite decent, there is a good mil surplus store near Port Credit. if you have a big budget, you can go to Cables or Basspro get the Gore Tex camo. The big thing to lookout is not to wear cotton, cotton tends to hold sweat and rain. wool and polyester are better. Sometimes Costco has affordable merino wool and polyester blend base layer. Shoes are important, but
heavy insulated ones aren't cheap, I normally wear thick wool socks, use chemical toe warmer.
A lot of times I just use my winter clothes for short weekend hunts. Now, when I shop for winter clothes, I pick green or black with little noise.
If you want to get close to the animals, you need to control the odours. Use no scent soap before hunt, and put your hunting clothes in a dry bag.

 

[rral22]

The vast majority of camo is designed to sell to human eyes. It is NOT necessary for hunting. Being warm, comfortable, and quiet is necessary for hunting. There is lots of clothing that is quite good that also comes in camo patterns, and it doesn't hurt to blend in, but don't think it is necessary. If you think for a moment about what colors animals themselves wear, you will see what is necessary to fool their eyes, and a few years of watching animals will prove to you that those patterns work very well indeed. Boots are vital, and need careful attention, but exactly which boots will fit your feet is up to you. Spend way more time looking for boots that will work than you spend thinking about camo patterns.

I agree with those who layer, and your underwear is more important to comfort than is your outer layer.

 

[Mount Sweetness]

An oversized pair of mossy oak coveralls, and a cheap oversized leafy 3d suit.
You can spend as much as you want, no one cares.

 

[jjohnwm]

I have a fair bit of camo clothing, dating back to when I did a lot of turkey and goose hunting. I still use it...I'm way too cheap to get rid of anything that still works...but I much prefer plain neutral-colour outer garments for most hunting. If you're travelling any distance to hunt, either flying or driving, it's nice to be able to get double-duty out of your clothes, i.e. wear them while travelling as well as for the hunt. I just don't like camo.

Waterproof/breathable is a nice feature. Quiet is super-important to me; keep in mind that what seems quiet in a store sounds much louder in the relative silence of the hunting woods. If you do a lot of cold-weather hunts (coyotes, etc.) bear in mind that a fabric which is silent in the 20-degree indoor environment of the store can sound like it's made of potato chips when the temperature drops 40 degrees colder while hunting.

Finally, fleece and similar synthetics have their place...and as far as I'm concerned, that place is under other clothing. As an outer layer, fleece picks up every burr, seed and piece of crap that you pass within arm's length of. I much prefer wool to fleece, and I place a lot of value on fabrics that offer some element of scent-suppression. I'm not talking about masking your human scent, but rather I mean fabrics or treatments that prevent the growth of odour-causing bacteria that makes the clothing itself stink.