Local, local, local, folks.
September Liberty Potluck: We look forward to seeing those of you who plan to attend the event September 26th here in the AO.
**Special Request** Tactical and/or Hunting Coats - what is the Brand/Design you currently use, or want to use? Any design mods you can suggest that you'd like to have built into a 3-season coat? We need some input for one of our Tribe who is starting her own shop.
Personally, I have a few ideas about a solid Combat Smock...
Here's what's probably the best two makers of hunting clothing available anywhere-as far as high-end gear goes-
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sitkagear.com/
http://www.kryptekstore.com/
Kryptek also sells the material their products are made from-
http://www.kryptekfabric.com/
When I'm hunting I use layers,with the outer layer being camo fleece until it gets cold,then I switch to camo insulated bibs,with layers of fleece and sweatshirts over a silk weight base layer.
For hunting in brutal cold,I wear an expedition weight base layer and insulated bibs made by the Berne apparel company-they're much warmer than Carharrt's
I mostly use Realtree AP camo,or Realtree APG for the camo pattern-in the west I would use either Sitka's or Krypteks patterns, Cabela's Zonz Western,Zonz open country,or the Realtree that's designed for the west.
When I do wear a coat/jacket hunting,it's one like this...
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Guide-Series-Mens-Outdoor-Element-Insulated-Twill-Jacket&i=783321
IN the really brutal cold,like Ohio's Jan. muzzleloader season gets some years,I'll use a jacket similar to this...
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Guide-Series-Mens-Ultra-Form-Base-Puffy-Jacket&i=781739
Then put a heavier jacket over it.
As for design mods-something I would like to see brought back is the game pouch on the back of the jacket-for times when hunting small game,you just field dress it,and put it the pouch.
Those were old-school hunting coats-usually made of canvas cotton material that was waterproofed.
Sort of like this-
http://www.gandermountain.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Browning-Mens-Pheasants-Forever-Jacket&i=443917&r=view
Except the game pouch belongs in the back,along with inside handwarmer pockets/pouches with zipper or velcro closures.
Another thing that I would like to see brought back is the coats/jackets that are affordable being made of something like the cotton canvas-fleece and nylon sucks-it gets caught on briars/brush and gets ripped.
One more is handwarmer pockets sewn in the back of the coat,so you can put handwarmers over your kidneys if your sitting in a blind or stand in below zero weather all day.
Hope that helps.
Once it gets brutally cold,I wear bibs made by the Berne apparel company-they're warmer than Carharrt's
This is a battle proven smock worn by hundreds of thousands of soldiers during WWII from France to the backside of old mother Russia. Many variations (Oak A, B, plain tree, blurred edge), weights of materials, etc are offered today for collectors and re-enactors. I like the roomy pockets. It is reversible for fall/spring. It is light enough that you don't feel like a walking sauna when walking through the woods. From a tactical viewpoint, the Germans spent lots of time and money developing camouflage and these patterns remain some of the most effective today. Also, these are made with foliage loops should one want to get creative :^)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/German-Waffen-SS-Pattern-Camouflage-Reversible/dp/B005XG4P3E%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-d-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005XG4P3E
That's a good pattern for most of the country,except maybe desert,and some of the higher elevations in the west-the Germans had/have all kinds of good camo patterns,and some good jacket/coat designs.
ReplyDeleteThis is one is a good one too-was a SS pattern I believe...
http://i37.tinypic.com/fn8dgx.jpg
Some good info on different camo patterns worldwide...
ReplyDeletehttp://camopedia.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
This stuff rocks for hunting camo,I've never seen such a great pattern,really patterns,they all will work great-but the adrenaline pattern is perfect for most of eastern U.S. hunting,it's better than Realtree and Mossy Oak put together-and they license it,so it may be a good idea for whoever's planning on going in business to look into it ...
Backland
Canadian company BackLand produces a series of three camouflage designs using GlobalTech 44™ technology. Backland claims their designs scientifically blend natural colorations and defused backgrounds with leaves, bark and other forest elements. The pattern then is meticulously hand digitized to form incredible depth with realistic colors, forms and shadows, resulting in a camouflage design that changes color and form to adapt with each surrounding. The Adrenaline pattern is designed to perform in deciduous timbered environment, Waterfowler in swampy regions, and West in grasslands.
http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=File:Backlandadrenaline.jpg
Swamp...
http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=File:Backlandwaterfowler.jpg
Western...
http://camopedia.org/index.php?title=File:Backlandwest.jpg
Licensing application...
http://www.backlandoutdoors.com/lic.htm
Yes, those are all good GGII. Fortunately, east of the Mississippi River, all of the Mossy Oak and Real Tree patterns are very effective. Personally, I like Mossy Oak Break Up for late fall to early spring. For spring turkey season I usually lean towards RealTree Advantage. In my opinion, RealTree and Mossy Oak have made so many variations as a marketing tactic which so closely resemble each other, it gets too busy when you are in a store. looking. a catalog, or online and trying to compare. Almost any of them are good for the southeastern U.S. I normally carry an old pullover .3-D leafy set in MossyOak Break Up in my hunting vest. It is made of light-breathable mesh covered with random cuts of camouflage material much like a ghillie suit. In a quick situation I can slide these on over everyday clothes and blend in most anywhere in my AO or in the continental U.S., Primarily. the colors are gray, but mixed with brown and black , Being old, they are faded and dirty. One advantage of this set ( and this would apply to a smock just the same) is during the fire and ice days of turkey season when one shivers and freezes in the frosty mornings of early spring, the over suit can be easily removed and then the layers of clothing underneath can be removed in kind. It is nothing for temps to range from 30 degrees F to the high eighties in early April. These extremes coupled with usually a lot of walking while carrying a nine pound shotgun, a twenty plus pound hunting vest and two quart bladder of water or canteen make this type of light over camo very desirable. I didn't mean to go off on a rant and sound like an infomerical for turkey hunting, but the comparisons for covert concealment could easily be applied to many facets of tactical movement. As a side note, the British used turkey hunting as part of their WWII sniper training for a time. Animal experts state that the turkeys eyesight is on average nine times greater than that of average humans. These birds are hunted by something 24/7 365 days a year. Sneaking around and maneuvering (woodsmanship) is a much more important part of the hunt than calling while hunting these super alert birds, at least in the hills of north Alabama.
ReplyDelete