How much are you willing to spend?

mikegranger

mikegranger

Well-known member
I would like to know what people spend on clothing to hunt in. I'll start out by saying most of my money is spent on gas to go hunting, then the gun, then the scope, clothing and finally calls. Having used the same calls for many years, I don't spend much on that category.

Was talking to a fellow PM'r the other day and we got to talking about good (high dollar) wool clothing. I'm a dyed in the wool /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif, wool wearer. But, being such an adament wearer of wool, I must confess to spending very little on it as my shirts (Pendelton) were purchased 17 years ago, coat was bought on a clearance rack for 75$, socks are 6.50, and pants are purchased at the army navy store for $20.

Those of you who have the high dollar stuff, can you tell me what the difference is? A salesman will always try to convince you their stuff is far superior than anything on the market, but the way I figure, if our military deemed it worthy to take into battle, why wouldn't it be good enough for me? Besides, I could buy a lifetime of pants at $20 for what one pair of expensive pants cost.
 
Gas, glass, rifle and boots = $$$.
I pretty much scrimp on everything else. I buy stuff in the off season when it goes on close-out. I still have and use GI gear from the late 60's.
 
My biggest expense is gas (and the truck). The firearms and ammo have been used for such a long period of time I don't figure the price. Still using the .270 I bought when I was 12, 47 years ago. My wool clothing? I haven't bought any for many, many years. I'm still using shirts and pants that bought anywhere from 25 to 35 years ago. I have considered buying some of the new wool camo but can't bring myself to spend the bucks. I try to take good care of my outdoor equipment and thats why I spend very little on hunting gear. Mike is quite correct, IMO, if its good enough for our warriors to take into battle, then you can better believe its good enough for me. I'm still using my OD Field Jackets from my stint in the early sixties.
 
Military BDUs make great calling clothes IMO. Re-enforced knees and butt, rip stop material, lots of pockets, and plenty of patterns to choose from. I pretty much where Woodland BDUs all the time and will wear them under my winter clothing which is a Walmart Remington 6 in 1 jacket in Realtree hardwoods Camo and the matching winter bibs. Excellent winter clothing for the price. I really don't even wear the bibs unless I am deer hunting or predator hunting when it's very cold out. The stuff just keeps you warm and sometimes too warm.

For snow camo, I went for the natgear tops and bottoms. The stuff works great. Pretty much invisible. However, my hunting buddy picked up some military snow camo tops and bottoms for $20 (a 1/4 of what I paid for my Natgear). During a morning hunt last winter I observed him in the snow bank 100yds down wind of me. He disappeared too- so well in fact that the only thing I could see was his non camoed gun. It looked like it was just lying in the snow. When it's time to replace my snow camo, I will probably go with the military stuff.
 
I try to spend as little as possible. Don't have the fancy gore-tex or super fabrics that are being marketed. Most of the camos are made to sell to hunters not to conceal. Most of it is way too dark for out west. However, since finding Natgear 4-5 years ago I don't even waste time looking at the new lines of camo each fall. I use Natgear for elk, coyotes, and honkers. It fits in everyplace out west. I have been wearing a white military coverup that my dad had forty years ago for goose hunting. It has a few tears from climbing over barb wire fences, but it is aged and not as bright as new white camo just off the shelf so it blends in better. It is suprising how bright some of the new stuff is in what we think is clean white snow. I think wool is the best, but I can't wear it. I can't even wear it with a long sleeve shirt underneath it. Stick with your wool because you can get so much of it at the surplus stores. I just have a hard time getting into their waist sizes because the boys in the army are a little slimmer than me. I layer whatever I want under my white coverups. I used to wear coveralls, but the past couple of years I have been using a pair of Natgear pants with the old polyester fill underwear I have had since I was a kid. It only comes out when it gets real cold. I don't think they even make it anymore. If they did I sure would like to know where to find it. At 25 below I wear it under a regular pair of Natgear camo pants and sit out for a half hour at a time. I don't know why it took me so many years to figure it out, but using a piece of closed-cell foam between your butt and the cold ground does wonders for keeping you warmer. I consider the best calling weather to be at 15-25 below and wear what I have described above on my lower half. I wear a pair of Sorel pacs and usually a heavy chamois cloth camo shirt with a Carhart insulated jacket on top with a white coverup over that. A white ski-mask and a good pair of mittens/gloves and I'm happy.
 
I have a set of Faded Sage camo for spring and summer. I have a set of Prairie Ghost Snow for winter. I got my ghillie type suit I can wear when I want to be really invisable. I got 4 sets of woodland BDU's that I don't use any more since I got the sagebrush camo. Plus I have 2 insulated coverals, one is Liberty from wal-mart cheap and light for when it's not too cold out. The other is Duxback a little heavier and better quality for when it gets colder. Plus various sets of gloves in a coloration to go with what camo I wear and how cold it is. So I guess I'll spend as much as I think I need to spend. If I see something later on down the road I think I might need I'll get that too. Not to mention my radios I just got to comunicate with dad, the headsets I'll want to add to the radios I'll get when I find some to my liking. My shootin sticks that I don't use much, my various calls which are howlers I couldn't make sound good so I got another, and another untill I found one I could work well. 2 cottontail distres calls, 1 open reed 1 closed reed. 2 jackrabbit diress calls, 1 open reed 1 closed reed. These also get left behind now cause one of howlers I coudn't howl well with I can make some real good distress calls with that I liked better than the distress calls I already had cause it's a little louder. A J.S. Prey Master and then later the Nady 151 to eliminate that dang wire. A decoy, wind checker powder, scopes, bases, rings and my Encore. It came with the 223 barrel, I got it just so I could start hunting coyotes, which is what started all this spending listed above. Plus if I get drawn for a deer tag next year since I don't have a deer rifle then I'll have to go get a 308 barrel for my Encore and another base, rings and scope for that barrel as well. Wow I went through alot of money so far, I didn't really realize it untill now.

t/c223encore.
 
What separates good wool from the rest is the tightness of the weave. good wool is woven very tight, traps more heat and is almost wind-proof. Anymore wool is almost a thing of the past, I know that might raise a few hackles but fleece is as warm and weighs in at 1/3 the weight. the wind will go thru fleece as if it were thin air so you need to get he wind-proof stuff or use it as a innner layer using a camo shell for the outside. and if its real cold down coats with the camo cover-up is the way to go.
 
Howler....you won't raise my hackles, you are absolutely right. Good wool is hard to come by. Another reason why I can't justify the expense of buying some of the new stuff. Clothing made 30-50 years ago was a heck of alot better than the junk made now, mostly from you know where. Read below.
 
Mike-
I value good outdoor gear and will pay extra for something of value. Broken down over the years the price of a quality piece of outerwear is very reasonable. I have a hard time paying it out and often have to save for something, but it usually lasts a long time. I do use surplus and I love to pick up things second hand. I am always on the lookout for deals. I try very hard to make good decisions so that I get the most for my money. I like what Mark Zepp says in his video-"When you buy the best you only cry once". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif That is true. But with clothes you got to be very selective, or you will have something that is impractical or does not fit properly. Having said this I find myself thinking of a gillie suit or a new filson coat. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif But I can probably get by with my old wool coat a few more seasons. MH
 
Gave up wool years ago for fleece, half the weight, dry's faster, as warm as wool or warmer, and comes in more patterns. The U.S. Military started using fleece years ago in their ECWS gear, liners for gloves, socks and underwear. They really do their homework, and I'm sold on fleece.
 
Since I don't own any fleece, does it retain body heat even when wet? That's a big advantage of wool for me. Laying in the snow gets one wet over a long day. Wet and cold don't add up to a fun filled adventure.
 
Quote:
Most of the camos are made to sell to hunters not to conceal. Most of it is way too dark for out west. However, since finding Natgear 4-5 years ago I don't even waste time looking at the new lines of camo each fall.



I agree with you 100% Some of todays "best" camo patterns appear as dark blobs. Natgear both the original and the new slightly darker SCII blend in to my surrondings whether I am hunting timber or fields and are reasonably priced.

Up here in the North it pays to have quality clothing. I dress in several layers and blend different fabrics and camo/snow patterns as each stand dictates. I try to buy it in the off-season on sale and save a little money but that's generally not my major influence in purchasing gear. I take good care of all my gear and it lasts for a long time. I'm not saying that high quality equals high price because it doesn't, I'm saying I buy what I feel is the best gear for my circumstances. If it requires me to wait to purchase it and save some money so be it. I have bought inferior and poor quality gear before and still regret it to this day. My current gear consists of cottons, wools, fleeces, Thinsulate, and Gortex type fabrics. IMO I love the gortex as I can sit in the snow all day and still be dry. I also believe in quality supportive long lasting footwear.

That said I have called a killed quite a few coyotes in plain carharts as well.

Tim
 
Mike, What a great post. (I just ran across it)

I, like most hunters I know, drove myself nuts keeping up with the latest camoflauge patterns, materials, scent blocking, etc... Each year, something better came out or different. It could run a man broke if he let it. This is especially true in the deer and duck hunter world.

About 10 years ago, I finally through the towel in and went to the basics. I wear Carhartt pants and a camoflauge long sleeve T-Shirt. When it get's colder, I layer some military polypropelene under it. Even colder, I layer my military wool pants and a wool vest. When I get to my calling stand, I throw a ghillie coat or poncho over me and disappear into the surroundings.

I don't own a lick of camoflauge that matches, as well as, I have never bought anything from Cabela's or a big store like that. Would I like to have a matching set of Rocky camoflauge wool coat and pants? You betcha. Would I kill more coyotes with it? Nope. Would I still throw a Shaggie over it on stand? Yep.

The one thing I do spend good money on is boots. Waterproof and Thinsulated. I buy a new pair of Rocky boots about every 5 years.

That's what I use...

Tony
 
Quote:
Since I don't own any fleece, does it retain body heat even when wet? That's a big advantage of wool for me. Laying in the snow gets one wet over a long day. Wet and cold don't add up to a fun filled adventure.




Fleece does retain body heat when it is wet. However if it is windy you have to have something over it to cut the wind. I just started using wool this year and I like it far more than anything I have ever used.
 
When I wash my fleece it comes out of the washer dry or pretty close to it, and that's with a top loader too. The water goes right through it.
 
Fleece saved my bacon while hunting in Alaska. If your hunting in a cold rain, fleece is the best first layer. Wool is a great outer layer if you don't have a whole lot of walking to do. It's very heavy when wet. What I like about fleece is rain will roll right off and if your walking hard and sweating, it goes to the outside of the fabric and beades up and then rolls off. You still feel "dry" next to your skin. kyray
 
How much am I willing to spend? As much as necessary for me to have a comfortable day afield. I need my time outdoors away from the stressful job. Hunting is what I do. Some guys drink in bars and stuff dollar bills down some girls panties, others buy $25,000 bass boats, some race cars, or ride expensive motorcycles. I hunt, fish, shoot, and spend time with my family. I'll spend the money on a healthy hobby/way of like such as the outdoor sports provides and lifestyle to make sure I and the family enjoy ourselves.

I wear lightweight camo for warm weather and nothing breathes like the polypro silky feeling material. I also wear a lot of Carhart pants for meduim weight above freezing dry conditions. For colder weather I like polypro layers next to the skin, fleece next, and wool on the outside. In my experience fleece doesn't turn water or wind. Fleece is warm and breathes well, but can't match wool for insulating when wet, turning wind, or wearing like iron as wool does. A good wool set may cost some intially, however, it'll last for many years keeping you warm and dry. The cost for the good stuff broken down over years really isn't that much of an investment when viewed in this way. The same applies to socks, underwear, hats, and boots. I like the quote I've heard before, mentioned above, about buying the good stuff only making you cry once. I currently have three sets of wool, L.L. Bean, Columbia Gallentin Range, and Filson. When you're miles from the truck in sub freezing, wet snowy conditions, trying your dead level best to "enjoy" the teeth chattering bone chilling cold, well... that's no time to think about scrimping on a few dollars IMHO.
 
I will spend what it takes. I am lucky to have my wife hunt and that means getting what we need to stay warm and dry. She loves good appropriate camo. Our most recent Smartwool long johns have proven out. Even name brand high dollar stuff has to be checked over and tried on. Some racks have five shirts made in five different countries. Poor clothing fails quick, often when you need it most. Fabric and materials have evolved tremendously. They have spent billions on R&D and wool remains in the top for outdoors. Gore-Tex is the next most impressive to me. Imagine what it's impact would have been 100 years ago.
 
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