Too cheap for camo!!

deadhorse

deadhorse

New member
Yea, I'm cheap. I look through the catalogs and cringe everytime I see the price of camo. When I call I always wear my KEY brown coveralls because they blend in with the dead grass. I wear a black Carhardt jacket because I always snuggle into a tree in the shade. I wear a facemask and dark colored gloves. To my knowledge I have never been spotted because of my colors, just movement. So, do any of you wear regular clothes or am I the only elcheapo tight a$$ on the planet? What works best for you guys on a budget?
deadhorse
 
WE teach the students in our Bow Hunter Ed classes that even some of the clothes you wear day to day work.
Good old fashion PLAID wool shirts , muti colored shirts- anything that will break up your outline will work,I still forkout the $$ to buy some sort of camo tho.
 
After reading information form folks that know, and have actually done extensive research, I believe that the key factor is wearing colors that do not contrast with your background, and breaking up your silhouette as much as possible. All the rest is a sales pitch, IMO. We duck hunted for many years, and it still, to this day, amazes me at the people who don't realize how BRIGHT their little smiling face is. I have seen hunters in blinds with the sun hitting them that looked like a spotlight on a dark night. A face covering, or a little camo paint, is a definite must.

Of course, being still, as you said, is the MOST important thing. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I wear a pair of tan Carhartt pants almost always, for the past 12 years or so. I use a camo coat or shirt, sometimes an ultralight ghillie jacket.

I've got a buddy who's been wearing Carhartt coveralls that he's drawn his own black branches on with a Sharpie marker, for 10+ years.

You aren't being too tight...just smart.

Tony
 
I find alot of stuff at Wal-Mart for cheap. This is the ONLY thing I ever shop for at Wal-Mart because I hate being there and supporting that corp. But, I have found Ts there for $5 a peice, Camo flannels for under $20, pants for about the same. heck, I just bought a camo mask for $5. I also bought a fleece half face cover there for $10 a month ago.
 
When I started predator hunting I wore a Hawaiian shirt and Levi's. I graduated to Marine Corp tropicals and green utilities for quite a number of years. Eventually I bought a set of cheap camos. All of it worked. The main problem with the Hawaiian shirt was that the brightly colored flowers attracted humming birds like crazy, but it did break up my outline. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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...the brightly colored flowers attracted humming birds like crazy...




They tried nesting in your beard again, eh Weasel? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
If you look at some of the cammo outfits available,..Some are very good buys just for the design of the outfits. My open leg design(lower) allows me to silp into and out of with out taking my boots off,...The water resistance is good, the zip out inners are nice warm too, pockets every where, great zippers. Now I'm talking cold weather, so anyting can be used in temperate areas. like levis,..whatever.
I did buy a very good Military, nylon outer shell, white 3/4 coat, for snow use, with all my nice warm cammo stuff underneath. It was as good as I've ever seen. Waterproof too.

I'm making a full cover for my face and hat at this time. I don't buy just every thing. HAR!

Pack
 
I've never bought into the camo thing either..motion is always what alerts me.

And something else that really makes me laugh is "scent lock" clothing. Yeah, right! Like a deer (or many predators) ain't gonna smell you if he's downwind of you. As long as you're breathing...you're a'smelling.
 
Good camo allows you to get away with a LITTLE more movement....but that is about it....I really like light colors, camo or not....
 
Anything that I have that is basically 'earth tones' and comfortable is what I wear. Never did buy into the camo thing...I do own camo clothing but only because it was a good deal and serves its purpose. I have bibs in every flavor made including black, white, duck of several brands(Carhardt), camo of three patterns. Cold weather gear is a perk of the job so I have everything they offer...all insulated.
 
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deadhorse, I have used my faded carhart bibs for years with a cheap ole camo jacket. I now have a new pair of bibs and I washed them a bunch of times just to faid them so they would blend in with the kansas grass. it's perfect camo here. I did just order a kit to make my own ghillie poncho but the faided carharts will always cover my legs as long as I hunt in the grass.
 
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Ok not to steal the thread... But where do you guys suggest for snow camo. Cause im sure sometime this winter we will get some snow... I hope.



I use oversized white sweat pants/shirt (cheap ones) that I drew some sqiggly lines/branch like patterns (very light pattern, not too busy) on with a permanent marker. I had a buddy comment on how amazingly effective it was when he went out with me once, he said he would have never known I was there in amongst the snow/timber even @ 50 yards.
 
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Ok not to steal the thread... But where do you guys suggest for snow camo. Cause im sure sometime this winter we will get some snow... I hope.



White painters trousers and long sleeved white painters shirt decorated with some various permanent markers, eg., gray and some black.

Or, do the same treatment to a white bedsheet from the thrift store and cut a head hole and arm holes in it to put over you like a pancho.

You can get away with almost any color for most hunting except blue. I'm convicned that blue shows up to most animals like a white teashirt under a black light in a disco! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

IMO, you can't get by with any color for turkeys.
 
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amazes me at the people who don't realize how BRIGHT their little smiling face is. I have seen hunters in blinds with the sun hitting them that looked like a spotlight on a dark night. A face covering, or a little camo paint, is a definite must.



I never smile so that isnt a big issue! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I like wearing my brown Carhartt during deer season. I feel much safer as the city hunters are busy shooting sheep and goats and the brown color blends in with the deer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

Dave
 
Someone made a post and listed a link to an interesting read on colors and how dogs see them. It was interesting to see how many colors looked brown to them. So, a red and orange hawaiin shirt would probably work well.

Also, remember that most camos you see in the store are there to sell to you, not to the animals you hunt. Greens, in alot of cases, are actually not that great to have in your pattern. Look for more browns and lighter shades. I like the look of grey trees and brown leaves on my camo. Seems to blend in the best. Also, it's funny that I brought up Wal-Mart earlier. Their cheap camo line is some of the best camo I have ever seen, using shades of burnt orange, brown and greys.

If you don't believe me, look at the animals in the woods and tell me what colors they are. Greay, brown, red etc. the only ones that are not these colors are the freakish ones, like the skunk. But nothing messes with a skunk. LOL
 
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Ok not to steal the thread... But where do you guys suggest for snow camo. Cause im sure sometime this winter we will get some snow... I hope.


try here i just bought a set of reverable that look great Berne Apparel you have to ask about them their not out on the market yet but you can still buy them.
 
Cheap snow camo:

Find a commercial paint store, they'll have Tyvek "clean suits". Cut the feet out of them and the elastic at the cuff. They aren't the most durable, but they're might cheap.
 
Tyvek suits work great. They are cheap and after a stand or two they have dirt and smudges on them to really start to blend in. I did get a cabelas suclusion coat this year for xmas.
 
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