IF PATIENCE IS THE KEY to success in the deer woods, then the clothes you wear while hunting ought to be considered your most important gear. After all, if you aren't comfortable on stand, there's little chance you'll be able to wait out the wiliest, most mature bucks.
Whether you need to withstand hours of sub-zero temperatures, outlast a mid-morning deluge or early-winter squall, or simply stay warm on a particularly nippy morning, there are plenty of great options on the market this fall that will help you tough it out.
Under Armour Ridge Reaper
This quiet, medium-weight, soft-shell combo features UA's new Capture Technology. The inner lining is treated with a polymer shield that is designed to trap and filter body odor.
Both garments feature sporty cuts for the athletic hunter. Taped seam construction keeps rain out and allows water vapor to escape. The jacket and pants are available in Realtree AP (pictured) and Mossy Oak Break-Up Infimity. ($200), jacket: $180, pants; undermour.com)
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Sitka Incinerator
Once you recover from sticker shock, the first thing you'll notice about the new Incinerator jacket and bibs from the function-forward folks at Sitka is the camo pattern, a follow-up to the game-changing Gore Optifade digital camouflage. Whereas the original, known as Open Country, was designed for the West, the new Optifade Forest is most at home in the Northwoods.
The garments are built for stand-hunting, with articulated elbows and knees, 700-fill goose down, a lightly brushed (read: quiet) Gore-Tex exterior and even grunt-tube pockets. ($599, jacket; $469, bibs; sitkagear.com)
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Rocky Mountain Stalker
A more economical option, but one still equipped to keep you warm, quiet and scent-free, is the new Mountain Stalker apparel from Rocky. Made from the company's SilentHunter microsuede material, it features a waterproof, breathable laminate and Rocky's SIQ scent-control treatment. Between the two items, there are more pockets than you can count.
The jacket boasts 150 grams of Thinsulate insulation; the bibs contain 100 grams. A curved front zipper on the jacket keeps the pull tag from rubbing against your chin all day. ($140, jacket; $120, bibs; rockyboots.com)
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Rivers West Ranger
Rivers West's weather-shurming hunting gear is practically indestructible, but the knock on it has always been that the waterproof fleece tends to trap perspiration. The new Ranger All-Terrain jacket and pants aim to alleviate that issue with well-placed vent zippers in the armpits and inseams.
Other thoughtful touches include a detachable hood, four cargo pockets (two interior) and a stand-up collar on the jacket. The pants have 12-inch boot zippers and a Diamond-Flex crotch that allows for increased mobility. ($200, jacket; $150, pants; riverswest.com)
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Cabela's Revolution Fleece
Cabela's proprietary Revolution Fleece material is essentially a super-rugged polyester tricot designed to resist pilling and deterioration and to turn away thorns and burrs. The non:insulated garments are totally waterproof and breathable, thanks to a Dry-Plus lining, and are available with Scent-Lok
They come in five camouflage patterns, including Vertigo Grey, seen here. This pattern is ideal for tree stand hunters who spend the bulk of their time in the stand long after the last leaves have hit the ground. ($100-$165, pullover; $90-$140, pants; cabelas.com)
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Columbia Big Game Quad Parka
Remember that solar oven you had to build for Earth Science in 6th grade, and how angry your mother was that you used up all of her aluminum foil? Well, the Onmi-Heat Thermal Reflective technology found in the Big Game Quad Parka is based on the same idea.
The jacket's inner lining, covered in tiny reflective dots, helps to regulate your temperature by reflecting and retaining your body heat, and dissipates moisture to keep you dry and comfortable.
The 3-in-1 parka is waterproof and features a removable cap-like hood. ($400; columbia.com)
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Red Head Tundra Fleece
The super-soft sueded exterior of the new Tundra Fleece line is as quiet a material as we've worn. At the same time, the material is totally waterproof and shuns burrs and other grippy vegetation. This outer layer and an inner layer of plush berber fleece are bonded around Red Head's windproof/waterproof stretch membrane.
The hood and its floppy face flaps tend to get in the way when the hood is not up, so it's a good thing it's removable via a zipper. The bibs feature full-length zippers on either side and a front zipper that ends at the crotch. ($100, jacket; $100, bibs; basspro.com)
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Browning Full Throttle
This jacket/pants combo is a new addition to Browning's Hells Canyon line. The outfit is easily the most lightweight of this round-up and a good choice for the hunter who is constantly on the move or hunts in warmer climes. A water- and wind-resistant outer shell is bonded to a moisture-wicking OdorSmart featherweight fleece interior, eliminating a lamination layer. This allows air to move freely through the material, increasing breathability.
Both the jacket and pants are available in three Mossy Oak patterns: Break-Up Infinity (pictured), New Break-Up and Treestand. ($107, jacket; $107, pants; browning.com)
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L.L. Bean Technical Wool
For those who live by the mantra, "My grandfather killed dozens of deer and never wore a stich of camo," here is a wool deer-hunting outfit for the 21st century. The outer layer is a super-quiet, warm and water-repellent wool, the lining is a moisture-taming polyester, and between them is a thin water- and wind-resistant layer.
The collar and cuffs of the jacket are cut and tapered to keep out the elements but still allow for freedom of movement. The jacket has six front pockets. Articulated knees and easy-access cargo pockets are stand-out features of the pants. ($199, jacket; $129, pants; Ilbean.com)
Source Citation
Taranto, John. "Buck skins: the best new outerwear for getting it done in the deer woods this month." Outdoor Life Nov. 2010: 49+. General OneFile. Web. 13 Nov. 2010.
Document URL
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Gale Document Number:A240796036
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