Heated gilets...?
- Thread starter Smellydog
- Start date
So…… I quite fancied giving these a go but baulked at the cost of the Harkila/Seeland offerings. Instead I went for an el cheapo Chinese one off eBay and found it surprisingly good as a variable warmth layer under my commute to work clothing. It was very good but IMHO too bulky to wear stalking unless doing a high seat sit out. However, the principle is good so seizing the opportunity in last year’s Black Friday sales I picked up a pair of the Harkila Heat long-johns and the Heat long-sleeved Tee for very good prices. I mostly walk and stalk and rarely sit out in a high seat so the long johns haven’t seen any action yet (but it’s nice to know that they are there if needed - maybe on hinds in a fortnight up North) but I’ve worn the Tee on a couple of occasion. I normally only wear a shirt and an outer layer - if cool, I put a thin fleece gilet under the outer. On the occasions where I’ve worn the Tee as a skin layer I’ve tended to over heat quickly but the heat function quickly gets rid of the cold clammy feel that inevitably results and it’s been a blessing when I’ve laid-up waiting for an animal to get up or come into range. I deliberately decided against the outer style of heated jacket as, unless it was really cold, I could not see it working with my normal stalking layers - before trying the heated Tee I have used a thin Merino vest but found that was always too warm. My ground doesn’t support using that style of jacket as outerwear - too much bramble, hawthorn, blackthorn and un-brashed trees.
I think their usefulness very much depends upon how you stalk. If you do sit out in a seat for hours they are brilliant. If you are on the move a lot, not so but they do add a “facility” which on occasion can be quite useful. Getting the right combo of layers is always a challenge
I think their usefulness very much depends upon how you stalk. If you do sit out in a seat for hours they are brilliant. If you are on the move a lot, not so but they do add a “facility” which on occasion can be quite useful. Getting the right combo of layers is always a challenge
Rake Aboot
Well-Known Member
I use one on the motorbike
Bloody brilliant. Keeps your core warm so you feel warmer all over.
Bloody brilliant. Keeps your core warm so you feel warmer all over.
MagicLantern
Well-Known Member
Amazon delivering mine today. £35. I bought it for the bike but will also use it when I'm foxing and in a static position, probably this evening.
kenbro
Well-Known Member
Which one did you go for please?
Such a variety of prices but does the quality advance with the price?
Ken.
was not a believer then I bought a cheap Chinese one or three
all ****
sent them back
bought a different brand with better reviews
Still £30 or so
excellent for the money
even just as a puffa "gilet" (no idea when we stopped calling them waistcoats!)
the bit you notice more than anything is the neck element
if you use the pockets the panels by the hands are very useful
all ****
sent them back
bought a different brand with better reviews
Still £30 or so
excellent for the money
even just as a puffa "gilet" (no idea when we stopped calling them waistcoats!)
the bit you notice more than anything is the neck element
if you use the pockets the panels by the hands are very useful
Warm Coat
My old sport chief coat has been a fantastically warm coat over the years buts it’s getting a bit thread bare now. I use this coat for static, sitting in hight seat shooting in the winter months, any recommendations for a good warm, waterproof and windproof coat? Harkila’s driven hunt HWS coat...
www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk
Norfolk Horn
Well-Known Member
My dad had a leather jerkin so always call them that.
Dunwaters
Well-Known Member
I’ve used them in really cold conditions a few times, not really necessary if you’re moving a bit but absolutely worth it if you’re sitting or standing around.
The motorcycle versions are cheaper than the dedicated hunting designs, surprise, surprise.
Check out the run time before you buy, some of them don’t last too long.
The motorcycle versions are cheaper than the dedicated hunting designs, surprise, surprise.
Check out the run time before you buy, some of them don’t last too long.
MagicLantern
Well-Known Member
I tried a cheapie off Amazon and the arm holes were so small they were really restrictive. I could have done with one this morning at -4C in the highseat but I gave up after that experience (and the reviews for different cheap ones saying either the sizing is way too small or way too big etc).
So if anyone has a recommendation for something with sensible dimensions then I might give it another go!
So if anyone has a recommendation for something with sensible dimensions then I might give it another go!
kenbro
Well-Known Member
Be interested to hear if the sizing works out okay.
Cheers, Ken.
When you look at sizing, the mistake people generally make is to go, s,m,l etc. Don’t ask me how I know. But I sold it to a mate missus who loved it.
ignore that at look at the dimensions in cms.
ignore that at look at the dimensions in cms.
spannulman
Well-Known Member
I have a deerhunter one, bought last jan on sale at bushwear. The harkila one was really nice but didn't feel worth twice the cost.
I wouldn’t be without it. Sitting in high seat is very different now, and if you get warm walking you can turn it down/ off or just stick it in the roe sack. I only wear a base layer beneath it usually. It has a slim battery which lasts 2-3hrs on full heat. If you need longrr than that an extra battery is maybe £20.
Its great too for working from home on laptop when you don’t move much and generate any warmth.
I wouldn’t be without it. Sitting in high seat is very different now, and if you get warm walking you can turn it down/ off or just stick it in the roe sack. I only wear a base layer beneath it usually. It has a slim battery which lasts 2-3hrs on full heat. If you need longrr than that an extra battery is maybe £20.
Its great too for working from home on laptop when you don’t move much and generate any warmth.
NickJ
Well-Known Member
I gave up on cheap ones off Amazon and went for the full set of Vulcan via Heated Hunting Clothing • Sybarite Sporting • Winter Heat Ollie at @Sybarite Sporting has trialled them extensively on wild boar stands
They were a life saver in the mountains of Croatia last week with Ollie on two hour drives for wild boar. Also used the gloves on the hill for hinds, one of the big benefits is it dries them out so after a crawl/shot/gralloch you can get them back on again
I'm going to try the top on the hill too as I carry a down jacket in my Vorn rucksack but half the time when prone waiting for a herd to stand up I can't afford to get it out of the Vorn without getting seen but just pressing the button on the heated top would be doable
They were a life saver in the mountains of Croatia last week with Ollie on two hour drives for wild boar. Also used the gloves on the hill for hinds, one of the big benefits is it dries them out so after a crawl/shot/gralloch you can get them back on again
I'm going to try the top on the hill too as I carry a down jacket in my Vorn rucksack but half the time when prone waiting for a herd to stand up I can't afford to get it out of the Vorn without getting seen but just pressing the button on the heated top would be doable
Stay away from the Harkila shite, I’ve had 3. One that I brought initially and then two replacements before I gave up, they last about 3 weeks and then stop working. Two friends that have tried them had similar problems
Bought a chinese one with the kidney, back, breast and neck panels, and a decent power bank - it’s like a warm cuddle on a cold day…
Anyone that says it’s unmanly can sit there and shiver…I’ll just laugh at them in a cosy unmanly manner….
Definitely worth is and the chinese one I have is a few years old now - still going strong.
Regards,
Gixer
Anyone that says it’s unmanly can sit there and shiver…I’ll just laugh at them in a cosy unmanly manner….
Definitely worth is and the chinese one I have is a few years old now - still going strong.
Regards,
Gixer
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