"Stalking clothing" outlets having a laugh!?

[Hereford]

Aye, saft sootherners? Never more than a mile fae a log fire??

I'll have you know it's been really quite chilly down here today......!

 

[Hereford]

I realise that a quality product can't be cheap to produce, but if you can get a crap pair of trousers in ASDA for £6, surely a decent pair ought to cost about £40-50?
I wasn't knocking the quality of Harkila clothing or those folk who like to wear Harkila, I was more shocked with the price tag on "sale" items! surely it's possible to stay warm and dry for less than £1500?
I was given a Harkila roe sack for Christmas one year and it fell apart within a week! I sent it back and received a replacement quickly which is going ok after about 15 months of use. I think the first one was part of a dodgy batch but it didn't really impress me much at the time.

If I had spent £500 on a jacket and £350 on trousers, they're the last garments I'd wear whilst crawling around in a muddy ditch, getting tangled in barbed wire (which is what I seem to spend a lot of time doing whilst supposedly stalking!)

What other brands do we have to choose from which are decent quality but sensible price tag?

That must be the technical tweed stuff from Harkila that's big ticket prices (Torringdon Tweed?). The pro hunter range is well worth saving pennies for - I've also had a repair done quickly (and without quibble) under the 5 year warranty.

Rivers West stuff is good too - and cheaper.....

 

[dan71]

Different gear depends on what you do if your a gun on a peg. Expensive is good. If your beating climbing over fences etc its expensive if you catch good stuff on the barb wire.

 

[User00047]

Different gear depends on what you do if your a gun on a peg. Expensive is good. If your beating climbing over fences etc its expensive if you catch good stuff on the barb wire.

I'm looking for durable gear for stalking deer and rough shooting, rather than standing on a peg or sitting in a highseat

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

i cant work some people out they will spend as you say 4/5oo quid on a jkt 250 on pants 200 on wellies or more on boots ,then buy a rifle for 250quid! and im either shrinking or they are putting barbed wire higher these days as all my pants are fence ventilated,

 

[Klenchblaize]

I understand Blaser do a range of clothing so it's quite possible to have a hunting wardrobe that compliments the darkness of one's rifle cabinet.

K

 

[Hereford]

i cant work some people out they will spend as you say 4/5oo quid on a jkt 250 on pants 200 on wellies or more on boots ,then buy a rifle for 250quid! and im either shrinking or they are putting barbed wire higher these days as all my pants are fence ventilated,

Dont worry about your pants - it's what's next that would worry me!

 

[rodp]

Work it out, cloth at £30 sq yd tops for a mass produced material? (Probably more like £6 /£10 sq mtr) labour app 3 hrs maximum for jacket with loads of pockets, at whatever countries rate they're made in, + shipping. So if assembled in Korea / China then about £20 / £30 finished. Then shipped to Europe to have the labels attached.

 

[scotspine]

I rate the pro hunter jacket...had mine for 5 or 6 years and its superb. Having said that I stick on my country clothing jacket for the real dirty stuff as I'd be in tears if the harkila got ripped to shreds.
Bought some pro hunter trousers three months ago and they are a real treat to ware.... no sweating-up and so comfy. Early days yet but already better than country covers and nomad.... boots get dodgy reviews though so I'll stick to meindls

 

[scotlanddeerstalking]

ive also got the pro hunter jacket and trousers but use the meindl boots, good stuff for the hill,

 

[RED-DOT]

THORNhill Dav?

 

[sikadog]

I do all my dry weather stalking in a green fleece I have had for I think about 18 years and if it rains I have a lightweight waterproof jacket over it.
The fleece cost £15 and the regatta waterproof £47.
The deer dont seem to mind what I look like.

 

[scotlanddeerstalking]

ALI, I go commando when I am there ma boy

 

[rick6point5]

I would be more interested to hear the opinion of those for whom stalking is a profession, that is if they even use this brand at all!

 

[scotspine]

I do all my dry weather stalking in a green fleece I have had for I think about 18 years and if it rains I have a lightweight waterproof jacket over it.
The fleece cost £15 and the regatta waterproof £47.
The deer dont seem to mind what I look like.

Talking of fleece - Mountain equipment ultrafleece trousers were the best... still got some but they are a bit threadbare now. Warm, breathable and comfortable when wet. Also quick drying. When they were discontinued I bought similar trousers from extreme outdoors. I now go for Haglof mountain pants.

 

[willie_gunn]

There are far more important things in life than looking at the labels on other people's gear.....

 

[User00047]

I would be more interested to hear the opinion of those for whom stalking is a profession, that is if they even use this brand at all!

Let's not get too carried away about Harkila in particular......I wasn't really complaining about the quality of their clothing.

 

[Wildboar1973]

I would be more interested to hear the opinion of those for whom stalking is a profession, that is if they even use this brand at all!

I am lucky enough to have forestry and stalking as part of my profession and business, also a bit of trading clothes and gear for hunting, working and sports outdoor, plus I really need relyable clothes and gear when out for tracking wounded animals....

So, I am not a professional, but I am working outdoors more than 320 days a year, mainly in the forest, wearing mainly boots (just occassionally wellies), Pinewood, Swedteam, Deerhunter and Harkila trousers, jackets, fleece, thermos, Swazi socks ....

And yes, its a huge difference on the price AND on the quality!

After getting hammered by storm and rain, wet snow and icerain in Ireland and Scotland, laying on a flooded rape field for almost an hour to get a safe shot on a CWD, crawling through the thickness of blackthorn and brumbles, following wounded boar, I can tell you one thing:

You just cant beat a dry and warm, even safe feeling (boar safe Swedteam trousers) when being outdoors!

And yes, it took me years, ages and a lot of money to switch from cheaper gear and clothes, being replaced every (second) year, to the much more expensive but even longer lasting brands.

I believe, its well worth the money and compared to the years it will last, its not this expensive...

But all of us may have to find their way to figure out which gear and clothes fits them, nothing snobbish or even envious about it...

 

[Firefly]

My Harkila trousers developed a small fault where the stitching on the pocket was coming undone after TWO years of regular use. They are guaranteed for 5 years. I sent them off and was sent a brand new pair in return. They cost that much because are extremely good quality and thats's the sort of service you can rely on. Go and handle some Harkila stuff and you will see why it costs. Ff

 

[rodp]

My Harkila trousers developed a small fault where the stitching on the pocket was coming undone after TWO years of regular use. They are guaranteed for 5 years. I sent them off and was sent a brand new pair in return. They cost that much because are extremely good quality and thats's the sort of service you can rely on. Go and handle some Harkila stuff and you will see why it costs. Ff

On the other hand, you could say that they make so much profit from them that sending a new pair out for a minor fault (that could be described as fair wear and tear) is nothing to them, a drop in the ocean !!!

Two ways of looking at it.