What clothing would you recommend for my needs.

beretta682

Well-Known Member
Hi Fellas,

For years my shooting clothing of choice has been military surplus Dutch gortex jacket and overtrousers from the local army and navy store, I opted for this because it was tough, waterproof, breathable and inexpensive. It has served me well but is coming to the end of its life and I cannot source anymore, so what would you recommend. It has to fulfill the following requirements.


  1. Normal hunting colours (Green/Brown)
  2. Waterproof.
  3. Breathable.
  4. Suitable for long cold days hunting in the field.
  5. ***MOST IMPORTANT***Tough fabric capable of withstanding the rigours of beating pheasants from heavy gorse and thorn bushes.
  6. Trousers and Jacket under £300.

Please let me have your recommendations.
 
I got my last Dutch Army Gortex DPM from Fentons in Preston. Was in not so long ago and they had plenty left along with masses of other kit. Def worth a visit/call.

In terms of value for money/performance the ex army gear is difficult to beat.
 
I got my last Dutch Army Gortex DPM from Fentons in Preston. Was in not so long ago and they had plenty left along with masses of other kit. Def worth a visit/call.

In terms of value for money/performance the ex army gear is difficult to beat.[/QUOTE

+1 on Feltons in Preston.
 
I think if you try to fulfil every criteria of your list there will be a compromise somewhere. As it doesn't always rain (although recent weather is trying to prove otherwise), buy some quiet shooting clothing and a set of waterproofs
 
Out of all the field clothing Ive used over the years Ive finally settled on Army Surplus too, there is obviously some fantastic "new" clothing (harkila, see land, gentile) but I do object to spending a fortune on something that I need to wear through brambles, gorse and can easily get ripped. Im pretty hard on clothing (espec when beating) and Im not convinced one set of clothing can do everything so I mix and match a bit. most important for warmth is layering so I add/remove as needed.

My current stalking combination is as follows,
Austrian Army Goretex Mountain jacket (c £40) if its really wet
Swedteam Borgvik fleece (was about £80 3 yrs ago) waterproof enough for most showery weather, I'll replace with ex army when I need to.
Army Surp PCS Norwegian fleece shirt (£15)
thermal under wear top & bottoms
Austrian Army Surplus Olive fatigues (£10 a pair)
Army Surp Goretex overtrousers (Uk MTP about £15, Austrian Olive ones with braces about £30)
tough gaiters
Army Surplus Sealskinz socks (£8)
Altberg Defender boots (£75 new off 'bay)

I've yet to find any waterproof trousers that are water and thorn/gorse/barbed wire proof, so when Im beating I use wax leggings instead of goretex trousers, and an old wax jacket, these are cheap and can of course be worn over the top of the rest or in place of the goretex stuff. Bottom line is that I've not found goretex and sharp things mix very well! My Ventile smock did ok with this but you're looking at £300 on it's own.

Of course you do run the risk of looking like the illegitimate child of Wurzel Gummidge and Stig of the dump, so I have a smarter jumper, wellis, moleskin trousers and tattersall shirt/tie for invite/smart days (looking at a wearite tweed jacket too at some point) but this lot has kept me warm and dry, and with a happy bank manager!
 
andychas;1078700Im not convinced one set of clothing can do everything so I mix and match a bit.[/QUOTE said:
I think you are right on this, for example you can't really get breathable and waterproof, you can get a bit breathable and waterproof but not ideal performance in both areas.

This might be why the surplus clothing comes as a "system" so with jackets you have the windproof smock which is not designed to be waterproof, though with wash in waterproofing it will keep most people dry in extended shower type conditions, but it is very breathable. I find that for a big percentage of stalking days out the smock is ideal as you stay drier because it is so breathable and so you are warmer and it will cope with a decent shower of rain. If it is going to be really wet then the surplus goretex layer is worn UNDER the wind proof smock and it is completely waterproof but, of course, not as breathable. Having the smock on top means you keep your pockets, dampen the noise of the goretex layer and also protect it from thorns and the like. As soon as the weather improves you take the goretex layer off again.

This mix and match approach works really well for my stalking and fishing and is much more comfortable than wearing one of my (many) goretex jackets alone. The truth is that the windproof smock keeps the water off well enough for most days out and with sensible use of the weather forecast I've never once found myself without the goretex layer when I needed it.
 
Hi Caorach
I agree, having a 'system' has ticked the boxes for me. I've not used the British MTP smock and goretex personally (tbh only because I prefer olive drab to cammo) but the principle of layers with the Austrian stuff is the same. In addition to the high cost of specialised jackets, I really can't stand having a bulky coat on whilst shooting (stalking or game) so using a highly water-resistant fleece (the swedteam) works for me in the same way as the MTP smock for the vast majority of weather conditions. The fully waterproof goes on when needed. Clothing seems to be much like dogs and calibre's, lots of choices but very difficult to get one that will do it all!
 
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