Jackets / Different question

Hales Smut

Well-Known Member
A lot of waterproof jackets have one negative point for me. You buy the correct size, put an extra fleece or jumper on cold days and you almost can't move anymore. Get one size bigger and you look like you wear your bigger brothers jacket. That really overdressed feeling. I'am probably not alone with this idea. Is there a good waterproof stalking jacket available that can stand hard rain and still have that comfortable feeling that a good fleece jacket gives you. Freedom of movement without being overdressed.
 
A lot of waterproof jackets have one negative point for me. You buy the correct size, put an extra fleece or jumper on cold days and you almost can't move anymore. Get one size bigger and you look like you wear your bigger brothers jacket. That really overdressed feeling. I'am probably not alone with this idea. Is there a good waterproof stalking jacket available that can stand hard rain and still have that comfortable feeling that a good fleece jacket gives you. Freedom of movement without being overdressed.

No!

ft
 
Part of the problem is that the fleece of jumper tends not to move freely inside the jacket so it feels restrictive. The use of a shiney Snugpack or Buffalo as an inner helps with this. JC
 
You can get fleeces that are quite 'snug' fitting and designed to go under stuff rather than the ones that have a bit more room in them.

Also the buffalo route does work (as long as you are operating in -30 degree temperatures) but you may overheat

I wear my Pro Hunter generalyl with nothing but a shirt underneath and it is very comfortable. Cannot reccomend them highly enough (apart from the cuffs that get a bit wet inside and they take some time to dry)

Dan
 
Try wearing a long-sleeved vest/Norwegian army shirt to keep you arms warm and a sleeveless fleece to keep your kidneys warm. I read somewhere that if your kidneys are warm, nothing else will feel cold.
 
Try wearing a long-sleeved vest/Norwegian army shirt to keep you arms warm and a sleeveless fleece to keep your kidneys warm. I read somewhere that if your kidneys are warm, nothing else will feel cold.

This is a good point, I'm a fan of the Swanndri waistcoat/vest, very warm but not restrictive. JC
 
the old army style jumpers and vests are a terrible ,its not untll you wear some of the new airmesh/coolmax etc garments ,you see how bad.. layer up ,swazi -stoneycreek have a range of lite fleeces ,base layers .

i use swazi and find they does work well
 
Hello Hales Smut,
My answer to your qquestion is have two jackets - one sorted for winter with cosy cuffs perhaps, and one for summer with open cuffs as I hate sweaty arms.

Now this is a divergence from your exact question - bit if you can bear with me a minute.

The jacket is always customised by me to carry a folding knife - in it's sheath, and fastened into the right or left hand-warmer pocket with a lace which is passed through the inner jacket wall through two eyelets.
Thus the knife is handy and out of the way whilst crawling. Less weight dragging at your hips.

No hand-warmer pockets ?- I sew on a shallow zippered pocket.

The inside of the jacket has an open topped, baggy pocket sewn inside the breast at the right height to support the ALMOST full length of the bino when slung round the neck.
That also keeps it out of the rain, and very importantly, out of harm's way whilst crawling.

Now to the sweaty question. Get yourself a Paramo shirt. I'm a vandal and cut the sleeves short on mine.
This shirt is reversible and you can use it normal way round to wick the sweat away through to the jacket - which these days tends to do the same and vent it to the open air. I use only the shirt - and it's enough.
I promise you that within a minute of stopping and waiting the sweat is largely gone and you don't get chilled.
These shirts are amazingly cosy and I've worn one with only a single layer jacket in September hail whilst waiting for the pony, and as long as I kept moving in the spot so that the outward wicking from the body heat kept operating. I was dry and warm.
The shirts are not cheap, but for me they became an essential part of my stalking equipment and when viewed in that context - there's plenty more money than that spent by some fellows on stalking bells and whistles which are excess to requirement.

For colder weather, a good quality but light fleece pullover such as Berghouse or the like, grabbed by the arms and flipped into a neat roll and tied around the waist by the arms, is handy to put over the shirt when you sit a while.

I'm old fashioned and use braces as well as a belt, but your trousers stay pulled up where you need them to be and I doubt that nature will criticise any lack of fashion. The braces are also handy for threading the arms of your fleece throught when not being used - security.
It's simple really - everything sorted for max efficiency so you can forget everything apart from the stalk and the shot.

Good luck.
 
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