caorach
Well-Known Member
At the end of August I bought myself a mil surplus "windproof smock" for just over £20 to give it a try. I don't go through jackets as quickly as I destroy waterproof trousers but I'm always looking for a better mousetrap.
I washed the smock using the Nikwax "tech wash" and then the wash in waterproofing for cotton and decided to give it a good testing. I'm deeply disappointed because its performance has been great and at the minute it is getting worn more often than jackets costing over 10 times the price. To date I've worn it fishing and working at sheep in the Hebrides for 3 weeks and on maybe 10 occasions while stalking sika in forestry, putting up high seats and so on, here in Ireland.
Now, the big down side is that it only comes in DPM cammo which is less than ideal and here in Northern Ireland has "paramilitary" overtones with which I'm a bit uncomfortable the other slight down side, which could quickly be resolved with a knife, is that the storm flap has velcro on it which is noisey and grabs the bino strap just when you need it least: the noise made ripping your bino strap off the velcro can be detected by sika deer at over 1,000 yards according to scientists. However if you can ignore this then the design and pockets are great and the openings to the pockets fold over - so nothing can drop out, button closed - so they are silent to open and close and are horizontal - so your worldly goods don't drop down the hill when you open them. Who, exactly, came up with the current "fashion" idea for waterproof jackets that the pockets should be vertical? Clearly not someone who ever depended on the contents of his pockets while balanced on the side of a Scottish hill.
I have also been surprised by just how waterproof the jacket has been. I didn't expect it to do anything more than turn a light shower but in fact it has had several outtings of over an hour in heavy rain, one in a high seat and one while salmon fishing, and not let any water in. I don't for one minute think that it would be as waterproof as my Musto Highlands and I suspect that after much over the one hour the water is going to start leaking through. However, for most moderate stalking weather it could be considered waterproof though should you lie on it in a ditch then all bets are off.
So, if you are looking for a jacket for stalking in moderate conditions I would recommend you give the mil surplus windproof smock, plus some wash in waterproofing, a try and see what you think. If nothing else the price is right but I suspect you might get a pleasant surprise and find yourself wearing it more than you imagined.
I washed the smock using the Nikwax "tech wash" and then the wash in waterproofing for cotton and decided to give it a good testing. I'm deeply disappointed because its performance has been great and at the minute it is getting worn more often than jackets costing over 10 times the price. To date I've worn it fishing and working at sheep in the Hebrides for 3 weeks and on maybe 10 occasions while stalking sika in forestry, putting up high seats and so on, here in Ireland.
Now, the big down side is that it only comes in DPM cammo which is less than ideal and here in Northern Ireland has "paramilitary" overtones with which I'm a bit uncomfortable the other slight down side, which could quickly be resolved with a knife, is that the storm flap has velcro on it which is noisey and grabs the bino strap just when you need it least: the noise made ripping your bino strap off the velcro can be detected by sika deer at over 1,000 yards according to scientists. However if you can ignore this then the design and pockets are great and the openings to the pockets fold over - so nothing can drop out, button closed - so they are silent to open and close and are horizontal - so your worldly goods don't drop down the hill when you open them. Who, exactly, came up with the current "fashion" idea for waterproof jackets that the pockets should be vertical? Clearly not someone who ever depended on the contents of his pockets while balanced on the side of a Scottish hill.
I have also been surprised by just how waterproof the jacket has been. I didn't expect it to do anything more than turn a light shower but in fact it has had several outtings of over an hour in heavy rain, one in a high seat and one while salmon fishing, and not let any water in. I don't for one minute think that it would be as waterproof as my Musto Highlands and I suspect that after much over the one hour the water is going to start leaking through. However, for most moderate stalking weather it could be considered waterproof though should you lie on it in a ditch then all bets are off.
So, if you are looking for a jacket for stalking in moderate conditions I would recommend you give the mil surplus windproof smock, plus some wash in waterproofing, a try and see what you think. If nothing else the price is right but I suspect you might get a pleasant surprise and find yourself wearing it more than you imagined.