Jacket recommendations
- Thread starter mjjl
- Start date
Should be something more affordable here:
www.deerhunter.eu
K
Deerhunter | Professional & Functional Hunting clothing
For hunters and outdoor enthusiasts it is important that the clothes are wind-waterproof and breathable. ✓Adapting the environment ✓Professional hunting
www.deerhunter.eu
I'm on my second... Or is it third deerhunter. And to save money buy
Last years model at one of the shows.
Last years model at one of the shows.
I have thinking myself about getting a better jacket, I currently using a few types the Seeland Eton jacket and trousers they are not bad but have found the sizes to be on the small size also don't like the stud fastening on trousers keeps coming undone.My main jacket I tend to use is the Jack Pyke hunters jacket , the only downside is it not too breathable when you sweat a bit. I have also been using some trousers by a company called Game for the last couple of years and they are pretty waterproof , quiet and warm. They also do jackets that I have thought my be good as well. It does seem to be a bit of minefield trying to get the right clothes at the right price.
caorach
Well-Known Member
When jackets come up I sometimes join in with this, it works for me. I appreciate that it might not work for everyone but...
I tried a lot of jackets including the "big name" ones, over many years, but never really got something that worked for me. A few folks had said to me that the British Army windproof smock was worth a try and to be honest I didn't have much faith in "army surplus junk" working for me but gave it a try. My experience has been that for most general purpose use it is the best possible jacket. The first thing to highlight is that it isn't waterproof and the drive of modern marketing is that you can't have a jacket that isn't waterproof however my experience has been that having a waterproof jacket is often (but not always) a disadvantage. The average person in average UK weather will be much more comfortable in something like the windproof smock that is showerproof and much, much more breathable than a completely waterproof jacket will ever be, you will also feel warmer as you will not be damp and even if you walk relatively hard for an extended period then your layers will soon dry out whereas that simply doesn't happen with a waterproof jacket no matter how breathable it claims to be. I've found the windproof smock to be showerproof, and it will take some pretty good showers for reasonable periods of time before water gets in, though clearly things like rucksack straps can "force" water through but then my Harkila Pro-Hunter trousers get wet at the knees if I kneel down and "force" water in so this problem isn't limited to the smock.
In really wet weather than the idea is that you put a waterproof layer UNDER the windproof smock - this sounds like madness but can work well as you keep all your pockets and their contents on the outside etc. plus when the rain stops the smock dries in a few minutes and you can take the waterproof layer off ASAP. You can fine tune your waterproof layer depending on the conditions you expect on any given day - sometimes I use a "Packit Jacket" that cost me about £15 and sometimes I use my Musto Munro and sometimes I use various surplus waterproofs.
It is, however, important to remember that this is a clothing "system" and so you have to use your brain - on a nice day when there's no chance of rain then you don't need to carry the waterproof layer and you'll do just fine even if there is a shower or two, on a day when it looks like you might get heavy rain then it is worth taking a waterproof layer along, on a day when it is pouring when you get out of bed and the forecast says it won't let up for 3 days then it is worth putting the waterproof layer on at the start of the day.
The smock has great pockets and a good design for being out and about, to be honest I prefer the "old" DPM ones as they had nothing they didn't need and so dried faster etc. however the current MTP ones have fleece handwarmer pockets and pit zips and all the features of a big money jacket plus the design in terms of pockets etc. remains good and way ahead of any commercial jacket I've ever tried. The other advantage with the smocks is that you can try it out and see if it works for you at almost zero cost as they are inexpensive (unless you've money to burn and want to pay for one of the commercial versions) and if you hate it you can sell it on ebay again and get your money back.
As some may have noticed I've been making fishing videos this season and this is a short review of some summer and early autumn fishing (I think it came to 37 days in total though not every day is represented in the video) in the Hebrides, you'll note that it is the windproof smock that appears in nearly all of the shots. You will also note that I had pretty much all the weather you can imagine and that the smock remained the jacket of choice, and it is not for the lack of having a wide selection, and also that on the really wet day on the river I had a waterproof layer underneath. The same jacket will also be out 1 or 2 days per week all winter in the usual wide range of winter conditions:
I tried a lot of jackets including the "big name" ones, over many years, but never really got something that worked for me. A few folks had said to me that the British Army windproof smock was worth a try and to be honest I didn't have much faith in "army surplus junk" working for me but gave it a try. My experience has been that for most general purpose use it is the best possible jacket. The first thing to highlight is that it isn't waterproof and the drive of modern marketing is that you can't have a jacket that isn't waterproof however my experience has been that having a waterproof jacket is often (but not always) a disadvantage. The average person in average UK weather will be much more comfortable in something like the windproof smock that is showerproof and much, much more breathable than a completely waterproof jacket will ever be, you will also feel warmer as you will not be damp and even if you walk relatively hard for an extended period then your layers will soon dry out whereas that simply doesn't happen with a waterproof jacket no matter how breathable it claims to be. I've found the windproof smock to be showerproof, and it will take some pretty good showers for reasonable periods of time before water gets in, though clearly things like rucksack straps can "force" water through but then my Harkila Pro-Hunter trousers get wet at the knees if I kneel down and "force" water in so this problem isn't limited to the smock.
In really wet weather than the idea is that you put a waterproof layer UNDER the windproof smock - this sounds like madness but can work well as you keep all your pockets and their contents on the outside etc. plus when the rain stops the smock dries in a few minutes and you can take the waterproof layer off ASAP. You can fine tune your waterproof layer depending on the conditions you expect on any given day - sometimes I use a "Packit Jacket" that cost me about £15 and sometimes I use my Musto Munro and sometimes I use various surplus waterproofs.
It is, however, important to remember that this is a clothing "system" and so you have to use your brain - on a nice day when there's no chance of rain then you don't need to carry the waterproof layer and you'll do just fine even if there is a shower or two, on a day when it looks like you might get heavy rain then it is worth taking a waterproof layer along, on a day when it is pouring when you get out of bed and the forecast says it won't let up for 3 days then it is worth putting the waterproof layer on at the start of the day.
The smock has great pockets and a good design for being out and about, to be honest I prefer the "old" DPM ones as they had nothing they didn't need and so dried faster etc. however the current MTP ones have fleece handwarmer pockets and pit zips and all the features of a big money jacket plus the design in terms of pockets etc. remains good and way ahead of any commercial jacket I've ever tried. The other advantage with the smocks is that you can try it out and see if it works for you at almost zero cost as they are inexpensive (unless you've money to burn and want to pay for one of the commercial versions) and if you hate it you can sell it on ebay again and get your money back.
As some may have noticed I've been making fishing videos this season and this is a short review of some summer and early autumn fishing (I think it came to 37 days in total though not every day is represented in the video) in the Hebrides, you'll note that it is the windproof smock that appears in nearly all of the shots. You will also note that I had pretty much all the weather you can imagine and that the smock remained the jacket of choice, and it is not for the lack of having a wide selection, and also that on the really wet day on the river I had a waterproof layer underneath. The same jacket will also be out 1 or 2 days per week all winter in the usual wide range of winter conditions:
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