Smock/ jacket reccomemdation

[calum14nz]

Hi,

I'm very new to stalking and just starting to get equipment together. I'm finding that the cheap jacket I bought doesn't really have enough pockets to carry what I need so I'd be very grateful for any reccomendations on a smock or jacket. Where I'm stalking I'm always near a vehicle so don't have to take everything but enough room for thermal, knife, rangefinder etc. Any advice or reccomendations on either a jacket or a smock would be great.

Thanks in advance, Calum.

 

[McKenzie]

Get a pack or a roe sack. Things in pockets make being prone very uncomfortable.

 

[suburban bushwacker]

Owned a few over the years. Get a NomadUK, silent and actually waterproof, not a stylish garment, but the deer don't care and neither will you while you're stilling in a hedge with dirty big drops of Scottish rain pelting down.

 

[calum14nz]

Get a pack or a roe sack. Things in pockets make being prone very uncomfortable.

Thanks for the advice, I'll definitely look into that option.

 

[calum14nz]

Owned a few over the years. Get a NomadUK, silent and actually waterproof, not a stylish garment, but the deer don't care and neither will you while you're stilling in a hedge with dirty big drops of Scottish rain pelting down.

Thanks for the reccomendation, I'll have a look into those. Definitely need a decent waterproof!

 

[FISH BOY]

Bushwear got some good sales on Swedteam (size dependent)

 

[calum14nz]

Bushwear got some good sales on Swedteam (size dependent)

Thanks for that, I'll have a look at their website.

 

[Greenmist]

I find the deerhunter smock quite useful and also the arktis mammoth for cold days, I like the smock design as it has a large chest pocket which is great for binos on a neck strap to fit in and not swing about

 

[Scotty123]

You can’t beat ridgeline
I’ve a Torrent 3 coat now
Plenty of pockets that fit my thermal,torch,batteries and what ever else I want to take
100% water proof and it keeps you warm
I’ve had other brands and the ridgeline is without a doubt the best I’ve had
And not that expensive either
For the money you can’t get better

 

[VSS]

I would advise against a smock for stalking, unless it can be unzipped all the way down the front (in which case it's not really a smock).

Whenever I've stalked in the company of someone wearing a smock it's been a right old palava when they start to get a bit warm and want to shed a layer: stop, put rifle and sticks down, wriggle out of backpack straps, and then undergo a load of bodily contortions to get said smock off over the head, noisily and with much arm waving. Repeat procedure in reverse as temperature drops.

Much better to have multiple zipped layers that can be zipped and unzipped on the move, without actually stopping and taking anything off, in order to regulate temperature.

 

[calum14nz]

I find the deerhunter smock quite useful and also the arktis mammoth for cold days, I like the smock design as it has a large chest pocket which is great for binos on a neck strap to fit in and not swing about

Thank you, I'll have a look into those options.

 

[calum14nz]

You can’t beat ridgeline
I’ve a Torrent 3 coat now
Plenty of pockets that fit my thermal,torch,batteries and what ever else I want to take
100% water proof and it keeps you warm
I’ve had other brands and the ridgeline is without a doubt the best I’ve had
And not that expensive either
For the money you can’t get better

Thanks for that, lots of pockets is definitely what I need! Cost is certainly a consideration so I'll definitely have a look at the ridgeline stuff.

 

[calum14nz]

I would advise against a smock for stalking, unless it can be unzipped all the way down the front (in which case it's not really a smock).

Whenever I've stalked in the company of someone wearing a smock it's been a right old palava when they start to get a bit warm and want to shed a layer: stop, put rifle and sticks down, wriggle out of backpack straps, and then undergo a load of bodily contortions to get said smock off over the head, noisily and with much arm waving. Repeat procedure in reverse as temperature drops.

Much better to have multiple zipped layers that can be zipped and unzipped on the move, without actually stopping and taking anything off, in order to regulate temperature.

Thanks for the advice, that's a good point. As it is just now I do find myself getting pretty warm in my jacket. I'm a bit out of shape and not used to carrying a rifle around!

 

[tackb]

swazi tahr , generously cut , mines a ray mears version with two breast pockets against the one of the original swazi one , regarding the stuff you take you will find less is more as time goes on

 

[nun_hunter]

Another option to consider is buying a fishing waistcoat or something similar in a large enough size to go over whatever you're wearing. This way keep all the bits you need in the many and varied sized pockets and you can wear it over a coat in the winter or a t-shirt in the summer rather than a jacket or smock you only wear when it's cold.

You can put it on over a waterproof layer so you still have access to all the pockets or underneath if you prefer. Much more versatile and also considerably cheaper. I've picked up a few in charity shops before but even new they're still cheap.

 

[sy247]

British Army DPM or MTP smock. Wear a waterproof layer under it if its raining.

Or look at the Arktis or Fortis stuff (same manufacturer).

 

[Scotty123]

Thanks for that, lots of pockets is definitely what I need! Cost is certainly a consideration so I'll definitely have a look at the ridgeline stuff.

On the pictures for the torrent 3 on ebay
It doesn’t show how many pockets they have
But there are 2 big front pockets which have the side pockets on them to and they also have another 2 pockets higher up on each side
Then inside zipped pocket
And I found a new pocket the other day which I didn’t know was there
next to the zip

For £120 mate,you can’t go wrong

 

[calum14nz]

swazi tahr , generously cut , mines a ray mears version with two breast pockets against the one of the original swazi one , regarding the stuff you take you will find less is more as time goes on

Thanks, I'll have a look at them. I'm sure you're right, I'm probably carrying too much already!

 

[calum14nz]

Another option to consider is buying a fishing waistcoat or something similar in a large enough size to go over whatever you're wearing. This way keep all the bits you need in the many and varied sized pockets and you can wear it over a coat in the winter or a t-shirt in the summer rather than a jacket or smock you only wear when it's cold.

You can put it on over a waterproof layer so you still have access to all the pockets or underneath if you prefer. Much more versatile and also considerably cheaper. I've picked up a few in charity shops before but even new they're still cheap.

Thanks, I hadn't thought of something like that. Definitely worth considering.

 

[calum14nz]

British Army DPM or MTP smock. Wear a waterproof layer under it if its raining.

Or look at the Arktis or Fortis stuff (same manufacturer).

Thanks, I'll have a look into those options.