Stalking / Shooting Jackets

[Ronin]

I have a couple of jackets:

 

1, A Kammo, pretty heavy when wet, waterproof, warm (too warm really) and a few useful pockets. I stopped using the Kammo in all but winter time due to bein too warm when wearing it. Had it ten years.

 

2, Laksen Sika jacket (microfibe gortex) This is a medium weight jacket with loads of pockets (inside and out) built in hood and has been perfect, up until yesterday... and the day before. Ive had this for about 5yrs maybe.

 

 

I was out stalking friday evening, raining hard with bright interludes - the kind of sunshine that the deer like to warm their backs on after a days rain

 

Anyway, the ground I was on is pretty hard going so id worked up a bit of a sweat when getting into the woods I wanted to be in.

 

It was raining hard and I noticed that I was almost as wet inside as I was outside

 

I put this down to exertion and carried on, it continued raining and I got wetter.

 

 

Back home dried out and drip dried the jacket, couldnt see any tears etc.

 

 

Yesterday, went out again, and again it was raining, this time heavy showers bettween periods of bright sun.

 

Same again, got pixx wet through

 

 

Back home put the jacket over the sink and ran the tap into "wells" i'd formed in the material - lower back, fine, hold water, upper back lets water in.....

 

 

Now, do I try and get some warranty claim from Laksen - it is supposed to be waterproof and its is good condition?

 

Or is there a product out there I can use to "rejuvinate" the gortex - obviously I dont know if the seams have come adrift or if the gortex has lost its water repell qualities....

 

 

 

Or

 

 

 

 

Do I buy another bloody jacket, if so what?

 

 

I need, light weight, warmth (but not too warm - I prefer layering clothing) and I need pockets inside and out for phone, car keys, quad key, spare ammo, drag rope, first aid kit, pda, etc etc etc

 

I need a rustle free hard wearing material, I need light weight, not bothered about camoflage patterns, I definately need waterproof!!

 

 

If its a change of jacket, I am considering:

 

Nomad stalker smock - maybe too few pockets.

 

Sasta Hhunta jacket - light and relatively cheap.

 

Fjallraven Hunter - know nothing about them?

 

 

Any thoughts, comments or ideas.....please!!!

 

 

 

The doe / hind season is upon me and I need a solution pdq.

[roeboy]

I have a couple of jackets:

 

1, A Kammo, pretty heavy when wet, waterproof, warm (too warm really) and a few useful pockets. I stopped using the Kammo in all but winter time due to bein too warm when wearing it. Had it ten years.

 

2, Laksen Sika jacket (microfibe gortex) This is a medium weight jacket with loads of pockets (inside and out) built in hood and has been perfect, up until yesterday... and the day before. Ive had this for about 5yrs maybe.

 

 

I was out stalking friday evening, raining hard with bright interludes - the kind of sunshine that the deer like to warm their backs on after a days rain

 

Anyway, the ground I was on is pretty hard going so id worked up a bit of a sweat when getting into the woods I wanted to be in.

 

It was raining hard and I noticed that I was almost as wet inside as I was outside

 

I put this down to exertion and carried on, it continued raining and I got wetter.

 

 

Back home dried out and drip dried the jacket, couldnt see any tears etc.

 

 

Yesterday, went out again, and again it was raining, this time heavy showers bettween periods of bright sun.

 

Same again, got pixx wet through

 

 

Back home put the jacket over the sink and ran the tap into "wells" i'd formed in the material - lower back, fine, hold water, upper back lets water in.....

 

 

Now, do I try and get some warranty claim from Laksen - it is supposed to be waterproof and its is good condition?

 

Or is there a product out there I can use to "rejuvinate" the gortex - obviously I dont know if the seams have come adrift or if the gortex has lost its water repell qualities....

 

 

 

Or

 

 

 

 

Do I buy another bloody jacket, if so what?

 

 

I need, light weight, warmth (but not too warm - I prefer layering clothing) and I need pockets inside and out for phone, car keys, quad key, spare ammo, drag rope, first aid kit, pda, etc etc etc

 

I need a rustle free hard wearing material, I need light weight, not bothered about camoflage patterns, I definately need waterproof!!

 

 

If its a change of jacket, I am considering:

 

Nomad stalker smock - maybe too few pockets.

 

Sasta Hhunta jacket - light and relatively cheap.

 

Fjallraven Hunter - know nothing about them?

 

 

Any thoughts, comments or ideas.....please!!!

 

 

 

The doe / hind season is upon me and I need a solution pdq.

ive heard it said that that ctx membrane or whatever its called is meant to be the best on the market and beats gortex etc, so i would email the manufacturer direct, i bet you will get results

[mildot]

Gortex is a fantastic fabric but must be clean to work at its best! You need to wash it with a gortex soap, NOT A DETERGENT. then it will be like new.

[moses]

I'd have a look at a Swazi Wapiti or the harkila pro hunter both excellent jackets.

 

I have the Swazi Thar anorak but, as you need more pockets the wapiti is probably better, as for the harkila I really can't fault their gear.

 

ATB

Moses

[Ratwhiskers]

R.

 

 

Once GorTex's wet though, it actually draws water like a bloody mop

 

On your pocket money it shouldn't be a problem, by the way..... cut out the doughtnuts mate or that ground won't get any easier

[Ronin]

R.

 

 

 

On your pocket money it shouldn't be a problem, by the way..... cut out the doughtnuts mate or that ground won't get any easier

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

Have stopped dunkin my dohnuts

[Shocks]

Have you tried double skin ventile?

 

http://www.hilltrek.co.uk

http://www.survivalschool.co.uk/survival-b...ipment-112.html

http://www.snowsled.com/clothing/clothing_wilderness.htm

 

 

I love the stuff

[Ronin]

Shocks

 

 

thanks for the links, some of the jackets look good - whats the pros / cons of ventile over gortex / CTX?

 

 

Ive e-mailed Laksen, awaiting reply regarding potential warranty claim......

[Shocks]

Ventile is cotton woven very tightly. When it wets out it swells so water cant pass through.

Its highly permeable to vapour so its a great fabric if you need to exert yourself walking up a hill say. As its cotton based its a very quiet fabric it does stiffen up a little when damp but it doesn't cause a problem. Its main use is with the RAF who have used it as the fabric of choice for pilots immersion suits. Its quite often sold as single skin which is fine for 90% of the time but its not ideal for 24hrs in the rain. As it needs to wet out to become waterproof the inside stays damp. Thats why double skin is better. Its a personal choice, I am rarely out in heavy rain for many hours so single skin works fine for me. It works best with good insulating layers such as fleece and merino wool. Also try these guys out if you like pockets......

 

 

http://www.sasskit.co.uk/product.php?id=53

 

Not official ventile as thats a brand name but I hear good reports

[Oly]

the harkila pro hunter both excellent jackets.

 

Aren't BASC doing a substantial discount on Harkila clothing at present...if your a member

[eldon]

Ronin a couple of personal findings to add to your thoughts,

 

Goretex, too noisy but good in terms of waterproof... generally. Light weight. Can be cold depending on garment. Doesn't usually get wet as such so quick to dry.

 

Paramo, excellent product good in the rain but has no resistance to a pressure head when subjected to water so for example elbows on the floor and the under garment gets wet. Medium weight but not much weight gain when wet. Generally warm some say too warm. Drys out readily.

 

Wax cotton, cold but hard wearing and smelly when treated. Need to re-treat so maybe not a modern option. I wouldn't totally disregard it though.

 

Deerhunter Montana or similar with membrane (deertex), the coat still gets wet but you don't, so some weight gain. Good in terms of waterproofing just had mine in scotland for 3 days rain. Down side is anything in the pockets i.e. hat, is outside the membrane protection so inevitably gets soaked.

 

Ventile, single skin not my choice as has been said it gets wet before it works and then feels damp. Double skin is an excellent product but then the price and weight goes up.

 

I don't think there is one product to satisfy all concerns a bit like calibers really. You need to narrow it down and then go try them on. You might be surprised and the perfect answer on paper maybe a long way short in the flesh, I did this a few years back with boots.

[Artist]

The biggest problem arises from physical exertion, which produces large amounts of perspiration which is best removed by multiple layers and a wicking action. By far the most effective garment I have is a Montane mountain shirt that I wear next to the skin. The heavy pile wicks away the moisture which then evaporates through the outer shell.

 

We used to use buffalo (which are basically the same as montane) at work for long sea paddles (kayak) and they dealt with spray pretty well too- now that I have to pay for my own kit, montane is a better value alternative.

The drawback is that it can become too hot in mild weather, this problem can be eased by venting the garment to allow cooling. Once stationary the vent can be closed to retain heat once you have cooled down. The outer shell is waterproof and does an excellent job of keeping out rain. It is too noisy for stalking though!


I don't think there is a perfect solution that covers all activities and situations. Therefore I wear what I hope will be the most effective garment on the day, according to weather conditions, physical exertion levels, and activity type.

Annual cleaning and proofing has kept many of my items of clothing performing well year after year.

[davekelly]

Aren't BASC doing a substantial discount on Harkila clothing at present...if your a member

CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING ON THEIR WEB

[scotsgun]

Don't waste your time with Harkila - they are definately not what they used to be.

 

Like everyone else, i seem incapable of coming away from a game fair without the next 'new fad' jacket and also got through quite a few whilst serving. My 2pence worth would be the Swazi Wapiti for you.

 

I have one myself and use it when culling red hinds.

[brown dog]

Aaaah. The perfect thread.

 

I have been on a lifelong quest for the ultimate coat -much to my wife's despair!

 

My experience:

 

 

Ventile -don't even think about it. Green ventile goes black when wet. Massive weight increase and material stiffening too; takes an age to dry.

 

Sass smock. -just like an issue windproof, see below

 

Windproof -awesome in the dry; extremely fast drying (but extremely fast wetting too!)

 

Windproof plus dutch goretex liner (which you can pick-up for less than £20) - 3 season use only - soaking wet windproof lowers body temp in howling gale even if you're dry beneath the liner.

 

Swazi wapiti - you may remember i sold one of these recently. Hoods sized for persons with shrunken heads set low in shoulders. Cut loose at front, tight on back (sort of back-to-front in terms of mobility!) -so no good with my balloon head hunch-backed ET physique .

 

Paramo Pajaro - 'king awesome lightweight extreme weather high exertion mountain coat but pants for crawling (as indicated earlier, water will penetrate at elbows and not a robust outer shell). Will have it with me next week.

 

Goretex -all types - too easily overloaded by sweat. For technical reasons, would only consider tri-laminate and nothing with a 'drop-liner'

 

 

Nomad - only got a pair of their plus 3s. Outstanding kit.

 

 

What am I going to wear in the Highlands in Dec? Probably the paramo (and just put up with wet elbows ).

 

 

What's the way ahead? softshell, strikes a realistic balance between sweat soaking and rain soaking (the paramo is softshell, as is the montane cheeto described) -keeping my eyes open for something using the schoeller nano-technology

[Ronin]

All

 

 

thanks for replies and in depth personalised reviews.

 

 

No reply from Laksen - disapointing to say the least..

 

 

Now in market for replacement:

 

 

considering Sasta or Fallrivennnnnnn

 

from here:

 

http://www.tamarackgroup.co.uk/acatalog/Me...ng_Jackets.html

 

 

Or Nomad Smok and carrying less :DI am attending a DI meeting later in November so may have the opportunity to save pennies if Nomad are there..

 

 

 

I will be getting wet next week, in my Laksen

[Redfox]

Goretex is the only one which lets sweat out (Have watched a demo by HL Gore, where they put a wet hand into a glove of goretex and after a few mins the hand is completely dry). Ventile as others have said is a waste of money and dates back to the last war.

Goretex has to be rejuvenated after wearing by, making sure the garment is dry, then tumble in a medium heat tumble dryer for about 20 mins and it recovers its waterproof properties.

Obviousl;y if the garment is still wet there is a risk of shrinking. Even goretex will wear out eventually, but the better companies like Musto etc will replace the lining for a reasonable fee.

Redfox

[eldon]

For me the Paramo gear takes some beating. Ok so you can't get camouflage if that really matters but some of the greens are acceptable.

As I already said the pressure head is the down side. You can dry wet garments fleeces etc underneath the outer shell so no question of how much it breaths but they are warm, so a smelly hansen or similar and the coat will do you on nice frosty mornings. Due to no membrane if you stab the material with a thorn or other small object twig etc it would not puncture as such and would remain waterproof.

 

Ronin I would have a look at these before you commit yourself, alot of mountain rescue teams use then in hard conditions so that must say something. They may not float your boat but worth a look.

[menial 1]

The Swazi Wapiti is now the first jacket I reach for whether beating on mild or cold wet windy days, lamping on the back of a pickup or stalking, totally wind and waterproof and I get to make the choice as to how warm or cool I want to be dependant on the layers I wear underneath.

Chris NZ sourced mine in NZ for me, top man, and at £240 posted it's definitely the best outer garment I've had to date, and at my age I've tried more than a few.

Pete.

[Shocks]

I'm surprised ventile is getting such flak. I've been happy with mine. Weight is hardly an issue as it thin, the colour changing when wet wasn't really a consideration. The only downside to it in my opinion is that it does wet out, so does then need to dry out . I wont be changing mine any time soon but in truth I've only ever used gortex or waxed cotton as a comparison. The breathability / lightness and low noise count for a lot in my book but maybe I sweat to much!

 

 

In my experience of these thing the perfect jacket doesn't exist. Good luck in your search!

[Scotch_egg]

I've had a couple of wet days out in my nomad smock now. I have not used it on a really cold winter day but some of the wetest days so far and stayed nice and dry, if a little sweaty. But in all honesty even the best goretex won't keep me dry (even used my cycling jacket whilst waiting for delivery) The main reason I love it is the light weight. Its amazing, you would never think is was water proof and when crawling on elbows still does not let any water through. My only gripe is it catches on brambles like ****.

 

I want more pockets, but for a roe stalker every thing is carried in a roe sack. Not so when your main stay is red or fallow as I have found when a nice fallow buck wont fit and its not worth using one.

 

 

But I will never be without mine again. Its silent and not camo that means more than anything to me.

[huntsman]

I'm on the look for a new jacket too .I Have a "barbour endurance "for about 5 years and too be fair its been a great jacket but is getting on a bit (still a good back up). My plan was to go for the Harkila pro hunter but one or two negatives have me thinking.

 

I have a chevalier midland trousers which I picked up in a sale in london a few years back these are fantastic, would love a jacket in the same. Only problem is that the company seem to find it difficult to hold on to their distributers in uk and Ireland and seem to be a bit inflexible. Its a bit much to ask someone for their size and £400+ and you haven't even had a chance to try the jacket on. oh and another £40 or £50 for the hood.

but here is their site anyhow,

 

www.chevalier.se

 

The other brand that I was told about recently is Norrona check out " green outdoor" section This stuff would need to be good because it really is very expensive . Developed for norweign /danish and swedish special forces?

 

http://www.norrona.com/en#products/green-outdoor/recon/

 

Dave

[brown dog]

Ridgeline

 

Just been out and about. Spotted a coat I've not seen before: Ridgeline.

 

Looks tip-top & like a direct Swazi competitor....for £150.

 

Not sure about the cam pattern; a weird 'Buffalo' print.

[Redfox]

I forgot to mention that I bought a Nomad smock with hood about 3yrs back and although it is very warm and comfortable , upto now I have no complaints and it is waterproof even when crawling about.

Redfox