Performance Clothing For Hunting Rundown

 Hunting Gear Reviews  No Responses »
Feb 242012
 

Performance clothing and equipment has made a big splash in the hunting industry over the last few years. It was an inevitable transition and has been fairly well received among hunters, as well as brought in new hunters to the field. Companies like Mystery Ranch, Sitka Gear, KUIU, and Badlands have challenged and reinvented the paradigm of adventure hunting. Often times, they seem to have created the paradigm themselves by spotlighting back country hunters and making this experience more about the trek than the trophy.

The allure brought on by performance equipment, promising to get your farther, stay out longer, and push harder is hard to resist. It’s hard to be practical and not swing for the fences. The regular bowhunter who gets in his stand every morning is hunting, just as the guy with a week’s worth of food and water on his back in Vancouver is too.

I’ve put together a summary of several companies and what they offer to the table in the way of performance hunting apparel.

Sitka Gear

Sitka is fast establishing themselves as the top-tier company in outdoor performance hunting gear. They have reset the baseline themselves and are pretty much the model for many mainstream companies that are currently developing more “athletic fit” hunting. Many of their features and designs are similar to Arc’teryx, which in turn is a leader in climbing, mountaineering, and outdoor gear. They are so similar to Arc’teryx in fact, many of their products are made in the same factories as BC based Arc’teryx. I’m glad they took this approach. A lot of hunting apparel on market was not form fitting and leaned more toward the XL and up lines. Finding a sized Medium that actually fit like the other performance outerwear I was accustomed to was nearly impossible. However, quality comes with a price and the price tag for Sitka Gear, now owned by WL Gore, is sometimes a tough pill to swallow but when you’ve got on apparel that doesn’t hinder you, it’s worth its weight in gold. Sitka currently makes gear in 3 distinct Gore Optifade patterns and creates several different clothing lines that support each function. Each Optifade pattern is optimized for a specific hunting style.

Open Country is geared toward the spot and stalk Elk/Pronghorn/Sheep/Deer hunter in mountainous or plains area habitats. It’s not to stay it can’t be used in the woods or in a tree, but the geometry and patterning is based around ungulate vision at a horizontal plane. The clothing is also styled for higher range of movement and temperature control, for aerobic and high exertion hikes/hunts.

Forest is geared more toward the Midwestern and eastern deer hunter, who’s hunting environment dictates greater success in a tree stand. The pattern is denser, darker, and aimed toward an ungulates perception of vertical environments. The clothing is designed to block out the elements and keep you warmer and more comfortable in the stand.

Sitka’s newest line is Marsh and changes its quarry from land mammal to waterfowl. The pattern is designed to blend in with marsh and swamp habitats from overhead, and are highly waterproof and weatherproof. This line was only just released in early 2012, so expect it to take off with waterfowl hunters.

KUIU

KUIU is a relatively new company that was created by a Sitka Gear co-founder. The same limit breaking performance and inspired design found in Sitka runs through the veins of KUIU as well… but with a push for ultra-light. For a better breakdown on KUIU, The Will to Hunt wrote a great article on them, calling them a “2012 brand to watch.”

UnderArmor

We all know the name Under Armor as the newly crowned leader of performance apparel. Watch ESPN for 10 minutes and you’ll likely see the “UA” logo more times than you can count. They definitely set the bar when it comes to sports fitness apparel. Did you ever hear about compression tshirts before they started rolling them out?

Although I wouldn’t hesitate to buy their clothing for some sports I do, like Cross Fit, I find that their foray into the hunting industry is merely a chance at capitalizing on the success of other performance companies. I don’t find any of their gear inspired in the least, as they mainly seem to just be renditions of their other clothing but with a Mossy Oak pattern on them. The apparel I do find that is slightly more in tune with the hunter is the same stuff made by other companies, just with Under Armor fabrics. That being said, it’s not that much cheaper than other quality brands, specifically designed for hunters by hunters. That’s not to say their hunting gear doesn’t perform, I’m sure it does!

Kryptek

Kryptek Outdoor Group‘s slogan “From Battlefield to Backcountry”, resonates with their desire to bring combat-proven designs and solutions to the hunting world. They offer high quality and rugged apparel for military, law enforcement, and outdoor enthusiasts. Recently, they were announced as a finalist in the US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort. A small Fairbanks-based company jostling with several multi-billion dollar companies says a lot about the products they produce. Always reaching out and connecting with fans via social media outlets, Kryptek is a small company that’s going somewhere.  Currently, their hunting apparel uses the clever Mothwing Mimicry camo, which Sitka grew popular with prior to rolling out Gore’s Optifade lines. It’s a proven pattern that utilizes both traditional mimicry (think Real Tree) while also being a break-up patten (think Optifade).

Core4 Element

Core4 Element offers a small lineup of hunting apparel focusing on quality. I like where this company is going, they seem to be well designed and have a dedicated following. However, I’m not yet sold on them as a brand as they offer gear at the same price point as Sitka and KUIU, but don’t really inspire the buyer with their  image or small lineup. I don’t mean to be hard on them, because having a wider product offering can be viewed negatively. I’d like to see more pieces of gear suited to different types of hunting situations. Also, some people might not buy into the aggressive marketing of Sitka but prefer a more subtle tact. They also delve very little into the materials and layering systems they use, which is clearly what differentiates companies along this part of the market.

Russel Outdoors APXg2

I find Russel Outdoors APXg2 occupying the same niche as Core 4 Element. It’s good quality clothing, but really requires more to shine as a leader in the performance hunt gear. Being that its a massive step from their entry level APX product line, I think they’d sell far better if they were priced between the $100-$150 price point. Under Armor is currently attacking this market segment, backed up by their own name and materials. When I first think Russel Outdoors, high quality isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Similar to Core4 Element, the APXg2 is a ligthweight layering system, however, they don’t utilize many outdoor “household names”. I think their only big name material is PrimaLoft, which can be found in pretty much anything insulated nowadays. Although many people stand by their products, I think they’d do much better to either bring down prices or bring out more innovative gear to market.

Scent Lok

I know many, many, many hunters that swear by Scent Lok technologies. I know many people who don’t buy into it either. I’m on the fence. Among other things, hunters are most likely busted by their scent. Scent Lok uses activated carbon in their clothing to absorb scent and odors, and this technology is the lifeblood of their products. However, more and more companies these days are incorporating similar scent blocking systems into their clothing through carbon or silver ion fabrics. Its a matter of purchasing scent control apparel that offers some performance characteristics, or performance apparel that offers some scent control features. Be that as it may, I haven’t seen any real comparison of scent control technologies aside from a Field and Stream article uses police dogs. The results weren’t very supporting, as reported in this article by The Columbian. I hate to rag on a company that offers great quality products and customer satisfaction, but having trained my dog in Nose Work and odor/scent detection, it’s pretty tough to fool an animal when so many variables come into play. We also don’t know what exactly deer cue in on when we get busted, is it our scent? Is it our odor? Is it the disturbance we’ve made coming in through the woods? The fact remains that there are plenty of factors that come into play and many people take deer without scent control technology while many people get busted by deer while utilizing scent control.

 

So the question remains, what do YOU think of the companies that are out their putting out performance hunt gear? Where are you spending YOUR money? Do you love a company I don’t? Do you have hate a company I love? Let me know!

 Posted by at 11:26 AM  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hunting Gear Review: Hunter’s Specialties Strut Lil’ Deuce Glass Turkey Call

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Feb 012012
 

I picked up this Hunter Specialties  Lil’ Deuce Turkey call after listening to episode of Petersen’s Bowhunting podcast that featured an interview with Matt Morrett of HS called “Talkin’ Turkey”.  Matt Morrett who is a competitive caller and hunter, demonstrated several slate, glass, and mouth calls. I bought this one because I was impressed with his skills, the innovation by Hunter Specialties, and because I needed to get a call for the upcoming spring gobbler season!

Overview

The Lil’ Deuce Turkey call is a friction based call. It comes in a double glass and double  slate variety. I went with the double glass option for the higher pitch. HS Strut also offers a Lil Deuce 2 that features a slate over glass call as well. The pot call comes with a wood handled carbon striker, strip of sand paper, and a succinct care and users manual. I paid about $12 this spring on Amazon.

Initial Impressions

Well theres not much to say about packaging. This ain’t a custom call and doesnt come in a nice wooden box. Who cares though. What I care about was the call was easy to use right out of the box for me, even though I’ve never used a friction call before. Granted, I had listened to Matt Morrett on the podcast before hand, where he gave some useful tips. But after reading the quick start manual, I was making what I think were half-decent calls within 10 minutes of unboxing.

In The Field

Although I haven’t been able to call in a turkey yet with this call, I have had them respond. The one time I was sure a tom was going to roll in, I must have been too overzealous with the calling and he bugged out before coming into view. That’s okay.

Even though I haven’t luck in my first year bowhunting with this call, I have had fun when I’ve come across turkeys in my work parking lot or in the driveway. If I happen to have my call in the car, which I quickly learned to keep it stashed in my glove box, I will bust out and make some cuts and yelps at them. It’s hilarious to see them stop dead in their tracks and eye you curiously. I’ve even had them come in when I hide behind the corner of the building. So the call definitely works, it just takes practice.

Much like an other pot call, you have a very wide range of sounds you can make by using different portions of the surface as well as your striker technique. Yelps, purrs, cuts, and rasps are very easy to become proficient at. This call makes a great yelp sound and I’ve had other people comment on it’s sound. It’s a great call for the price. Since buying it, I’ve had the chance to test out other calls that run the price gamut, and have yet to even consider upgrading from this one.

Observations

HS Strut Lil' Deuce Turkey Call - 2

As you can see on the plastic backing of the call, you can dramatically decrease the volume of the call depending on how you hold it in your palm. Keeping a tight palm hold will muffle the sound, while giving it a more open hold will help you project the sound farther.  Just someting to keep in mind.

The actual call has a lanyard hole, which I threaded some paracord through to prevent me from dropping it and cracking the glass. It doesn’t come with a lanyard so make sure to keep some string or paracord to thread it. I just wished the carbon striker came with a lanyard hole too. The tip of the striker is just as important than the call in my opinion, albeit much less expensive to replace.

Lasting Impressions

For under $15 you really can’t go wrong keeping this call in your arsenal. HS Strut really knocked it out of the park in creating an effective call at such a low price. Even if you’ve got custom made calls or other calls, the Lil’ Deuce would serve as a faithful backup call or a great gift to a friend.

 Posted by at 11:46 AM  Tagged with: , , ,

Hunting Gear Review: G5 Montec CS Broadheads

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Jan 252012
 

G5 Montec CS Broadhead - 3

I picked up the G5 Montec CS broadheads this past season as an upgrade to Carbon Express broad heads I used last year. I’ve heard great things about these and wanted to see for myself. I’ll be repeat customer.

Overview

Broadheads for bow hunters are like Sox and Yankees fans. They’re either a fixed blade fan or a mechanical fan.

I’m a Sox fan and I like fixed blades.

That’s not to say mechanicals aren’t great or the Yankees aren’t a good team (yes, I’ll admit it).

Personally, I don’t like to rely on the mechanical action of metal-on-metal at over 300 fps. Especially when it comes to whether or not I’m going to make a clean kill. I also cringe at the thought of busting a mechanical broad head with a miss, pass through, or just during practice. So I shoot fixed and take the good with the bad.

The G5 Montecs are a unique design. There’s not much on the market that bridges the gap between a leaf shaped single bevel point style and the modern razor blade, angular styles. The Montec combines the best of both. It comes in a 3 and 4 blade option, blending the smooth aerodynamic lines of a leaf point with the multiple blade increased cutting diameter (1″ to 1 1/8″) of modern broadheads. They come in 85, 100, and 125 grain weights and are available in stainless steel and carbon steel (the option I went with). It should be noted the carbon steel Montecs are only available in 100 gr weight and have a 1 1/16″ cutting diameter. I went with carbon steel for the ease of sharpening. I plan to train heavily with these broadheads as I practice my archery skills. Therefore, I plan to dull these out on my foam targets regularly. I want something I can sharpen back up with relative ease and carbon steel offers that. I may switch to stainless next year for the rust protection out in the field.

G5 also offers “pre-season” Montecs for practicing that are blunted and designed to be beaten up. I don’t know whether these are bag-target safe or not. If they are, I’m definitely buying a pair of those as well.

Initial Impressions

Again, the design and lines of the Montecs make these points stand out. The quality of the carbon steels are very nice, they are powder coated black with an exposed metal edge. They feel very durable and solid, all the way down to the threads. They also come packaged with small thread protectors which I use to protect my other broadheads kept in an old fly box.

Materials

The unorthodox design is in part due to the adoption of injection molding by G5 to make these. Here’s a quick engineering lesson on manufacturing metals and plastics (I do this in my day job). Plastic parts are frequently made using injection molding. It’s just how it sounds. Molten plastic is injected into a mold and released. Metal parts are usually cut from steel or forged, and you are limited in design by the shapes that can be confidently and repeatedly created in this process. There’s a lot of room for variation when you’re not using a static mold (it never changes). By using metal injection molding, you blend the benefits and freedom of design with molding with the strength and durability of steel! In this case, you get a gnarly looking yet curvaciously sexy broadhead like Montec.

In The Field

Many broadhead manufacturers claim their fixed blade broadheads fly as straight as field points. Many don’t. This is partly why mechanicals are so popular, they stay closed with the same aerodynamics of a field point until impact. Fixed blades contend with more planing, drag, and wind effects. They tend to shoot very differently than your field points.

I’ll personally vouch for Montecs and say that they fly pretty friggin true. There is some variance, but its well within the bounds of personal skill and technique. These are scary accurate and require very little re-sighting when switching over. I’m pumped to avoid the hassle of the end of summer resighting as I switch from my FP’s to BH’s.

Last summer, while practicing, I punched through my foam target and hit a chain link fence beyond it. I ended up dinging one of the blades noticeably. Using my kitchen hone and a sharpening stone, I was able to straighten out the edge pretty darn quick. Looking at them now, I don’t even remember which one it was (I wish I took a picture).  I’ve tried sharpening these with a stone, a diamond rod, and a broadhead sharpener. They are very easy and safe to sharpen on a stone. Check out G5′s how-to video below.

 

Lasting Impressions

I definitely recommend giving these a try. They run about $30-$40 for three, Amazon usually marks them down every now and then (I got them for $33).  If you don’t like them, give them away or keep them as backups for your Rages if you like. From a company like G5, that pioneers in new designs and pushing the mold of archery components, I expect nothing less. They definitely delivered with these busters.

Check them out on Amazon in all their variations:  Carbon Steel / Stainless Steel / Pre-Season

 Posted by at 10:49 PM  Tagged with: , , , ,

Hunting Gear Review: Sitka Ball Cap in Open Country Optifade

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Jan 132012
 

Dropping extra money on camo accessories is sometimes difficult to justify. Other times its easy. Trust me, I know. It’s a paradox I’ve been trying to contend with while as a novice hunter. Spending hundreds of dollars on a rifle or bow, accessories and ammo/arrows, a tree stand or blind, and large articles of camo clothing, like jackets, leaves you feeling either empty inside or totally gung-ho for more. I fall somewhere in between.

I make very deliberate purchases when buying anything. The same goes for hunting accessories. If I don’t need it immediately, as in, it doesn’t solve a specific problem right now, I don’t buy it. That’s not to say I don’t buy it at all, but I’ll defer it until it serves as an immediate solution.  Of the two things I have to review here, I only purchased one, which was The Bandit mask. The ball cap I actually received as a 2nd place prize for a contest that Sitka ran on their Facebook page (the first place prize was a Bivy 45 pack, but let’s not talk about that).

Sitka Gear’s Cap in Open Country Optifade

This baseball cap is the bee’s knees. Since receiving it at the beginning of the summer, I’ve worn it everywhere. Not just for hunting. And not just because it’s Optifade (which actually looks pretty cool as a baseball hat). It’s made of a four-way stretch material that fits perfectly to almost any head. I’ve got a massive head and this thing fits like a glove. It’s one of the only baseball caps I wear that never feels too tight or too loose.

Sitka Cap - Fabric DetailWhatever stretch material they use (I’m sure its the same as some other piece of Sitka gear, Ascent line maybe?) is highly, highly breathable. I’ve worn this while out fishing in early June, mowing the lawn in July, and at cookouts in August. (Yes, it probably stinks of human by now. But that’s nothing a few washes in scent-free detergent won’t handle). Even in direct sun, it doesn’t give off at that “cooking” feeling other hats can give on your head. You know, when the sun, rather than just burning the top of your head, is burning up the outside of a hat, making it feel like an oven between the inside of your hat and your head? None of that with this guy. It may be due to the interior fabric having a different texture than the exterior. I don’t know if its two layers of fabric, or a single layered that has different sides. The ridges on the interior are very similar to the Arc’teryx Phase SL shirt my girlfriend got me for my birthday. It’s fashioned that way to help channel moisture and heat.

It also has a brushed lining inner headband that helps wick away sweat. If you sweat at all in it, that is.

It’s also my go-to hat on rainy days. Although not waterproof by any means, water does bead off of it remarkably well. It will soak through eventually, but will first repel rather than absorb as long as it can. I’m actually planning to apply some more DWR finish to it while I renew my Mountain Hardwear rain shell. We’ll see how that goes.

Sitka Cap - RearIt should be noted, that the hat is not fitted. It’s not something to gripe about. The velcro closure does the trick for me especially, since my hair grows faster than a weed and I go for from a crew cut to long hair in a month. Fitted hats usually stop being comfortable unless my hair is short. I can also wear it loose, and tighten it up in high winds.

Camo wise, I think its a good addition to anyone’s outfit who will be doing spring or early-fall hunting. When the weather isn’t cold enough for a beanie, but you still want to have some camo on that big old dome of yours.

Bottom line, worth the $20. It looks sweet in Optifade but provides excellent functionality and makes a great all-around outdoors hat. Most “designer” team hats go for this much, and are made of cotton. I find this hat far more comfortable and better looking in the “off-season” than even my Sox hat.

 This mini review was originally written for and posted on my other blog, Manua l of Man, and can be found here.

 Posted by at 12:18 PM  Tagged with: , , ,

Hunting Gear Review: Sitka Mountain Pant in Open Country Optifade

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Jan 122012
 

The Sitka Mountain Pant comes to me through very opportune means, while rounding out my Open Country Optifade camouflage system.

About a month ago, through Outdoor Blogger Network, I won a writing contest on hunting put on by OBN and the Sportsman Channel for my entry, The Hindu Hunter. If you’d like to read it, check it out on my other blog, Manual of Man, right here. For winning first prize, along with the recognition of judges from The Sportsman Channel (a prize unto itself), I was awarded a $200 Cabela’s gift card. I had originally planned to purchase a pair of Sitka pants from my friends at Extreme Outdoors, but a $200 gift card around Christmas is hard not to spend. Even if I’m still new to the hunting scene, winning a gift card for writing on hunting should result in me purchasing something to continue hunting right? That’s the rationale I used to warrant picking up a pair of Mountain Pants. I’m sure glad I did.

Overview

The Sitka Mountain Pant are part of Sitka’s lightweight pant line. They are essentially a slightly beefed up version of the heralded Ascent Pant. Many people familiar with Sitka remember the Mountain Pant, which was discontinued a couple years ago and reintroduced last year with new features and the Open Country Optifade pattern, developed by W.L. Gore. Features on the Mountain Pant include removable knee pads, durable 4-way stretch polyester exterior, and cargo and thigh pockets. It also features an excellent low profile nylon webbing belt that won’t ride up or chafe when wearing a hip belt with a pack.

Initial Impressions

Sitka Mountain Pant - Waist band

Waist band

As with any piece of Sitka gear, I was very apprehensive about the fabric texture. Sitka is known for their wide deployment of different fabrics with varying textures, durability and feel. So far, every piece of Sitka camo I own, is made from a different fabric. I was worried, as some forum posters eluded to, that the pant fabric would be too flimsy and end up being abraded or worn out. I was mistaken. The fabric that these pants are made of seems to be very durable while extremely quiet. This was the first impressive feature among many out of the box. The overall build quality really shines out and is much apparent on a pair of pants than they are the jackets. That’s not to say the jackets are low quality, but I think most of us expect high quality in a jacket. Many people, myself included, don’t appreciate a good pair of pants. If you’re anything like me, you go through jeans like cheap coffee mugs; they end up getting stained or ruined before you’ve really started using them. These pants had a lot of functionality and thought designed into them. Everything from the form-fitting and stitching down to the two-way fly zip. I was finding new features with every passing minute for the first night I wore them, which was all night from when I found the package in the kitchen after work. Just ask my girlfriend.

I wear a size 30 waist with a 31 length normally. Cabela’s, which had them on sale, only had waist size 32 and up. I took a gamble on the fact that these pants are athletically cut, like Arc’teryx, and the probability that I would be tucking base layers into these or wearing thermal bottoms at some point during colder hunts. I beat the house. They fit like a dream even without base layers thanks to the adjustable nylon belt. There is some play in the waist, but this slack will easily be taken up by a shirt tucked. There is also some extra room in the seat, which I prefer when sitting. They feel very similar to a pair of EMS shell pants that I use for winter hikes and snowboarding.

Materials

Sitka Mountain Pant - Four Way Stretch Fabric Detail

Four Way Stretch Fabric Detail

As I mentioned before, the fabric used for the Mountain Pants feels very durable, yet soft and quiet. If you’ve ever worn a soft shell jacket, such as the North Face Apex Bionic (love this jacket), its a feel very similar to that. The fabric has a very high thread count, which adds to the softness of the fabric. They hang very well on the body, not too stiff but able to fold where they need to. The pants don’t have the feel of being 2 fabrics laminated together, but the interior is  white and ribbed. This is a pattern very similar to an Arc’teryx Phase SL shirt I own, in which the ribbing helps channel moisture while dispersing heat. This was surprising, as I expected the interior and exterior to have the same texture. It feels much better on the skin.

Sitka Mountain Pant - Bash Guards

Bash Guards

Along with the alternate interior material, the pockets and inner waist line are lined with a brushed microfleece. The waistline, as well, has a rubber strip running through to help keep them from riding up or down your undies. At the bottom inside of the pants are rubberized bash guards to help prevent ripping up your pants with crampons or otherwise nastying them up with your opposite foot. These are definitely handy as my winter shell pants and their many gore-tex repair patches will tell you.

Just like the Jetstream jacket I own by Sitka, these pants have seams everywhere. Although this is part of what drives the cost of Sitka apparel up, it luckily also improves the fit dramatically.

 

In The Field

Unfortunately for me, I got these pants several weeks before my fall/winter hunting seasons ended. I’m now in that January stretch where I’m waiting for February to come so I can start shed hunting. So I can’t report much on wearing these in the field for specifically hunting. I have worn them quite a bit around the yard and taking the mutt through the woods.

The pants are surprisingly warm for being such a thin material. This may worry me come spring turkey season or early September archery, but I may be able to roll them up if it ever gets too warm. For now, I’m okay with them. I’ve worn them out in 20F with a 10F windchill and been pretty comfortable. That’s not to say these are windproof or insulated, because I could feel some wind and some cold coming through. But for the lightness of this as a soft shell pant, its pretty darn good. With a pair of base layer pants underneath, whether a lightweight (which I prefer) or a heavy weight, these pants should be adaptable for a variety of season shifts.

I have heard of many people buying these thinking they are waterproof. They are definitely not. They are, however, very water resistance. They’ll shed off a light rain or snow, but will eventually soak through. They are said to dry very quickly, but I haven’t been able to assess that yet.

Sitka Mountain Pant - Molded Knee Pad

Molded Knee Pad

I should also touch on the knee pads, which are much more useful once you have them. I haven’t worn knee pads since my days of rollerblading, but they are worth the price alone. When standing in the pants, the knee pads feel like they are slightly too low, but this is on purpose because when you kneel, the pant will ride up just enough to bring the knee pad right where it should be. Given that the knee pad is molded and contoured, it cradles the knee and upper shin nicely. Well done, Sitka.

Observations

I don’t have much bad to say about these pants besides the cost, where most people are split into two camps. Those that claim its too expensive and those that say its worth the money because its excellent quality. I hate spending money, but I also hate spending money that I’ll have to replace in a couple of years anyways. Since most pants on the market are still priced far higher than what you’d spend on a pair of jeans, these Sitka Mountain Pants aren’t that bad. Hell, I paid $120 for my EMS pants a few years ago.

I guess one thing I wished was that these pants were waterproof. I think people would buy them up in a heartbeat. The Timberline Pants offer a waterproof seat and knees, but that also detracts from the camo system. You can’t really blend in with two big old squares of grey on the front of you. If these were entirely waterproof with the same durability, they would be a great pair of all-purpose pant.

Lasting Impressions

I’d recommend these to anyone who’s looking to buy, especially now when everything is going on sale. I picked these up off Cabela’s for just over $150, down from $180. A steal if you ask me. If you need a pair of silent, quality pants for stalking, scouting, or hunting from the ground (and even in a tree!!), pick these up. And pick up some base layers while you’re at it to extend its versatility into colder temps.

 Posted by at 10:44 AM  Tagged with: , ,

Hunting Gear Review: Sitka Gear Bandit Mask in Open Country Optifade

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Jan 022012
 

I wanted to purchase the Bandit Mask last year, but didn’t specifically need it at the time as I wasn’t ready to hunt yet. When spring rolled around, they were all sold out everywhere (probably from last year but they hadn’t replaced the stock yet). The same problem almost just struck again, as Sitka is out of stock on their end, and most retailers are selling out in the Open Country pattern all over the interwebs. Luckily extreme-outdoors.com still have them (these guys are based out of Utah, do guided hunts/fishing trips, and have great customer service for their online store).

As far as the reason for me purchasing it was for turkey season. As many people know, turkey hunting is a very difficult challenge concealment-wise. Some people say, if turkey could smell, there would be no way anyone could kill one. Why is this? Eye sight and hearing. Hearing, there’s not much you can do about. Be quiet and make sure your gear is quiet. But vision, there are many things.

Full up 3-D textured ground blinds, ghillie suits, face paint, camo shotguns. Pretty much anything in the hunting business that isn’t already for turkey hunting can be transformed into a turkey hunting necessity with just a camo dip.

Why? Because turkeys have extraordinarily acute eye sight, color recognition, and have a 270 degree field of view.  Because of this, many, if not all, hunters recommend a face mask. The human face, which has distinguished features that don’t occur in any other animal besides primates, is quite noticeable on its own by pure anatomy. Add that to a load of oils on the nose, cheeks, and forehead, prominent whites of the eye (sclera), and the outline of the head, neck, and shoulders, you have something that many animals pick out quite easily. Especially game animals like turkey and deer, which have been hunted by humans for thousands, if not millions, of years.

So I knew a facemask would help solve this predicament, and be something to keep my face and neck warm when the temperatures start to drop. My Sitka Jetstream already has a hood, which isn’t as warm as a beanie but far warmer than a cap. Aside from pants, this was my next solution-purchase (I can’t afford to drop $229 on the Timberline pants juuuust yet). I also have a pair of mushroom colored Carhartts that serendipitously have a break-up pattern built-in from a few years of sun bleaching, motor oil stains, and abrasion. These have done the trick while scouting turkeys in the off-season! (I actually got within 20 yards of a full grown male while standing in these pants, my Jetstream, and cap. Not bad.)

 

Material

The Sitka Bandit Mask is a stretchy neck and face gaiter made of a stretch material. I don’t have any baselayers by Sitka, but it feels as though it could be one. It’s very soft and silky smooth. I was quite impressed right out of the bag with it. It’s extremely quiet and if this is the same material used in other pieces, I may seek them out for other layers. The exterior is Optifade Open Country obviously, while the inside is a solid, shiny white. It has a slightly silver sheen due to the encapsulated silver particles used to help control scent and odor.

 

Design

The neck and face area tapers a bit, which allows the stretch material to hold adequate tension on the face. It wears quite comfortably when pulled up over the bridge of the nose and over the ears. The mouth opening which is useful for game-calls also doubles has a breathing passage.

I also hoped the mask would be cut so the back was slightly higher than the front. This way, you could pull the back up and over your ears and back of the head, while the front stayed lower on your nose. If you pull it up too high, it rides just underneath your eyelids and feels a little uncomfortable.

The bottom of the mask is much looser fitting and has relatively no tension at all. It crumples around the base of the neck. While I tried it on inside, I noticed that it seems like there was too much fabric there. I assumed that there is some extra to accommodate people with longer necks, but there was too much extra. I initially deemed this a fault. Once I wore it outside with my jacket, I realized it actually fits nicely and provides some extra insulation at the top of your jacket. It fits inside the collar and acts like a mini scarf.

Observations

Sitka continues to be a leader in hunting apparel because of the considerations taken when designing gear. This mask is an example of one of those design features with its integrated flap for using mouth calls. This is very necessary if you, like myself, wear glasses. If it’s not positioned just right to allow your exhalations to pass right out, you’ll end up blowing air up through the top and fogging your specs with each breath. It’s a bit annoying but something you learn to live with when you’ve got four eyes.

One other thing that I’ve noticed with this mask, which differs from my Sitka cap and Jetstream jacket is that the Open Country pattern is a touch darker on it. I don’t know if this is caused by the material used to make the mask or if Sitka/Gore Optifade went ahead and darkened the pattern. I think it may be the material, since both my hat and mask are from this year and my jacket is last year’s. You can see the difference in this comparison photo below.

In the Field

I wore this while shoveling snow during the freak October snowstorm New England just experienced. Although the mask is not windproof by any means, it did keep my face warmer than with nothing at all (obviously). I did get a couple double takes from the neighbors while shoveling snow in camo, trust me. While out hunting, this mask has held up well, even if my hunting skills can’t match it in quality just yet. It’s actually nice to let it sit below the ears now, as it doesn’t interfere with your hearing. It also doesn’t make a sound when turning your head to scan, which I’ve noticed that other masks, especially the ones made of stiff neoprene or low-grade netting can. Because of the extra fabric, it doesn’t snag or pull on anything around your collar, like a zipper or bungee cords for your hood.  I still have an issue with fogging, but have solved that by picking up some anti-fog wipes which I apply to my specs before heading out.

Conclusions

It’s definitely something I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to a person who needs a face mask. Compared to other face masks for sale at Cabela’s and Basspro, it’s a good bang for your buck given its versatility for warm and cold weather. It’s also the only face mask aside from Sitka’s Traverse Balaclava that is available in Optifade, so you’ve got that to consider too. :)
Check out the Sitka Bandit Mask on Amazon or support the guys over at Extreme Outdoors.

This article originally appeared on my other blog at: http://www.manualofman.com/2011/review-of-the-sitka-gear-bandit-mask-in-open-country-optifade/

 Posted by at 3:46 PM  Tagged with: , , ,

Hunting Gear Review: Sword Apex Hunter Compound Bow Sight

 Hunting Gear Reviews  2 Responses »
Dec 302011
 

A few months ago, I upgraded the sight on my compound bow. The bow, which I bought from someone off the archerytalk.com forums, came with a very basic 3-pin Cobra sight. It had hardly any adjustment capability, aside from just moving the pins up or down. I was also skeptical about the overall life expectancy of the sight, as it was made entirely of plastic. I was beginning to worry about knocking it against a tree and either knocking all the pins out of whack or smashing it entirely. So I decided to use a birthday gift card and buy a new one.

I went with the Sword Apex Hunter. I chose this based off apparent construction quality, adjustment features, and of the level of customer service by Sword I’ve heard on archerytalk.

Overview

The Apex Hunter is by no means Sword’s most expensive. In fact, its their second cheapest  sight. However, it still has many of the features of higher end sights. This 4-pin sight is available in a few pin sizes: 0.10”, 0.19”, or 0.29”. I went with the 0.19” size. I’m glad I did, which I’ll explain later. The sight itself is 100% T6061 aircraft-grade anodized black aluminum. There is up/down and side-to-side adjustment, as well as individual pin elevation adjustment. The adjustment markings are laser etched and held in place with standard size hex bolts. Sword also offers a quick adjustment conversion kit which converts all these screws into quick lock levers. The aperture is 2 inches across with a white contrast inner ring and a bubble level. The 4 pins come in green, red, and yellow. It contains about 12 inches of wrapped fiber optic thread and is available in right or left handed.

Initial Impressions

I picked up the Apex Hunter using a gift card for MidwayUSA. Even though I had a gift card, I still would’ve paid the retail price of $69.99 for this sight. I was very impressed with the construction and quality out of the box. I was not too thrilled with the packaging it came in though, which was a very loosely attached plastic clam-shell package. The sight practically fell out while I pulled the package from the shipping box. Although nothing was wrong mechanically or cosmetically, I would recommend Sword get a tighter fit on their packaging. Also, a small instruction manual or detailed installation guide would be useful as well.

Materials & Quality

As I mentioned before, the sight is made entirely of T6061 machined aluminum with a smooth matte anodized finish. All mounted hardware was tight and secured making the sight feel rock solid. The pins showed bright and straight. However, I had one issue with a pin that wound up being a longer ordeal. After using the sight for several weeks, I noticed that my 2nd pin, which was red, was a bit too bright.

I contacted Sword and talked to Brandon, one of the owners, about this. We would up exchanging a few emails and after a few pictures to show him the problem, he explained that it was due to the pin not being clipped and flared close enough to the pin. This was a defect/error in manufacturing. Brandon from Sword told me I could nip the excess and use the heat from a lighter flame to carefully re-flare the thread. Well, I was able to nip and flare it, but I let the flame get to close and ended up burning that pin and the green pin right above it. This made the pin appear dull and not transmit light. I got more help from Brandon and ended up disassembling the sight and running more thread through the pin and re-flaring both pins. This time I did it perfectly and wrote a blog post on Manual of Man explaining it in detail.

Design & Functionality

When I received the sight, I realized that it was built differently than how Sword has it on their website. If you visit the this link and comparing the side-views of the Apex Hunter and Twilight Hunter, you will see a difference in the body of the sight. The Twilight Hunter is a two-piece body, which I believe is what offers it their “3rd axis” adjustment. I could be wrong though. The Apex Hunter is a solid one piece design. My Apex Hunter came with the two-piece body of the Twilight Hunter. However, there is some incongruity between the product photos on Sword’s website of each site versus those on Amazon. Compare the Twilight Hunter on their page versus Amazon’s picture here.

The sight mounted with relative ease on the right side of my riser. Every screw and bolt tightens securely and has some lithium grease to prevent seizing. As I said before, the elevation and windage tick marks are laser etched; however, I wish there was an additional hash mark to denote “which” tick mark you are on. You can see what I’m saying below. I am going to add a straight mark with a silver tip sharpie at some point. This will make sighting in much easier, as it’s easier to note how many ticks up or down you want to move or have moved. The problem is, the clamp action that holds the up/down and side-to-side sliding bars doesn’t move gently. Most of the time, it requires a decent amount of pressure to move it, in which case you move it a whole lot over initially and then have to carefully slide back. This makes it really tough to make minor adjustments, especially when you don’t know exactly where your starting mark was.

In The Field

Once you have the sight dialed in and adjusted, it’s absolutely bullet proof in the field. On my first outing, I bumped it around a lot while scouting a new area and it held zero just fine.The pins gather a lot of light during daytime and dusk/dawn. Sword makes an Twilight Hunter sight that is a step above the Apex Hunter, incorporating an LED light. Sword also sells this LED Light and mounting bracket for the Apex Hunter, which I may pick up in the future. For now, the sight has worked just fine gathering enough light even in very low light ambient conditions.

The white contrast sight picture actually helps out a lot and I hope more and more sight makers incorporate this. Just like using a contrast color for your peep sight, the white aperture border helps the sight window disappear, just like a ghost ring sight on a rifle/shotgun.

Observations

Among the things I mentioned in-line with this review, including the fiber optic flaring issue and adjustment marker, one thing you should note if upgrading your sight from a crappy one is that this sight is significantly heavier. Therefore, it may change the balance of your bow as it does hang out farther out front of your bow. Increasing the distance out helps improve accuracy but comes with a price. You may have to adjust or change out your stabilizer, in my case, I removed it entirely. I might actually get a Fuse stabilizer with the Side Blade attachment and send it right, as my bow tends to slightly tilt left due to the weight now.

Final Impressions

Manufacturing issue aside, I would recommend this sight to anyone looking to upgrade their bow’s sight but not ready to break the bank on a Spot-Hogg or an HHA. The Sword Apex Hunter has many of the design features and feel of a higher end bow sight, at a reasonable price point. I have complete faith that this sight will hold up for me as the end-user and will likely come with me when I upgrade to a bigger and badder bow. Tight groups.

If you found this review useful, consider purchasing it or another sight from Amazon using the following link and help support this website!

Sword Apex Hunter 4 – pin Sight Right Hand

Sword Twilight Hunter Sight – Lost Camo RH

 Posted by at 12:55 AM  Tagged with: , ,
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