Hunting gear: strictly camo or some solids?

[schmalzy]

BTW...some camo options do not come in solids but have essentials like Polygeine, a hoody and built-in facemask which you definitely want in very buggy areas. My Sitka Core light zip tee saved me on a two week moose hunt.

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I’ve got this in a solid grey and it’s my go to. Very pleased with it. Wish they had a few more solid options. Great for running, hiking, etc


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[SuspiciousFish]

From the sources I have read it is actually better to mix solids and different camo patterns. This will more effectively break up your outline than just looking like a human shaped blob with a camo pattern.

 

[gsckorohod]

I have been slowly building my hunting gear collection. But there have been some times when I loved the gear so much I wanted to have multiple purposes so I purchased some solids. Sitka Timberline pants are a great example. It's like indestructible pajamas you can wear to more places than just Walmart.

I have had this conversation with my buddy. His thoughts are he wants to buy once, cry once, and have all his hunting gear in camo to have all the odds in his favor. I do agree with him to an extent, however, some pieces of gear are just too nice not to want to wear to other places. I also don't want to be wearing a camo jacket when going somewhere nicer where if it was in a solid color I would be fine. I spend a lot of time backpacking as well and unfortunately some folks on the trail you stick out like a sore thumb and it can create some awkward times and conversations.

My game plan right now is most of my hunting gear for archery will be in camo since that's closer to your target, minus the pants since usually I am waist-deep in brush. For rifle, I think I will be more lax and wear more solids since the distance is greater.

Now I am also a newer hunter so you may destroy me for my decisions.

Totally depends on hunt. For archery yes, but more important than clothing is playing the wind. Buy the best you can afford

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I tend to have combinations of both. Usually solid pants with some pattern on top.

 

[Cactus kid]

I wear nothing but solids. Cannot remember the last time I wore camo.

 

[TheHammer]

I wear camo for archery and solids for rifle…. Same exact gear, just one tote for rifle and one tote for archery, unless I’m wearing my core lightweight hoody for both which is camo. I have a white tail tote too. All my packs are in a different tote. This is purely for organizational purposes, all my gear stays separate, as each season/tag requires different gear lists.

If I were just starting out, I would find retailers with the higher end gear and figure out what fits you best. I run sitka, as my local archery shop deals it and SG. I prefer the sitka over anything I’ve tried on. I do not regret the thousands I have spent on it as it’s allowed me to stay in field longer or more comfortably vs other gear I’ve owned. And on numerous occasions it has imo set me up for a successful harvest. Just because something works for me doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. Boots are a prime example.

 

[ElkCraziesMW]

Camo has been masterfully marketed over the years, I know I have fallen victim to thinking that I need a head to toe camo suit, but moving towards more solids now. It's nice to be able use those expensive high performance clothing items year round

 

[TradArcher]

Trad bow hunter here - I have camo and when I wear it's first lite aerowool camo for tops because it works as being stink-free and has camo. I don't want other hunters noticing me and my spots so its more for the humans and the scent factor is for game. Otherwise I have wool plaid shirts and flannels and then earth colored pants. I am about to sell my camo pants as I don't feel a need for them. I have a set of wool pants in buffalo plaid I keep for whitetails and because I like them and for humor.

I have killed a deer walking pretty much right up to it - occasionally moving sideways instead of right at the deer and bending down and holding my bow up by my head like antlers while pulling up grass with my free hand and making grunting sounds - I am serious. 3 mature mule deer bucks let me walk right up to take a shot and harvest one this way 2 years ago. It took like a half hour to slowly close the distance and I removed an arrow and nocked it while bent over and fake "feeding" and then rose up to shoot the buck. All 3 deer looked directly at me various times and seemed convinced I was just feeding along with them on their walk. It was crazy but they busted my initial stalk so I figured I would just try this and it worked. So I think its your "vibe" you give off way more than camo that really matters if you want to get really close to deer.

This season I passed up two shot opportunities at does - I'll kick myself for doing that later as I do want the meat for winter but the stalk was really the hunt for me and camo did not make any difference. I also got a group of 3 does to let me walk with them for awhile without spooking, I had camo on but they looked right at me and seemed aware - it is your vibe that matters. If you can subdue your deer fever and kill vibe and channel a hike vibe while being ready to kill you will be amazed at how close you can get to deer consistently. Its a self control thing and I bet they can read your body language when you get hyped up ready to kill so controlling that I believe from my experience is key to getting close. Getting close with traditional gear is key to getting a clean kill shot - for me anyways.

So long story short - flannel and plaids are the original camo aren't they? So buy what makes you happy and you can actually get use of and don't worry about it. If you decide to go flannels /plaid for hunting avoid yellow and blue in the pattern for deer.

I would worry more about two things:
1) Whitetail country - do not wear white to avoid getting shot and wear orange while staying aware of other hunters for safety - yours and theirs - know where people are.
2) Watch the vids and read the books on how animals actually see and hear - the world sounds *very* different to them than it does to us. I think I remember a biologist saying that deer can see yellow and blue so I avoid those colors in my gear to include avoiding them in my arrow fletching. Their hearing - try and find a youtube video that demonstrates what animals hear - it is not the same tones you hear for the same things.

Then also avoid excessive movement especially side to side when you think you are standing still. If you have to stalk a deer do so when its head is down feeding - walk straight at it and freeze the nanosecond it looks like their head is coming back up - they have poor depth perception so if you freeze they might look your way for awhile but then are likely to go right back to feeding. Do not look directly at the deer you are stalking especially when its head is up - might sound crazy but that is the quickest way to spook a deer.
So to get odds in your favor learn how they experience the world and build your tactics around that knowledge.

LOL - ok I rambled on but i hope at least some of this is helpful to you and welcome to hunting!

 

[WJS23]

I have a mix most of my pants, rain gear and base layers are solid colors and my tops are camo for the most part and all my packs are solid colors. Guys kill stuff with jeans and a hoodie with orange vests and hat all the time.

 

[shax2lex]

I've traditionally purchased camo but I am moving to solids with a cheap "leafy" outer top and bottom. The hunting clothes I have are so expensive and I'd like to use them for other outdoor rec activities. The leafy outwear will be my camo for up close whitetails. It's also light enough to be used during the early seasons while still hunting.

 

[elkguide]

Not a real camo look fan here. However some of the best hunting gear is made in camo only.
When I buy new hunting clothes, I go to the sale rack and whatever is in my size is what I go with. And yes, as sacrilegious as this may be, I wear Kuiu, Sitka and even some Cabela's gear together.

 

[n816kc]

They never seem to have solids in my size on sale at the end of the season. so, camo. Doesn’t have to be the same pattern.

 

[Coldtrail]

Aside from waterfowl hunting I like old school cool, solids, plaids etc. I think it depends on your roots, my first bow hunting camo was an oversized green hoodie with permanent marker lines all over it worn with $5 used army pants...worked fine.

When I see dudes checking themselves out in a full length mirror wearing a solid grand worth of camo it speaks volumes of where things are headed. I truly think we are only a few years away from "bedazzled" men's camo.....things have gotten a bit out of hand.

 

[sodaksooner]

I have a mix, but don't buy camo patterns any more. Pretty much hunted the whole season this year in Pranas, A kuiu Merino base layer shirt, a Kuiu Guide vest (solid) and a University of Oklahoma gray synthetic pullover. My pack is Vias Camo though, but I wish it was solid. The clothes are too nice to wear two weeks a year. I wore the Pranas I wore the first week of the season to work the Monday after I got back. I don't have an issue with Camo, but when spending thousands on clothing, I'd like to get more out of them. I had a bull at 12 yards staring at me for 10 minutes in my solids and he never figured out what I was. Movement is the key.

 

[Coldtrail]

"movement is key"

Very true, I recall some training I went through for a previous job that showed that camo actually exaggerates your movement, the higher tech camo hides you well when stationary, but makes your movement more obvious when compared to solids or more subdued "low tech" camo patterns.....that's why you don't see the world's military begging for some of the high tech stuff hunters are dropping $$ on.

 

[Xlr8n]

Treestand whitetail hunting: all camo
Everything else: solid and camo mix

 

[H80Hunter]

Treestand whitetail hunting: all camo
Everything else: solid and camo mix

Yeah me too. I think whitetail stand hunting is pretty purpose-specific -- a fanatic jacket and bibs in a solid color wouldn't be super appealing to me... For my mobile type stuff I buy solid pants and am mixing in more solid tops if they're offered.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I think camo is made mostly for us humans, but last week midway through getting to my shooting spot the bull we were calling came in and stared at me at 6 yards, it was just after first light and I was partially sky lined downhill from the elk next to a pine tree with (good wind though) , I don’t know if my camo helped me, but I can guarantee that it sure didn’t hurt. I wear mostly solids for rifle hunting though. Camo is for archery, turkeys, and duck hunting.

 

[awdsone]

What color solids for the top do you guys prefer?

 

[mickems]

What color solids for the top do you guys prefer?

I hunt in a tree stand and typically find that light tans and grey shades help me to blend in with the color of the tree bark during fall/winter. It helps to not look like a human outline against a tree background. In a pop up blind (inside is all black), I wear cheap all black sweat suit, gloves, bacalava, etc from Amazon.