While in all your scouting trips, THAT is where you're sort of pre-testing all your gear for when it's "Go-Time!" that way you build up confidence that you're properly geared-up... because you're actually putting to use the gear.
And what's good about this is many things. Just as an example, when ya got like 95F degree days ya gotta make sits on.. you learn that some types of trail snack food are just a bad idea and get all melted and nasty and messy. Also, ya gotta figure out a storage solution for your meds that will KEEP them from succumbing to the high heat! Ya kinda want to avoid soft-gels or capsules in favor of a tablet format instead when we're talking high heat areas.
And then like for cold areas, ya need to worry about other things like having an insulated cover over the drinking tube from your drinking bladder. So it doesn't freeze over and thus "lock you out" so-to-speak of being able to drink your water until you do something to help it melt.
For like Archery Season uber hot days? Oh man... such a help when you've properly already "vetted" some high heat gear to help you with that mission. Like pants with side-zips on the thigh and calf areas. Along with making use of fabrics that are known to breathe well in the heat.
Oh.. while we're on the topic of Archery Season, DEFINITELY get you a Mesh-style face mask in some kind of coloration that blends well with your other camo'd gear or camo'd concealment gear. First-Lite's Leafy jacket and head covering are a great start, but my original goto is a Natural Gear Mesh Facemask. Haven't found the Mesh one specific being sold again lately, for whatever reason.
For cooler/colder climates cheapie Chinese camo'd balaclava's off Amazon can be an excellent money saver. In terms of concealment gear.
And when hunting? I almost exclusively wear a Leafy Boonie on top of everything as well, to go with the leafy jacket and leafy balaclava they have. (mostly because it provides me with a bit better of a visor for shading my eyes)
Big Fan of FirstLites Leafy-Gear. Their leafy gear and A)llP)redatorC)alls (APC for short) SAPPR Mesh Ghillie Suit jackets, are great for high temperature days. But if I'm more Alpine, and things trend more towards being cold... I'll instead make use of some of the cheaper North Mountain Gear Leafy suits (which are jacket and pants) as they don't shed the heat as well as the other two. But still very good pieces of gear, and of good manufacture.
When it comes to the APC Mesh Ghillie Suit, I'd skip on getting their jacket + pants combo and just get the SAPPR suit jacket, otherwise those mesh ghillie pants? They pick up a buncha cockle-burrs and pokeys from various plants while you're walking thru. It's a PITA to have to fuss with plucking them all back outta the pants leg bottoms afterward.
Do understand something though! When you go out sporting leafy-gear, one thing you'll have happen out there, which will make you feel embarassed the first time it happens to you, is the following :
Hummingbirds!... when you're sporting the leafy-gear? They'll come along and wanna check-out this interesting new "bush" they see (which is you inside of the leafy gear) and what'll happen is... outta nowhere all-of-a-sudden one will come up within inches of your earhole, so all of a sudden, outta nowhere. a loud buzzing sound from them and their beating wings will happen INCHES from your earhole! At some point. And the first couple of times it happens? It'll make you feel embarassed by how much is startles you... at least, initially, anyway. (hehe)
Another nice plus of the leafy-gear? Is that once you're settled-on in to an ambush sit... the bugs eventually leave you alone, because even to THEM.. you just look like some bush. It isn't until you then move or get back up to your feet again, that the flying insects will "see" you again and then wanna follow you and pester you.
