The Problem With Hunting Clothing Brands Today

[fngTony]

If you make a soft shell jacket keep it simple. Hardly anyone wears one since the active insulation mid layers got popular. We don’t need another $300 soft shell with a bunch of pockets that won’t get used. If anything make the Rab Borealis jacket in earth tones, it’s a 10oz durable windbreaker compared to the near 30oz soft shells from hunting brands. That over a light fleece is extremely effective in the alpine.

 

[Jhconnected]

My recommendation is to build things that you want. Lead users are typically the ones with ideas to disrupt markets.

It’ll be hard to make a dent in this market especially without outside funding. But go for it.

 

[Harvey_NW]

If you can copy the basics of the Axis Hybrid, but make it a true hardshell waterproof exterior with a microfleece backed inside, I'd consult with you about funding the development. The SG M7 is about the only thing I've found on the market close, and the liner is so heavy you can instantly tell it's a serious weather or late season only jacket. The PNW is a niche spot for this design, just sayin..

 

[Bump79]

If you make a soft shell jacket keep it simple. Hardly anyone wears one since the active insulation mid layers got popular. We don’t need another $300 soft shell with a bunch of pockets that won’t get used. If anything make the Rab Borealis jacket in earth tones, it’s a 10oz durable windbreaker compared to the near 30oz soft shells from hunting brands. That over a light fleece is extremely effective in the alpine.

I completely agree with this.

 

[Bump79]

If you can copy the basics of the Axis Hybrid, but make it a true hardshell waterproof exterior with a microfleece backed inside, I'd consult with you about funding the development. The SG M7 is about the only thing I've found on the market close, and the liner is so heavy you can instantly tell it's a serious weather or late season only jacket. The PNW is a niche spot for this design, just sayin..

Can't you achieve the same thing with a hard shell and Fleece? I've never seen the use for a peice like this. Heck every softshell I've ever owned has gone to the wayside. This seems like another that would for me.

 

[Brad@Argali]

I’m interested to see this offering. I’ve tried every hunting brand pant there is except Kuiu (personal principle) I can never find a quality that combines all my needs. The new SG Praxxis is quiet with great features but the fit is ridiculously large for someone who is thin. Born Primitive is a great pant, but you can hear them from a basin away. Everything i Iwear is a hodgepodge of 1 great offering from one of the brands. Any Alpha direct pieces in my opinion would be a must. My Midlayer is an alpha piece from a cottage backpacking brand, and will be in my pack until they find me dead on the mountain. Anxious to see what Argali brings to market.

I have some interesting things in the works WRT alpha direct.

 

[Brad@Argali]

My recommendation is to build things that you want. Lead users are typically the ones with ideas to disrupt markets.

It’ll be hard to make a dent in this market especially without outside funding. But go for it.

If I had a nickle for every time someone told me that second sentence of yours...

 

[Brad@Argali]

First thing that comes to mind is pant fit. You’re not going to cover all body types with one cut however I see brands messing around with fabrics that don’t stretch causing a bad fit or the seem pattern makes it weird. Too short in the rise, belt loops being big enough for a tow rope which causes belt slack and twisting. Rear pockets that barely hold a piece of gum. Bad colors, grey shouldn’t have a purple hue.

I have a lot to say about colors and the science behind them...more on that later.

 

[SMOKYMTN]

Yeah durability can play in big time. I personally really like my Ambient though that said, I would have never bought it at retail prices. It's 35% too expensive retail for what you get.

I thought the Ambient was a good piece, it just didn’t fit my needs.

In my defense, us Appalachian whitetail hunters are still trying to figure out where we fall in the hunting clothing industry. Many of us are hiking miles deep into elevation and deep vegetation but are static when we get there. We don’t need the bulk that comes with typical whitetail gear built for Midwest stand hunters, but we also need more static insulation layers. It’s a fine balance.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Can't you achieve the same thing with a hard shell and Fleece? I've never seen the use for a peice like this. Heck every softshell I've ever owned has gone to the wayside. This seems like another that would for me.

Sure, but that's 2 pieces, I want one. A lightweight hardshell jacket that's lightly microfleece backed so it's comfortable next to skin and makes it a 4 season jacket, and there isn't one that I know of on the market.

 

[fngTony]

Not sure you can come in a good price point without compromising? The current brands have been getting hard to swallow. I remember 6-10 years ago Kuiu guide or kenai jacket was $189, super down w/w/o hood was $200-220, chugach rain gear was $250-300 for a top or bottom, now their outlet prices are roughly that. Sitka dew point rain gear, personally found it a very good compromise of all factors but again the msrp is 200% more than a comparable item with a marginal gain in performance.

Oh and please don’t smoke crack when designing something like Sitka did with the new timberline pro pants. They look like camo shorts over ups brown leggings.

Back to colors. Kuiu major brown, first lite dry earth are excellent browns even for casual wear but not that UPS uniform first lite came out with. Neither was the old green Sitka used for their solid color options, I’m not spending $150 for a fleece colored like 1985 crayola marker green.

Ultra light is cool but it should be on a different scale for hunting vs backpacking. Sometimes another ounce goes a long way for durability or a proper fit.

Pockets should probably be bigger to hold phones more easily.

Follow the mountaineer brands by using mapped fabric to reduce weight and bulk. Do we really need the same insulation amount under our arms as we have across our chest? No we don’t, that also goes for wind breakers in that some panels should be more breathable while some more wind resistant.

Gonna have people outside my house with pitchforks for saying this…. I don’t care if it’s made here as long as it’s not made in a sweatshop. Sorry but look at Beyond Clothing, unaffordable, Six Sight Gear still in business? Gulch gear at one time posted their costs and it doesn’t leave hardly any meat on the bone for operational expenses. I’m not a believer that clothing can be made here without some kind of compromise or cost increases, would love to be proven wrong though. If it was can it pay better than fast food? Probably not by much which means you won’t have a strong consistent work force that leads to all kinds of headaches when you’re constantly retraining employees.

 

[twall13]

Do they make a fabric like Polartec Alpha Direct with a merino blend? I absolutely love my Sitka ambient pieces, especially the 75 weight, but they can get stinky after a bit of use. Maybe the addition of merino would affect performance so some testing would be in order but it sure seems like a good idea to me.

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[fngTony]

Do they make a fabric like Polartec Alpha Direct with a merino blend? I absolutely love my Sitka ambient pieces, especially the 75 weight, but they can get stinky after a bit of use. Maybe the addition of merino would affect performance so some testing would be in order but it sure seems like a good idea to me.

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Does it have the polygene treatment like the Sitka base layers? I found that stuff to work well.

 

[BCDJR]

Would be nice to see more of these products on the east coast. Sitka opened a retail store in Atlanta

 

[twall13]

Does it have the polygene treatment like the Sitka base layers? I found that stuff to work well.

I don't think they do. I know part of the appeal to the active insulation layer is that it breathes so well, moves moisture fast and dries really quickly. Maybe the polygene stuff messes with one or more of those attributes so they left it out? Not sure, and it's not terrible as a mid layer but it will start to stink.

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[Jhconnected]

I have a lot to say about colors and the science behind them...more on that later.

I don’t want to discourage you.

You can be successful if you make good product. But, people take financing because they will be able to grow faster with the added capital in invest in parallel product development.

If you want sole control you may have to give up developing multiple products due to the lack of capital.

Again, go for it. I’ll support you through purchases if you make good products.

 

[Brad@Argali]

Do they make a fabric like Polartec Alpha Direct with a merino blend? I absolutely love my Sitka ambient pieces, especially the 75 weight, but they can get stinky after a bit of use. Maybe the addition of merino would affect performance so some testing would be in order but it sure seems like a good idea to me.

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Not that I am aware of. But, I will say in order to get the benefits of merino you need mostly merino fabric. I think at least 80% merino or else the smell benefits disappear pretty fast. The other thing is you would lose the moisture wicking and add weight by doing a blend. I'm a big merino wool fan for some things, but I'm not sure it would do well with Alpha fabric, IMO.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

Sure, but that's 2 pieces, I want one. A lightweight hardshell jacket that's lightly microfleece backed so it's comfortable next to skin and makes it a 4 season jacket, and there isn't one that I know of on the market.

Look into the forloh all-clima soft shell.

Its built more like a rain jacket with waterproofing but has a light grid fleece so next to skin is comfortable and it is breathable with pit zips and functions well as a soft shell from a noise standpoint. It isnt super quiet like a soft shell but i couldnt get it to register higher than the 43db ambient outside noise from 10 ft away.

 

[spur60]

A lot of really good comments in this thread. For me, I'm not a hardcore mountain guy, just a flatlander that occasionally stumbles around the black hills pretending to be on a western style hunt.
My #1 factor when purchasing ANY clothing is sizing. If the company doesn't offer 34" inseams and tall size tops, I'm out. I'm not a big fan of where Sitka is headed as a "lifestyle" company, but they have the best selection of tall sizes from a technical hunting clothing brand, so that's primarily what I buy. Many companies have 34" inseam pants options, but then their sleeve lengths are so short they barely reach my watchband.

 

[justinspicher]

I’d like to have functional blaze orange offered. Right now Patagonia is what I use because they are the only folks I can find that offer base layers and puffy jackets in blaze orange.