The Problem With Hunting Clothing Brands Today

[twall13]

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.

Not sure I fully agree on the Merino percentages but you likely have more scientific data to back out up than me. I just know I have socks with lower than 80% merino that do a pretty good job fighting off funk. Same with some Merino blend hoodies. I can't argue with the added weight and loss of moisture wicking though. Maybe camel or yak wool would do better? Maybe it's a bad idea, just seems worth exploring to me.

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[Jhconnected]

I’d stalk the FB B/S/T groups. They always have feedback on them about wants from the different product lines.

 

[nnmarcher]

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.

I’ve never handled this fabric, so I can’t speak to its performance or construction. Looks like it may just be Polartec Alpha with merino wool backing?

Polartec® Alpha Direct with Wool 4048

Polartec® Alpha Direct is an evolution of the original Alpha insulation that eliminates the need for a backing fabric. Alpha Direct can be worn directly against the skin or other fabric layers. This increases the breathability, reduces the overall garment weight, and allows for greater creative...

ripstopbytheroll.com

63% polyester
33% wool
4% nylon

 

[Brad@Argali]

I’ve never handled this fabric, so I can’t speak to its performance or construction. Looks like it may just be Polartec Alpha with merino wool backing?

Polartec® Alpha Direct with Wool 4048

Polartec® Alpha Direct is an evolution of the original Alpha insulation that eliminates the need for a backing fabric. Alpha Direct can be worn directly against the skin or other fabric layers. This increases the breathability, reduces the overall garment weight, and allows for greater creative...

ripstopbytheroll.com

63% polyester
33% wool
4% nylon

I'd be interested to learn more but I'd bet with 33% wool any benefits of merino wouldnt be apparent.

 

[Brad@Argali]

Not sure I fully agree on the Merino percentages but you likely have more scientific data to back out up than me. I just know I have socks with lower than 80% merino that do a pretty good job fighting off funk. Same with some Merino blend hoodies. I can't argue with the added weight and loss of moisture wicking though. Maybe camel or yak wool would do better? Maybe it's a bad idea, just seems worth exploring to me.

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Absolutely. Ive been down this rabbit hole a fair bit. My head was in the same place as yours for a while.

 

[Moosehunter]

My problem with hunting clothing brands is the price.
Loads of marketing equals price increase to pay for marketing (I think, I really have no clue).
I get supporting hunting companies...kinda. But so far it hasn't been proven over and over that they're always better people to support (no experience with Argalli).

Influencers are our end...not our beginning.
Please don't pay people to use your gear @Brad@Argali

 

[conhawa]

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.

Yes! I totally agree with this. One example is trying to find quiet rain gear with pit zips. I would also like to find something similar to a glassing pant with a quiet brushed face that can be thrown on after hiking in up mountains.

 

[jd1006]

What sucks is the movement to focus on lifestyle apparel within the hunting industry. You have to really pay attention to the features and fabrics being used because half the pants/shirts are just basic stuff and offer nothing particular in terms of advanced features. Kuiu/Stone Glacier are doing this heavily lately. Sitka has been for a while.

Watching what Outdoor Vitals with this developed run of features that our niche is asking for is refreshing—but I thought Stone Glacier and Kuiu basically started in that realm. It’s unfortunate these companies have a hard time staying true to their origins and then the brand gets co-opted into something completely different.

Sitka has at least kept a high performance focused on parts of their gear lines, but they are doing so at a huge cost. The new timberline pro pants are $330!!! They are basically Fjallraven Keb pants, which can be found for half the price.

 

[cloy]

The price for a Kuiu whitetail kit rivals a months mortgage. Nice stuff, but I do struggle justifying the… “investment.” Unfortunately, other brands cost the same.

A public land hunt starts looking like this:
$2000 bow/sight/arrows/release/etc.
$400 tree saddle.
$200 climbing sticks.
$200 base layers.
$150 pants.
$300 jacket.
$200 boots.
$170 for license/tags.
$200 daypack.
$200 rangefinder.
Probably left something out.

That’s over $4k to MAYBE shoot a whitetail. If the public land doesn’t get sold.