1 step up from Walmart gear?

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jimbob86

Moderator
When I was younger, I did most of my hunting in my old Army gear, and before that, it was jeans, a sweatshirt, and a blaze orange zip-up Hoodie..... maybe an orange stocking over the orange feed store gimme cap if it was cold... come to think of it, I killed more pheasants wearing canvas Chucky-T's that I ever did wearing boots.......

Now that I am older, warmer gear is more important- and keeping dry is the better part of staying warm....... Gore-tex, or similar, is a must in bad weather.

As for spendy boots- I have had more miles on Rockies than anything else..... I've never spent more than 150 dollars on a pair of boots.... and the best pair were some 50 dollar on sale Rockies..... I wore those things for years, until I started using them as work boots and wore a hole in them..... by the time I needed a replacement, they had stopped making that style.

You mentioned buying a shotgun- what exactly are you planning to hunt? Oh-deer .... I forgot folks back east use "shotguns" for deer.....
 
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SavageSniper

New member
The wally world stuff will be fine. Dont get all wrapped up in the latest camo fashion stuff. I do wear camo, but I have also killed more deer in bluejeans and a what ever shirt. A lot of the stuff is like fishing lures. Designed to catch the "sportsman" and not the prey.
 
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scottycoyote

New member
this wont help you for the upcoming season, but as soon as hunting season is over dicks sells all their stuff for 50 to 80% off....one year i ran to 3 different dicks in 3 different towns and bought up a bunch of stuff, turkey vests, thermal underwear, camo, etc
 
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dyl

New member
Thanks again hunters, I'm definitely going to try some of those suggestions.

To clarify - the instructors at the VA hunter's skills weekend class had a lot more tact and professionalism than I made them out to sound. They gave their disclaimers and didn't slam a particular brand or store - their main message on that issue was to not thoughtlessly purchase poor gear and let the almighty dollar be the bottom line when it comes to functional clothes. Most of us had not hunted / not hunted long and a good percentage of us were looking to hunt on public lands since we have no family connections. Yes, you nailed it - there was a survival course offered, and map/compass classes, etc... Also these instructors (who were very knowledgeable) were dedicated and knew they were going to hunt for many more years to come. Hence they didn't mind looking for gear that would last a decade or more. I just didn't feel like writing a disclaimer about their disclaimer so I paraphrased.

Oh, I just thought of something.
What material is recommended as the final outer layer? Don't be afraid to offer any specific suggestions - I always appreciate a starting point.
 
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warbirdlover

New member
I get my hunting coats (camo blaze) from Gander. There prices (and quality) beat Cabela's. Boots came from Dick's. Everything else comes from Wally World.

Alot depends on the climate where you hunt. If it's cold (like Wisconsin) you HAVE to have a decent coat and boats (and probably pants). If you hunt in fairly warm climates you can buy it all at Wally World.

Here's the coat I use in cold Wisconsin weather....

http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...lated-Parka&i=444747&aID=501AA4C&merchID=4006
 
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Gunplummer

New member
I went through a bad stretch a couple years ago. My hunting out fit (Winchester Blaze Orange) finally just got to the point where I could not repair it. I got over 20 years out of it and am not complaining about quality. At the time I paid a little over $100.00 dollars for the coat and pants. That was a pretty steep price back then. The first year I had it, I wondered why I suffered all those years deer hunting with 3 layers of clothes on and was still cold. The trouble started when I tried to replace it. I went to Cabela's and their outfits would not last 2 years the way we hunt. The guys on TV advertising that junk look like Girl scouts, so they probably are. I went to a Walmart and I saw Orange Woolrich on the rack. What a disappointment that was. The pockets were so thin on the coat I think in a day a box of shells would rip through them. I ended up looking until I found left over stuff not made anymore and pieced an outfit together. The lesson here is you can't buy quality hunting clothes no matter where you shop, so Wally World is O.K.
 
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redneck

New member
I don't have a wall full of trophies or anything but I've had no trouble getting close to deer in my worn out old carhart bibs (black normally). I grew up raising horses and helping out local farmers so I had plenty of warm work clothes and when I started hunting thats what I wore. Hasn't been a problem yet.

Wal mart probably carries walls brand coveralls/bibs if you need a pair, or go to TSC and check out what they have. Walls and CE Schmidt are usually a little cheaper than carhartt and the quality is still good. Look for basic "work" clothes instead of paying a premium for "super sneaky hunting gear". I have a woolrich brand blaze orange vest I'm pretty happy with that I believe came from wal mart. They're stuff is reasonable for price and quality too.

Warm and water proof are my main criteria for boots. I have a pair of Justin workboots that are waterproof and have 600 grams of insulation. They're great quality and reasonably priced and I can wear them all winter for work or hunting or just being out in bad weather. I do have a pair of wolverine "hunting" boots that have camo tops and high traction cleated soles, and while they are nice enough in snow or ice, most of the time they just drag an extra 10lbs of mud with me and I opt to wear something different.
 
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sc928porsche

New member
My favorite hunting boots are Military Surplus Jungle Boots. Light weight, easy on the feet, and good traction. I use scotch guard to keep them water resistant.
 
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kraigwy

New member
Sounds like your hunting instructors must work for one of the big sporting goods outfits.

I just use what ever I happen to have, don't have any special hunting cloths with the exception of some hunter orange vest.

Boots is the same boots I wear ever day made by Justin. aka cowboy boots.
 
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farmerboy

Moderator
agree with kraigwy, normal everyday clothes. I was one back in the day that used unscented soap to bath with, took clorophyll tablets for human scent, let camo hang in the woods 1-2 days before hunting and had to camo from head to toe with face paint and most times use masking scent (raccoon, skunk, etc) or natural vanilla. Sure I shot plenty of deer and Im sure the stores loved seeing me coming too. Now plenty years later I go however but you just have to be extra still and play the wind if hunting in cover. The number one important thing is to have rifle sighted or plenty practice with a bow.
 
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rickyjames

New member
walmart hunting gear and clothing works for me. they usually expand their hunting clothing line before the season and mark it down quickly as the season ends. the only problem might be that even when they "expand" their clothing line they still amy not have everything you want. what they do have works as well as anything any other store sells.
 
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giaquir

New member
Dress, your upper torso in loose layers,
one of which has a hood.
Wear loose fitting wool pants and insul underwear.
Carry a day back with extra stockings and leather mittens.
a few cheap "shake and bake"heating pads.

One other thing, there is no such thing as a casual hunt.
ron
 
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SPEMack618

New member
Dress in layers, doesn't mattr much wear the layrs come from.

I've got a closet full of various camo shirts that generally came from Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or the LGS. The only piece of actual hunting gear I have are my waders.

I have one old fraternity t-shirt that I refuse to hunt without.

However, that being said, the one thing I don't skip on is boots.

Save up and buy yourself a good pair of boots. Merrell is a good brand and what I wear.
 
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Rifleman1776

New member
Some people simply have a hate for Wal-Mart for no logical reason. Their products are as good as any at very competitive prices.
I have 30-40 year old hunting gear from WM that is still going strong.
I can see little difference between an $80.00 hunting coat from WM and a similar one from Bass Pro Shop for $199.00.
If it is not up to your standards, WM will take it back. That can't be beat for comsumer confidence.
 
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L_Killkenny

New member
These instructors are a fine example of why so many classes can be a waste of time. Too much time spent on opinion and not enough on fact. I've owned and worn more than my share of Walmart hunting clothes. In that time the biggest problem I've found with going cheap and frugal is that it can bite you in the rear when it comes to durability and quality. Go figure, hunting clothes aren't much different than everything else in the world, you get what you pay for more times than not (but not always). I'm not saying to buy Walmart stuff or not to buy Walmart stuff, buy what you want and can afford. But keep in mind, hunting specific camo clothes may be one of the biggest scams for the outdoor enthusiast. Right up there with those infomercial fishing lures that guarantee you catch fish with every cast in a dry lake. Better clothes can generally be bought for the same money or less if you toss out the your need/want for camo. For the Frugal outdoorsman second hand shops are your friend.
 
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Rifleman1776

New member
nice surprise

I was in Wal-Mart yesterday and decided to check out their newly stocked hunting gear.
I found a really great camo hunting coat priced at $29.00. I don't need another one but almost bought it because it is such a bargain. I have not doubt a comparable coat at Bass Pro Shops or Cabela's would be near $200.00.
I do reccomend, at least, checking out their offerings before going to another vendor.
 
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