What camo to buy

Garsonroad · #1 02-10-2016, 12:25 PM

I plan on buying predator fall grey hunting wear this summer but confused about what to get. My partner uses Sitka but this is pretty pricey stuff for me. We hunt the foothills starting around the first week of Oct and was thinking the fall grey may show too much white, we stalk hunt, two steps, stop for a bit then two again. I have gone to all the sites out there and am more confused than ever. My partner says I look pretty dark at a hundred yards but when sitting I blend in okay. I wear cheap Realtree right now. I read lots of good articles about fall grey and they sound convincing. Our shooting range is around a hundred yards and by the way I have never shot a deer, my first post. Sure could use some advice here. Thanks

double gun · #2 02-10-2016, 01:41 PM

Predator and asat are the only two for me. I wear asat in earlier season especially when on the ground, and predator when treestand hunting.

Garsonroad · #3 02-10-2016, 04:00 PM

Thanks double gun, I've read where these are good camo patterns on many sights. I am leaning on the fall grey and have called a guy in Lethbridge that sells Predator. I am going to see him in the summer and then decide. We hunt in a lot of poplar or aspens and the fall grey is supposed to blend in pretty good. What do you think of Sitka besides the price?

DerekOlson · #4 02-10-2016, 04:44 PM

If your thinking Sitka, and money isn't to big of issue. I highly recommend Kuiu gear. I mostly hunt with top end mountain climb gear(not camo) but Kuiu took mountain hiked/climber durability/comfort and threw camo on it. When sheep hunting thier breathable rain gear and comparable to ice breaker wool is 2nd to none! They are the original owners of Sitka that sold out and started Kuiu. My .02

jayquiver · #5 02-10-2016, 05:15 PM

Sitka is very good, I own a bunch of it, Open Country pattern.

I like the look of Kuiu and I know they make very good stuff, but my hesitation is that you can't try it on and its in USD, add 35% now, and my buddy got "nailed" at customs with a bunch of extra charges. I won't buy it unless they get a distributor in Canada.

The Predator Camo pattern you are considering looks good also. I have never tried it on but, I think the Fall Gray is perfect for AB. I wouldn't worry about the colouring too much, its only meant to break up your pattern. It looks like the best colour option Predator Camo has imo.

BTW- Ice Breaker base layer is great, like DerekOlson said.

P.S. Camo may not help you shoot your first deer, but good clothing, camo or not, will keep you in the field longer and that will help!

Good Luck!

upongrassy · #6 02-10-2016, 05:55 PM

If its the camo your truly interested in, both Sitka and Kuiu are both extremely effective at breaking up the human silhouette. If it is the technical features of the clothing more so, then don't look past company's like Helly Hansen, North Face, etc. If cost is a factor, Both before mentioned hunting brands are rather high priced. The mountaineering company's gear often can be found at stores like Atmosphere, Sportchek so forth, on sale and considerably cheaper.

Garsonroad · #7 02-10-2016, 06:47 PM

Thanks to all you guys with your advice, still unsure but am really leaning towards fall grey. I must have checked hundreds of sites , it was fun, and really learned a lot. Sitka seems like amazing stuff, maybe the best of the lot, but the cost just seems too much when you add it all up.

Prdtrgttr · #8 02-10-2016, 08:27 PM

Two other great options are Day One Camouflage
https://dayonecamouflage.com/

And First Lite camo
http://www.firstlite.com/

NBFK · #9 02-10-2016, 08:33 PM

Cabelas outfitter camo

Zuludog · #10 02-11-2016, 02:00 AM

If price is an issue you can buy the ASAT leafy suit for around $100 and where whatever you want under it.

Luckwell · #11 02-11-2016, 02:01 AM

I have been buying up the Onca Gear. Comparable to Sitka or Kuiu but a bit better price.

El-Brento · #12 02-11-2016, 06:10 AM

Watch for sales at Wholesale, they often have camo on 30-50%off.
Cabelas might be the same, i dunno.

tolait · #13 02-11-2016, 06:44 AM

hey if you are near red deer on feb 26 to 28.
predator camo Canada will be at the mother of all shoots
in westerner park.he will have a booth I spend a bundle there every year.

Garsonroad · #14 02-11-2016, 07:07 AM

i thought of the leafy suit and seen it but not too fussy on ASAT, someone mentioned Onca, googled it and thought this line looked like Kuiu only cheaper and in Cranbrook BC. Well I emailed them and will take a look at them when we hit Fort Steele this summer, looks like a nice line, not much to offer but what they have looks good. I bought my Realtree gear at Cabela's but got lower brands I guess, my fleece jacket doesn't breathe and I get a lot of dampness inside. I go to Wholesale quite often, bought my first rifle there six years ago, but seems all the stuff looks the same. Had a look at Bass Pro but same thing, they were limited on Sitka and Predator, this was last fall. So still looking and having a good time checking things out and I did visit Day One online and found the cowboy suede interesting. Again thanks for all your input, love hearing your point of views. Still looking!

Garsonroad · #15 02-11-2016, 10:16 AM

Thanks for the info Tolait. Just googled it and plan on going there to have a look, it's not that far from Airdrie. Checked out Onca, looks not too bad. Two Guys Hunting was a store that closed down here in town, too bad, Chuck was fun to talk with. He carried the Sitka line. Checked out a site from New Zealand that had a good line that looked like Sitka, just for fun of course, they had some good stuff. Day One has maybe an okay fabric called cowboy suede (anybody know this material), and finally yes it would be a good idea to have a Kuiu outlet in Canada say maybe Alberta.

laker · #16 02-11-2016, 08:11 PM

Old style predator for me. I have the green, grey and brown. The brown is my go to for everything now. Wished they still made the white. If I could get a hold of a white coverall that would be my choice for all seasons. Great in a treestand. I say the lighter color the better.

Springer · #17 02-12-2016, 12:27 AM

I don't think you will see KUIU in outlet stores in Canada anytime soon. This is how they keep their prices down.
Jason Harriston is the only one that left Sitka to start up KUIU.

I just replaced my KUIU from losing everything in the Backcountry fire last fall. I rechecked Sitka line upand did not want to take out a loan to afford it , Onca ..Great stuff but not enough in their line up for me or the features KUIU has . I like the fact I can unzip my armpits and the legs of my pants if I get to hot instead of peeling it off and putting into my pack , just to put it back on when I get to cold.
Even with the poor Canadian dollar and pouring over costs and clothing , I feel I am ahead with it.

I tried on Underarmour....No thanks does not have the comfort factor for me.
Treat it like an investment and take good care of it like an investment and it will last for years.
Someone mentioned Predator , funny its the only Camo my Wife likes as far as appearance goes.

My 2 cents.

Shawnw · #18 02-12-2016, 06:52 AM

I'm loving my bad lands camo

jwilson · #19 02-12-2016, 07:01 AM

Kings desert shadow.

Garsonroad · #20 02-12-2016, 07:03 AM

I have never seen or touched kuiu but all the news I've read about is good. One problem if two not mentioned earlier, I am 64 and have a rather large build not H Hogan but more like Oliver Hardy, what I wear is a 2Xl and maybe a 3Xl would fit better. I do not hunt with bows and prefer a looser fit. All the news about Kuiu is that they are tight fitting and the jackets l(like Sitka) are short on the length and being just under 6'2 , this would cause a draft problem. There are a lot of guys out there around my size and it would be nice to have tall gear in all sizes in all their lineups. The way I got this figured out is Day One bibs in cowboy suede and Stealth Fleece from Predator Canada all in fall grey. As mentioned before we hunt west of Hwy 22 in the foothills and we sit for periods in different locations. Often pretty windy and the draft naturally sifts up your back. Watched a great video of Hairston bow hunting and an elk or two come to about ten feet from him. Also one from Sitka where again two elk almost bump into the camera, wish I had that kind of luck! But really shows the camo of these products must do their job, oh well! Comments?
.

Tactical Lever · #21 02-12-2016, 07:50 AM

I feel that camouflage, particularly everything camo is over rated. (Boots, gloves, binos...) Not that I don't feel that there is a place for it, or that I do not use it. A few examples of not really needing or using it: Walking up to a doe and fawn up to about 20 yards away in the middle of an access road and as long as I moved slow enough or waited for them to look away, they had no idea. Walked up to a young bear while it was browsing, probably about 10 yards away. Probably could have got closer, but decided not to. Snuck up on a couple badgers, one I hissed at to stop him from getting closer. Probably could have took a step and a half and gave him a kick.

Far more important IMO is slow movements or no movement when they are looking, and quiet. Go look at some camo and crinkle it up. If it makes noise, leave it there. Run your rough fingers or nails along the fabric, and imagine how loud it would be if you are trying to get through some willow or thorns with it. Try not to pick a very specialized camo, if you are not hunting the same kind of terrain all the time. Go with bigger patterns, with different shades of colour as they will break up your outline better in more open terrain.

I think that Kryptec pattern would be a pretty good general purpose. Also some military surplus will give you long life stuff for reasonable cost. There is the Weekend Only Store (I think) that has some pretty good deals. A few years back, they had pants and jackets that were pretty decent for cheap. I picked up a warm pair of Mossy Oak overalls in some sort of duck blind reed pattern and a Sports Afield (?) jacket for about $70. Not quite matched but decent stuff that works together. The jacket is not great, could be a little warmer, and have some ventilation and more pockets, but good quality. The overalls were a killer deal!

goose slayer10 · #22 02-12-2016, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prdtrgttr

Two other great options are Day One Camouflage
https://dayonecamouflage.com/

And First Lite camo
http://www.firstlite.com/

I agree!!! Great stuff for sure!
The Day one coats are simply amazing.

Garsonroad · #23 02-12-2016, 08:39 AM

Looks like a couple of you have tried Day One gear. I will try to call them today and get some pricing. They look like a good company and have been around quite a while, has anyone ever used cowboy suede? Lots of good responses and different points of view, thanks again! Well I think I have enough info now to go ahead with what I need to buy. Heard Sitka makes a lite fanatic bib in the elevated II for 2016, too bad not in the open country pattern!

graybeard · #24 02-12-2016, 08:39 AM

I like the large pattern of the Predator brown in the fall and a Predator white in the winter.
I find the ordinary over the counter type camo, leaf pattern, looks like a black blob at 100 yards.

In hindsight to get to that point I would have saved up my money and bought what I wanted from the get go.

Like many people here on AO, I have a couple of hockey bags full of great condition camo that I wasted my money on, and there it sits.

For your birthday, Christmas etc ask for the gift card for the place you want to buy your camo. If you leave it up to family members, they will buy you the run of the mill stuff because that is what they see most people wearing and think that is what you want. Hence the filling of one of the duffle bags.

And, serious hunters protect their actual hunting gear from scent cross contamination and you'll never see a guy wearing the same camo at the Timmies then into the field.

If I was to offer a jump off point, I would ensure my equipment like gun/scope, bino's, boots, knife, all trump camo.

Be mindful of the wind and movement........

IMHO....

Sledhead71 · #25 02-12-2016, 08:43 AM

To be honest here, your choice of dress code for your style of recreation will provide little to no benefit while in the field. Wind in your face and sun at your back will be your best advantage while pursuing your quarry...

Prairiewolf · #26 02-12-2016, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sledhead71

To be honest here, your choice of dress code for your style of recreation will provide little to no benefit while in the field. Wind in your face and sun at your back will be your best advantage while pursuing your quarry...

Agreed. I go with function first - clothing that is warm when needed, breathes, and layering options. I take care of me, then I worry about patterns, etc.

First Lite make some incredible gear - tough to find in Canada and with the FX the way it is its pricey, but wool base layers with some decent mid/heavy options won't set you back too much.

laker · #27 02-12-2016, 09:26 AM

What I don't understand is that I never see anyone wearing their old faded predator camo coveralls around town, but the malls are loaded with people wearing sitka and starting to see a few kuiu. Must be good mall camo as well.

Garsonroad · #28 02-12-2016, 09:28 AM

Well Greybeard your point of view is well taken. Did my very first deer hunt with my partner also my brother in law who is a retired parks warden, who can speak is mind very easily. Drove my truck from Airdrie to Black Diamond dreaming of bagging my first deer (58 then) and got my rear booted good. My truck had a nice red spice tree hanging from my mirror and you can guess the rest. Actually he was pretty funny about it and I sat in the box of HIS truck all the way there. So what you said about Timmies is spot on, learned my lesson

JustMe · #29 02-12-2016, 02:30 PM

I assume you're asking about patterns, not manuafactures? I agree Predator is good, especially the Fall Grey.

Another pattern I've found to be good is Natural Gear. Not easy to find, but light enough color to blend in really well in the fall. Too many folks get caught up in the dark greens and browns IMO. You end up looking like a big black blob at any distance at all with the dark patterns.

agentsmith · #30 02-12-2016, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prairiewolf

Agreed. I go with function first - clothing that is warm when needed, breathes, and layering options. I take care of me, then I worry about patterns, etc.

First Lite make some incredible gear - tough to find in Canada and with the FX the way it is its pricey, but wool base layers with some decent mid/heavy options won't set you back too much.

Yeah, I think camo probably helps somewhat, but it's nowhere near as important as many hunters seem to think. 20 years ago, it almost didn't exist except for military surplus. Still, I don't understand why so little of the camo sold around here is in winter colours... like 95% of the camo at the big stores is green. Odds are there's going to be snow on the ground in Alberta in November.

I bought Predator Stealth in "fall grey" last year, mostly because I wanted heavy fleece/wool stuff and it's fairly cheap. I think the jacket and pants were about $300 total. They're not super warm though.

Anyone have experience with the Yukon Gear stuff from Canadian Tire? I'm thinking of getting their reversible parka and bib pants in Mossy Oak Snow/Infinity for the colder days.