It’s Not Always About the Brand
By Coltin Gresser
As we all know the wallet of a college kid is always feeling pretty light.
From paying tuition, bills, rent, and of course we must have some extra dollars to go out on the weekends. I am in that same boat. The problem I find myself and I’m sure many other younger outdoorsmen and women do, is when and how much money I can put into hunting or fishing gear.
Of course, gear in today’s market is a gigantic never-ending black hole that can just devour one’s bank account in a blink of an eye. You have big-name companies Like Sitka, Firstlite, and Kuiu. I am not saying that these companies are not worth buying. That’s not at all the point I’m trying to get across. Hell, I personally love Firstlite gear and love the Meat Eater crew. What I am saying is that there are local gear companies or just smaller not well-known companies that can keep you warm and hidden. Without taking everything from you financially wise.
I am a third-generation whitetail deer hunter in the great state of Indiana. The land of corn and soybeans really does grow some healthy deer. I have been hunting whitetails my whole life, my parents took me into the field as a baby when the soybeans were taller than I was. Growing up in a hunting family you always got handy down gear, which I hated but later came to love and appreciate every single piece I obtained.
Two years ago, the old wool pants that I had used for seven-plus years finally started to give way and not keep me as warm as they once did. While walking through the hunting section of Rural King I had seen these outer shell pants. I was looking them up and down. Making sure they had enough pockets for me, seeing if they had zippers on the side of the legs to where you could slide on and off your boots. All the boxes I had were checked off and the pants did great on my first inspection.
Then the real test was underway. The dollar amount on that very scary thing they call the price tag. As I slowly turned it over it came out to be a whopping fifty dollars. I was befuddled at that price and snatched them right up. As I walked out of the store after I had purchased them, I was curious and, in my head, making bets about the temperature that I would be sitting in and they finally would not keep me warm. I was guessing around 15-20 degrees F. As muzzleloader season came along the temperature here in northwestern Indiana dropped to below freezing. Turned out to be -10 degrees below F. I was able to withstand that cold with 6 mph winds. I sat out there for two and a half hours. Finally, my hands and feet gave way before my legs ever did.
As I am sure that y’all who are reading this are waiting to hear the name of this brand. I will state this now…WE ARE NOT SPONSERED BY THIS COMPANY! The company that made these wonderful pants is Lincoln Outfitters. Not only were
the pants proficient. My buddy who hunts in the same temperatures I do in North Western Indiana, stated that” that darn jacket withstood negative five degrees with a windchill of negative 12, I am truly impressed when it only cost me 55 bucks.”
Once again, I am not here to shame brands about their price. Or about what they can or can not withstand. I am here to tell the young outdoorsmen and women that it is possible to hunt in semi-extreme weather with cheaper hunting clothes.
Hopefully now with this little information, you have obtained from this article. Makes you feel better about actually getting the gear you need to pursue the game you seek. Good luck and remember…you can’t kill them from the couch.
