September 10, 2014
By Patrick Meitin
We all miss the days of old when the points system allowed for bigger limits (if you were selective about your targets). What we don't miss is killing all those ducks and geese wearing rain-soaked cotton flannels, wool and sweaty rip-stop nylon and rubber. Wet and cold — and lots of chattering teeth — our bodies went numb. Today there's honestly no reason to catch a chill.
The technology is such, fabrics like Gore-Tex and Rain-Blocker keep the precip at bay while PrimaLoft and Thinsulate keep your fingers and toes toasty. And the camo? We dare ducks to pick you out in a timber hole if you're draped in Realtree Max-5 or a cattail slough in Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades . Gore's Optifade is revolutionizing the sport with each fall that passes.
A pattern waterfowl see as nothing has us killing more birds over the decoys than ever before.
Banded | Hailstone Jacket Banded's Hailstone was designed specifically to provide core protection. It's super lightweight and packable too, and made of a windproof, rip-resistant shell fabric treated with a durable water-resistant finish. Insulated with 40-gram PrimaLoft.
Price: $ 140
Banded | RedZone Insulated Breathable Walk far and sit long:
RedZone has you covered. Warm and breathable, these waders have 900D reinforced knees and seat. The boots are lined with 1,200-gram Thinsulate and we're eternally grateful for the side-zip chest adjuster, making the waders fit more like a bib.
Price: $ 300
Banded | UFS Fleece Full-Zip The
UFS Fleece is a must-have for waterfowlers who hunt in rapidly changing conditions — this means you! It acts as a cozy stand-alone jacket on mild mornings, or a layering option when winter arrives. The brushed poly fleece shell is weather- and wind-resistant.
Price: $ 100
Banded | White River Jacket We like having options when it comes to layering, and the
White River wader jacket is perfect for our walk-in hunts. Wear the liner on the way in and throw on the insulated, waterproof and breathable shell when you get cold. Waterproof YKK zippers and lots of useful pockets.
Price: $ 230
Beretta | Xtreme Ducker Beanie Stocking caps don't stay on our bulging heads long, especially when our eyes are on the birds.
Beretta has shown us mercy with the
Ducker Beanie , equipping it with a cinch cord and in size XXL. Available in Optifade Marsh, the fleece cap is lined with WindStopper.
Price: $ 25
Beretta | Xtreme Ducker Gloves More of a shooter's glove, the
Xtreme Ducker's contain some insulation, but not so much you lose contact with your shotgun. They include an adjustable cuff for a snug fit and gripper pattern for a better, eh, grip. WindStopper doubles the insulating capabilities.
Price: $ 35
Beretta | Xtreme Ducker Jacket Ultra-soft, water-repellent fleece highlights the
Xtreme Ducker athletic-cut jacket , allowing for better mobility. Sleeves are reinforced at the elbows and neoprene cuffs keep the elements out. There are a bevy of useful pockets, and a mesh lining provides proper venting.
Price: $ 299
Beretta | Xtreme Ducker Pant An excellent layering option, the
Xtreme Ducker pant can be worn solo in the early season as well. The zippered side leg and security pockets include wear-proof piping. The high-waist helps keep the elements out; side elastic and internal drawstring assure a comfy fit.
Price: $ 239
Cabela's | Accelerator 9mm Walk on water in the
Accelerator 9mm . Zero Gravity keeps the boots at just 5.2 pounds per pair, excellent for those muddy soybean field death marches. Fleece lining keeps your feet warm while Airmesh wicks away moisture to avoid frozen toes.
Price: $ 150
Cabela's | Instinct Accelerator Cabela's Instinct deflects everything short of bird shot. The waterproof/breathable fabric and 5mm neoprene Armor-Flex boots stop potential punctures and treads are more rugged, capable of trudging across sloppy cornfields or the soft bottom of your favorite wetland.
Price: $ 350-
$ 360
Cabela's | Merino Wool Base Layers Our go-to layering option when the temps dipped last season, the
Merino uses three different weight materials, the heaviest of which are at the core where heat loss is most likely. The Australian wool is soft and itch-free.
Price: $ 140-
$ 150 (each)
Drake | EST Breathable Early teal season no longer has to be a sweat box with the
EST Breathable (available in standard chest or boat pant). Constructed of three-layer breathable fabric, it's very durable, and the fit is improved, including higher sides (chest), and Hydro-Flex knee pads.
Price: $ 320
Drake | MST Hybrid A breathable wader with the insulation of neoprene, the
MST Hybrid is outfitted with 800-gram Thinsulate boots, Hydro-Flex knee pads and custom-fit ankle adjustments. Uppers include three-layer breathable nylon and polyester materials.
Price: $ 375
Drake | Synthetic Down Wear The lightweight
MST Pac-Jacket and Vest handily fold into their own chest pockets. Both include 150-gram synthetic down, and the outer fabric is DWR-treated, keeping the down dry. Drake stayed simple with two lower zipper slash pockets and an internal zippered stash pocket.
Price: $ 100-
$ 150
Filson | Stryker Being a bird hunter doesn't require you to dress like a goober. For the pretty boy in your blind,
Filson's Stryker has that cool, old-timey look, and it's functional too. Lightweight and easy to pack, the jacket has roomy cargos and insulated with 100 grams of ThermoLite.
Price: $ 325
Gore | Optifade Concealment Marsh Gore has turned waterfowling into a precise science with
Optifade Marsh , a digital pattern that makes hunters appear as nothing to ducks and geese. It's goal is not to blend you in like other camo patterns made of tree limbs and grass, but to confuse the birds' vision.
Hard Core | Backwater Full-Zip Simple, effective and affordable, the
Backwater Full-Zip is made of 100 percent polyester, anti-pilling fleece, seam-sealed to keep the elements out. An adjustable cord-lock keep drafts out and the kangaroo-style pockets will warm cold hands.
Price: $ 100
Hard Core | First Flight Keep the
First Flight handy in case of the chills, or layer it beneath a parka on frigid mornings. Available in Realtree Max-5, it's made of 100 percent polyester, anti-pill fleece to hold up season after season. The vest includes two zippered hand-warmer pockets.
Price: $ 60
Hard Core | Wader Pant Please stop tying rubber bands around your blue jeans (you look ridiculous) and get a pair of
HC Wader Pants . The non-piling fleece won't bind you up, and elastic stirrups keep the pants from riding. Eat all you want at breakfast too, the waistband's elastic.
Price: $ 50
LaCrosse | AeroTuff Constructed of AeroForm, the
AeroTuff has a lightweight, glove-like feel that provides insulation and durability. Uppers are made of 5mm puncture-resistant neoprene. Injected liquid polyurethane around 7mm neoprene in the foot creates an ultra-insulating shell.
Price: $ 350
LaCrosse | Alphaburly The
Alphaburly Pro wears like a tennis shoe (and is about as light), but won't get sucked off in the mud thanks to the Ankle-Fit technology, which keeps feet dry. A friend went down to his thighs in a sloppy mud hole during goose season and came away with two dry feet.
Price: $ 150
Mossy Oak | Shadow Grass Blades Mossy Oak's focus was on waterfowlers who hunt field edges and potholes with its
Shadow Grass Blades camo . Blades precisely places wind-blown, broken and bent-grass blades; underneath these elements are depictions of lesser and dead grass thatch.
RedHead | Bone-Dry Extreme Extremely warm, comfortable, and rugged, the
RedHead Bone-Dry Extreme waders won't spring a leak thanks to advanced 3-ply stretch Span Tough puncture- and abrasion-resistant material. Behind the tough shell is 5mm neoprene 1,000-gram Thinsulate boots.
Price: $ 200
RedHead | Canvasback Parka & Bibs The
Canvasback parka is waterproof/breathable and has a zip-in liner (which can be worn separately and is reversible). Elbows and shoulders are reinforced with Oxford Ripstop honeycomb fabric articulated for comfort.
Bibs offer full-length side zippers and ThermoLite Insulation. Pockets have drain grommets and all zippers are covered and guttered to keep rain out.
Price: $ 170 (parka);
$ 120 (bibs)
Realtree | Max-5 There's probably not a hunter on earth that doesn't own a piece of gear in Max-4. The innovators at
Realtree have gone a step further with the advent of
Max-5 , a multi-use pattern at home in marshes, flooded timber...really anywhere. It's a remarkably detailed pattern filled with more natural elements than ever before.
Rig'em Right | Billed Beanie They had to special-order my brother a new football helmet every year in high school (all five of them), and the
Billed Beanie even fits his giant noggin'. Fleece-lined, the cap features a tight-knit weave to keep the elements at bay.
Price: $ 25-
$ 30
SG-20 | Outdoor Adhesive The only thing more frustrating than watching some malcontent shoot your swing ducks are waders full of frigid pond water.
SG-20 fixes rips, tears and punctures in just about anything and dries within an hour.
Price: $ 20
Sitka | Boreal Bib Pant For extreme conditions, the
Boreal Bib is shrouded in Gore-Tex to keep out precip, and lined with 650-fill duck down blended with PrimaLoft to keep you toasty. The zippers are waterproof; cargo and hip pockets have quiet snaps.
Price: $ 589
Sitka | Dakota Beanie Anyone who has ever been to the Duck Factory during the heart of the migration knows the wind never stops, but this aptly named
Dakota Beanie , lined with Gore WindStopper, will keep the gusts at-bay. It's constructed of four-way stretch material, so it fits most heads.
Price: $ 49
Sitka | Grinder Not every waterfowling excursion requires bone-crunching cold. For those moments
Sitka's Grinder provides moderate warmth on cool mornings, but also breathability as the day goes on. A fully-gusseted crotch and articulated knees enhance range-of-motion.
Price: $ 189
Sitka | Hudson Mitt If you bundle up like an Eskimo just to shoot a few ducks, then the
Hudson Mitt is a fine option. The glove provides unsurpassed warmth of a gauntlet-style mitt, but remains functional, meaning you can still slap the trigger on plumed out greenheads.
Price: $ 159
Under Armour | Decoy Glove Durable enough to bust sheet ice at our favorite honey hole,
UA Decoy Gloves are made of a polyester/polyurethane blend to keep hands warm and dry. Fleece-lined, the waterproof uppers slip over your parka to the elbows.
Price: $ 60
Under Armour | Infrared Skysweeper We wore the
Skysweeper through the worst winter Illinois has seen in 40 years, and in Arkansas' early season. It wears like a windbreaker, but has the warmth of your best ski parka when the temps dip below zero. The ArmourStorm shell wicks away rain and wind.
Price: $ 270
Under Armour | Reversible Beanie Stretchy polyester fleece keeps your noggin' warm when it's cold outside. But the
Reversible Beanie is also outfitted with a HeatGear liner, which instantly wicks away sweat after a long morning of setting decoys and brushing in layouts.
Price: $ 30
