For the money, I would rate LL Bean as one of the best sources for upland hunting and shooting gear/clothing.

That said, I also would consider Filson...although some may consider them a little expensive. Orvis and Beretta have some nice stuff....but, again, a little pricey for some.

 

Not Saks....but Cabela's carries lots of stuff for us non-discriminating sports....then of course there's Orvis of Manchester.....Art

 

The "end of season" sales at Cabela's have provided most of my hunting apparel. Their quality is excellent, but the regular (October) prices are much higher than in February.

gold40

 

Tonight I went to Bass Pro Shop. I was really impressed by their Redhead brand upland clothing. I bought a couple shirts and they were well made. The pants look good as well and may order some latter down the line.

 

Filson will last the rest of the century.

 

Orvis and Beretta

Not the cheapest but among the very best in quality.

 

Find out which local shops stock the better brands (Filson, Browning, Beretta, etc.) and keep looking. I have gotten some incredible deals on Filson clothing - actually never paid full price for any Filson except a Ranger belt I bought at their Seattle store (next to Safeco Field). This past year I have bought Filson at 20% and 40% discounts at Hill's in Raleigh. Just a month ago I could have bought some Filson double tin coats, vests, and chaps on a good discount at Jesse Brown's at South Park in Charlotte NC at 25% off, but I don't need anymore - you cannot wear it out.

 

Filson, even used, will outlast most other brands. Of course if you don't like a particular piece, you could be stuck with it for a long long time. Buy in off season or get stuff that somebody out grew. We tend to outgrow stuff as we get older much like we did as we were kid. Too much time spent at the watering hole after the shooting was over.

 

The "end of season" sales at Cabela's have provided most of my hunting apparel. Their quality is excellent, but the regular (October) prices are much higher than in February.

gold40

Ditto.
Heck, their end-of-season sales supply about half of all my apparel. I've bought a lot of Columbia sweaters and whatnot at 50 percent off or better. Nice casual stuff for the office.
For guys who need blaze orange w/o a coat, the Remington Upland Shirt, you can usually get it from BPS, is a buy. I think they're up to $30 now, but on only my second in 15 years. The first one could have kept going, but I treated myself to a new one. They're tough, breath well and dry fast. Wish they still made 'em in tan.

 

Sid--
It depends on where you are going to hunt and what you want. Note that all the rave reviews of Filson are talking about durability. I own quit a bit of Filson gear, but when I lived in Texas I used it very little--the cheapo disposable Academy stuff actually worked better for dove hunting in September because the Filson stuff was too hot, and any old blue jeans and heavy duty chaps from Dunn's worked better quail hunting in October because the cordura chaps stood up to cactus, prickly pear and mesquite.
IMHO, LLBean delivers incredible value for money, and I like the nice, kinda old-fashioned non-technical feel of their bird shooting boots and waxed cotton vest. My son tells me Beans will never command the premium of Filson or Orvis because his generation associates Bean's with soccer moms and personalized school backpacks rather than single malt around the fireplace with bird dogs resting at one's feet after a good day's hunt. He also tells me that in time his generation is going to have all the money (he's probably right about that, eventually) and that Orvis is for silvertips who are all show and no-go (I think that's a little harsh, though Orvis is spendy and arguably a little fuddy-duddy). I tell him that when his generation has all the money he better be real sweet to his wife so she'll give him a big allowance.

 

Beretta, Browning, Filson,Columbia clothing,10X and River West. All are good.
I think I have one piece from all the Brands.
Filson and River West are my top picks.

 

Beretta, Browning, Filson,Columbia clothing,10X and River West. All are good. ...

My experience is similar.
I, too, have a little of everything. Filson tends to run a little warm for my constitution, but is certainly good stuff.
Browning PacLite Rain gear, Beretta shooting coat (sort of like the Bisley, but earlier model), Columbia Ptarmigan upland coat, are some of my faves. Cabela's upland jeans are nice for the money.

 

all the brands mentioned are good. Even the bass pro or cabelas brands can get it done. Its more about how it fits. For myself I find any shirt with sleves long enough for me is HUGE in the armpit, chest, stomache areas. I have totaly given up on finding a shooting shirt that fits me. The quest for a vest that fits was also very hard but I finaly found a beretta one that is not made for fat guys and had the pockets and features I wanted. I have the same problem with all clothes. I recomend taking it slow and trying on anything you buy. I stop in all the sporting goods stores I can and try on upland clothes when traveling. Sportmens Warehouse had a jacket that fit me so nice but didn't have money at the time and now the store is 1,000 miles away. You may be a more average american build, fat, and that will make it much easier. I'm very tall and thin with long monkey arms so its a challenge.

 

:roll: Beans has been praying on flatlanders and yuppies for generations :roll: Their prices are ridiculous, its the same product as most every other sporting goods store but with L.L Bean on it and triple the price so they can turn a profit when they warrantee it. Heck the warrantee isn't as good anymore as most items are store credited instead of replaced. So now you trade the old junk ones in get the credit, pickup the newer model of the same item and pay the difference.

 

Cabelas
Bass Pro
Filson - expensive, but your grandkids won't wear it out.

 

Any comments on Gander Mountain? Similar quality to Bass Pro and Cabela's?

For slim people, a European cut will work better than a traditional "American" cut. I read a caution about this on the Beretta website regarding the "Italian" cut for the jackets and vests.

 

Some of GM's Guide Series wear is pretty good. I generally follow the same rule as I do at Cabela's, though ... wait for the sale.

 

As a peasant I wear pretty much what I wear every day, Carhart, whatever work shirt is appropriate for the day.
The conditions dictate which type of shirt, cap, sweatshirt, insulation, etc. Do have a filson vest and a light strapped vest to choose between.

 

I like others have said have some from all the major sources. My problem has always been getting outdoor clothing that functions properly. Quality in terms of durability can be had at a price- function is something else again. There is a tremendous amount of "outdoor" clothing made for style, and is about worthless for my use. Seems to be designed by people that know little about the outdoors, or don't care. I have often wished I could design my own stuff, but it is not going to happen.

Actually the old traditional upland hunting clothing was atrocious from head to foot, imo. There is still a lot of it around- I suppose for the appeal to romance and to appeal to those that want to look like a upland hunter or something else. Things have improved, as now, you can fairly well capture the look and get some function with it. I am not opposed to some romance and tradition, but if I have to choose between feeling good, or looking good, I am leaning toward feeling good. I have been miserable enough.

Imo, no matter what brand you are looking at-- look for function, and I personally wouldn't mail order anything unless the vendor has a no questions asked return and refund policy. This works fairly well as you can test drive the item at home and think about it. Same for store purchases. My last question before putting the money down is, "can I return this for refund if I decide I don't want it." If the answer is no--I walk.

 

Checked some prices at the Rural King the other day. Carhart ain't for peasants!

 

if I have to choose between feeling good, or looking good, I am leaning toward feeling good

Filson's waxed cotton chaps still look good (according to my wife, anyway) and they have been superior to anything else I've tried. They bust through anything, they keep thorns from sticking me, they are durable as hell, they allow me to wear whatever pants are comfortable, and they don't pick up all the "hitchhiker" seeds that my nylon-faced pants did. Some "traditional" things just work.

OTOH for chukar hunting I finally broke down and shelled out for some modern "technical" Swiss mountaineering pants, with pre-bent knees, stretch fabric panels to allow the pants to flex all over the place, and durable modern tech fabric throughout. Despite their silly price, those are the best damned pants I have EVER bought, and every time I climb a rockpile, I am so glad that I did!

Regular upland pants are fatiguing on anything but flat ground, IME. And I can do chukar-pheasant combo days by using the chaps over the mountaineering pants.

So I try to mix and match the old-fashioned and the newfangled. If it works, I want to use it, without prejudice.

I also try to buy at a discount, but I do find that, when I am willing to pay for something great vs. something marginally adequate, I NEVER regret spending the extra money. I enjoy using the good stuff I've bought, every time I get out, and I am frustrated by the crappy stuff I've bought, every time I get out.

 

As you have no doubt figured out by now, hunting specific clothing is available, if not on every street corner, almost. Any large outdoors retailer that sells guns or shells, etc. sells hunting clothing.

A few tips from a guy that has spent a lot of money on stuff, some well and some not so well. For upland hunting you need;
1. Good footwear. Scrimp on whatever else you must to buy GOOD to EXCELLENT boots. Lace-ups that provide good ankle support. Danner, the more leather the better. Kangaroo hide if you can afford it. There are other good brands but I can't think of any. If you hunt in a real snaky environment, Chippewa snake boots are relatively comfortable (not light) and offer good protection. DO NOT BUY CHEAP BOOTS.

2. If your upland hunting is like mine, dress in layers. I have seen NC Kansas be not far above zero at dawn and 65 deg at two p.m. To me, this means GOOD LONG UNDERWEAR is the foundation. Silk used to be best and is what I still wear but some of the new wonder fabrics are just as good or better. A canvas coat with a removable liner is wonderful. So is a REAL Pendleton Wool Shirt. Natural fabrics can keep you warm but not be unbearable by afternoon.

3. Depending on your environment, protect your legs and arms, especially your legs. Like Barry I LOVE my tincloth chaps. Here's the other thing. In high cover, like tall CRP grass, a heavy dew or frost (when it thaws) can SOAK a pair of jeans legs in the first 50 yards. Filson tincloth or similar will turn most of that moisture away.

 

my cheap light boots work pretty great, but they aren't for sitting in a deerstand in the cold, found that out the hard way.

IMO you really don't need expensive or even "nice" clothing or anything else for that matter to hunt and have fun doing it. If you want to spend a ton on the latest and greatest, go ahead if it makes you happy. I'm not convinced the extra price is worth it, especially on products like Under Armor, scentlock or anything having to do with pants or vests.

In addition while grouse hunting in sub zero temps I had to take off my stocking cap and warm gloves off because I was sweating my *** off, so you might not need really warm gear for certain hunting/situations.

 

You really get some great discount prices on most major brands here.Hope this helps.

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/

Best-
Vikram

 

anything having to do with pants or vests.

Try hunting on something other than flat ground, and higher-end pants and a vest like one of these http://wingworks.biz/ will make more sense to you.