Old hunting clothes

[GypsmJim]

I have a pair of Woolrich wool bibs that used to be my brothers. I think they're about 30 years old.

When I was 16 and had just started deer hunting, my Dad bought me a pair of Woolrich pants. That was 1965.

They were a little loose back then, and a little tight now, but they still work. Never has a year gone by that I didn't wear them.

That same year I got my first hunting licence. The plastic back tag holder that I got back then still adorns the back of my hunting jacket. The advertising info printed on the back is from a gun shop that went out of business over 50 years ago.

Wholly ****. Now I REALLY feel old!

 

[llowry61]

Note the date on the Polaroid - 1972. The goofy looking kid is me, wearing my new Woolrich wool hunting coat. It is an "XL", and I wore it as my primary hunting coat for 20 years. Eventually, it shrunk, and I stopped wearing it.

A buddy I worked with decided to take up hunting, and I gave him the coat. He wore it maybe 10 years, til it shrunk on him too.

He gave it to his son, who also wears it hunting every year. As I write this, he and my coat are sitting in a deer camp in N. Central PA. The coat is still in very good shape. Weird getting nostalgic about a piece of clothing.

Larry

Are those Sorel Caribou boots? I had a pair of those for years most comfortable warm boot I ever wore especially with the wool liners.

 

[tinkerer]

Would REALLY like to have that truck!!

 

[Bald1]

35 yrs ago I bought a matching set of Woolrich Red & Black Plaid pants and jacket. I paid $300 which was a ton of money for a 19 yr old working part time. I had the foresight to buy them a bit bigger than I needed and I'm still wearing them today. My friends like to call me Elmer Fudd. But I'm still in the woods when they're back at camp warming up by the fire. The dry cleaner has jokes too when I bring them in. I've even worn them ice fishing.

 

[Smoke]

Most of the older things that I have are USGI cold weather gear.

I have a first generation ECWCS Fleece jacket that's about 30 years old and some Belleville ACU boots that are about 20 years old. other than that I have a USGI Sleep shirt from the 80s.


Stock Photo

I had a pair of the original Matterhorn Gortex boots that I bought in '88. I never had good luck with them they had all leather uppers and they made my feet sweat. I gave them to my Uncle who lived in Castlerock Washington and he thought they were the coolest thing since sliced bread.

My Bellevilles are Gortex lined but they have partially cloth uppers and they are the best boots I've ever owned.

The Army issued me one of the original Gortex rain coats in the early 90s but I never had any luck with it either. It kept the rain out but it didn't vent the sweat as advertised. I have a Sierra Designs packable raincoat that I bought in the mid 90s that works much better.



Stock Photo

 

[MRB1]

Part of my old hunting wardrobe is a red pull over hooded sweatshirt that has been worn on every deer hunt since the early 70s. It has never been washed. It's stiff from old blood stains and thread bare from use, but it still has a few years left in it. At the end of every season, it gets put in an old army footlocker with some cedar branches, and come the following season, it's raring to go.

 

[walkin jack]

I don't have it any more, or any pic of it, but all the years I hunted I wore my old Marine Corps issue field jacket w/zip-out liner. I don't know where it is now or what ever happened to it. I sold it to a co-worker circa 1986...still in near perfect condition. Haven't seen or heard from hm since I retired in Y2K.

 

[UncleEd]

Saw "hunting clothes" and I thought of sports
jackets, slacks, dress shoes for going to
singles bars.

 

[Glynn863]

My oldest son has inherited my Redwing Wellington boots that I got as a gift in 1981. I still have and occasionally use a Browning goose down jacket I bought in 1982. I still have a waterproof hunter orange cap from 1976, and other camo from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. I also have some of my paternal grandfather's hunting clothes from the early 1960s in a box.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" has been my motto on a lot of hunting / outdoor clothes.

 

[arjay]

I think I bought my fishing vest in the late 80s [emoji38]

 

[Buford57]

45 years ago I inherited a red plaid Woorich Mackinaw from a family friend. I suspect he had it at least 20 years before that. It doesn't fit as well as it did then so I bought another just like it in the late 90s in a larger size. The original is still in the closet. That'll be one for each grandson.

 

[woodsltc]

I chuckle when I see the newbies show up with he new Orvis or Sitka gear and the latest camouflage.

Gee Whizz Gary........don't you know the new stuff makes you shoot straighter and hunt better than any of the old stuff .

Actually I very much agree with you. Most of my cold weather hunting clothes are wool pants, wool sweaters and fleece in earth tone solid colors from 30 years ago. IMO these are still the best choice for the outer layer . I do like the new moisture wicking inner layers though.

Don

 

[CalifEd]

Saw "hunting clothes" and I thought of sports
jackets, slacks, dress shoes for going to
singles bars.

Dress appropriately for the sport in which you are engaged.

 

[SS336]

I got this used 100% wool, Outdoors Man by Pendleton coat 15 years ago on EBay back when you could get excellent deals on vintage wool hunting clothing. I believe I paid $40 for it. It already had a few small holes and stains but that didn't matter to me since I was just going to add to it. Based on the label it was made from the 70's to early 90's. I'm guessing it's from the 80's.

It's been with me mountain goat hunting in British Columbia, elk and deer horseback wilderness hunt into the Bob Marshal Wilderness, Cabinet Mountains of Montana for deer and elk, and many other places. It's got a few holes, deer, elk and hog blood stains that peroxide has mostly removed. It kept me warm when It dumped 7 feet of snow then below zero weather on our 8 day Bob Marshall Wilderness hunt.

I still wear it here in Oklahoma for deer & hog hunting and as my ranch coat when it's cold out. There are many synthetic's like KUIU, Sitka, etc. that are much lighter in weight and perhaps superior in every way, but I've always been a wool man. Actually, it still looks pretty good! Just a few small holes, frayed at the collar and the zippers busted but the snap buttons work. My wife would like nothing better than to throw it away but I'll never part with this coat!

Hey, I have an old wool coat like that. Maybe not as old, but still Made in USA. Probably 30ys old now.
These two Pendleton shirts are much older. Excuse the dust on them.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

My oldest is a pair of insulated Carhart overalls and matching jacket. The overalls are briar picked the cuffs look like shredded moss. The coat is down to one pocket and the cuffs look like scredded moss. My wife says it looks terrible on me. I told her I ain't going to a fashion show I'm going hunting........If you saw me wearing these.......You first image would of a half baked shredded phillsbery dough boy.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

My newest set of winter outdoor cloths is a 2005. They are Carhart Bibs and jacket in black, they are wool lined instead of quilted nylon. I have a duffel bag they ride in, They're in the truck all winter with matching hood. 3 pair of gloves, spare pak liners and a few stocking hats. I need a safety vest for "ANTI-CAMOFLOUGE" when around traffic!

I remember clearing sidewalks and parking lots for 14 hours on Valintine's Day 2007 I was outside from 0600 to 2000, and never made a real dent in it. But I was toasty! Until I got home. No dinner out, No card, No big smooch, I ate in silence and fell asleep in the lazy boy! It was frosty around the house for a couple of days. But she thawed out on Friday when I brought home dinner from an Italian deli. Like faithful old clothing, some of the tricks we use to keep peace around the house go back decades, or even generations!

Ivan

 

[JohnRippert]

My favorite coat is a leather bomber jacket that I bought back in the early '80s for $250 with my Montgomery Wards credit card. When the silk "map of the earth" lining started going after 25 years I took it to a tailor and spent more than half of what I originally paid to have the insulation removed and the lining replaced. Turned it into a nice light leather jacket and I will wear it the rest of my life and pass it on.

I bought a old, beat up cashmere lined Lee blue jean jacket at a garage sale down the street for five bucks. It had been worn by the uncle of the ladies doing the sale. I have some old beat up jeans that go perfect with it.

Favorite winter pullover is a collared golf sweatshirt with front pockets. Bought it in the early '90s when I used to swing the clubs a bit. Still going strong and will likely also get passed on when I go.

I'm with you Caje. No need to buy anything if it is not needed. Plus, Most of the stuff I see out there is not going to last like the ones I already have.

 

[Ματθιας]

Since we're talking about Old Stuff that works; I have several USGI M65 field jackets, I wear a large but when I go out when it's cold I wear an XL so I can layer. I keep them in my vehicles because, you never know.

The other thing I use is the ALICE Packs both medium and large. For me nothing comes close to versatility. Properly set up I can comfortably hump about 80#. Plus, I can attach the modern MOLLE pouches. I can also mod them easily.

I also like the MOLLE II three day assault pack. It's small enough to not get in the way, but big enough to pack a lot!

In general, I like surplus stuff as it's cheap and, literally, battle proven. Some of it os getting tough to find and a bit spendy.

 

[BAM-BAM]

LOL....just turned 70, been married 30 years and 2 months , same house and closets for those same 30 years plus 6 months..................... you can accumulate a lot of extra/old stuff in 30 years.

Earlier this week I cleaned out my closet and dresser of "stuff" I don't/haven't worn in "awhile".

5 tall kitchen bags to St Vincent DePaul.....

That said still have my 40 year old Bomber Jacket, along with the 10 year old one Barbara bought me to replace my "old one"!

Sure my "hunting" clothes are old. 20-40 years or so..... but they only have about a year or so of wear on them

Hell I'm still carrying the same guns I carried in 1988,1989 and 1990... Beretta 92F Compact,Sig 220 and S&W 3913 and 6906.

Deer rifle a Ruger 77 International/mannlicher in .243 dates to 1982/83

Well cared for guns and cloths [leather and wool] can last a lifetime!!!!!!

Unless they shrink!

Luckily; I haven't had that problem

 

[Fishinfool]

Are those Sorel Caribou boots? I had a pair of those for years most comfortable warm boot I ever wore especially with the wool liners.

Yep, Soral's, though I don't remember the model. Another quality clothing item. Wore those boots for 20 years before I discovered Gore-Tex / leather boots, that are a lot easier to walk in. Can't beat those pack boots for sitting in frigid weather though. Would probably still be using them for ice fishing if my dog hadn't chewed them up.

I hear the new versions are a lot less heavy duty, and the lowers do not last long....

Larry

 

[llowry61]

Yep, Soral's, though I don't remember the model. Another quality clothing item. Wore those boots for 20 years before I discovered Gore-Tex / leather boots, that are a lot easier to walk in. Can't beat those pack boots for sitting in frigid weather though. Would probably still be using them for ice fishing if my dog hadn't chewed them up.

I hear the new versions are a lot less heavy duty, and the lowers do not last long....

Larry

I don't know about the quality of the new versions, but I know they aren't cheap. Just out of curiosity I looked up a pair, 200 for the boots and 40 for the liners.

The ones I had in the late 80's were awesome for hunting in the snow. I might still get a pair because they are so comfortable and warm.

 

[Smoke]

My wife used to volunteer at a charity. She found these in the basement one day and was told she could take them. Genuine Canadian Sorrells and we got them for free

 

[Kinman]

My granddad had an old red and black checkered Filson wool jacket that he wore while working either in the woods or out in his shop. It was the only jacket I believe I ever saw him in except one time they drove into town for Christmas. The last time I saw him in it was no longer red and black but pink and grey, tattered and worn with burn holes from welding, etc. It was lost after he was moved into a nursing home, all that remained was his old Fedora that again was the only hat I ever saw him in. The hat is hanging in my workshop. If he was under a vehicle he would put on a ball cap otherwise he was in that old Fedora.

 

[LittleCooner]

I still have my "supercold" deer stand combo in the back of the hunting cloths. All the way from back in the 1960s, when I started hunting deer. I have a pair of goosedown pants that were a kit to be made from a company called Timberline that some lady put together for me back then and on top goes this heavy Woolrich pair of 100 wool overalls in the old gray plaid. Yep, old school, but when it gets below 10 degrees and the wind is howling and I want to sit somewhere waiting on mr big guy, I do dig them out and put them on.

 

[jdlii]

Mule Packer has it right, Filson products are hard to beat and wear like iron. I've been fortunate to accumulate a nice pile of Filson wool and tin cloth products.

Woolrich and Pendelton are also very good wool products. I still have a pair of "Cold Weather" U.S. Army issue wool pants and a matching shirt that I actually wore today on my morning deer hunt. I do miss the West German heavy wood pants that I absolutely wore out several years ago.

 

[brendonjames65]

Yep, Soral's, though I don't remember the model. Another quality clothing item. Wore those boots for 20 years before I discovered Gore-Tex / leather boots, that are a lot easier to walk in. Can't beat those pack boots for sitting in frigid weather though. Would probably still be using them for ice fishing if my dog hadn't chewed them up.

I hear the new versions are a lot less heavy duty, and the lowers do not last long....

Larry

I have a pair of Schnee Hunter II 13" pack boots, still made in Bozeman MT. They are very durable and comfortable. I feel their quality is still excellent. I'm a big fan of Schnee pack boots for snowy mountain hunting.

 

[vt_shooter]

I still have a pair of loafers that I bought in the 70's. Great shoes, they can't be replaced quality-wise (I have no clue where to go to replace them). Anybody from the New Haven CT region , they are from Barrie LTD, now part of history.

 

[pantannojack]

I always thought game animals are color blind making blue jeans look like snow and yellow look dark.

 

[Leslie Sapp]

My son likes old clothes and old guns. That vest is probably 60-70 years old, and that 16 ga. Savage on the Browning patent hasn't been made since 1929.

He's about 12 in these shots. I made the sepia toned one just so it would appear to be from the fifties,haircut and all.

 

[JohnRippert]

My son likes old clothes and old guns. That vest is probably 60-70 years old, and that 16 ga. Savage on the Browning patent hasn't been made since 1929.

He's about 12 in these shots. I made the sepia toned one just so it would appear to be from the fifties,haircut and all.

That hound was looking mighty good there in that pose.