Camo Camo Camo

[mrdale]

So I have been hunting around for some time now, and I already know the response I am going to get is "shell out the money", but my question is, has anyone taken a shot at making, customizing their camo gear. Mainly, because of price. I am not in the situation to spend 150+ dollars, on a jacket, when Ive found rain gear, for 12.99. I am asking for pointers, or suggestions on how to go about it, real tree fabric, spray paint, or the material they use for gillie suits (the leafy material).
Any insight, if you guys have tried to tackle something like this, would be awsome

[firstshot]

If your spending 12.99 on rain gear I wouldn't worry about needing it to be camo. Chances are if its raining you wont be out in the rain longer then about 20 minutes with that jacket.
But for real when I started out I owned about a 60 dollar rain jacket, just green. Still got my animals.
Camo is a luxury not a necessity!

[Mulehahn]

For 12.99 I am assuning that you are referring to some sort of poncho set up. If that is the case, yes I have painted them with camo paint with some luck. People can buy all the expensive rain gear they want but when walking through a torrential down poor, not just the occasional rain there is nothing better to keep you dry. They are best suited for still hunting, but they do do an excellent job of breaking up your silhouette. They also work great for predator hunting in open areas. You can spread out the base and appear to be just a lump on the ground. Get a decent seat cushion to keep your rear dry and warm and you can set up anywhere. The only thing is to air them out as they do have a strong plastic scent for a long time when new.

[albravo2]

there is some good stuff on youtube about making your own camo.

when i wanted to break up the solid green of my gum boots i took some ferns and branches, laid them overtop and gave a quick spray with some black spraypaint. That worked pretty well, but some people also use brown spraypaint.


the important thing is to break up the solid colors so that an animal does not see a big, out of place blob when it looks around for danger.

[Fella]

I've spent less than $200 on my gear. Surplus wool pants, a Stanfield and a helly Hansen shell with my old green construction rain pants.

[monasheemountainman]

If your not decked out in Sitka gear good luck shooting anything! :-D buy what you can afford and figure out by being out in the bush what you are missing and save up. Camo is not a nessesaty but I wear it cuz I think it looks cool.

[Steelpulse]

Any brown green and other natural coloured pants that are made of quiet material, wool shirt, blaze orange hoodie for deer, all very affordable stuff, for sure don't need to wear full expensive camo, look at all the old school deer hunters, all wore plaid

[allan]

I shelled out for camo that was performance based only when I got into bow hunting to help me get real close, (under 40 yds) untill then I just wore my hiking and outdoor clothes. The last deer I shot with a gun was 6o yards and I was wearing reg pants and some cheap Walmart hunting jacket that cost me like $30.
Movement and scent is more important then camo.

[knockturnal]

Spend $100 on a leafy suit and wear whatever you want under it. Its cool, breathes and does a fantastic job of breaking up your figure. If you are getting into the sport on a budget, go to the army surplus and buy wool. Even if its wet, you will still be warm.

[Apolonius]

The price of an expensive jacket is not as much the camo pattern ,as the quality of the material.Waterproof and "waterproof" can differ big time.Windproof is a must and most of all breathability.You might not get wet from the outside but drenched for the inside.And all depends on your budget and type of hunting.Movement will give you up all the time, no matter the camo.

[BiG Boar]

Expensive gear is the last thing on the list of needs. Get something that you're comfortable in the elements in. Camo is just a fashion statement. Anyone who think you need to shell out the money is a sucker.

[Weatherby Fan]

As far as rain gear goes I say don't hunt in the rain.....

Camo is not necessary but helps break up your silhouette, watching your wind is most important, when it comes to camo I prefer fleece as it's quiet, comfortable, warm and dries quick, you can buy a set of fleece camo pretty cheap, probably cheaper than you can make it, I use Trailcrest Fleece Camo, I got a set in a bin at an outdoor show for $25 or you can get it brand new for about $50 on EBay.

The benefit to making your own would be to customize pockets and or size to your needs.

[goatdancer]

If you want nice camo, get your wife to sew it for you (a little endearment will always help). My wife sewed me 4 or 5 sets of camo using different weights and types of material. Some really light cotton type for early season when it's dry. Some heavier and considerably thicker fleece in both fall and winter colours. The biggest problem with fleece is that it gets wet very easy. You can customize the pattern to add all kinds of pockets and hoods and whatever else you want. However, none of the materials I found for a reasonable price were waterproof and breathable. All the material was found at Fabricland.

[brian]

I wouldn't count on saving much if you choose to make it than to buy it if you are looking to make it from scratch. Materials like good wool and weatherproof cottons (canvas duck) are expensive. Fabrics like Gortex and other waterproof breathables are both expensive and very difficult to sew. Sweat shop laborers in China and India really know their craft and it takes a lot of skill to match that quality level. So I would only recommend going this route if you really want to develop the skills to make your own clothes.

If you are looking at modifying something that already exists then I would recommend you head out to the thrift or army surplus stores fairly regularly and see whats on their racks. You will find gems in there but it may take plenty of visits. There are lots of how to make fabric paint/ dying fabric tutorials on the net. Just google it. Most of these tutorials will be appropriate for natural fibers like cotton wool and silk. Painting/dying these fabrics is relatively simple. You just have to be careful that you are not destroying some of the innate qualities the fabric like its breath-ability in the process. Artificial fabrics like nylon, polyester, polyester fleece are not as easy to dye. If you look at artificial fabrics microscopically you will see they are made up of smooth fibers compared to the roughness of natural fibers. This makes it difficult to apply paint or dyes and have it adhere with any longevity. You need more specialized dyes applied with a more intensive process. I definitely would not look at painting or dying specialized fabrics like Gortex (or any other waterproof breathable fabric)... you will destroy its breath-ability in a heartbeat and would probably remove its DWR coating which would make it neither waterproof nor breathable.

One more note on scavenging the used racks looking for good materials. Check all the seams and make sure they are intact and feel solid. Check the fabric and make sure it is not going threadbare. Hold one side of the fabric up to light. If you can see pinholes then the fabric will not keep out the wind or rain. Then put your hand in the fabric and blow on it, the fabric is not wind proof if you can feel your breath. Lastly cotton absorbs water like a son of bitch and has no insulating properties when it is wet, which is why common wisdom says cotton kills. There are outdoor cottons (actually canvas) or waxed cottons that are appropriate for heavy outdoor use (double entendre is intentional with the word heavy) but i would stay away from light soft cotton unless you are only planning to use it in the early season. Definitely do not use it as a base layer in the cold as it will only soak up your sweat and hold it against your body.

[pescado]

Lots of game shot when just blue jeans, a standfields or a Mac jacket was worn. Sure don't need camo to lay game down. Spend your cash on a good pair of boots first.

[Wentrot]

I once thought spending a bunch of money on clothing was silly, that changed when I bit the bullet and got a Sitka wardrobe. It is the most comfortable stuff I have worn and I say that with 100 percent honesty. Hiking in it is a dream and sure beats anything else I have worn. If I did not intend on being very mobile I probably would not have bought the stuff however it suits what I do wonderfully without a single regret.

Mind you, I was hiking in blue jeans or sweatpants paired with gumboots before that.......

[eaglesnester]

Any brown green and other natural coloured pants that are made of quiet material, wool shirt, blaze orange hoodie for deer, all very affordable stuff, for sure don't need to wear full expensive camo, look at all the old school deer hunters, all wore plaidX2 on the above. Get yurself a poncho for still hunting in the rain. If yur spotten and stalken U need quiet gear, something like fleece to keep the noise down when twigs, and branches rub up against U. Being quiet and watching the wind will do more for U than what U colors U wear. Natural browns, greens, and grays are the thing to wear. I dont know of any rain gear that is quiet when spotting and stalking in the rain. Maybe some one on this forum can help U out with this one. Got my moose this season wearing blue genes and a grey parka.

[300H&H]

Camo is great but not always needed.
If your road hunting...not needed.
If your turkey hunting...it's a must.

If you are just sitting, waiting for your deer or ? to come by then movement is the key.
Should you be seen the animal will try to figure out what you are, so don't move.

With that said camo can help, but so does a ground blind.

If you must have camo, start with what you can afford and add a quality piece once a year, you'll be geared up in just 4-5 seasons.

[Kudu]

Spend $100 on a leafy suit and wear whatever you want under it. Its cool, breathes and does a fantastic job of breaking up your figure. If you are getting into the sport on a budget, go to the army surplus and buy wool. Even if its wet, you will still be warm.


Best advice on this thread - a leafy suit covers anything.

expensive camo is for catching dumb people with too much money!

[MichelD]

All awesome advice here. I admit I have camo now, mostly bought on sale somewhere because well, it's got pockets where I need them, specially my Cabela's waterfowl jacket.

But all you really need for big game hunting is dull earth and forest toned clothing, because frankly, all this expensive, realtree, mossy oak, infinity, shadow grass, moose turd, swamp grass and god knows what other patterns, all look like a green or brownish blob from about 100 yards anyway. Why not wear green or brown? Moving slow or not at all, and watching the wind are more important than camo.

[Foxton Gundogs]

You didn't say what you are hunting(big game waterfowl etc) makes a big difference in your needs.

[biggyun68]

Went to TNA in September cotton Camo clothes for girls $90 to - $200 dollars: Recognized the Disrupted Pattern Material (DPM) design as something familiar.
The young clerks were very help and gracious when I said no thanks.

On a hunch thought I would see if the DPM was what I thought it was and went t the local Surplus store on East Broadway in Vancouver. Yes I was right the old British Armed Services Woodland DPM: Spent $25 and gave my 12 year old a nice Camo smock (what the brits call a over jacket):

Daughter turned her nose until her friends started showing up at school in their TNA stuff. That camo smock became her number one jacket until the rains came.
They have adult sizes too ... but like Foxton says depends upon the game you are chasing and the severity of the conditions you chase in.

[Downtown]

So I have been hunting around for some time now, and I already know the response I am going to get is "shell out the money", but my question is, has anyone taken a shot at making, customizing their camo gear. Mainly, because of price. I am not in the situation to spend 150+ dollars, on a jacket, when Ive found rain gear, for 12.99. I am asking for pointers, or suggestions on how to go about it, real tree fabric, spray paint, or the material they use for gillie suits (the leafy material).
Any insight, if you guys have tried to tackle something like this, would be awsome

Annother 12.99 or so spent at Wallmarts for a spray can of Waterproofing may also proof that your cheapo Camo Jacket is suitable to get you trough your hunting day.


Its usually not the Guys with the best, most and expensive Gear which are the most successful hunters, its usually the one which thinks things out, is tenacious, patient and spends more time Glassing then moving.


Cheers

[835]

Up your budget to 60$ and go to walmart and buy some Remington rain gear.... seriously...
i dont mean to be rude here but if 12$ rain gear is all you can afford then gas to get there will be a problem.....

That remington gear combined with the desire to be in the woods when its wet will keep you going .. and its like 60$.

[HarryToolips]

I made my Ghillie suit quite a bit better by spray painting burlap and attaching it..I'm sure you could do the same to a lot of other stuff out there...

[vikinghunter]

My mom made my first camo jacket 24 years ago at a cost of $15 in material, all I have done to it is change a zipper. Its been coated with so many rain guard products over the years that its impenetrable. The best and still worn jacket I have ever owned.
You can buy the best material at half the price and get it sewn to fit you perfect, maybe this is an option for you?
I still buy other gear but always fall back to the one thats tailored to me.

[eaglesnester]

U dont need camo. Just wear natural browns, greys, and greens. Get yurself a pair of wool pants, a good coat and a overlarge fleese outer cover for yur coat to quiet it down in the brush. carry a poncho for the rain. yur good to go my son. shot my last moose in levies and a od parka.