The Hunt Swiftly Podcast
The Hunt Swiftly Podcast discusses everything to gear to camo patterns and everything in between
The Hunt Swiftly Podcast
Ep. 2: The Modern Hunter's Clothing Evolution: Are Solids Better Than Patterns?
The hunting world is experiencing a seismic shift as solid-colored apparel gains traction over traditional camouflage patterns. Two Montana-based hunters unpack this evolving trend, sharing candid insights from their collective years of field experience and gear testing.
Beyond simple fashion preferences, this conversation dives into the science of animal vision – deer and elk can primarily detect blue wavelengths but struggle with other colors, raising questions about the practical value of elaborate camouflage patterns. When rifle hunters already wear bright orange vests by law, does intricate camouflage really provide any tactical advantage?
The hosts share their complete gear systems for spring bear hunting, covering everything from boots and base layers to insulation pieces and accessories. The GoHunt Atmosphere jacket receives particular praise for its exceptional performance in challenging mountain conditions. Throughout their gear breakdown, both hunters reveal why they've transitioned almost entirely to solid colors despite having extensive experience with camouflage systems.
Perhaps most compelling is the psychological dimension of the solid versus camo debate. For many dedicated hunters, gear selection represents a ritual transition into "hunting mode" – a uniform that helps shift mindset toward the task ahead. Solid colors offer this same psychological benefit while providing greater versatility for moving between hunting grounds and public spaces without drawing unwanted attention.
Whether you're considering a gear upgrade or simply curious about evolving hunting trends, this conversation offers honest, unfiltered perspectives from hunters who have experienced both sides of the debate. Subscribe now and join the discussion about the future of hunting apparel – is the industry permanently shifting toward solid colors, or will traditional camouflage patterns maintain their place in the modern hunter's arsenal?
Let's get into the meat of the episode, shall we the meat? Yeah, what we're actually talking about, which is Solids versus cannons yeah, controversial topic it's starting to become.
Speaker 2:I would say, as the popularity of solids increases, it becomes that yeah. But at the same time, there's always been that argument. I feel like genes and red flannel can kill a ton of deer in the 60s.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it's, it's, I think I don't know. Probably that's what started it. I think it's a lot of perception.
Speaker 2:I agree. You know what Like for reference. I think both of us are more solid-style things. For sure, I think you have more Canva articles. I'm full solids now, except early archery.
Speaker 1:I've also collected a lot of stuff just over the last 15 years. Yeah exactly, I'm only on year four.
Speaker 2:So I've been like I don't know. I've run a bunch of different systems, like I started out with the Walmart camo, so that was year one, year two. I went full Sika and then I ran full Origin like full Origin with Stone Gush of Bottoms last year and this year I'm going full Solid. So I've really kind of went through a bunch of different systems.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's fair. I'm almost full, solid, obviously, I have the Gohunt's atmosphere, atmoshunts, atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere. I keep calling it the Altitude jacket, and which.
Speaker 2:I also have on in Greg.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so there's the Good comparison. Yeah, actually. Yeah, let's do a product shift out. Yeah, dude, this thing is.
Speaker 2:I love this jacket. This jacket's awesome. I took this thing on my Bear Scout because I went Bear Scouting. Yeah, it was probably 35 mile an hour winds. I was wearing this and a t-shirt completely warm, like completely fine 35 mile an hour winds at like 35 degrees, 38 degrees on the summit.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I started, it was 72 at the base Got up like three miles up at the base Got up like three miles up to the summit Was on the crest of that 35 mile an hour winds. I took it off purely because of the incline climb. I was sweating, but for the rest of the time I was scouting. I just had this on with a t-shirt and was completely fine.
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I was wearing this around the top Because I wasn't sure if I was going to start snowing on it. I love.
Speaker 2:here in Montana Just one day it's 75 degrees and one day it's snowing.
Speaker 1:I'm going to get like six inches of snow this weekend. It is April 16th right now. Love it. And yeah, there's a shit ton of snow. I was just looking because I was trying to figure out what, like this material that this is made out of. This is nylon, right? Yeah, I think it's rip-sol. I love it. I absolutely adore this Like. Just since we're talking about camos versus solids and we both have this jacket, I guess probably the only thing that we share.
Speaker 2:Do you have the circlet I only thing that we share. Do you have the circle? I mean, like I don't have any stone glacier anymore? All right, yeah, that's like most of my kids. I'm like I'm mostly stone glacier, and then I'm like, as GoHunt comes out with more stuff, I'm like so be, I am Dude. I'm so excited for those down bands, yeah.
Speaker 1:It's going 100% everything. Gohunt makes I have as far as clothing goes, which I guess makes me a hype beast.
Speaker 2:You know, I would say that it makes you a more informed podcaster.
Speaker 1:I mean, let's be honest, let's be real. There's one place that they got the idea for this jacket Sitka makes one which is called something that I can't remember the. Algeciter.
Speaker 2:No, that's the Stonewish in it. It's something like that yeah.
Speaker 1:And just by comparison, this versus the Sitka one which I used to have. A part about this. This thing is so much better. The wind doesn't blow through it like it does on the Sitco one which I used to have. This thing is so much better. The wing doesn't blow through it like it does on the Sitco one. I like the cuffs are better on this one. It's not just like a stitched cuff and the loft in it. I think it's even better.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love the loft on it and it is somewhat water resistant. I was in a quick little brain flurry. It was completely fine. That's soft as fuck, dude, right? Oh my god, thank you. Yeah, I could totally sleep in this. Yeah, me too. Yeah, it's a fantastic jacket. So, swift, why don't you start boots that top of the head? What are you kind of running this year? What do you think you're going to be? Do you want to do a little bit more like a spring bear kind of focus, or do you know, because it's just that kind of year, or are you thinking, because I feel like I go so in depth on like, I wear this for archery open. I wear this for wielding a rifle. I wear this for spring bear. I think we got spring bears on mind. I got trip coming up, yeah um, yeah, I yeah, all right.
Speaker 1:So what I'm going out with in my spring bear is from the boots.
Speaker 1:They're the kinetrek pro guide, the 400 gram installation, the, the high boot should we do a little preference that a lot of our stuff we got on discount yes oh yeah, so one of the benefits working in the outdoor industry, you get discounts on stuff just by walking into the shores a lot of the stuff that I own, except go hunt stuff anyways. So yeah, a lot of the stuff that we got uh is uh is stuff we got on discount. Um, that is no way like the stuff that I'm running is. I've been wearing these boots for four years.
Speaker 2:Like like we're not like swayed based on that, I'm not I I'm not because I I mean somewhat swayed, I would say just because one, because a lot of my gear is stone glacier, which we did get a discount on when we worked there. We don't work there anymore, but I would say, besides, the quality of material still was incredibly high quality. The reason why I bring that up is just because it messes with the perception based off price point, in my opinion. So I would agree. So like we can't, like I can't say that, like I could say that it's worth it to buy a certain item, but it it might have been, my decision might have been based and or predicated upon that I get a discount on it, so I'm gonna buy. It looks fair. So like that's where I kind of feel like there's some things to preference, that the reason why we have these nicer high-end items is because we're able to use the benefits that we were yeah, I mean it's it is.
Speaker 1:It is a benefit of working the outdoors.
Speaker 2:Yes, and, I think, being 100 transparent upon it because I don't want to. I'm going to be so real. If I didn't get the discounts that I got working at Sportsman's Warehouse, I would not own half the shit. I would still be wearing Sika, which I mean. Sika's great. They make really high quality. To be completely honest, Sika the reason why I don't We'll get it actually.
Speaker 1:This is all going to be a whole story.
Speaker 2:We'll get into it, but I think just to be completely transparent, shit's expensive. You know, very expensive and I think putting a little disclaimer hey, we got a discount, but it's still really good is kind of something that I would want to know if I was listening. I want to know.
Speaker 1:Because I hear people talk like oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I got this and it's like oh I got this. I love it. Why didn't I buy it soon? I'm like dude, that's like a $1,400 thing. I can't afford that. I'm 100% college kid.
Speaker 1:I might make terrible financial decisions, but I don't have $1,200 laying around to make that kind of financial decision. That's very fair. I mean going back to the boots, that's a $490 pair of boots. That's not something that most people are going to go buy, but I got it. I have a story about my boots. 25% off really makes that a lot more enticing. So you're running the Ken Trex. Are you an insulator? Yes, I wear those boots for everything. I wear them for 900 tank antelope hunting. I just actually I have the Altros now so I probably wear those for Do you do trail?
Speaker 2:shoes for antelope. Yeah, I think it's as a trail runner, I think it's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I like that. They're both closer too.
Speaker 2:Socks, darn tough 12s like those they're get my feet happy, is that the like, the minimum layer, one like kind of?
Speaker 1:thicker, thicker, but it's mid-cushion. Okay, do you see these cheap feet do you saw? No, I mean, they're made socks. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2:I my buddy Braylon from the Shed Pursuit he posted on Instagram the other day. I mean I don't get the hype around new socks, but they looked pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I'm probably $500 into dark tops at this point. Yeah, you're kind of I don't feel see myself changing with them soon. And then pants are the we just talked about the QU attack pants Do you run that with a knee pad.
Speaker 2:No, no knee pads.
Speaker 1:My knees hurt so much. I don't, actually, I don't know if they have. I don't know if they have knee pads. Really I don't know if they have any pet slots.
Speaker 2:Really, I don't know much about Nacre and stuff, which is crazy because I grew up about three hours away from Dixon. I have the opportunity. I'm surprised I don't. They do pet stuff. What is it? The Vias I have? One of their patterns.
Speaker 1:One of their Kila hoodies, if I was ever going to grow run what is it? The Vias camo I love their pattern. One of their keelhuns.
Speaker 2:If I was ever going to grow, run a camo, a full camo set again, it would be the Vias.
Speaker 1:It's like a bigger version of this.
Speaker 2:I like the color tone a lot. I think the color tone like so my buddy Eric who literally taught me everything about archery he runs that Vias and dude. So my buddy Eric, who like literally taught me everything about archery he runs that vice and dude when we're like it's a little like too much, a little too bright for like open prairie, but when we're in like dark timber it actually works.
Speaker 2:Like it's surprising how well it works just based off sky color and stuff, but I'm a big fan of that pattern. Just I like the aesthetics of it. I never owned a piece of it to you, but I'm a big fan of that pattern. I like the aesthetics of it.
Speaker 1:I've never owned a piece of Kuyu but I haven't pulled a lot of work and I've had these pants for all my Kuyu stuff I've had for like a month, so I'm just kind of like, yeah, basically, then belt is like an old fucking wildling tactical belt like a million years ago. Um, base layer is the Hila long sleeve hoodie from KU. Are you running a long gun? No, long gun. Oh uh, like feetsies, peaks, peaks from castle acres, yes, oh, my goodness. Yeah, I'm the best.
Speaker 2:I have two pairs what is the the visual in the sq2? I think so, maybe. Yeah, I ran those for like two years and I switchedeps. Peeps are night and day difference. It is incredible. I've post-rolled through like five miles of snow and my boots and my legs were completely dry.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's like those the boots, the pants it's a thicker pant. It's the reason I don't do any long, johns or anything like that.
Speaker 2:Are you doing any insulation on the outside for glassing? We're talking rare.
Speaker 1:Yes and no. That's technically not insulation. If I'm going to be sitting just as a wind protectant, it's going to be the only sickest stuff I'm going to run into. Which is their dew point rain pants and rain jacket and pirate.
Speaker 2:Okay, so you're running a rain jacket as a loom break On the bottom. Are you going to? We've talked about the puffy pants from GoHunt. Are you going to be?
Speaker 1:GoHunt is also going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be going to be, since like 2018.
Speaker 2:I became an insider this year, but what really sold me, besides the content they put out, is I went down to the Western Con Expo. I've talked about this on other podcasts before, because it's so true.
Speaker 1:I had a conversation with Lane.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because he came up to me, because I had a Montana.
Speaker 2:State shirt. He's like hey, you know, grizzly Blood runs deep here. That's crazy, dude. I'm like this is sick. And they just genuinely gave a fuck.
Speaker 2:In a conference with hundreds of people, or even thousands of people, I could say confidently, it seems like they genuinely cared about who I was, what I was doing, where I was hunting. And I talked to Lane, who, and then I talked to Paul fantastic dudes and from that, like I didn't even talk to like their big name people. I didn't need to, because those guys Lane, paul outstanding experience. I will constantly talk about it because of how cool they were and I gave them like like hey, like I've been successful because of like a lot of the stuff you guys put out, like even though I wasn't an insider for the past year, like until this past year, like their content, like the gear dumps, the hunting videos, the tactics videos, like everything I've studied that. And so eventually, like I talked to them for like I probably saw 30 minutes at the end of the last, like last day, yeah, so they had been beat and they were just amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're. I mean like I've met a couple of them in passing, I've talked to a couple in work, but most of the experience I've had is couple of them in passing. I've talked to a couple of them at work, but most of the experience I've had is on film. Yeah, like when I have like. So two years ago I got a text from South Dakota yeah, south Dakota. So I went to South Dakota. The archery units for antelope was fucking confusing Because it's a whole state tag but they still break it into units. Yeah, and I didn't understand. I tried calling the South Dakota Department of Fish and Game. Nobody answers. This is like one hockey effort. Nobody answers. So I'm like, all right, I'm going to call it on, because I was already doing my research. I was trying to find what part of the state I wanted to run what part of the state had the most envelope.
Speaker 2:I like to preference that they have an actual program that you have to pay $500 for and they still give you the same information. Yeah, they care. Yeah, so that's the love, yeah, and I think what doubled down about that is that. So I went on to my buddy's podcast, prairie Pursuit. We talked about it. I talked about the stuff I really liked on GoHunt. I talked about some of the stuff I thought was kind of pretty good. Lane Corrier DMed my buddy and said hey, we really appreciate what you said. Good luck, like out of the blue, this is a. That was like 20 minutes into the podcast. He had maybe like 20 listeners, but the fact is that the head of marketing directly messaged him saying we appreciate you Good job Ignited that vibe.
Speaker 1:They are genuinely a good group, I mean.
Speaker 2:It seems like a cool culture. I'm not going to lie, I'm one to get that.
Speaker 1:Honestly, I look at their job postings all the time.
Speaker 2:I look once every two weeks. I'm looking for open positions and it's never filled. If that tells you anything.
Speaker 1:If they have something that is available remote that I can stay in Montana, I would do something that is like available remote that I can stay in Montana. I would do that.
Speaker 2:Dude, I would move down to Vegas. I already almost moved down to Vegas last year because it's a UFC internship. No, I would love to work with you. This is our unofficial plea to go home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, dude, I'll send you my resume. Like just DM minus DM. The show at the Hunt Swiftly podcast on Instagram, dude.
Speaker 2:I'll send you my resume, if you guys have anything.
Speaker 1:I know guns, I know gear. Yeah, we're just D1 glazing right now, 100%.
Speaker 2:One thing I'm gonna do during this podcast, I'm gonna throw in a little Z-Martini. I feel like it mixes us up a little bit. I won't be screaming chicken jockey Dude. That Minecraft movie apparently skipped it.
Speaker 1:That's what I've heard. Flick and steal. Anyways back to the CamelBurns solid part of my episode.
Speaker 2:Quick little shout-out to Wilderness Athlete, though, if you notice, I've been drinking out of this my Voltrix. It's a very fancy mixer with a battery. Mixer with a battery. I drink their Cherry Limeade and Lemon Lime flavor every day.
Speaker 1:With the amount of workouts I do.
Speaker 2:It's such a good. It's a great amount of caffeine and hydration to make me feel so good.
Speaker 1:Oh Okay, there is some out in the house, but like they're a big good stuff.
Speaker 2:Multivitamins, okay yeah, but their willingness athlete like altitude advantage you ever take, that I haven't. It worked. Yeah, it worked, but that I do. I even packed it in backcountry. But that lemon Cherry limeade with lemon lime, the hydration and energy, that little mix, just some water, yep Dude, it's like, because I'll drink like a I. I have a caffeine need that can only be satisfied by a can. Sure and white monster.
Speaker 1:Love me a good white monster Rise, Sunny D.
Speaker 2:You got to get your own Rise. Sunny D, dude, I like Rise, but something about white monster, like you know, the safe Europe means that like music, like Rammstein, starts playing in my head every time I crack one of it. Dude, my, my re. I crack one of them, dude, my reels become dark boys. Oh my, I'm not even going to eat it in the world, dude.
Speaker 2:I get a lot of Jewish hate memes for no reason, and I'm Jewish. That's the crazy part. I'm like, bro, I'm literally Jewish, which you know, of course. We're what controlling the weather. I don't even know what the newest conspiracy is. It's the weather. Right, could you turn the sun on, please? Yeah, if you see, when I think about, like I heard this comedy bit it's like if Jews actually control the weather, everyone will be like my egg Fair who, like no, control the weather. Everyone will be like my egg Fair. No Jew likes to get wet. I go back east to visit my family and it's raining a little bit and they're like oh my god, that's my take on Jews control the weather, which I guess we're not. We're talking solids versus camo, but somehow reals.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean. So this is what this podcast is going to be. We're going to give you guys the information that you're here for. We're going to do it in a roundabout way. We will go on tangents. It's going to happen. I'm sorry we don't have someone here to like to crack the wick on the stale topic. I don't want to.
Speaker 2:No, I don't either. I will kind of gain back to wilderness athlete a little bit. I'm psychotic. I work out four times a day On a regular basis. I lift, I run. I'm running my first ultra in june which, if you're, if you're in bighorn for the bighorn, let me know I but I lift, I run, I rock and I don't know if I consider, I consider it a workout is when I shoot my bow.
Speaker 2:But I go shoot my bow, my rifle, every day and like what I found is that I'll drink like a can, like a monster or something in the morning and like I'll drink like a wilderness athlete pack and I used to get the shakes so bad and like my stomach would hurt and all that Just from like. You know that level of caffeine when I drink this, completely fine, Like I feel good, I feel like not dying on the inside, and like I have a lot of gut problems, like gut health issues. You know a little about it. Just like I have an all-animal-based diet for the most part. Now, yeah, the only time I make an exception is like on the mountain Fair, Because I just need calories. But that's like good fats. I'm not eating exception.
Speaker 2:It's like on the mountain Fair Because I just need calories but that's like good fats. I'm not eating like candy and stuff, yeah. But so that wilderness athlete I'm super sensitive, so like mountain ops kind of did mess with my stomach. If I'm being honest. Interesting, I don't know what it is, but like the subtle flavoring of the wilderness athlete is why I rank above. I love him. Yeah, that's great, Like the Huckleberry one too from Remington Warren he's fucking.
Speaker 1:Yeah, don't get me started on my ball for anything.
Speaker 2:That's a Montana thing, yeah, montana, idaho, montana, idaho, yeah I had never tried a Huckleberry until I moved up to 1.17. Huckleberry's good, they're pretty good. I'm a about all 17. All the berries and tins they're pretty good. I'm a big fan. I'm just not a fruit guy. I don't eat a lot of fruit. I know I should. I just don't Like Big fruit guys, big fruit guys. But anyway, back to where were we at? Were we on?
Speaker 1:your belt. Yeah, no, we just hit the belt. So my base layer is going to be the Kuyu. For Bear it's going to be the Kuyu Heela.
Speaker 2:Longsleeve Hoodoo. What color is that? It's like a light beige.
Speaker 1:They call it something that's not light beige, but that's what it is Like Kayo, something like that Pan, maybe, and then the. What it is Like coyote Something like that Pan maybe, and then the. The like the mid layer is going to be a the black rock gohut. Okay.
Speaker 2:You like that? Like what is it? The square, it's the waffle, the waffle yeah, love it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's warm. It's the waffle. The waffle. Yeah, love it. Yeah, yeah it's warm.
Speaker 2:It's like Did you go with the black or did you go with the tan? I got the tan.
Speaker 1:I love the tan. I will go tan every day of the week Because you can go anywhere with it. Yeah, then Rain Dragon is the sick of dew point. And then Puffy is the Kuyu Gale Force. I think is what it's called. I'm not 100% sure, don't come for me, but that's like a brown.
Speaker 2:Like brown, brown, brown, and then you're wearing, obviously the atmosphere it's like you're kind of over the top in there.
Speaker 1:This is like the hiking. So this would be in place like an active piece in place of the black hot.
Speaker 2:Okay, so it's a little bit more kind of robust. Yeah, so hats Are you wearing beanies or just normal? Just hats.
Speaker 1:I can't do beanies. I've got a big head. I love wearing a good head. I'm a beanie, I love wearing a good beanie. Yeah, so yeah, hats are going to be the five panel Dude, the one with the rope, the elastic rope across the back.
Speaker 2:I use that as my workout hat. I love that Probably.
Speaker 1:Or a boonie hat on how sunny it is.
Speaker 2:California blacktail this year is going to be a boonie hat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so yeah, go hunt boonies. I have a lot of go hunt hats and I'm not like we got to come back to this just for product placement sake. We're not like go hunt doesn't know we exist no, they have no idea we exist At like. Gohunt doesn't know we exist no, they have no idea we exist at all. I genuinely do like their products.
Speaker 2:I mean, I think if we ever do, in our dream of dreams, more with GoHunt, we will give a big disclaimer. But everything we're saying is completely genuine, our thoughts, exactly without being given stuff, without being paid, without anything. This is purely opinions based off of what we like, and I think a hat isn't going to really change much, but I think just the material is where it stands out.
Speaker 1:I mean, you can tell and I don't know like. Granted, I feel like the GoHunt, the off-season videos that they make gives you a lot more insight to the process behind it, especially with the reindeer that they have coming out and the puffy pants and I actually didn't know that they're coming out with like a regular hunting pant too. It was on the most recent episode yeah, the most recent one they posted a little bit ago, but yeah, yeah so.
Speaker 2:but essentially, the short long story short. These are our opinions, purely based off of our opinions. These are not paid, these are not affiliated. They don't know we exist, probably won't know we exist until we get a little bit more of a following. It'd be cool if they knew we existed. That'd be very dope.
Speaker 1:If they find out we exist and are good people give us a little heads up, no, but I'm really excited that they're actually coming out with a full line of gear. I'm looking forward to running a full line of gear from VL1 purely based on 100%. I will own that.
Speaker 2:I buy stuff because I like brands, brand loyalty, I don't think is a bad thing. I just think it's a bad thing if it blinds you to some issues which I, out of all the gear I have from Johan, I don't have so far. There's a few pieces of gear that I've owned, that I've had issues and I was blind.
Speaker 1:The only thing I will say like I'm a big guy, I wear the 3XL and the O1. The sizing is inconsistent. Okay, that is the only thing I have and I've told them that. I've said that. You know, like dog, the sizing is inconsistent. It's like some stuff like the BlackRock hoodie fits me perfectly. I've had one of their regular hoodies was like baggy and so, yeah, there's a little bit of variance there, but I mean whatever Kind of potato.
Speaker 2:Can I think yeah?
Speaker 1:But yeah, like I said, pretty much everything except for this. What about gloves? Gloves I ordered. I don't have them yet, so I don't know if I'm going to wear them. It's the. It's their from Kuyu as well. Okay, it's better than the.
Speaker 2:Tini's, are you running like a mid-layer glove? Nope, no mid-layer glove Nope, it's full glove or no glove. Okay, you, okay, you have the Stun Glacier Alternative. Son, I do, do I? I?
Speaker 1:have one now. Oh, I left one sitting somewhere at one point. That happened On my late season meal during last year. I left it sitting somewhere. It happens too. It's better to release. Yeah, I've done that too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we had a stunner Me and my buddy were going out and he had like the True Ball Hinge, $300 hinge. Lost that thing on like a safe brush. Prairie Gone forever You'll never find them.
Speaker 1:No, you could go back to the exact spot. Never, no so?
Speaker 2:yeah, okay. Yeah, I like to set up font, never so. Yeah, I like to set up A lot of works for me, a little bit of camo.
Speaker 1:That's your camo, this is my camo piece and the hat the hat's camo, just because I thought it looked cool. Fair enough, utilitarian purposes.
Speaker 2:No, not utilitarian purposes. It seems like we're just describing our gear setups for clothing-wise.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because realistically, I think at this point we are now both on the solids train.
Speaker 2:There is definitely a train going on in the industry with solids. A hundred percent, yeah, and I think Stone Glacier Starter Probably, I would a hundred percent say so.
Speaker 1:I think I remember some of them, if you play the wind right you don't get a camo and you should be playing it anyways.
Speaker 2:the only time I'm running camo and I'm going to be this is exclusively for the first three weeks of archery is during that early archery period for the first, like three weeks of Archery, elf is during that early Archery period, purely out of no other reason besides my bow is that Origin Raptor, camo Jesus. So I'm going to be running that. I run Solids the entire time.
Speaker 1:Most of the time too.
Speaker 2:I have their like Ninja Hoodie and their BRR stuff. The BRR, honestly, is really good. Not a huge fan of the Ninja Hoodie. I liked Origin a lot.
Speaker 2:I liked a lot of their stuff I just found that the quality it wasn't as comfortable to wear their kind of stuff as it was other companies, but that's kind of to be expected because they're all wool for the most part. Okay, sure, but besides that I think origin makes the main stuff. I just transitioned away because, if I'm being so honest, it's such a pet peeve of mine to wear a candle on top. Yeah 100% Like. So before I get into my gear list, I'll tell you my story on Sitco. Okay, I oh closing. This is gonna get cut out.
Speaker 1:Oh why I'm not gonna leave. You mean walking up, shutting a door and then it's authentic, it's genuine.
Speaker 2:We'll see. We'll see. Maybe a little blueprint. I probably got to edit this. We've been casually getting random times off. Yeah, it's like no point in this starting to pick up. Yeah, that would be even a little. Yeah, I might want to cut this. Yeah, that one is giving a little.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I might want to cut this Maybe Huh, potentially cut this. This, yeah, 100%. We'll see.
Speaker 2:But my feets are getting cold. Oh, all right, we're back. We're back. My story on Sika yeah, let's, let's hear it. So, like I've said before the intro, I'm a full-time student. Right now I go to montana state, pretty outdoorsy school 100. Um, the thing that just pissed me off is when I saw buckle bunnies and people who I know do not hunt, wearing Sika jackets around in a full camo. Yeah, that's fair. It's literally like do your own thing, it's your own life. I'm not going to shit on you for wearing camo or wearing Sika. They're a Bozeman company. People want to support a Bozeman company? Oh, go in. Her dog's going in, going in my gear, whatever, come here, come here. But, like I was saying, I'm not going to shit on people for, like, supporting a Bozeman company. That's not what this is about.
Speaker 2:I just got so like I'm trying to think of the right word. I was just getting so sick of seeing some random people that I know I know these people. They do not hunt, they got it for the fashion of it, for no other reason besides that. It just kind of soured it for me. That's fair For me. I treated my gear. I don't wear around what I hunted. I treat it as sacred almost. When I put this on, I'm going to go hunt. I'm not going to say don't wear your ammo outside or don't eat your kill.
Speaker 1:That's not what I'm saying. It's more.
Speaker 2:Just me personally. When I get in the mindset it's like a uniform to me, it's like I put this on, my mindset shifts so it's like, okay, I'm going to wear my normal clothes, normal clothes, normal clothes. I put my camo or I put on my hunting gear and my mindset changes, just like a little mental tradition of mine. So it felt like it was like diluting that tradition for me. So much to the dismay of my ex who bought me a bunch of stuff for Christmas. I sold it all and I used my discount to buy a lot of Stone Gleish stuff in Origin Camo and then this year I switched to mostly Stone Gleish and killed him.
Speaker 2:But so that's like my little story on Sika. No other reason besides, just it got too trippy Because I was like 2022, 2021, where everyone had to wear Sika. My roommate has a term called Sika Sam. He's a Sika Sam now, but he made that term because I was wearing all Sika. He's like you and the rest of Bozeman are going to be wearing this and he's like now wearing all Sitka. They make great stuff. This isn't like a shit on Sitka.
Speaker 2:They make awesome quality products. I've definitely considered wearing some of their stuff, like their solid pattern. It's just that sub-alpine green pattern cano is forever ingrained in my mind. That's fair, as like something that girls who want us to post a picture of them holding the one duck they shoot at your way. That's not true. I'm not saying like they do this, it's just. This is just purely what I feel when I put it on.
Speaker 1:There is definitely a type of person that moves to Montana and wants to live the Montana lifestyle but also I'm trying to like but also doesn't understand the Montana lifestyle, and anyone that hangs out with me enough knows that I blame it purely on the show Yellowstone, whether that's founded or not remains to be seen.
Speaker 2:I have no right to say this, by the way. I have no justification. I moved here when I was 17, in 2020 I mean, but it very much has changed. No justification.
Speaker 1:I moved here when I was 17, in 2020. I mean, but it very much has changed the landscape of Bozeman, for better or worse. That remains to be seen. It'll take some time to really flesh out. I think that people are moving away from Bozeman because of the winters, because three or four days of minus 40 is going to mess with some people. But you know neither here nor there, I guess, to this conversation but there's definitely people that move here that shoot a bull elk and then have their guide take it off the mountain for them. Nothing wrong with that. My dad goes on guide, hunts a bull elk and then have their guide take it off the mountain for them. Yeah, nothing wrong with that. My dad goes on guide dogs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not shitting on anyone, it's just. That's the reality, and it's tarnished a little bit of certain things, the mystery kind of aspect I'd say Like as an outsider going in, I feel like it's ruined a little bit of the mystique, the aspirate I feel like. Now people are posting their guided hunts and they're rich from.
Speaker 1:California.
Speaker 2:Oh, I went on a guided elk hunt. I killed one elk I'll ever kill in my life and it's taken away from the mystique that comes from, like the months and months of hard work and commitment that public land hunters, a lot of Montana residents, public or private land in general, put into it. And I think that's like I'm not saying this out of any kind of informed opinion. I'm not saying this out of any kind of informed opinion, I'm not saying this out of like oh, I don't like sick, I don't like this. But I think that specific camo People have flocked to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it became the brand. Yeah, and so not to be like I want to be an outsider, but you don't want to feel like you're.
Speaker 1:I mean, don't get me wrong, I have Sitka in my closet right now. Yeah, it's great stuff. We go back to it eventually. That's great stuff, like their Timberline pad is.
Speaker 2:Fantastic. Yeah, I never had complaints on the quality of gear, no, it was just the mental, the people that you were seeing. Yeah, the mental perversion it gave me is what kind of did me in Gotcha For one reason or another. Just that kind of feeling of mental perversion that I got from seeing random people everywhere wearing sicko where it didn't make the thing that I commit my life to special, okay, fair. You know what I mean. Yeah, totally, totally fair. But alright, I guess I'm going to mind here we're really just man.
Speaker 1:That's what it is, man.
Speaker 2:Dude. This is why we started the podcast.
Speaker 1:We could just yeah, yep, absolutely Doing that. Anyways, might as well do it to a microphone.
Speaker 2:Exactly. All right, bottom up, I'm running the Crispy Nevada non-insulated. Okay, I got those for free from Flying V. They had their workshop opening. Oh nice, okay, or whatever it was.
Speaker 2:It was like a get-together thing where they had a free raffle, where you get free raffle tickets Nice, I don't waterfowl hunt, I purely went because they said free beer, because they had free beer, free beer and barbecue. It was dope, really fun time. But I went there and the only thing non-duck hunting related was this First Light setup where it's like Christian Nevada boots 308 pants, the First Light rugged field shirt and a Meteor hat Nice, because they're Meteor affiliated. So I just put all my tickets into that bucket and I won. Hell yeah, I used the field shirt all the time. I use the 308 pants all the time and those crispy Nevadas.
Speaker 2:I love those things so I'm running the crispy Nevada, not insulated. I'm not an insulated guy.
Speaker 1:I'd rather layer my socks Okay.
Speaker 2:So that's purely because I feel like, with the amount of archery hunting I do and the miles I put in, I would rather have cool feet, fair enough, and then layer for like a warmer hunt if needed. Okay, sock-wise, I'm running the Crispy socks. They're like super lightweight merino, the Darn Tough 2012,. That's the mid-layer sock. Yep, fantastic. Another sock I wore a lot was the Stone Gleacher Ram sock, that synthetic sock. It looks great, it works amazing. So those were kind of like the mix and match.
Speaker 2:This bear hunt I'm going on, I'm running those crispies. I bring those Darn Toughs just because the kind of weather I'm getting and predicate stuff a lot Moving up. I'm running the Coyote Stormcastle Peaks Gator Excellent, we've already touched on that Excellent, excellent, pant-wise. So I, like I said, I've used First Light 308s, but for my bear hunt I'm going to be running the Day Havilland Lights with the knee pad, because I love a good knee pad. So I'm running that Day Havilland Light and that Tarmac and then I'm using the Chinook Long John.
Speaker 2:I don't have big legs, boulder legs, so I get a little bit cold a little easier. So, having those, just like I can dump heat so easily with those diabolins that are on zippers. So I find those to be the perfect bear season because they're still light enough where you can breathe and you can dump heat. But they can still work with those Chinooks that you've kind of given a little bit of normal insulation in the warmth. That, and, if I'm being completely honest, the material from the DeHavillands, it kind of makes my legs feel comfortable, so that Chinook Merino kind of helps. That's another reason why. And then belt I'm wearing the SG Performance belt. Just great belt Works. Nothing special there. Insulation piece on my bottoms. I literally today, because of the storm, just picked up those grumman stone glacier down pants. Yeah, I got it on discount or no, not on discount I would say discount.
Speaker 1:But I don't work, I don't. I didn't get a discount.
Speaker 2:I got those and I haven't tested them in the field yet, but I found that with this kind of weather system moving in, it's kind of one of those like rather better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it, yeah, so I'm running that in the gray.
Speaker 2:So I should clarify. The de Havillands I'm running that tarmac brown, okay. And then the Peaks I'm wearing coyote, so I'm kind of brown on the bottom, okay. Moving up base layer I'm running the Chinook from Stone Glacier t-shirt and the long sleeve. I'm going to be hiking in the t-shirt and then wearing the long sleeve Mid layer. I'm running the long sleeve Midlayer. I'm running the atmosphere jacket only. So I'm running this gray atmosphere jacket only.
Speaker 2:Based off my scouting, that's proven to be the perfect midlayer for me and my body weight and my phenotype. I'm running that, and then on top of that I have a surfque vest from Sunway, which I don't know if I'm going to be bringing it, but I'm going to put it in the truck in case it's like completely ripping Wind-wise when I start going.
Speaker 2:I love vests. I'm a big vest guy. Vests are great, they're great, but I think this time I'm going to try and keep a little bit lighter, sure, so I might not be running that circ Might, we'll see. Orange vest is Montana. I'm running the sick of ballistic vest, so that's the only piece of stuff that I'm running, purely purely that shoulder pad. Mmm, fancy, fancy vest. Yeah, fancy vest. I got that on discount through the shit program Nice. So running that and then outer layer on that one is the Grumman top Gray as well. Okay, that's kind of like my installation. I also am running the M5 pants and top from.
Speaker 1:Segway. Like I said, it was my question yes. Since you're on a lot of downer you're not a fan of?
Speaker 2:Yes, I am. So, whether we're going to have rain some days or snow some days, I'm going to bring that M5. I really like the M5 stuff. But that X1 jacket the new one, looks really good, but I have the M5. I couldn't leave the M5.
Speaker 2:Okay, next, moving on to head, I'm running the 5 panel from going. It's like my workout hat and it's kind of beat up. This is my fancy podcast hat, the watch hat. This will eventually become my hunting hat. Okay, just eventually, when my other one's so disgusting that you move on fair. Um, but I'll be wearing that.
Speaker 2:And then I'm running a beanie from my old work, my old piercing arrows surf shop nice. Oh, that thing is my favorite. Be nice, it's my. So I'm running that kind of like. I'll be running like the hat and then put the beanie on top for the last one. And then, glove-wise, I'm using the mid-layer of felt. I forget the exact name of the stone glacier gloves, the one with the touchpads and the fingers I know exactly which one you're talking about Running those. And then my outer glove is I have a pair of insulated buckskin gloves that I bought at a gas station and the gas station in the white sulfur springs. I use those and they work amazing. Yes, they do. So I'm not running like a mitten or anything. I'm running those five finger insulated because it's going to be cold, but I've run those in like negative 10 and did fine Okay. So that's kind of like my clothing setup. So I'm 100% solid this year. Yeah, there's no count.
Speaker 1:So this is the first year you're doing it, right? Yes, this is the first season I'm doing it. It'll be interesting to see if you I mean, I don't think you will, but I don't see anything different yeah, 100%.
Speaker 2:I don't see how it will. I mean realistically. The only time I'd feel like it'd be different is when I'm in archery season for antelope. That's the only time I could see it really being anything but archery antelope. I love archery antelope. Spawn stalking antelope. I killed one last year.
Speaker 1:I think I'm going to blind it this year.
Speaker 2:I think I'm going to go find water if I pull the 900 tag, which is the statewide Montana antelope tag, a couple months right now, yeah, so that's kind of like if I pull that tag, I'm getting the, I'm getting the state of the blind. Just because spot-talking antelope is fun, you get a ton of stalks. It's fun Like I shot my antelope at like 86 yards and that was the closest I'd got home. You know, those are yeah.
Speaker 1:I think the only time I ever hunted antelope with a bow. I only got to full draw once and it was at 150 yards. Yeah, it's crazy. I was like, yeah, I'll go back to the once every three-year draw that Montana's running right now.
Speaker 2:But overall, I think we've come to the consensus that I think solids is Solids is the way to go. It's the way to go. And also, you can go into a gas station and be inconspicuous. Yeah, when I go to a gas station and I see someone in camo in there, I'm like you're my competition.
Speaker 1:Yeah, where are you going? Especially up in White Sulphur where it's all block management. We should all get commonplaces on, yeah.
Speaker 2:White Sulphur is a little bit blown out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everyone goes in there. Dude, get out that place. Here's your hot tip for Montana Don't go to white silver.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's the hot tip Do not go to white silver. Just don't come along.
Speaker 1:I'm kidding, that's a good Montana right there.
Speaker 2:No, it's uh, don't move here, come on, spend your dollars, spend some money. But yeah, I mean, as the landscape changes into what's popular in the industry, I feel like the solids trend is something that could be here to stay In my opinion, for the sole fact is that it's so easy to wear both. Wear it as a dual function thing where you're getting almost more utility out of it than you would out of a camel piece, because if you wear a camel piece, you're above up in some places around the country.
Speaker 2:But if you wear this jacket. I can wear this jacket in a nightclub in Boston and be hot, so I could see that kind of trend staying around for a while. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I think it was Stone Washington that put out the report, or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it shows that there's no difference. It's literally the wind, Because deer and elk can only see blue. That's a thing. My dad told me that. So my dad's a veterinarian. He has done extensive studies on not really ungulates but like sea animals. He's been to Antarctica for tagging sea lions and everything.
Speaker 2:He's a small animal vet, he's been an equine vet, he's worked on tigers, nice, so he kind of knows his stuff when it comes to like animals and he's like, yeah, the way the optical cones of those animals work, they're going to see changes in blue, so that's why you could go and walk up with a red planilon or an orange vest.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think that kind of ends the entire conversation, because you could have the best candle in the world, but if you're rifle hunting and you're required to best candle in the world, but if you're rifle hunting in Old Hanna, you're required to wear a bright orange vest.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly so I think there's no harm in candle. I don't think it's a harm. I think if you can put the ball in your court and have any advantage you possibly can just do it. I just think that if it comes down, to it, I'd rather buy a solid piece than a camel piece. Personally, yeah, I would agree Personally For just the dual utilitarian use of like, even though I said earlier, when I put on my hunting stuff it's like sacred. Yeah, Just purely out of like I don't know, I feel awkward walking around when I have a camel on.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But also I think it makes it easier. Like just going back to what you were saying is like you could walk into Snow Glacier by a coffee vest as a walking around piece. Yeah, walking around downtown Bozeman kind of piece, and no one's the wiser. That was like engineer Neil Hunt.
Speaker 2:I like the. I like the. I like Salts a lot. I think it's a good little shift in the industry away from like what we've seen the past few years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because realistically, camel patterns would get ridiculous.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like not to bring up Sikhi again, but that camo pattern, that digital Bro, are you trying to hide from people or anything?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's another interesting thing to think about is like Do more people wear camouflage because it makes them feel better about being like well, I can't see me? Yeah, so the animal can't see me Because for me, like I started with redhead, you know I drive to Cabela's and Billings and buy redhead for whatever their brand was, and you know it's like ooh, that's a nice new camo that looks really good. You get into this like well, I think it looks good. I don't know what the fucking elf thinks. Yeah, an elf could be like listen, jack, we're here trying to pretend he's not there.
Speaker 2:My favorite quote from our mutual friend Drew is that I'm not trying to hide from the animals in my camo, I'm trying to hide from the people. Fair, which is another point. I will say Yep, it's a fair point. If you're trying to make sure no one sees you wearing camo, definitely would help that. But at the same time, doing it legally, you're wearing an orange vest, so it's like they're going to fuck with you. That's the entire point of the orange vest, not in the archery season, but thankfully Not in the archery season.
Speaker 1:I think there's going to be a pretty seismic shift away from camo patterns in the next five years.
Speaker 2:I would say I wouldn't say tops, I would say bottoms. I could see a lot of companies not making camo bottoms. That's fair. I could see there's always going to be a little bit of a demand for a camo top. Yeah, fair enough. But I can totally see us shift away in the bottom half.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean. So it's like I think that if I'm like I have so the Gila long-stay shirts I was talking about, I have, you know, I have. So the Gila long-stay shirts I was talking about I have in Kylie Brown. I have like three of them and one of them is in the Vias camo Love the Vias camo. Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's the only reason why I want camo.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I like the camo. But I also thought, like you know, if there's a situation where maybe even if it's just scouting, like sitting up against some rocks, that's like maybe I have a little bit of an advantage, but then again you go back to am I thinking that I have an advantage? Advantage it's a mental thing, or is there actually an advantage to me wearing a camouflage t-shirt while sitting and glassing against the rock?
Speaker 2:100%. I think if it gives you confidence, wear. I think if you're feeling like when you're wearing camo and you feel like you're invisible, so you feel like you can do more, like you're gonna be a little bit more, like I can get that close, I can play the limber right, I can do this. Wear the camo. But if you are neither here or there like I am or like you are, I think solids are great. I think camos are great. I don't have a strong opinion on either, just personally I own a few solid sitka.
Speaker 1:Hilariously, though. It's like I went hunting last year with this guy and he was wearing all stone leather, 100% hand-to-toe stone leather. I was wearing hand-to-toe sitka camo. I felt like a fucking dumbass, you know, because it's like well, okay, the guy you're with is gray, and then here I am in camo. I think that also is going to put a lot of pressure on people to move away from camo too. It's just like you're going out for a day hunt with a buddy. You go out, you hunt the morning and then you're like let's go into town and have lunch and here's your buddy wearing gray, and here I am wearing full head-to-toe fucking camouflage. I felt like an asshole. It's like, yeah, they know, I'm in this area of a state to hunt, like everyone else in this bar is hunting, but I just walk in with my buddy wearing gray and I'm gonna have to tell camo.
Speaker 2:I feel like an asshole well, I think personally yeah, I mean to be completely honest with you I think a big part we're neglecting is that some people just don't give a fuck.
Speaker 1:Yeah, true, I think that's a big part, it's like I don't care what I wear.
Speaker 2:This works for me. It looks cool to me, it functions the way I need it to function. So that's a big part. I think if you're really debating between a gear item and you're thinking about going to Solitaire, this would be useful to you, but if you don't give a fuck, you don't give a fuck, buy the cheapest thing that is of quality, exactly Ding, ding, ding, ding.
Speaker 2:If you're looking at two puffy jackets and one of them is $200 and one of them is $600 and one of them is camo. You don't care, get the $200. One thing, and one of them is $600 and one of them is camo. You don't care, get the two or none. Yeah, one thing that I can't do I can't mix match camos. That's fair, dude. It makes my brain itch. That's fair, like I want to touch it with a 12 gauge kind of itch. That's fair, like there's nothing wrong with it. Personally, I'm too type A to have it. It's either it needs to be. I could do like solids and a camo If I'm wearing like a origin top. If I put on a Kuyu top on top of that, I will freak out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's another. You can't mix brands, you can't have like two camouflage brands.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean you can. It just makes me For me on my own.
Speaker 1:I don't care, I will die on this, but you cannot mix brands. I think no, fuck them. You cannot mix brands Like you can wear like GoHunt and Stone, you can wear GoHunt and Kuyu, but if it's the GoHunt camo, you can't wear the Kuyu camo. You can't do it, it's illegal.
Speaker 2:That pisses me off. I personally don't care if other people do it, I just cannot do it personally.
Speaker 1:I cannot do it. Oh, excuse me, I'm not going to make fun of you In my head.
Speaker 2:I will, I won't let go.
Speaker 1:It makes me uncomfortable for no reason. Yeah, it's like getting dressed in the dark and you put the wrong two socks on.
Speaker 2:Oh, I wear mismatched socks, do you? Yeah, I don't have a girlfriend anymore, so I don't have to do my laundry all the time, so I'll find a pair of socks laying around and just put them on.
Speaker 1:No, I buy like 40 pairs of the same pair of socks.
Speaker 2:Really I don't have to A Puma pack from Costco.
Speaker 1:So recently discovered. I don't even know what brand they are, but they're gray, blue and black. But they're gray, blue and black and they're from REI.
Speaker 2:Are you a crew sock kind of guy? Yeah, I'm a good man, Hot take. I think dudes that wear ankle socks can be.
Speaker 1:Get pegged. No, I just yeah, I was an ankle sock guy for a long time and then my feet kept growing. I really guess I was 13 and I'm not, yeah, and like ankles fucking, don't stay up. So, my god, we're going to church, we're going to church.
Speaker 2:So, oh, they're having $12 burgers and fries and beer at Ponderosa. That tracks. Yeah, charles, charles is the way. Alright. Well, I think we've had a very successful episode too. Absolutely, we will talk to you guys soon.
Speaker 1:Thank you very much for watching thanks for liking and following and all that stuff, adding it to your list or whatever you do on Apple Music.
Speaker 2:I think this is going to be a running joke. We're just going to be glazing and begging you for some form of affirmation.
Speaker 1:People actually listen to us. They have an affiliate program. One day. We're going to get it one day, one day. Thanks for watching us, thanks for listening, thank you. Thank you for inviting us into your homes, your cars, onto your commute, whatever it is. See you on the next one, thank you. See you, bye.