Boots: Danner Boots made in OREGON: I have used Danner Boots since 1989 - They are well made and refurbish-able by the company. I have hunted all seasons Both Archery and Rifle in both the coastal regions and high country of Washington state; the Missouri Breaks in eastern Montana as well as the rolling hills of Virginia and Tennessee. They fit well and are water proof and Temperature controlled.
Socks: Darn tough is a great choice; Smart Wool are also excellent as well as Minus 33 Merino Wool socks - they all do very well
Camouflage Clothing and Gear: Any thing with scent blocking capabilities works well; stay away from blue and white colors if hunting deer. Blaze Orange and variations of Red or yellow work fine just like the old school plaid shirts and wool pants of yesteryear.
Bug Repellent Preparation: Sawyer Products SP657 - Spray clothes and gear in advance of hunting to repel Ticks and most other creepy crawlers. It lasts for quite awhile and works great.
If hunting from a stationary position like a tree stand add a Thermacell Mosquito Portable Repeller to your kit to keep flying bugs away from you as well.
I use walker electronic ear Muffs for everything from running farm equipment to shooting with a rifle (even suppressed). They provide 27db of protection and allow you to have a normal conversation with your crew.
For a suppressor I use the Banish 30 which does an excellent job - it is not short but it does a great job. It does reduce noise from the muzzle by about 34db (still need ear protection when using a rifle)
Great Pod Cast - just though I would share some comments.
+1 to thermacell, although I am concerned the deer around here have started to figure them out. When we first started using them I’ve had deer come within a yard of me in the deer stand. Nowadays they tend to stay away. However, it still worth it because of the amount of diseases that mosquitoes carry.
In terms of camouflage, somewhere out there there’s a great ad from Fred Bear of Bear Archery. It says something along the lines of, the best camouflage is called sit down and be quiet. Your grandfather hunted using red checkered clothing and killed plenty of animals.
Thermacell makes an earth scented pad for hunting and they work very good as a scent cover. Once when I used these earth scented pads I had multiple deer walk within arms length of me without realizing I was there. I was packing into my stand though and could not get my bow ready quick enough to shoot one. Still, it was cool.
Plaid Flanels break up the solid colors, which is really all you want. I quit worring about the pattern so much as how much solid am I presenting. Now, I buy my clothing based only on its value to keep me warm/cool, dry, low order, covered (I burn) and its toughness in texas shrubbery. If it can make it through TX, it can make it anywhere. I have become a big fan on Kuiu. Their attack pants are outstanding. They are expensive. My buddy hunts in Carharrt work wear and swears by them - they are relatively cheap.
++1 for Thermacell, especially if in a TX blind hunting whitetail. I once got Viral Meningitis from a mosquito bite. Trust me, its way worse than getting busted by a 10 point.
I just learned about smoking, buring green vegitation and sitting in the smoke right before getting out to the hunt, like that morning. Anyone do this?
Danner boots are the best boots you can buy period!
Before my Danner boots I had a pair of Red Wing work boots that lasted less than three months before falling apart. A colleague told me about Danner boots, I made the switch and have been a happy customer since 1984.
I still have my first pair of Danner boots purchased 41-years ago.
The second pair purchased are Centurion 8" Black Composite Safety Toe Boots with higher tops that are still going strong after 25-years of near daily use on heavy construction sites. Best features: your feet stay dry in standing water, warm in the winter, and cool in the summer.
Never had a blister from Danner Boots and feet are comfortable after a 12 or more hour day.
Nothing compares in my option based on 40+ years of heavy construction use around the world from Siberia, to the jungles of South America, and points in between.
I believe they make boots for the USMC and other branches of the military, so they are field proven by people that know a thing or two about the importance of footwear in getting the job done!
