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T

Tony Carter

Senior Member
Does anyone have experience of musto, harilka etc?

Half tempted to spend the money on something decent I can use outside of fishing but at nearly £400 for a coat i wondered if they were worth it.

Can't seem to find the sun fridge igloo suits anymore either !?
 
Hi Tony....... I have to be outside when others wouldn't.....as part of my job. As a result I have used many different brands over the years and now ended up with Harkila...... they are expensive and if you keep an eye out you can get basically new ones on ebay if you bide your time. They are bombproof..... If you get the Harkila Pro Hunter trousers...and they are trousers not over trousers, then wear long johns under them......when they get wet you will find that the feeling is like they have leaked but it is in fact just the cold from the water.... you will be 100% dry..... new ones have 2 years warranty which again says it all. I have a Pro Hunter jacket and the light weight one too...... and a 3 layer gortex light jacket so if things warm up I have options.
I use mine for shooting, fishing and anything else where I am going to get cold and /or wet!!! even work!! :D
Hope this helps.
 
Rich is right, you do generally get what you pay for. I have dabbled a bit with various brands and settled on Mountain Equipemt stuff. It's basically snow/mountaineering gear designed to withstand very harsh conditions- conditions we rarely see in the UK of course. However, I have found their stuff to be ludicrously insulating meaning that hours on the bank in near or actual freezing conditions are a breeze.

The stuff is expensive but lasts.
 
Rich Frampton said:
one other thing.................... the same old applies.................... you get what you pay for!!! :)
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Thanks Rich the way I look at it is even if it only lasts 4 years that's £100 per year and that's well worth it although I know it will last longer !

Also I can wear it outside walking the dogs being in the countryside etc and not feel like a plum wearing a tatty jacket !
 
I don't think you need to pay that much, Berghaus goretx jackets are great and less than half that price. These days we are spoils for choice and I'd say any goretex jacket in the 150+ range would do the job.
 
I'm with Cliff on this one. Get a goretex shell jacket and wear as many layers as the conditions dictate. Remember breathability is the key to comfort. Yes a jacket may be waterproof for x years, but the repellency of a material soon diminishes so the outer layer, whilst waterproof, gets soaked and water vapour cannot pass through it. You then get wet from your own perspiration. Better to buy a shell jacket every few years than expect one to last for a long time. You'll see lots of used jackets for sale on ebay which look great but will disappoint when worn. Finally, walking the dog in the fishing jacket with fish slime across your chest from that well-rested 18 lb barbel that was frisky for the trophy shot won't look to hot on the street ;)
 
Another option is to look at the clothing aimed at Game anglers, I have found it to be of much better quality but that quality does come with a price. I have just got some Simms Mid Layers and I am very impressed so far.
 
Marks and spencer thermals , a Snugpak elite jacket, and a mpt pattern gortex coat over that with snugpak trousers and mpt pattern gortex trousers will not cost stupid money and will keep you warm even in sub zero temps. If its good enough for the sas its fine for me! Go millitary/ ebay and there are some excellent stuff on there
 
Horses for courses isn't it........ The Harkila Pro Hunter is a thick jacket...... In effect the gortex is the middle of the three lndividual layers..... One thing I have found when using a gortex outer is that it can snag and tear..... I will cry if I tear my 3 layer gortex but I am very aware of that when going through rough conditions... It doesn't enter my mind at all when wearing the Pro Hunter....... Mine is over 4 years old now and still going strong.....
 
I found this review on the Pro Hunter and there's a paragraph that would concern me if spending so much on a product:

Harkila Pro Hunter Jacket Review | Blog
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It's robust. The heavy cordura has so far resisted the ravages of thorns, fences and barbed wire. The quality of stitching is also reassuring. During heavy rain the coat outer did eventually absorb water but there was no hint of it soaking through and I remained warm and dry.
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The bold type is my input. If it's soaked, it can't breathe. Perhaps the owner was one of the few who doesn't sweat much. For the rest of us, it means getting wet from the inside.

Chris, I have a combination of British/German military goretex, but didn't recommend it because it may raise eyebrows when Tony's walking the dog.!
 
Yes...the gortex middle prevents the rain going through...and the outer can get saturated.... but to be honest it still is light enough and I don't mind as long as I am dry.
I would rather have an outer that is bomb proof than worry about the outer getting over wet..... let's face it.... when fishing there aren't that many times that we have to sit out in the rain completely..... shooting? yes...... doing my job? yes...... but fishing? I have a brolly too.... :D
 
Ha ha interesting debate. It would be nice just to buy one decent item of clothing to use for several purposes I have tons of coats at home the worst I ever bought was a berghaus over coat as its cold to the touch the hood is useless and the zip broke after 6 months in addition to that it catches on the lining all the time making it th worse coat I ever owned even a £15 job I bought to do charity 10 mile walk in the rain was better!
 
£400, if i had to i'd get a Norrona recon but an American ECWCS jacket costs about £60 for a good one and does the same job very well ! I have a Musto Highland jacket which is very nice but the outer getting soaked is a pain in the butt IMO ! each to their own though. For summer to roll up and chuck in your bag a Berghaus Cornice is unbeatable, you do have to be careful with thorn bushes and barbed wire though ! All of the above would look iffy to go shopping in except the Musto !
 
Just had a walk around go out doors the choice of everything from baselayers fleeces and jackets is mind boggling and the prices vary so much !
 
The American ecws and also dutch goretex poss best you can buy in camo. If its for fishing its fine and not for a fashion statement. I have the Seeland keeper jacket its been excellent. As someone mentioned the outer like the Harkila does get wet and thats all. You have got to realise they are for hunting and noise when moving is the main concern thats why they have the Goretex inner. When i was in the forces I initially found it strange that the Army never wore goretex in wwt weather. Until one day I asked some Army chaps on Salisbury Plain. They said their goretex was worn underneath their normal combat fatigues because of the rustling noise the goretex made. The penny dropped then and I stiil chuckle to myself about that encounter. Personally the best of kit i have is my military goretex which voes over my many baselayers. If its v cold snugpak salopettes and jacket go on under my Goretex.
 
I can vouch for Harkila, the best place to get that is from John Norris in Penrith (or on the web - https://www.johnnorris.co.uk/
Especially when they have a sale, its not too pricey then....

Or if you want top notch Camoflaged Gore-Tex try this site, their own brand is absolutely top notch, not cheap but the best never is, I have a set of their 7 in 1 jacket and lined Bib & Brace, with the dollar exchange, the cost including shipping and taxes isn't too bad.
Cabela's Official Website - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear at competitive prices. : Cabela's

if its good enough for Mid western Hunters then a little bit of cold we have won't bother it at all...

Andy
 
It's about time someone invented a waterproof/breathable material that was REALLY bomb-proof and impervious to the day to day rigours of angling. Surely it cant be that hard can it?

Goretex clothing is a PITA, it fails if/when the outer fabric gets dirty....what the hell good is that to us? The outer layer is just a synthetic fabric, nylon or similar, that has been sprayed/impregnated with a bog standard waterproofing agent such as Nikwax. When it's new it works beautifully, the water droplets bead up and run off almost as though by magic. However, once the inevitable muck builds up, it loses that 'beadability'....which means it will absorb water, which in turn means it is no longer able to breath. It's still waterproof, because the inner Goretex membrane is still intact. However, because it's no longer breathable, your sweat cannot escape and so condenses on the inside of the Gortex membrane, resulting in an angler who is not only wet...but smelly.

It's not too bad if you don't sweat....but even I can't sit that still :D. So, you are left with no option but to wash the garment in 'Tech Wash' or similar, then re-proof it with Nikwax. But the hassle doesn't end there...if your washing machine has a build up of old detergent in it, chances are the result will be patchy proofing at best, which is next to useless. Even if it works, you can only do that so often before it simply wont work any more...end of garment. What a load of carp! I have heard the option to the washing machine is to wear the item while someone with a hose and a brush scrubs it down :eek: Then re-proof it. Not too sure which is worse to be honest.

The old chestnut 'They can fly a man to the moon etc., etc, would seem to apply here :D

Cheers, Dave.
 
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