By design, our catalog is designed to cover as many of your hunting apparel needs as possible. The downside to this philosophy is that it leads to a lot of options, which can become confusing.
So, we figured we’d take a few weeks and break down how one piece stacks up against another to help you build a well-rounded collection to keep you cool, warm, dry, quiet, comfortable, or whatever adjective you so desire.
This week, we’re not going too deep, nor staying too shallow. Instead, our focus will sit juuuuuust right and cover our mid layer offerings.
Mid layers can be confusing. Sometimes they are used more like base layers (which we covered last week), while other times they are the outer layer. But where you may say confounding, we say versatile. Let’s stack ‘em up starting with the real mild weather stuff.
Stealth CoolTouch Hoodie
Aimed at that 45- to 90-degree day, the Stealth CoolTouch is a great choice when the sweat might start rolling and you need to wick moisture away. The CoolTouch™ fabric keeps your temperature where it needs to be. The stretchable fit and integrated thumbholes make the Stealth a great option under a heavier jacket, but the integrated hood and facemask also make the Stealth CoolTouch a great choice for that hot-weather hunt when camo supersedes insulation.
Stealth Merino Hoodie
Most of what we just wrote about the CoolTouch version of the Stealth applies here, except for one majorly magic ingredient: Merino wool.
The moisture-wicking properties, antimicrobial (and thus anti-stank) abilities and the oh-so soft touch of Merino make it a natural for outdoor wear. Additionally, the all-black color is not just tremendously slimming, it also gives the wearer a ninja-like invisibility when sitting in the dark shadows of a hunting blind.
If you’re parked in a pop-up and the forecast says 45- to 90-degrees, it’s time to think Stealth Merino.
Flex Hoodie
When the days get cooler and fleece starts to look good, it’s time to break out the Flex Approach ½-Zip or the Flex Approach FX Full-Zip. Why did we call this the Flex? Simple, it’s hands down one of the most versatile pieces of gear we make.
Covering that 40- to 70-degree range, the Flex is a great under layer to a heavier jacket or as a standalone. The gridded fleece lining keeps you warm, dry and comfortable. When you need a do-all piece, look no further than the Flex.
Bearclaw Jacket
Now we start to delve into the cool-weather gear, starting with the Bearclaw Jacket. A great mid layer in the cold, this can also pull duty as a top layer when the day is pretty mild. Designed to work in that 25- to 60-degree range, the Bearclaw features warm, durable and breathable Polartec® fleece.
The full-zippered front makes it easy to put on when the mercury drops, or quickly shed if the hike in gets you heated up. Zippered hand pockets and water resistance round out the package. Guess what? It’s also available as a vest so you can break out the gun show that much easier.
Ovis Merino Sweater
It’s a problem we’ve all dealt with. It’s a sunny day, somewhere between 25- and 60-degrees out, and you have to tote a pack into the back country. Sure, you can wear a base layer, but you know that’s not gonna be enough to stay warm. Just put on a jacket, you say? Sure, if you want to be dripping with sweat within 20 minutes.
Enter the Ovis Merino Sweater. With 260 grams of Merino wool in the arms and back, paired with a synthetic insulation on the chest and side panels, you have a warm, dry, moisture-wicking top that keeps things cool in the right places, yet warm in the others.
Moose Quilt ¼-Zip Jacket
Contrary to belief, we don’t always wear Approach camo. Sometimes, we like to mix up our under layers so we can go from hunt to happy hour without the need to change. In these cases, the Moose Quilt ¼-Zip Jacket is our choice.
Quiet, warm and stylish, the Moose ¼-Zip features an innovative grid-pattern fleece, with a quilted, insulated yoke. Perfect for those 25- to 60-degree days, as well as line-dancing night at the Boar’s Nest.
We hope you now have a better understanding of the roles and intentions behind each of our mid layers. The true transitional segment of the Badlands catalog, most of these pieces can pull duty as a warming mid layer or as a warmish-weather outer layer.
No matter how you use it, just know that it’s always backed by the Badlands Unconditional Lifetime Warranty. If it fails, let us know and we’ll make it right.
We figure it doesn’t matter how you’re using it, knowing it’s 100% covered by us should make any mid layer feel all the more comfortable.
