Now, if y’all are anything like us, you like to get your workout of the day in whenever and wherever you can.
Out in the field you can find us toting logs up mountains, like Rocky in Rocky IV when he’s training to fight Drago. If that’s not an option, we’ll often just strap our hunting partners to our backs and do a few hundred wind sprints up the mountain and back.
(pause)
OK, fine. We made that up. We know that hunting isn’t the way you see it in advertising. We’re not scaling any frozen waterfalls, icicles hanging from our noses, in pursuit of that elusive albino, 38-point elk the locals call “The Dream Killer.”
But, we do often find ourselves huffing and puffing up a ridge to glass the valley. And while Badlands packs are ergonomically designed to make a heavy load light, it’s still a load. And when we’re hunting in cooler weather, we never seem to have the right clothing along.
We either sweat puddles during the stalk in/hike up the incline, or we freeze while sitting and glassing or calling in game.
Frankly, we got tired of it. So, as we are prone to do here at Badlands, we did something about it.
Our new Active Hunter line is THE choice for those cool-weather hunts that require a little cardio. Quiet, comfortable, warm and moisture wicking are just where we started. Where we took it, impressed even our hardest-to-please partners.
Let’s meet the Active Hunter line, shall we?
Odin Jacket
The all-father of jackets, the Odin Jacket is water-resistant, wind-resistant and discomfort-resistant. Stretch cuffs, a fitted scuba-style hood and two (TWO!) types of PrimaLoft® Silver insulation keep you cozy, while still being breathable and dry during exertion.
Wait, did we say two types of PrimaLoft® Silver? Darn tootin’ we did. We have Hi-Loft 80-gram insulation on the chest and upper arms, where the big blood highways are and heat is key to comfort. Then we went with Active insulation, all 60 grams of it, down the spine and under the arms where the heat dispersion is needed most.
Not to get too high-tech on y ‘all, but we body-mapped all our insulation points to maximize heat retention where it matters, while maximizing breathability where the body tends to get a bit… Swampy.
Surt Jacket
Odin covers you in that 10- to 50-degree range, but what about colder days? When the mercury dances around zero, the Surt Jacket is your huckleberry.
We stuffed this bad boy with PrimaLoft® Gold Cross Core, 133-gram insulation, giving you unparalleled warmth-to-weight ratio.
Low-bulk, lightweight, wind- and water-resistant… This might as well be called the J.Lo because it’s a proper multi-threat jacket. Zippered hand and chest pockets, along with a tall collar to keep your pretty face warm, keep cold out but still send that overload of heat right out into the world.
Balder ½ Zip Jacket
Cool, covered. Cold, covered. But what about those early season days where you may start out at 30 degrees but end up closer to 60? For those, the Balder Jacket is the choice.
A great mid layer that can double as an outer layer, the Balder Jacket is a little bit of everything. We added PrimaLoft® Gold Active (40-gram) insulation in the key areas, then put stretch fleece in those high-sweat areas for flexibility and moisture distribution.
While we were at it, we went ahead and made the chest, shoulder and low back wind resistant. Because why not?
Honir Pant
We’ve covered (literally) the upper half, now let’s go south of the equator to talk about those legs.
Nothing gets worked harder or builds up heat faster than pumping those getaway sticks up and down the hills. We knew we needed to step up our game to make a pant worthy of being called Active Hunter.
Challenge completed.
A durable, softshell pant, the Honir is built for those run-and-gun hunts when the bugles keep coming from “just over the next ridge” and the stalk is almost on. Built-in kneepads take the pain out of those last few yards, and help make those sometimes-awkward shooting positions a wee bit more comfy.
Four-way stretch material is super tough, yet flexible to help you get up and over any obstacle. Welded seams make for a strong pant without all the weight of traditional stitching. A silicone band inside the waist keeps shirts safely tucked and stops those wind gaps from opening up.
Water-resistant and reinforced knees and seat mean you can worry about the bull in the trees and not the rocks, rain or branches between you and him.
And pockets. Let’s talk pockets.
You have a reinforced pocket edge, keeping your knife where you want it and not wearing a hole in the seam. A hidden cell phone pocket inside the pocket keeps your lifeline to the world (and Wordle) handy and warm, to save that battery life. Zippered back pockets and silent cargo-pant closures keep your gear where you need it and not laying under a layer of pine needles somewhere.
There you have it, friends. Smart, well-designed, realistic gear for the active hunter.
Is this line the absolute perfect fit for those hunts that take place in the real world and not in the glossy magazine ad?
We may be biased but we think… Hell yes, it is.
See for yourself on the Active Hunter page.
