Safe overcoat for hunting?

[Sparkitoff]

In terms of various periods and personas, the jackets or coats for hunting include fringed leather "Daniel Boone/Davy Crockett" type coats to Hudson Bay Blanket full-length coats. My problem with the former is that they are mostly all brown (and look like deer color) and the latter are often multi-colored, at least 3/4 length and heavy.  What are options for a traditional style coat or jacket that is a "safer" color for hunting?  Next, is it completely unauthentic for …. let's say a red leather fringed jacket?  I am not trying to work within a certain period or persona. My gear doesn't necessarily match as far as period. However, I do try to be all traditional from clothing to rifle to gear - but I'm ok with a mix.  Any ideas on a garment that isn't the same color as game?

[hawkeye]

You got also Hudson Bay blankets in green and red with black stripe, or Davy Crockett coat dyed green, black or blue
No?

[FDR]

I am older than Flo Orange!

 Back then we all hunted in "red" as our safety color.

Fred

[Daniel Coats]

I hunted Alaskan Brown bear in Alaska during the fall and it rained for 2 weeks straight. The only thing that felt good was wool even with a waterproof outer coat.

[Pukka Bundook]

An old red  Hudson bay blanket with black stripes makes a nice lightweight coat.
I had one for years until I gave it to my son.   Very quiet in the woods, and the dull old dark red didn't stand out near as bad as you would think.
The only one that worried me, was a buff full length waistcoat I'd sometimes wear, as it looked Juts like the colour of a bull elk!

I normally reckon that if you can't be seen , you make  a lot harder target than if you're wearing orange!
Up here, we have no legal requirements to wear orange or red.  (In Alberta at any rate)

[alyce-james]

Sparkitoff. Sir, Good morning. Started in 1977 using a Red Hudson Bay style hooded Capote, blanket, full length style coat. Hunted in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin O, and Colorado. Still have the same coat. Used for ice fishing in the same states. Its here in Texas currently. Retired like me of coarse. Added white felt Military ski boots. Warm feet fore sure. Have a great day.AJ.




 

[Robby]

From what I have read, the only color that deer see as foreign to their habitat is blue, so just about any color than that would work, as long as there are no UV enhancers in the dye they used. I like red, wool. Other than that, movement and your human silhouette are more likely to get you busted.
Robby

[MuskratMike]

I for one use and love the Colonial coat made by Cobb Creek merchants. it is period correct of the Colonial era keeps me warm and can be made in several colors. They have a web site and advertise in Muzzleloader Magazine.

[Keith Zimmerman]

MuskyMike has good advice.  But a couple longhunter shirts and a wool weskit work for me in cold Temps.  I have more clothes than I can wear.  My mother in law is always making me something.  I also wear some wool frock type coats.  Some with a cape, and some without.  I love wool.

[Greg Pennell]

I saw a gentleman on Instagram just recently with a blaze orange matchcoat, that he’d acquired for hunting in his blaze orange state. For cooler temperatures it would seem ideal to me...if I could find a source for a blaze orange blanket. I’ve also seen guys with blaze orange waistcoats that they’ve either made or had made, to satisfy hunter orange requirements. I take the simple route and just throw on a blaze orange vest...until I come up with a better option.

Greg

[Brokennock]

I've been struggling with the period correct dress versus state hunter orange law dilemma for a long time. I have seen hunter orange waistcoats (often winds up an under layer in cold weather) for early squirrel season I dyed a white period shirt "safety orange" (did not come out as bright fluorescent as the law might like, and same issue in cold weather), an orange "liberty cap" or, if you know someone who knits, an orange Monmouth cap is an option. I also had One Blanket Traders make me a hunting frock or rifleman's shirt with an orange cape.

However I recently came upon my personal best solution yet, for colder weather....
A wool hunter orange "match coat" to go over whatever period dress I happen to be wearing....









The difficulty was getting a few yards of hunter orange wool material. Johnson Woolen Mills lists it, but hasn't had it in stock for almost a year.  I was lucky and got a manufacturer to part with 2 yards of their material, they are not interested in making a habit of this.

In fact, I have had a lot of trouble finding any hunter orange fabric that isn't synthetic.

I washed the 2 yards in warm water at high agitation and dried it hot to "full" it. Cut it to a length good for me and bound the cut ends with brown wool tape (not totally needed but helps make orientation easy in the dark. I have been out in pouring, cold, rain with it as its 1st test, it kept my upper body and most of my legs, as well as my lock, shot pouch and horn, all warm and dry.

[Brokennock]

I saw a gentleman on Instagram just recently with a blaze orange matchcoat, that he’d acquired for hunting in his blaze orange state. For cooler temperatures it would seem ideal to me...if I could find a source for a blaze orange blanket. I’ve also seen guys with blaze orange waistcoats that they’ve either made or had made, to satisfy hunter orange requirements. I take the simple route and just throw on a blaze orange vest...until I come up with a better option.

Greg

That would be me. Lol.
See above that I was typing while you posted. Lol

[Mike from OK]

I've been struggling with the period correct dress versus state hunter orange law dilemma for a long time. I have seen hunter orange waistcoats (often winds up an under layer in cold weather) for early squirrel season I dyed a white period shirt "safety orange" (did not come out as bright fluorescent as the law might like, and same issue in cold weather), an orange "liberty cap" or, if you know someone who knits, an orange Monmouth cap is an option. I also had One Blanket Traders make me a hunting frock or rifleman's shirt with an orange cape.

However I recently came upon my personal best solution yet, for colder weather....
A wool hunter orange "match coat" to go over whatever period dress I happen to be wearing....









The difficulty was getting a few yards of hunter orange wool material. Johnson Woolen Mills lists it, but hasn't had it in stock for almost a year.  I was lucky and got a manufacturer to part with 2 yards of their material, they are not interested in making a habit of this.

In fact, I have had a lot of trouble finding any hunter orange fabric that isn't synthetic.

I washed the 2 yards in warm water at high agitation and dried it hot to "full" it. Cut it to a length good for me and bound the cut ends with brown wool tape (not totally needed but helps make orientation easy in the dark. I have been out in pouring, cold, rain with it as its 1st test, it kept my upper body and most of my legs, as well as my lock, shot pouch and horn, all warm and dry.

Excellent solution.

Mike

[Greg Pennell]

I saw a gentleman on Instagram just recently with a blaze orange matchcoat, that he’d acquired for hunting in his blaze orange state. For cooler temperatures it would seem ideal to me...if I could find a source for a blaze orange blanket. I’ve also seen guys with blaze orange waistcoats that they’ve either made or had made, to satisfy hunter orange requirements. I take the simple route and just throw on a blaze orange vest...until I come up with a better option.

Greg

That would be me. Lol.
See above that I was typing while you posted. Lol

I thought you were a member here as well, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember your handle. I mostly hunt in Kentucky now, and our hunter orange requirements are only for the modern rifle and muzzleloading deer/elk seasons...there is no orange required for small game, unless you’re in the field during rifle/muzzleloading seasons.

I have a rifleman’s frock from One Blanket as well, and was thinking of making a removable or reversible cape for it, along with a blaze orange toque to meet the requirements.  A white cotton work smock dyed orange might get me by, provided I can get the dye to cooperate. Red won’t do in Kentucky, blaze orange is specified. I like your solution, even if I have to settle for a synthetic blend blanket.

Greg

[EC121]

If you do a search for "blaze orange fabric", there are number of sites selling cotton and wool fabric.   AsbellWool.com is one that showed up.

[Greg Pennell]

If you do a search for "blaze orange fabric", there are number of sites selling cotton and wool fabric.   AsbellWool.com is one that showed up.

I’ve been sorta looking on Amazon as well, searched for “blaze orange blanket”, and came up with some possibilities.  I’ll make do for now, and continue the search for next season. Thanks for the tip on Asbell Wool, I’ll check them out too. I’m thinking I might sew up an orange waistcoat for early season hunts, and the matchcoat idea for colder/inclement weather to cover all the bases.

[EC121]

Asbell sells a wool pull-over made like a hunting shirt, but they don't show it in orange.  However, they are small family operation and might make one.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I have a blaze orange weskit on one side that reverses to dark green on the other.  Pockets and buttons on both sides.  The orange side works for our skwerl and rifle season.

[Sparkitoff]

Great ideas!

[Brokennock]

I went out this morning in 20 degree temps with 8 to 12 mph winds, and period clothing and footwear. That matchcoat is the best idea I've had in a long time...










Fact is, if one is only concerned with a period look and style, more than concern for material, Walmart sells a precut piece of hunter orange polyester fleece that should work as is. Not sure if it will block wind and shed rain as well as fulled/felted wool though.

[alacran]

Done 4 period dress hunts in KY. They have been in postage stamp parcels of land about 260 acres.  We just put on large commercial blaze orange vests over our clothes and blaze orange toques. while hunting. take it off at camp.
If I'm hunting by myself, I'm hunting not reenacting.