January 16, 2019
By Lynn Burkhead
From bibs and jackets to base layers to scent reducing duds, there were plenty of new bowhunting clothing options for hunters to eyeball at the 2019 Archery Trade Association trade show.
The same holds true on the hunting boot side of things too, with plenty of eye-catching examples of new hunting footwear for whitetail and big game hunters next fall.
Here’s a first look at what we found at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
Browning Hells Canyon CFS Rain Gear With its widely known Hells Canyon big game and whitetail hunting lineup, the folks at Browning have added yet another great item to the Utah company’s clothing lineup for 2019.
Advertisement
Thanks to the new Browning Hells Canyon CFS Rain Jacket and Pant, a downpour or a chilly windstorm can be held at bay by hunters on the side of a September mountain as the elk bugle or in a November treestand as the rut kicks into high gear. With waterproof and windproof fabric, fully taped seams, storage pockets, harness access, and easily packable into a pocket, this lightweight, waterproof, windproof option belongs in every bowhunter’s pack!
Heybo Renegade Softshell Lineup Known for their technical waterfowl clothing, the folks at Heybo Outdoors have several items that will get the attention of bowhunters in 2019.
That includes the Renegade Softshell Jacket, a quiet and warm garment perfect for early- to mid-season hunts up north as well as all season-long sits down south and in milder spots like Texas. Constructed of 100-percent poly fleece, this hooded jacket features a wind blocker material, lower side zip pockets, a left chest zip pocket and a full YKK zipper. The Renegade Softshell Vest is similar, minus the sleeves of course.
Advertisement
The Renegade Softshell Pant rounds out the lineup thanks to its fleece lining and side and waist pockets. And like the two pieces mentioned above, the pant comes in Realtree Timber, Realtree Edge, Mossy Oak Break-Up Country, and Mossy Oak Bottomland camo patterns.
Irish Setter Vaprtrek Boot Irish Setter ’s Vaprtrek family of men’s and women’s hunting boots has been fully updated for 2019 with such old and new features as ScentBan scent control, UltraDry waterproofing, Primaloft insulation, Flex-Point Leather Reinforcement, and ArmaTec XT abrasion resistant coatings.
With even lighter overall boot weights, tough midsoles and nylon shanks, better traction, quick-dry linings, and more durability, these Irish Setter boots come in Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo and are perfect for chores around camp, not to mention sits in whitetail treestands or spot-and-stalk missions out west during next fall’s big game bowhunting seasons!
LaCrosse Alpha Agility Rubber Boots With the affordable and ultra-light Agility Rubber Boot Series new for 2019, these LaCrosse boots feature a special lightweight yet amazingly tough outsole material, hand laid premium rubber, and the warmth of 5mm neoprene upper material. Add in camouflage patterns that include Realtree and OptiFade options, along with non-insulated and insulated versions (800 or 1,200 grams of Thinsulate), and the Agility Boot from LaCrosse is easy on the debit card and high on quality!
SITKA Gear Fanatic Lineup Fans of the Bozeman, Mont. based SITKA Gear company might recognize the name of the well-known cold weather and late season Fanatic whitetail hunting system and wonder what’s new in 2019.
Put simply, everything, as whitetail project manager Chris Derrick, acoustics expert James Black, and renowned whitetail deer biologist Dr. Karl Miller have teamed up with a host of others to give the Fanatic lineup a total redesign from the ground up.
With an emphasis on cutting detectable sound by a huge margin as well as maintaining warmth and rugged durability, the new Fanatic jacket – which now offers both right-hand and left-hand versions – bib, vest, and even a unique pack use a new Berber material that gives a crisper OptiFade pattern in the woods. With movement of the Berber material locations and the addition of some whisper-quiet fabrics in key places likes sleeves and edges, this deer hunting lineup of clothes is quiet, warm, and resists picking up cockleburs.
Add in lightweight, midweight, and heavyweight base layers, a new Fanatic hoody, and a new beanie, and there’s much to like and consider purchasing before next season’s cold weather and late season whitetail hunting arrives. And with a complete version of the Fanatic lineup available for women hunters, it’s a year of more ATA Show home-runs in the clothing department thanks to the folks at SITKA Gear.
LaCrosse Navigator Boot Series With the Windrows and Atlas families of the Navigator boot lineup from LaCrosse , these lace-up boots feature premium outsoles, great traction, great fit, rugged construction, and plenty of warmth, dryness, and durability where it counts. With reinforced heels and toe areas added in, whichever family of boots you choose from LaCrosse, the new Navigator series is sure to help bowhunters in the whitetail woods or out west this fall when it’s time to go hunting!