Field Gear

    You spent the summer tuning up your Lab and your shooting eye. You’ve repacked the wheel bearings on your boat trailer and replaced those worn decoy strings. But you’re not ready for duck and goose season until you check out these products for the field, marsh, boat and blind.

Avery Migrator M-2 Ground Blind
Dry-land goose and duck hunters will appreciate the newest ground blind from Avery Outdoors. At 22 pounds, the Migrator M-2 features a redesigned frame that folds in half for easy toting on the back via shoulder straps. The folded blind is 31" (l) x 37" (w) x 8-1/2" (h). Set up, it is 84" x 36" x 19".
    I asked my veterinarian, Dr. Steven Schmitt, an avid waterfowler who is familiar with Avery’s Finisher ground blind, to check out the Migrator M-2, which comes in Mossy Oak Shadow Grass. His assessment: “Although larger and roomier than the Finisher, it’s designed for the average-size man and not for a tall fellow. It should have a lower profile (like the Finisher), and I think it could be lighter and more durable.” On the other hand, Schmitt gave the Migrator M-2 high marks for comfort, concealment and protection from wind and rain, and he praised its portability.
    Avery does provide nice touches to its ground blinds. The Migrator M-2, which sells through dealers for about $300 to $330, comes with a headrest, a gun rest, adjustable flip-open top flaps, an adjustable padded seat, face flaps to eliminate shine, zippered flagging ports, and side loops for attaching cornstalks, stubble or other vegetation. Initial set-up time is 30 to 45 minutes; with practice, this chore can be reduced to three to five minutes.
    Avery Outdoors, Inc., 800-333-5119; www.averyoutdoors.com.

Pro Ears Stalker Gold
If you’re over 50 and have been shooting most of your life, you probably have some hearing loss. By now you may have hearing aids (as I do), and you probably wear earplugs when running a chain saw or other loud machinery. You know the deal: You want to hear better; you want to protect what’s left against further damage. A line of high-quality, muff-style electronic hearing protection and amplification products called Pro Ears can help. Customers of the US-made products include construction and demolition workers, law-enforcement personnel, range shooters and hunters. I’ve been testing the Pro Ears Stalker Gold model for several weeks, and I’ve decided that they will be going into the duck blind with me this fall.
     Why? Two reasons. First, they don’t  cut out when a shotgun blast or other loud noise erupts in your ear. A microprocessor built into the ear cup requires only 1.5 milliseconds to compress noise impulses beginning at a safe 70 decibels. The technology—which carries an NRR (Noise Reduction Rating), as determined by federal regulations, of 25 decibels—eliminates “dead spots,” allowing the wearer to hear everything while being fully protected. Second, the sound quality is tremendous. Whether distant or near, sounds are clear and crisp with no distortion. Wearing my hearing aids, which are adjusted for human conversation, I can’t hear high-pitched sounds like singing warblers. With Pro Ears, I hear virtually   everything.
    The Stalker model, with its chop-side ear-cup design, is ideal for shouldering a shotgun. Features you see and feel include leather ear seals and an adjustable padded headband. Pro Ears are also light, weighing only 10 oz with a pair of “N” alkaline batteries (included) in each ear cup. What you don’t see is the military-grade microprocessor built into each cup. When you turn on the volume controls, the unit makes a five-second diagnostic check of all electronic components. If anything is wrong, the unit won’t activate. Automatic shut-off occurs after four hours if you forget to turn the volume knobs off. A series of beeps lets you know when the batteries, which last about 100 hours, are wearing down.
    Speaker and microphone factory settings are “Low” for both sensitivity and gain. Sensitivity helps dampen high background-noise levels and increases lower-level sounds such as conversation. Gain refers to the distance at which sounds are received. To fit individual needs, you can change these settings through an internal set of connecting pins on the circuit board. For example, changing the speaker level to “High” and leaving the microphone setting on “Low” is helpful for those who need more amplification for conversation but don’t want to hear distant sounds. I know of no other hearing-protection device that boasts this feature.
    The Stalker Gold carries a five-year warranty and costs $309.95 in green color (add $20 for Advantage MAX-4 HD or Pink RealTree camo, if that’s your style). It includes a mini jack for connecting a radio, CD, MP3 player or other electronics.
Pro Ears, 800-891-3660; www.Pro-Ears.com.

Fitted ColdGear from Under Armour
Athletes throughout the world know about Under Armour performance apparel. Football players, mountain bikers and other sports enthusiasts rely on the company’s plethora of high-tech garments to keep warm, keep cool and stay dry while participating in the most strenuous activities. A small number of UA products are now keyed to the hunting market, and recently I had the chance to test a couple of new offerings in the ColdGear line, recommended for temperatures below 55° F. All ColdGear apparel features a double-sided fabric that wicks moisture from the skin and circulates body heat. These garments are ideal for layering beneath jackets, trousers and waders.
    The company designs some of its shorts, leggings, shirts and other products to fit the body in one of three ways: Fitted, Compression or Loose. The leggings and long-sleeve crew-neck shirt I tried were in Fitted style, and they felt just right—not too tight or loose but rather contoured and therefore relaxed against the body. UA’s Flatlock seam construction feels smooth and eliminates those ridges that leave marks on the body when sitting and also prevents chafing. I appreciated the Raglan sleeve construction, because it didn’t interfere with my shotgun mount and follow-through. The garments rely on 95-percent polyester and 5-percent Elastane (like Spandex) to provide four-way stretch to improve mobility and speed drying time. They come in five colors and are available in sizes Small through 3XL. Price: $54.99 each (leggings and shirt sold separately).
     I also tested a long-sleeve Camo crew neck in Compression fit, which molded to my body like a second skin. Frankly, it was too tight for personal comfort. I felt claustrophobic and experienced a bit of heartburn, probably because I have a hiatus hernia (I don’t wear turtleneck shirts or sweaters for this reason). I’m sure that others appreciate the snugness. This garment is made from 66-percent nylon, 19-percent polyester and 15-percent Elastane. An added feature is ArmourBlock, a technology that suppresses odor by neutralizing the microbes that cause it. The shirt is available in three licensed camo patterns, comes in sizes Small through 3XL, and costs $57.99.
    Under Armour, 888-4-ARMOUR; www.underarmour.com.

Helix Waterfowl Wader from L.L. Bean
Give credit to the hunting-wear product designers at L.L. Bean. They are literally “boots on the ground,” and the innovations they keep coming up with continue to impress and delight. Consider the new Helix Waterfowl Waders, which have only six seams, resulting in about 50-percent less chance of leaking than many other brands. Bean’s patented Helix Technology wraps the wader leg in a spiral (helix) pattern that not only reduces the number of seams but also makes the waders stronger than standard construction. Further, instead of sewing in fabric to improve movement in legs and knees, the articulation is built into the fabric itself, which is four layers thick and breathable. The layers trap heat but allow moisture to escape.
     These are reasons why I expect the prototype Helix waders I tested over the summer to provide neoprene-type warmth this late fall and winter without the restrictive, too-tight feel of neoprene. For added insurance, there’s 1,200 grams of Thinsulate insulation in the boot-foot bottoms. Quick-release web suspenders attach internally and are arranged close together to allow mobility and clean gun mounting. They connect to a rubber yoke that comfortably distributes weight across the shoulders. Extra features include a neoprene belt that quickly adjusts via plastic cinch buckles and a pair of stretch chest pockets for calls. Zippered side pockets are handy for gloves or handwarmers. Color: Mossy Oak Duck Blind. Whole men’s sizes 8 to 13. Weight: 7 pounds (in size 11). Price: $399.
    L.L. Bean, 800-221-4221; www.llbean .com.