Field Gear

When the time comes for choosing gear and then packing it, the traveling sportsman has three concerns: Do I need it? Do I have room for it? Is it easily portable? These new products satisfy all of the requirements.

Otis HardCore Hunter Cleaning System

Why wait until you return home to clean your guns when you can take along the HardCore Hunter Cleaning System from Otis Technology? This compact, soft-pack case comes with a zipper and belt attachment. It weighs only 9 oz and contains 26 essential items for cleaning shotguns from .410 through 10 gauge as well as rifles, muzzleloaders and pistols from .17 to .50 caliber. For shotguns, the breech-to-muzzle system includes 12- and 20-bore brushes, a brush adapter, a small supply of 2" and 3" patches, a pair of patch savers, a 30" flexible cable, a micro-fiber lens cloth, and a 5-oz tube of solvent.
The patch saver forms a large knot that varies in size as it travels down the bore, to ensure thorough cleaning. This slick design eliminates the old method of sliding a patch through the slot in the cleaning-rod tip. Step-by-step printed instructions for cleaning all types of firearms come with the kit and are repeated on a mini CD, also included. Suggestion: Photocopy the illustrated component list (you’ll be lost if you lose the original).
I used the HardCore Hunter to clean my 28- and 12-bore doubles and was pleased with the result. Much thought went into the design of this product, which is available in Mossy Oak or Realtree camouflage. Price: $68.24.
Otis Technology, Inc., 800-684-7486; www.otisgun.com.

Galco Travel Slip

Why pack an old, ratty soft case for your gun when there are so many handsome ones on the market? None is more functional or stylish than the Travel Slip from Galco Gunleather, which has been making high-quality shooting accessories for 40 years. If you want the absolute best, buy the company’s Leather Gun Slip for $595. However, at $180, the Travel Slip affords good value, and it’s a full $80 less than the Canvas & Leather Gun Slip ($260). To my eye, the only difference is that the latter comes with a handle and shoulder strap of leather.
The Travel Slip is dark khaki with chestnut leather trim. Available for barrel lengths of 28", 30" and 32", the case is made from cotton canvas twill and has a liner of acrylic fleece to protect the gun from scratches. The shoulder strap is sturdy cotton webbing with two rubber tracks to prevent slipping. You can remove the strap and use it for a shotgun sling. Galco designed the leather nose cone to fit both side-by-side and over/under guns. Sturdy brass rivets and hardware, including a D-ring for hanging, assure many years of use. The slip is water resistant (not waterproof), folds nicely for packing in a suitcase or duffel, and weighs a tad less than 2 pounds. A full-zipper model would be nice for those times when a gun must be sheathed wet and the case opened later to dry.
Galco Gunleather, 800-874-2526; www.galcogunleather.com.

Browning Cross Country Windcutter Gloves

When it comes to shooting accessories, you know how it is with personal favorites. I finally had to retire my long-loved Browning shooting gloves that I bought a few years ago. Too many wet days in grouse woods and hot, sweaty days chasing pheasants did in the gloves, which eventually shrank and began to smell. Now I’m trying the company’s Cross Country Windcutter Gloves, which are almost nimble enough to wear while typing this report. A pair in size Large weighs less than 3 oz, the gloves slip on and off easily, and I like the elasticized wrist snuggers and the extra 2" of forearm protection. You might not appreciate the latter touch on the range, but you’ll be glad for it when you wade through greenbrier in search of bobwhite quail.
The fabric is a combination of nylon and leather, with Browning’s Windcutter insert to make the glove windproof and breathable. The palm features smooth leather sewn to suede to provide a sure-grip feel. The back contains pigskin leather across the knuckles and extending well into the thumb. About 10 percent of the glove is Spandex panels sewn throughout to promote articulation. In summary, this is a high-tech glove that shouts “dexterity.” Nowhere is this more evident than in the trigger fingers, where Browning has applied Sensi-Flex Technology to more than 17" of stitching in each (left-handed shooters will applaud). Color is a handsome khaki/dark chocolate, and sizes are Small through 2XL. Price: $38.
Browning, 800-333-3288; www.browning.com.

Beretta Field Bag

Looking for a carry-on bag that can double in the field or blind or on the range? Beretta has a smart, sharp-looking new offering in its dry-hand Waxwear collection. The leather-trimmed Field Bag floats—even when loaded with six boxes of shells! Dimensions are 17" (l) x 11" (h) x 12" (w). Checking in at 3 pounds empty, the newly designed bag has pockets galore. The center cavity has front and back envelope pockets. On one side is a roomy, full-length divider pocket with six elastic shell loops; the other side sports a 6" x 7" flap pocket with zipper. Contents are secured via a one-pull, two-track zipper and Velcro flap fastener.
Similarly, the outside pockets are well thought out. One end has double zippers to protect four-way dividers inside. The other features an insulated bottle pocket with brass drain. There’s more: One side has a double zipper and is an “office” organizer with a padded cell-phone pocket, a D-ring/snap for keys, and a zippered heavy-duty pocket for other valuables. The other side offers even more storage and comes with a single zipper. A generous top flap buckles to the side with two plastic snaps. Other features include brass hardware; a padded, ambidextrous shoulder strap; a leather carrying handle; three shell loops on the lid (for those in-the-blind moments when you need more shells quickly); and a leather ID tag. My only nitpick with this otherwise superb product is the strap webbing, which appears a bit flimsy for years of hard use.
Color is spice brown or loden green. Price: $155.
Beretta USA Corp, 800-237-3882; www.berettausa .com.

Hunting Socks from Darn Tough Vermont

Socks for life? You read it right. Darn Tough Vermont offers an “unconditional lifetime guarantee” on its all-weather performance wool socks. Ric Cabot, president of the 30-year-old company, says, “If our socks aren’t the most comfortable and durable socks you’ve ever owned, return them for your money back.” Cabot gets few returns. Abrasion lab tests show that most socks fail at 4,000 to 6,000 rubs; Darn Tough Vermont socks have lasted up to 30,000 rubs.
I’ve been wearing the Hunting Model 1461, which goes over the calf and stretches to the knee (if you prefer, you also can fold it over your boot knot), and I can’t recollect ever having a more comfortable fit and feel. That’s largely thanks to the use of fine-gauge, shrink-treated Merino wool, which comprises 70 percent of the fabric. The rest is four-ply nylon (26 percent) reinforcement—for abrasion resistance in the heel, toe and foot bottom—and Lycra Spandex (4 percent) for stretch.
The Hunting Model comes with mid-foot support, to prevent bunching and slipping, and a deep heel pocket to eliminate blisters and hotspots. Of course, wool naturally breathes, so it is cool in summer and warm in winter. Wearing the socks next to my skin in August heat, I was nevertheless surprised at how comfortable (itch-free) they felt. The Model 1461 is ideal for cold-weather waterfowl hunting or late-season upland gunning, especially when wearing taller boots. Color is charcoal or green. A pair costs $22. For warmer weather, consider the Model 1460 ($20). It’s a mid-calf sock with a little less cushioning on the foot bottom. Colors are charcoal or green, and sizes are Medium to XL for men and Small to Large for women.
After taking a spill in your waders or slogging through pouring rain all day, a spare pair of dry wool socks rates right up there with a hot shower and a magnum motel drink. So I’m ordering a second pair.
Darn Tough Vermont, 877-327-6883; www.darntough.com.

3M Thinsulate Thermal Insoles

Give 3M credit for innovation. In Fall 2010 the company that brought us Post It notes will offer its well-known Thinsulate product in a removable insole for footwear. One wonders why 3M didn’t do this sooner. It certainly makes sense for those winter days in the duck blind or on the shooting range when we need extra warmth in waders and boots.
An early pair I’ve been testing shows great promise. Six size options from women’s 5-6 to men’s 13-14 will cover most footwear size options. The four-layer insoles are light (size 11 weighs 3H oz for the pair). The top layer of abrasion-resistant fabric contains wicking fibers to keep down odor and moisture. A comfort layer of foam that conforms to the foot sandwiches this top layer and the Thinsulate product itself. The bottom layer has more foam to absorb shock and transfer moisture.
3M, 800-328-7098; www.thinsulate.com.