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Jack Pyke Waterproof Clothing

Jack Pyke Waterproof Clothing

Over the last 20-years, Jack Pyke have built a solid reputation for producing quality products at very good prices and I’ve heard good reports of their gear from several retailers; I was therefore interested to actually try some of their clothing myself.

I own all sorts of camo, waterproof gear; from all manner of military surplus to up to date civilian types. The items I’ve been trialling are the ‘Hunter’ jacket, trousers and matching baseball cap. There’s no point wearing non-waterproof gear, no matter what the weather, as it’s bound to rain at some stage, so the Hunter gear was right up my street.

Starting with the jacket, in this case in ‘English Woodland’ camo, it’s made from what Jack Pyke call their ‘Stealth’ Breatha-tex fabric, which is 100% brushed tricot polyester and very soft to the touch, yet very strong. This material produces a lightweight jacket that won’t rustle when you’re in the field and the waterproof laminated membrane ensures that the wearer remains dry when it’s pouring down, yet perspiration is allowed to escape during normal wear. There’s nothing worse than feeling clammy because you’re wearing something non-breathable.

The lining is a brushed mesh material made of polyester and taffeta (which sounds very posh!), so it’s not itchy like some jackets. Up front, there are two large bellows pockets that have flaps with elasticated pockets for five 12-bore cartridges. These are a very handy way of keeping some spare ammo to hand and the flaps can be used either inside or outside of the pockets. Should any water get into the pockets, they both have an eyeleted drainage hole at the bottom. Two, angled hand-warmer pockets are above the bellows pockets and they can be secured with press-studs. A hood is concealed in the collar, which is handy, as there’s nothing worse than rain running down your neck and into our coat when the rain is really heavy. All in all, a very nice jacket design, although it’s a shame that there aren’t a couple of internal pockets for wallet or mobile phone. Being lightweight, they are ideal for all year round use, using a fleece as a base layer when the temperature drops.

Leg It!

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The trousers that match the jacket are made, as you would expect, from exactly the same material. They feature two side pockets and another two on the thighs. There are no belt loops, as the waist is elasticated and adjustable via a push-toggle style clamp. To make getting them on and off easy (over boots if necessary) the leg bottoms are zipped, nearly to the knee, with a press-stud halfway down and there’s a Velcro style closure at the bottom, to make them a more snug fit over boots. The trousers are comfortable to wear and can be worn over other trousers if required in the winter.

We had some pretty lousy weather earlier this year but I try not to let it stop me getting out after foxes. On one particular night I very nearly didn’t go to the farm but seeing as I had these items to test, I thought I’d venture forth anyway! I’m pleased to report, that despite the torrential downpour, I remained warm and dry. The ankles did get fairly muddy after walking a few miles around the fields but it didn’t seem to stick to the material too badly and the rain washed most of it off anyway. The in-built hood came in handy too, which I cinched down over the matching baseball cap with the drawstring.

Conclusion

This Jack Pyke wet weather gear really works in keeping the British weather at bay, so it’s thumbs up from me. The jacket and trousers are available in the English Woodland (as tested), English Oak, Wildlands and Hunter’s Green, so there’s a pattern for most situations. The jacket is available in sizes XXS-3XL and the trousers, S-3XL; the baseball cap is one size fits all.

Prices:


Hunter Jacket: £69.95;
Hunter Trousers: £49.95;
Baseball Cap: £8.95

Contact:

Jack Pyke of England, www.jackpyke.co.uk

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