Budget vs. Premium has become a rather heated, multi-pronged debate in the outdoor world today. The advancements in technology has brought with it a flood of advanced hunting gadgets. From clothes to optics, weapons and gear, the entire market has been blessed with new creations that past generations never dreamed of.
All of them claim to make the consumer a more successful hunter: rifles with max effective ranges of over 1,000 yards, optics with near perfect clarity, and clothing that makes the wearer both invisible to game and impervious to the elements. Advertisements, pro staffers, TV show hosts, and even average consumers swear that their gear is the key to success, but is it? Is there a point of diminishing returns when buying increasingly expensive gear? Are we better off spending thousands of dollars on actual hunting experiences? There are those on both sides of the aisle who will not be swayed.
Throughout this article, I'm will try to approach the debate as scientifically as possible. What I will share is my experience from testing, destroying, and buying thousands of dollars worth of gear, clothing, optics, and weapons. I won't cover everything, but instead focus on four of the major types of gear that can be had at a budget or a premium: clothing, packs, optics, and rifles.
I really think past generations would laugh themselves silly at the way some modern hunters feel about their clothing. Hunting clothing has become as much a fashion statement as a practical choice to some. The real allure of expensive hunting clothing should be its performance in the field. Is it durable? Does it handle bad weather conditions well? Do the 12-ounce puffy jackets and rain jackets keep the user warm and dry despite the conditions? Is it going to allow me to hunt longer and more effectively? Does the camo pattern render the hunter nigh invisible in any terrain? In my experience, technical hunting clothing enjoys great advantages over budget clothing. Materials like polyester, spandex, merino wool, hydrophobic down, synthetic insulation, nylon, and other advanced textiles are just better at dealing with the elements. Well designed pants are more comfortable to hike in, truly waterproof raingear is the difference between getting soaked and staying dry, and an advanced puffy jacket will keep a hunter comfortably warm in temperatures disproportionate to its weight. Budget hunting clothing is heavier, cotton is miserable when wet, and cheap rain gear eventually leaks or soaks in bad conditions. These are just the scientific facts, but do they justify the cost? That is an individual question. Personally, I never imagined paying a premium for hunting clothing until I started bivy hunting. When most of my hunts occurred from a truck or cabin, my budget gear never left me wanting. My first use of merino base layers, premium packable rain gear, technical pants, and a down puffy jacket on backpack hunts convinced me that premium clothing was for me. Continued testing confirmed my preference. These preferences have come from testing gear to failure; if it fails, it gets replaced. In the end, I'm left with gear that I know will allow me to stay on the mountain and hunt effectively in any condition. Camouflage patterns, I believe, are a matter of personal preference, not life and death. While I believe that a good outline disrupting pattern makes an appreciable difference in some situations, it doesn't determine what I buy. In the end, how much is spent on clothing should be determined by individual wants and needs. Backpack and bivy hunts definitely demand better gear. Day hunts from the truck may not. Either way, technical hunting clothing will outperform budget clothing every time; whether or not it is worth the cash is up to you.
Hunter Bigelow - Utah
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