Modding new hunting clothes?

[rcmodel]

Anyone else do this as soon as you get home from the store?

I bought a waterproof camo goose down parka a few years ago.
The hood was attached to the jacket with four cheap snaps.

So every time you turned your head or looked up?
The hood came off the coat and you were getting wind, snow, & water down your neck.

I sewed the hood on with a leather stitching awl.
Lost some waterproofness, but it don't come loose every time you move your head anymore either.

Latest was a insulated zipper Hoody this year.
It had a large gap where the zipper ended and the draw-strings begin!
So, I made a button hole loop out of paracord shell, and sewed a large button on the other side to close the gap.

Also added spring loaded draw-string clamps so you don't have to tie it in a bow-knot to keep the hood closed up around your head.

Then, one of the draw-string islets pulled out of the cloth the first time I washed it.
So I had to whip-stitch it back in place.

Then, I always center the hood draw-string in the hood and sew it in place in the top of the hood so it stays centered from then on.

Anyone else do stuff like this to new hunting clothes before you even wear them much???

 

[CraigC]

That's pretty slick! I usually think of things like that to do but never remember to actually do them.

 

[Bobson]

No, but that's a good idea. Probably will in the future.

 

[OYE]

Clothes mod

The "speedy stitcher" goes to every hunting camp. And several spools of top stitch polyester thread and needles. All get used every trip.

The #5 zippers go bye, bye, on all the fleece jackets and replaced with #10 's.
They eventually get replaced with 10's on the sleeping bags also.

Same with most of the heavy pull over wool sweaters. Make them a zip up with
#10's.

I bought one coat with a snap on hood 30 years ago. It got caught on every limb while on horseback. It got confined to barn use
till it was rags.

Suspender buttons on all the hunting pants that don't have them.

On lightly insulated pants, add buttons for military polyester "button in"
insulation for that freak cold snap.

Add buttons for military insulation on the new German military surplus goretex bibs and sew in pockets instead of the pass throughs.



Modify the British military field jackets with "button in insulation and add a few buttons on the inside for the US military arctic hoods. The button holes on the outside match the US Hoods. For daily use around here in the winter bitter cold winds or for the dry cold in the high country. Theirs have a much tighter weave and shed snow quite well and better pocket scheme.

Modify military Alice packs with velcro closures in all the outside pockets so little stuff doesn't fall out and replace the metal rear strap buckles with quick release.

Seam seal all pack boots with "plastiseam".

We modify about everything and make quite a bit of stuff.

RC do yourself a favor and pick up a decent sewing machine. You can actually get a pretty good new one for about 100-120 bucks. I can clue you in to one and how to set it up with heavy duty thread for big jobs (there are some tricks to it) if you want. Not all brands will sew slow and and will handle heavy jobs. And no we don't sell them.
Best OYE

 

[rcmodel]

RC do yourself a favor and pick up a decent sewing machine.

I (the wife's actually) has a real good one stashed in the back of the closet.

But for little stuff like this, it is too much trouble to get it out and figure out how to thread it up and use it again.

If I can't sew it with a needle & thread?
Or a Speedy-Stitcher for the heavy stuff?

I use a bottle of Formica contact cement & Rapid-Rivets.

rc

 

[OYE]

Made our first wall tent with a speedy stitcher. 9 ft. x 18 ft. with 5 ft. walls.
28 lbs.. Still have it and still doesn't leak. Don't use it much anymore as it's a bit big and a bit cold. Made out of poly tarps many years ago. Cost was less than 100.00 including the stove jack.

And 4 sets of canvas panniers, 3 still in use. Double thickness of 20 ounce cotton canvas glued together. Tough sewing for that old speedy stitcher. Can't buy equipment like that though. Nobody makes anything that heavy. OYE

 

[V-fib]

Latest was a insulated zipper Hoody this year.
It had a large gap where the zipper ended and the draw-strings begin!
So, I made a button hole loop out of paracord shell, and sewed a large button on the other side to close the gap.

did that earlier this year on a camo bug jacket. Without the button it left a 3"x3" hole for the mosquitoes to get at my neck and bite.

v-fib

 

[rcmodel]

Gotta wonder if whoever designs this stuff knows what bugs or winter wind is?

If the did, they wouldn't leave open gaps like that!

You can always lower a zipper if it pinches your tender neck.
But you can't zip it any higher it it leaves a 2" gap under your chin!

rc

 

[sage5907]

rc, I hate zippers because they will always fail when you need them most. Several years ago I bought a hundred military OD snaps and when I buy a new jacket or coat I put a line of snaps down the front. They work great because if I am carrying things around my waist like a canteen, ammo and knife I can unsnap two or three snaps at the bottom and have the coat fit over the items.