Stealth Gear (1 Viewer)

Hi

Has anyone had experience of The Stealth Extreme Rural photographer’s range of clothing. Currently I use my walking clothing Paromo jacket and trousers.They are lightweight but I do get cold hanging around and they are not really ideal for crawling along or lying on the ground.
I know the Stealth gear is expensive but they seem ideal and lots of pockets for bits and pieces as well.

Thanks for your help

Charlie

No experience but your query piqued my curiosity so I googled and ... this review may help?

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/stealth-gear-extreme-rural-photographers-jacket-14810

Hi Steve

Interesting enough this is a very good read and sums up what the Stealth website says about there clothing. I always prefer independent reviews for that honest point of view. It was that good I asked myself does Dave Tucker work for Stealth. I shouldn't be such a sceptic. Good article of what appears to be a good product. Thanks for the link Steve, appreciated.

Charlie

Got the trousers and am very happy with them. Will certainly have the jacket when my current one falls apart.

Thanks Phil.

The clothing does look good quality. Are they OK when you have to get on your knees or crawl about.

Nice Blog.

Charlie

They are pretty decent but over-priced, check out www.fishtec.co.uk
and www.bushwear.co.uk for superb gear at much lower prices, we get all the hunting/birding/fishing people up (Scotland) and i'd say most buy from these places as they have been around for years so quality is spot on, and they make real camo gear. I was talking to a very well known wildlife photographer recently over at bird/nature reserve who actually gets Stealth Gear free for promoting them etc but he always wear Bushwear gear as its better for the job LoL cheeky sod?

Charlie Sargent said:

Thanks Phil.

The clothing does look good quality. Are they OK when you have to get on your knees or crawl about.

Nice Blog.

Charlie

Click to expand...

Dont bother with the knee pads myself, but the knees and other critical points are well reinforced. Plenty of pockets and so on, the detachable gaiters are handy this time of year, and with the many adjustable bits and vents I find them very comfortable.
Only drawback is that being lined they may be a bit much for the warmer seasons-I got mine early October and on one day when I went for the Stiffkey Olive Backed Pipit, the exertion out on the salt marsh and the warm sunshine meant I got a bit too warm. Was nice in the evening when the sun had dropped though.
Basically I intend to use the Stealth Gear in winter and wet/windy/muddy conditions and wear my Craghopper Kiwis during the Summer.

Claymore said:

They are pretty decent but over-priced, check out www.fishtec.co.uk
and www.bushwear.co.uk for superb gear at much lower prices, we get all the hunting/birding/fishing people up (Scotland) and i'd say most buy from these places as they have been around for years so quality is spot on, and they make real camo gear. I was talking to a very well known wildlife photographer recently over at bird/nature reserve who actually gets Stealth Gear free for promoting them etc but he always wear Bushwear gear as its better for the job LoL cheeky sod?

Click to expand...

Thanks Claymore. I will check these out.

Charlie

Phil Bishop said:

Dont bother with the knee pads myself, but the knees and other critical points are well reinforced. Plenty of pockets and so on, the detachable gaiters are handy this time of year, and with the many adjustable bits and vents I find them very comfortable.
Only drawback is that being lined they may be a bit much for the warmer seasons-I got mine early October and on one day when I went for the Stiffkey Olive Backed Pipit, the exertion out on the salt marsh and the warm sunshine meant I got a bit too warm. Was nice in the evening when the sun had dropped though.
Basically I intend to use the Stealth Gear in winter and wet/windy/muddy conditions and wear my Craghopper Kiwis during the Summer.

Click to expand...

Thanks Phil
I met a man yesterday wearing the jacket with just a fleece on underneath. He said he was warm so the clothing must be really warm in the summer. So I think you are right great for the winter and maybe an alternative for the summer unless you remove layers of clothing and unzip the arms.

Charlie

Stealth gear is very good quality and is very warm to wear. As others have said though, a bit too warm in summer!

A word of advice though, avoid the Photographers Vest. Reputedly "designed by photographers, for photographers" is VERY hard to believe unless they were all film users. For digital users it's an expensive joke as the main front zip trashes your rear screen, even with soft protectors fitted. You will need hard screen covers at least and will need to remove them to view your images after only a few uses. Really bad design.

They are also long in length, it's a one way front zip and there are no side zips or vents making it difficult to access under jacket or trouser pockets. With a spare body and a couple of lenses in the pockets it also makes hide sitting uncomfortable unless you unzip it completely. The pockets are not waterproof as stated either when fully expanded, it gets into the cargo pockets through the gaps at the sides. Just where you carry the spare body and lenses!

All it needed was a 2 way front zip, and/or two side zips/vents, a simple storm flap on the front and an addititional inch or so of material on the front face of the cargo pockets to give a fold-over seal Barbour style and it would have been the business. Pity.

As an avid vest user for over 50 years it's the most expensive blunder I have ever made.

Denis.

I have the full four piece XL suit, bought last September for £200 all in, sadly not available at that price any longer. Sizing is a bit odd. I'm a generously proportioned 5'11" (almost ). The fleece and jacket fit me perfectly. The vest seems rather roomy. The trousers are absurdly long. I've been wearing the jacket through most of the winter, swapping to the fleece on dry and slightly warmer days. As of last weekend I've worn the vest each day, all day on Sunday at the British Wildlife Centre and two days this week for walking the dog.

There are small improvements I'd like to see in jacket and vest, but I'm happy enough with them both of them, and the fleece too. I've worn the trousers only a couple of times. The features are good, but the size is just daft for me. They are best worn over boots and tucked up inside at the bottom. The crotch also ends up a little low (because my "waist" is beneath my belly instead of over it. That means lots of hitching them up when clambering about over styles or even just climbing up a bank or steps. Not a deal breaker, but plenty of room for improvement to be made.

It's good gear, and at the price I paid it was a steal, but I would try before you buy, if you can. I bought online, simply because the price was so good. If I'd tried the suit on prior to purchase I might not have gone ahead. The trousers are that daft in fit. I doubt very much that you can mix and match sizes if you buy the suit. Unfortunately I didn't bother asking. Maybe you can.

As for zips and rubbing on cameras....

- I've never been aware of a problem with the zip wrecking my camera;
- If you have a long lens fitted then the prospect of the zip rubbing on the LCD screen seems slender;
- If you use an R-Strap or similar, as I now do, the zip is irrelevant. The camera won't touch it.

Here's the jacket, with cameras worn underneath! As well as two cameras on a double R-Strap I also have a third on a Cotton Carrier vest.