Having a Field day
Nick Ridley tests three of Browning’s Field range – jacket, trousers and vest
Regular readers will have noticed that my passion is walked-up shooting over my cocker spaniels. I also regularly beat on a couple of local shoots, so, as you can imagine, my clothing requirements are quite specific. Unlike Guns who are standing at a peg and are pretty immobile, my form of sport means that I am always on the move and this generates a certain amount of heat. As such, I need my shooting apparel to not only be able to withstand the rigours of bramble and blackthorn but it also needs to be breathable.
Jacket
Over the past few months I have been trialling the Browning Field jacket, vest and trousers and have found them to be pretty well perfect for my needs. The jacket is made of what Browning calls a dry wax material, which is like a soft canvas and as tough as old boots. Despite weeks of being dragged through some pretty hard-going cover it stood up really well. You won’t need telling how wet the winter has been and the Field jacket with its water-repellent coating has proved to be very efficient at stopping all the rain I have encountered penetrating the outer material. I have yet to wash the jacket, so that will be another test. There is a second layer of waterproofing and of watertight, windproof and breathable techno-material that Browning calls Pre-Vent. This has been developed to resist against rain, snow and wind while remaining breathable and comfortable, a necessity for me. The jacket has a couple of hand-warmer pockets along with two generous bellow pockets, which
“The jacket material is like a soft canvas and as tough as old boots”
have securable flaps to hold them open for easy access to your cartridges. There is also a game pocket at the rear of the jacket and though you would struggle to get a cock pheasant in it, I have found it useful for carrying a water bottle or priest. It has reinforced elbows and shoulder pads plus pockets for Browning’s Reactar anti-recoil pads, which I haven’t used as my 20-bore doesn’t have much kick.
Trousers
Many of you would have experienced the difficulties of climbing over fences, fallen trees and gates when wearing leggings, trousers and over-trousers. I have and that has encouraged me to look at trousers that cover all bases. The Field trouser is made of the same material as the jacket and is classed as water-repellent rather than waterproof. The lower leg is reinforced to help deal with tough cover. I have worn the trousers with a pair of gaiters and they have proved to be comfortable and pretty good at keeping out the wet stuff. There are two hip pockets and a front leg pocket, which I haven’t found useful as it doesn’t have enough bellow to put anything sizeable in it. They are mesh-lined, which helps to wick away any moisture.
Vest
I have only worn the Field vest a few times as it is more suited for warmer weather and early in the shooting season. It is made from the same material as the jacket and trousers and is again classed as water-repellent. There are a couple of hand-warmer pockets and two good-sized front bellow pockets. There is also a removable game carrier pocket, which can be accessed from the front as well as the rear; this is deep enough for a few gundog training dummies or a pheasant or two and because it is removable it can easily be kept clean. There is an adjustable waist strap so if you do want to wear it over a fleece or light jacket, you can adjust it accordingly.
All in all, the Browning Field kit has ticked all the boxes and I can see it getting plenty of use of the coming years.