Hunting Clothing

[GH1]

I need to buy some lightweight clothing for a late Spring hog hunt in LA. I was thinking about Redhead Lite, but I'm concerned about it's comfort and durability, given it's this polyester construction. Does anyone have any experience with this stuff?
I'm also considering going to the local military surplus store and buying some summer weight jungle camo fatigues, but I'm concerned the camo pattern doesn't resemble the area I'll be hunting. Does this make a difference? Or will anything that breaks up my outline be adequate.
GH1

[Land_Owner]

Hog eyesight is not so good; near sighted I think.  Their hearing and sense of smell though make up for any lack of eyesight. 

The latest camo pattern that matches the terrain is only Manufacturing hype to increase their price.  You don't need it.

Public Land hunters must wear bright florescent orange (in some states).  If you stalk quietly with the wind in your face, you can, sometimes, stalk to within 10 YARDS before taking a shot.  I don't recommend this in the middle of a sounder of sows and young boars though.  At the shot, they tend to run in all directions, sometimes in your direction and the only place for you to go then is straight up!

So my thinking and experience is to wear comfortable clothes, even street clothes of muted color and earth tones, properly unscented by washing in baking soda or other suitable sport's wash, and florescent orange if it is required.  Sight in your rifle, practice using a steady rest, gain confidence in yourself as a shooter, and the rest will fall into place nicely.  Aim small, miss small.  Hog hunting is FUN.  Enjoy it.  Shot placement is the key to takin' home the bacon.

[SHOOTALL]

I have only hunted hogs once and wore Carhartts bibs , same outfit I deer hunt in . I have never felt that i was seen because of clothes . MOVEMENT will give you away before a red shirt will .And clothes that make un natural sounding noise will alert game.

[bilmac]

I can't believe all the clothes the sporting goods sales outfits seem to be selling. Does everyone have to buy clothes to hunt in because all they have in the closet are suits? I can maybe see bowhunters or other closeup shooters wanting some camos, but I just don't understand why the big stores fill half their space with clothes.

[GH1]

That's what I needed, some good, practical advice from folks with experience. Looks like I'll be heading to the surplus store.
Thank you gentlemen.
GH1

[SHOOTALL]

cause people buy it . Why are bass plugs different colors ? do fish see the tops ? they see the bottom and like with jitterbugs most are white or black on the bottom with a few yellow . Around here people who don't hunt wear it more than hunters . Guess its like old Willie Nelson said its easy to tell a real cowboy he has the tennis shoes on.

[bilmac]

And a baseball cap.

[351 power]

watched the show myth busters the other day and they were testing the scent lock clothes trying to fool blood hounds. the old hound had no trouble finding the guy hiding. wonder if it was new stuff? or if the boots were clean? that scent lock clothing sure gets advertised alot

[SHOOTALL]

I would go with a boonie hat in the FL sun , ears get burned to easy 

[GH1]

Yeah, if I'm going to be in the sun for any length of time I'll usually put on a do rag or bandana. I'm half bald with a crew cut so my head burns easily, and sunburn is no fun at all.
GH1

[squirrellluck]

If LA stands for La as in Louisiana I suggest you invest in a quality bug suit. Our mosquitoes are legendary and they big too! I may stretch things now and then but not about our blood suckers. Late spring here is prime season for skeeters. Study up and ask around. Bug suit you will not regret it

[Lloyd Smale]

cammo patterns matching suroundings is more of a marketing ploy. Any cammo pattern will work. Keep in mind that hog hunting is a hunt that you will be standing around much if any so dont over dress.

[GH1]

 Yes, it is Louisiana. I don't doubt the severity of the mosquitoes, along with ticks, chiggers, gnats, snakes, and other undesirables I can't think of at the moment.  I was planning on loading up the insect repellant, but perhaps I'll look into a bug suit. I'm a little concerned about the odor of bug spray, but if I hunt the wind it shouldn't be an issue, I wouldn't think.
 I'm sure it's going to be pretty warm, that's why I was thinking of the Redhead Litle line. But summer weight surplus camo is light as well, and it's not polyester so I'll probably go with it.
Anyway, thanks again for all the advice guys.
GH1

[Land_Owner]

Use permethrin not bug spray.  Permethrin kills the insects without giving away your position.  Bug spray just drives them away AND gives away your position.  Search for "permethrin" on GBO.  I have posted many threads on it.

[pastorp]

For me, hunting clothes means my oldest jeans & shirt.   . Cotton rules in hot weather.

Regards,

[squirrellluck]

As far as permethrin goes I have no experience with it. I will have to try it. In spring the bites concern me less than being able to breath. The bottoms I hunt are covered with skeeters. No exaggeration There has been times I left because You couldn't breath without getting them in your nose. In years past my grandfather talked of cows dieing from suffocation caused by the little buggers. I don't know but papaw didn't lie that I know of. If you decide against a bug suit at least buy a headnet of some type just in case you need it. I hunt some in the spring and use a head net to keep them out of my face, nose and mouth. If you are hunting the hill country they aren't bad at all just in the wet bottoms. Oh, you will have fun though down here. 

[Land_Owner]

Skeeters along the coast and within the wetlands/woodlands of Florida (not unlike Louisiana) are prevalent.  So are No-See-Ums, chiggers, ticks, ants, yellow flies, horse flies, biting flies, house flies, spiders, etc.  I wear a boonie cap, mosquito head net and cotton gloves along with my hunting clothes, whether cotton, denim, or canvas.  I saturate my hunting gear in permethrin (0.50% [or a little hotter] solution) and let it dry.  I watch the little dead bug bodies pile up on the tree stand seat.  Makes the day so much nicer.  The next day I can pretty much shed the mosquito netting and gloves.  The flying and crawling bugs are nearly all dead near the tree stand for about two weeks.

[Junior1942]

Speaking from the perspective of a Louisiana bottomland hunter & hiker, these guys have given you some great advice.  Here's my additions:

It's hard to find, but buy unscented skeeter spray.  Regular spray smells like a French w---- and I know what a French w---- smells like.  For ticks and chiggers, pull up your pants legs and spray your socks and boots. Then lower your pants legs and spray them from cuffs to up past your knees.  Ticks and chiggers hang out on weeds and bushes waiting for an animal to stroll by and rub against the weed or bush.

Don't wear blue jeans or anything blue.  Hogs have dichromatic vision just like deer.  They see everything in green and blue and shades thereof.  A pair of blue jeans against a green, wooded background stands out like a neon light when seen through dichromatic eyes, especially in the sun.