I bought these from a fishing shop in Victoria, assisted by the most wonderful guy who knew everything about these gaiters. I am not a hunter, nor really a fisher, but I am an extreme bush bashing hiker. Took these bad boys on a 4 day trek through the most severe Australian bush... the adventure took us through thick 6 foot gorse, blood thirsty hakeas (needlewood), and of course snake Central for the whole course. Not only did these gaiters provide 100% peace of mind as we struggled the terrain with 20kilo packs on our backs, but they provided the barrier to our legs as the rest of our bodies got scratched, bruised, and tortured. To say I love these gaiters is an understatement - I want to take them out to a fancy restaurant, buy them nice things, and spend the rest of my life with them.
Whoever designed these, knows EXACTLY what they are doing. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, love your work. If I could give them 100 stars on the review, I would.
I have had a bino defender for years, its a shame the Apex doesnt have the clear plastic window inside the flap like the defender does, which I used for my ballistic table. I woukd have preferred the standard size, but had to but the magnum to get the small ammo case, as I already had the rangefinder case. The main reason I updated to the Apex is that the elastic straps on my old defender had lost its elasticity. I’m hoping the same doesnt happen to the Apex.
My 11 year old son received a pair of Boulder pants for his birthday along with a pair of Maverick boots and to complete the outfit an Eclipse Tee.
On our first trip it all performed awesome, we snagged a ripping 150kg old boy boar 🐗.
The pants and tee get worn around the house all the time as they’re so comfortable.
He loves them!
I’ve used this jacket for around a dozen trips in alpine and sub-alpine areas of the Mackenzie basin, and it has become an essential piece of gear due to its amazing weight to warmth ratio. It compresses to a tiny bundle, so is always easy to pack.
Breathability is way better than I expected, and I’ve found I’m able keep it on longer when climbing than other jackets. It’s also super-fast to dry when it does get sweaty or rain wet.
The outer fabric is almost completely silent and somehow balances breathability and wind-resistance perfectly. The lining is magic – I don’t know how they can generate this level of warmth with such minimal material!
The slim fit suits me well and means less flapping in windy conditions.
It also layers well underneath other jackets when you need to add a rain shell or extra insulation when glassing in winter.
This is a super versatile jacket, small enough to chuck in your pack just in case you get caught out, and really high performing in a range of conditions year-round.
This top is super great for being active in. I can very comfortably walk in this, it moves nicely with you with no pressure points when wearing a pack. Can open the zip to cool down if needed but in alpine conditions I have found it to be just right. When layered with the Acclimate hood it is very warm to sit around in. I enjoy it not having a hood as this can be annoying with two layers on.
Super light when carrying this, also packs down nicely.
I find that if it gets sweaty it dries out super quick and doesn’t make me cold.
Very happy with this top.
I have mostly been using this outer layer in Autumn/Winter in alpine conditions. It has quickly become my go to jacket for most trips that I do.
It is super quiet and not rustley, so great for hunting. I find that when I get warm as I am walking, unzipping the front is enough to keep me at the right temp due to it being pretty breathable. It’s plenty warm enough when layered up (with Acclimate top) to be sitting around in.
One of the main reasons I reach for this jacket is because of its weight and packability. I find it is very easy to stuff into a gap in my pack. It's super lightweight but doesn’t compromise in terms of warmth.
I am super happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a warm, light jacket. Great all round piece of gear for hunting.
Pro : I luv the feeling and snugness of the jersey ..
I just wear it casually haven't tried it in full cold just yet ..
Con : hood part .. covers eyes need a hat so you can see .. apart from that all in all an excellent jersey
Thanks for the great review, we're stoked you’re loving the snug feel. We’ve noted your comment about the hood sitting low and will pass it on to the design team. Appreciate you taking the time to share!
Brought these for work - damn comfortable with soft material. Should have got some more. Great work Hunters Element
Surper tuff bashed my way through black berry and gorse for a few hours last night am so glad i had it keeped me warm dry and not all cut up. i highly rate it best jacket i have now
The top is nice and warm and breathable. Great for autumn hunting. I however hate the long loose sleeves ( even with big arms) and got the missus to shorten them. I get that it is the style but everyone i ask says the same thing. I like the top so much i have two and had both altered.
I love this top. I have the orange camo one which means i dont have to where a cap on days that a bow hunt and the face coverage is great for a bit of extra camoflauge. Breathes well and protects you from the sun on hot days. Definitely my favourite of the shirts.
Really good quality. Comfortable fit and great style to look good for the deeries. I would like some more pockets on the arms or a sleeve pocket( good spot to keep your release) but not a deal breaker
Great all year round, we use this as our uniform for the full building team on site.
We had our logos done etc, the team have both the black and green. Highly recommended!!
Best backpack system for hunting, I have the 25 and 40L big one to pack for camping and small one for day trips 👌🏼👌🏼
Right off the bat, the quality and feel of this jacket is top notch (as always from HE), I've not tested it a lot yet but from the looks, it'll serve well.
A few things to note from my brief time with the jacket:
1) This is NOT an ideal top layer if you're busting brush or making your way through rougher terrain, the outer fabric is soft and pleasant to touch but doesn't feel strong enough to withstand abuse, maybe used as an insulating Midlayer instead.
2) The fit is a little smaller than other HE jackets I have, almost as if to facilitate it's use as a Midlayer.
3) Aside from a very nice inner fabric and the insulating qualities, this is a barebones jacket built for purpose without many bells and whistles.
Given 4 stars due to these facts but this is still an amazing quality jacket, just know what to expect.
Thanks for the review! We're happy to hear you’re impressed with the quality and feel of the jacket.
You’re right that this isn’t built as a tough outer shell for bashing through the bush. It’s designed for open country and alpine hunts where keeping weight and bulk down is key, making it an ideal insulating mid-layer. The fit is a little slimmer than some of our other jackets, which is intentional to ensure it works seamlessly in a layering system. The design is purpose-built with a focus on high-performance materials over extra features.
We really appreciate the detailed feedback, hope the jacket serves you well in the field!
Great packand perfect for a day hunt. Comfortable to carry and enough usuable space for essentials. Quality seems quite good. Only minor criticism would be the space for water bladder is not the best design.
A very good product and very warm, if there was one thing I would add, it would be a zip pocket for a phone.
Light cool pants however the tiny fly zip gave up fourth time wearing them. Pockets are not deep enough to hold a phone securely, pant hem is to tight to go over decent hunting boots.
