Fall Gear Updates

No new Ptarmigan's this fall. Looks like Columbia is getting out of Upland

As a retailer, I depend on my manufacturers and vendors to do what they say they’re going to do so I have inventory to sell come fall. The way it typically works is I place my fall season orders in the preceding December-January timeframe. The manufacturer then makes the products through the spring and summer and ships them to me around July – just in time for the bird season ramp up that starts in earnest in early August. So it was a little disconcerting when Columbia Sportswear emailed me in July (around the time I’m expecting to receive my Columbia order) to tell me that they were only shipping a fraction of what I ordered – and none of the key pieces like their Ptarmigan Jacket and their Grouse X Vest. Apparently, they didn’t have enough demand, so they decided not to manufacture the orders they did have. Its unfortunate because Columbia does make some great gear – the Ptarmigan is one of my favorites. Over the last couple years, I’ve watched them scale back their upland apparel assortment – and my gut tells me they’ll be exiting the upland business altogether very soon. In a nutshell, don’t count on any more Columbia upland products. And if you have your eye on one of their pieces, I’ve only got a few remaining from last year’s inventory – so act quickly.

Awesome pants for $46

On the flip side, Browning is actually expanding their upland assortment. They took over the Bird’n Lite brand (strap vest, traditional vest, jacket and pants), and added a couple other great pieces this fall. After close inspection, these other pieces (Cross Country Pro Upland Pants, Cross Country Pro Upland Jacket) may be THE best value in pants and jackets on the market – I’m very impressed with them, and as soon as the weather turns a bit, I’ll be putting them to the test.

This is a lot of jacket for only $79

Both the pant and the jacket are highly water “resistant.” The folks at Browning tell me they are essentially waterproof, but the legal department wouldn’t let them make that claim. They’re also wind-proof for you South Dakota-bound hunters.

Finally! Non-PF branded vests are now in stock

I also finally got my hands on some non-Pheasants Forever versions of Browning’s traditional Upland Vest and Upland Jacket. A lot of people love the PF logo on their attire, but others don’t have that affinity – and I now have non-PF vests available for you!