Your clothing is your first line of defense against hypothermia and hyperthermia. I’ve preached that gospel many times.
Here are some clothing items from Beretta that have worked out well for me.
by Leon Pantenburg
Disclaimer: Beretta is an affiliate on Survivalcommonsense.com, and the company provided the products reviewed here. Nobody from the Beretta company, or anyone else, had any input in this review. This is all my opinion and all I ever promise in any product review is a fair shake.
The old cliche’ is that there isn’t bad weather, just bad clothing choices. Wear cotton denim jeans on a wet, cold campout, and you’ll learn all about bad choices. Or wear a dark nylon shirt that doesn’t breathe in the hot desert and you’ll learn a new definition of misery. Effective outdoor clothing starts with choosing the right fabrics for the environment.
Those are among the reasons that I’m picky about my outdoor clothing and boots. Beretta has come out with a line of summer outdoor wear, and I checked them out this summer in the Oregon Cascades and high desert. Temperatures in the desert were often blistering hot in the high 90s, and nights in the mountains could get nippy. Here is what I found.
FYI: I’m 5’10” tall, weigh about 188 pounds, 32-33″ waist and wear a 16-1/2 x 34″ dress shirt.
BDU Pants
These Beretta BDU pants were used hard over the summer.
I have worn BDU pants for years. After my time working for the U.S. Army, I ended up with several sets of woodland camo BDUs. I like the design and my hunting protocol became based the BDU pockets. In my right thigh pocket, I keep a map and compass. The left thigh pocket has a bandana or two and an Altoids survival kit, hand wipes and other stuff that ends up there. My Swiss Army knife or multi-tool is in a belt sheath. Generally, my sheath knife and other cutlery rides in the daypack.
Here are the specs of the pants:
“Shock-absorbing” kneepads (not included) pockets, Canadian buttons, cargo pockets and drawstring regulation on the bottom guarantee maximum functionality. The pant can be combined with the BDU Field Jacket, the Vic Fieldtac Shirt and Miller Polos.
Details:
- Elastic waist regulation
- Belt loops
- Closure with Canadian buttons
- Large cargo pockets, side and back pockets
- Kneepads pockets with Velcro
- Articulated Knee
- Drawstring at the bottom
- Fit: Regular Fit
I wore these pants on several hikes and campouts, and there are several aspects I like very much. The elastic waist regulation is great if you are fighting the COVID weight gain! But it also allows the comfortable inner layering in colder weather. The Canadian buttons took some getting used to, for me, but they work fine.
The waist and Canadian-style fly fasteners work really well.
The articulated knees are wonderful when you’re clamoring over rocks, fallen trees or other obstacles. They keep the knees from binding and pulling down the pants in back. I require sturdy belt loops on outdoor pants, since my pockets get stuffed with rocks and plants when I’m out doing the hunter/gatherer thing.
Shirts: The two hot weather shirts I tried out were excellent. They were worn in the Oregon high desert on hot days, and in the Mississippi swamps when the heat and humidity made me question my sanity for being out there.
In my position as a canoe guide, I need hot weather clothing more often than something that is warm.
Here’s what I look for in a hot weather shirt:
- Quick drying material
- Long sleeves that cover the back of my hands. These might seem too long for most people, but when paddling a canoe or kayak you don’t want your wrists to get sunburned. The roll-up option is also nice when the sleeves need to be out of the way. The sleeves can be buttoned up to just up over the elbows.
- Shoulder room: Paddling requires a lot of upper body movement and you don’t want the shoulders to be too tight and bind. Shoulder areas should be loose and roomy.
- Ventilation: Both shirts have mesh openings on the back and under the arms to allow air to circulate. This is great – instead of soaking your shirt with perspiration, the moisture is dissipated quickly. The evaporation adds to the coolness of the shirts. I love this option.
Vic FieldTac Long Sleeve Shirt
The day was really hot, but the FieldTac shirt stayed cool. This is what it looked like when I took off my daypack.
Beretta redesigned their top of the line shooting shirt. The lightweight cotton poplin shirt features a cape mesh back for excellent air movement. The light mesh goes all the way around the front of the shirt, to give better air movement where it is really needed.
The fabric is lighter with added moisture wicking to keep the wearer comfortable when the pressure or temperatures heat up. The right hand shooting pad features diamond stitch embroidery. Left hand security pocket.
Details:
- Hidden button down
- Buttons and Velcro closure
- Chest pocket with two compartments
- Pocket with zip closure and pen holder on the sleeve
- Roll-up sleeves
- Fit: Regular Fit
The shirt stayed much better smelling that the guy who wore it. The “wrinkle-resistant” claim appears to be true. Mine wrinkled, but that was because I rinsed it out in the river, wrung it out and hung it on a bush to dry. The wrinkles disappeared when I wore it.
On a hike in the Oregon Cascades, the day was really hot, and I worked up a sweat hiking on a steep incline. But the shirt stayed dry everywhere but where the daypack rode. It was amazing how cool the shirt felt. Long sleeves, FYI, IMO are the best best bet for sun and insect protection.
The Storm Shirt is made with lightweight, breathable and anti-UV treated material, has a hidden button down collar and two chest pockets. This shirt has a back opening to increase ventilation and breathable mesh under the armpit to increase freshness on warm days.
Details:
- Hidden button down neck.
- Hidden snap buttons closure.
- Front applied cargo pocket with double compartment, one with flap one with zip.
- Back opening with mesh for ventilation.
I wore the Storm Shirt on a recent deer scouting trip in the Mississippi swamps. Ostensibly, the plan was to cut some shooting lanes from deer stands, do an inventory of needed repairs and come up with a list of needed repair materials. As often happens, that became the excuse for a ramble. The mosquitoes were evident, the humidity was high, and I was walking through brush. The sleeves were rolled down to combat the bitey, stinging bugs. The shirt stayed reasonably dry from me sweating in it. Nothing could mitigate the humidity!
The shirt worked as well as could be expected under the circumstances, and I was glad I wore it.
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Thanks for sharing!
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