# Columbia Stealth Shot II Pants & Jacket Review



## mdhall (Oct 12, 2012)

When I began my search for a new mid-season hunting jacket and pants I needed two things more than anything else: material that was both water-resistant and quiet. I don’t plan to hunt in torrential downpours, but I would like a durable water repellant (DWR) to shed light rain and dew. I say mid-season to relate to the majority of the United States, but in South Georgia these are late winter clothes. It rarely drops below freezing, even in December.






I found the new Columbia PHG Stealth Shot II jacket and pants online and I knew from the looks I had to try them out. The jacket has a very athletic look and fit, it zips all the way up to the chin without a hood.  Which is good because I didn’t want a hood. A hood prevents me from seeing in all directions and it also makes a lot of noise when you move around, shielding your hearing as well. Both the jacket and pants are equipped with Omni-Shield, Columbia’s brand of DWR that sheds light rain and is quite resistant to stains. Like I said before, a DWR isn’t going to totally protect you from the rain, but an outright rain suit would be bulky and loud, something I did not want. As a test I splashed water from a cup on the sleeve of my jacket and it rolled off of it like water on a duck’s back.





The Stealth Shot II jacket and pants are also equipped with Omni-Heat. It’s basically like wrapping yourself in one of those emergency foil blankets, but without all the noise and its breathable. The Omni-Heat layer looks like a bunch of tinfoil dots on the inner liner, but is surprisingly soft. I’m talking suede soft! The best part about these pants and jacket is you can pretty much ditch another layer of clothing because you won’t need them. So, goodbye thermal underwear! No more itchy legs and chest. Thermal underwear probably alerted more deer to a hunter’s presence than anything else in the history of hunting. I know I couldn’t ever sit still when I was wearing them, no matter how warm I was. The Omni-Heat layer reflects up to 20% of your body heat back to you, but since it is breathable, it allows moisture to escape.






I ordered an XL in the pants, and I am 6’3, 225 lbs with a 38â€³ waist. I could’ve probably gone with the large, but the waist is adjustable so I’m able to get it tight enough to be comfortable, even without a belt. The pants also have what feels like a silicone band around the inside of them that is soft, but sticks to your skin to not allow your body heat to escape. It also is pretty good at holding my pants up without a belt. There’s also a ton of zippered pockets lined in a soft fleece-like material that will keep your hands warm and also store a lot of stuff. These pants have the capacity to carry as much gear as a pair of BDUs but without the bulky cargo pockets. All of the pockets are low profile with silent zippers that lay flat and won’t open unless you actually open them. The bottom of the pants feature a zipper to the top of the calf and also velcro fasteners to keep your pant legs from riding up if you wear them inside waders or knee boots. A boot lace hook on the inside of the pants will keep them from riding up if you like to wear your pants legs over your boots as well. Two heavy duty snap buttons and an extra-long zip fly are easy to fasten and also comfortable to wear.



The jacket is my favorite by far. It’s really comfortable to wear and even though it has a really athletic look, I probably could’ve gone with the large. I ordered an XL in the jacket as well because if I ever leave Georgia to hunt again, I might need to wear a few layers under it. The jacket offers velcro-adjustable sleeve cuffs and a waist-line, draw string for tightening the bottom of the jacket. The same 100% polyester silent material with Omni-Shield also repels water just like the pants. The Omni-Heat lining is amazingly warm in comparison to how light the jacket is.




If you’re looking for a new mid-season hunting jacket and pants, the Stealth Shot II pair from Columbia PHG is definitely the pair for you. They are available in Realtree AP and Mossy Oak Break-Up Infinity. These aren’t Wal-Mart pants that are going to rip after the first time you take them hunting – these are premium hunting clothes. I’m talking on the Sitka Gear level, without the ridiculous price tag. If you’re thinking about a new Sitka jacket or pants this year, you should definitely try on some Columbia PHG first. You could save enough money on both to buy enough beer to last the entire hunting season!





And you can get them cheaper on Amazon: http://goo.gl/8fWtC


----------

