Stalking suit – Nomad

Rebecca Green (Sporting Shooter editor) tests Nomad’s stalking clothing to the max on a hunting trip at the Ardnamurchan Estate in the Scottish Highlands

As the professional stalkers from West Highland Hunting greeted us on our first morning at the Ardnamurchan Estate, I knew that in selecting my Nomad kit I’d made the right clothing choice for our trip. For these professional stalkers, and many others like them, Nomad UK is the gear of choice thanks to its superior warmth, breathability, comfort and most of all, longevity: this kit is seriously hard-wearing. The Highlands can be a harsh environment, and the team at WHH would choose nothing else to protect them from the elements.

For me, it was the first time I’d had a chance to wear the Stalking Salopettes and the Hooded Quadrider in the environment for which they were really designed and I can see why the professionals are such fans.

Firstly, the extra coverage offered by the salopettes makes them a far superior option to trousers when crawling around the Scottish hillside in subzero temperatures, or on days when the rain is horizontal and it’s blowing a hoolie. My salopettes have reinforced areas on the knees and lower legs, adding to their durability. They kept me super-warm, comfortable and protected. Most of all, without worrying about being exposed to the elements, I was free to concentrate on the task in hand – stalking.

The lightweight, durable double-layer fleece system is silent when walking/crawling and features a hydrophilic/ hydrophobic waterproof, windproof and breathable laminate – all of which means you stay warm, dry and undetected.

The high front of the bib includes a deep zippered pocket at the front (big enough for keeping binoculars or documents in), with two zippered entrances at the back so you can easily access the pocket, while the rear of the salopettes is high enough to protect your kidneys.

The legs are gusseted below the knee with an internal flap which expands the leg to make the salopettes easier to put on over boots. The legs are then secured by studs and a grip lock, so no need for gaiters. They didn’t ride up at all during use.

I wore mine with the Hooded Quadrider in the same fabric, but in the Stealth Tweed design that is so popular in the Higlands, offering perfect camouflage against the unique hillside colours. This garment has a protective ‘fish-tail’ flap at the rear, a large hood which can easily be worn over the top of a hat (as I did) and a large single chest pocket for binoculars.

The combination of the two couldn’t have been better for my hillside stalk. And even better, at the end of the day any mud could just be hosed off while I was still wearing them! I have since worn the same combination on a very chilly minus five degrees lowland stalk and was equally comfortable, although it is worth noting that there are other colour options more suited to lowland use.

If you do a lot of stalking in the Highlands the Nomad UK kit really is an investment you won’t regret and it will potentially last you a lifetime.

RRP: Hooded Quadrider £340; stalking salopettes £350

CLICK HERE to go to the Nomad site