Tested: The Spiker hunting jacket for kids from Ridgeline


My middle boy Cal shot his first deer wearing his Spiker jacket.

I am lucky enough to be the father of three boys who all love their hunting. Obviously that is something I want to encourage, so I try to make sure they enjoy themselves as much as possible while they’re out in the field. Making sure they’re comfortable and protected from the elements is a key to keeping the boys happy in the bush. If they’re cold, wet and miserable, they’re not going to want to be there – and who would blame them? That’s where making a sensible choice when it comes to clothing is important.

Buying hunting clothes for kids can be problematic. You want them to have good quality, properly fitting, functional gear, but you don’t want to pay the earth for it either. Kids grow quickly and while handing items down to younger siblings can be cost efficient, kids generally won’t get more than about two seasons out of any one piece of clothing. Thankfully I found the perfect solution at the Ridgeline stand at last year’s Melbourne SHOT show: the Spiker jacket.  I walked away with three of them, one for each of the boys, and they have proven to be the ideal choice.

As its name suggests, the Spiker jacket is especially designed for junior hunters (a spiker is a junior deer, get it?). They are available in sizes ranging from 4 to 14, and are constructed from quiet, peach skin finish fabric finished in the famous Buffalo camouflage design – perfect for deer stalking, duck shooting, and just about every other type of hunting in Australia. The Spiker jackets have a lightweight lining and are fully seam-sealed, waterproof, windproof and breathable. They have two zip pockets with flaps, velcro adjustable cuffs and, importantly, they have a hood attached for keeping cold wind off young heads and necks.

The Spiker jacket is perfect for keeping junior hunters comfy in the field.

Since I brought them home, my kids have pretty much lived in their Spiker jackets. They have accompanied the boys on many early morning and late-night rabbit shooting sojourns, fishing trips, duck hunting expeditions, and deer stalks.  My middle boy Cal shot his first deer back in August while wearing – you guessed it – his Spiker jacket. To say we’re all very pleased with the jackets would be an understatement. If I could make one suggestion for an improvement it would be that the zips, while sturdy and substantial, are a bit too fiddly for really young kids – but that only a very is a minor grizzle.

With a recommended retail price of under $100 these jackets are eminently affordable. If you’re looking to kit out the junior hunter in your life, they are well worth considering.

Spiker jackets come in sizes ranging from 4 to 14.

 

 

 


Like it? Share with your friends!

What's Your Reaction?

super super
16
super
fail fail
10
fail
fun fun
8
fun
bad bad
6
bad
hate hate
4
hate
lol lol
2
lol
love love
20
love
omg omg
16
omg

0 Comments

Send this to a friend