Anyone have used the King of the Mountains wool hunting clothes, such as the Bowman Jacket and bibs?
Any comments,
JL
:archer2:
The bowman jacket is awesome!
ya very nice stuff
KOM wool is amazing.
The bowman jacket will keep you warm no matter temperature and when wearing KOM bibs together, fantastic !!!!!
I swear by KOM wool garments.
.......Philip
Since the late 80's.
Any more questions?
I wouldnt trade my KOM for anything!!!
i have a kom bowman jacket and have a love hate with it,love the warmth,wicking,and windblocking ability,hate to drag it trough the woods,get it dirty and such..nothing but good for the garment but the coat cost as much as some pay on a house payment...mine is to warm for me,ill be trading for some windblocker clothing soon...but good stuff
I have used my Kom staff from a Montana 40 below mountain lion hunt to 25 years of elk hunting in the Rockies,the staff looks still brand new,best clothing I ever bought.
Bowman coat is the best hunting garment that you could own.Had mine since 2002.Still like new.
Pants, jacket, vest,hats, gloves, gaiters, yes I use it, bought it over several years, should last the rest of my life time if the waist line doesn't get any bigger.....
I have a Bowman jacket, it's my go to top layer once the temperatures get under 45 degrees F. Very well made.
Great stuff, I've had mine for 10 years. Bowman is top of the line for cold temps.
I have a lot of KOM, shirts, jacket, bibs, etc. Good stuff. So is Autumnwood and Gray Wolf woolens. Patterns are a little different, but it's just as good. Costs about the same as well.
Try Silent Predator,the prices are much better,sewn in Canada,and Bernie Parson is a great guy to deal with. I have alot of KOM stuff, it is nice but from now on it's SP for me. Unless that is you find some used stuff and don't have too deal with the KOM people,there customer relations stink!!!!!!
Yup. Love KOM since 1993
I have a bowhunter jacket. Excellent! I agree Bernie Parsons is a great guy to do business with. You can feel comfortable with Bernie P.
Had the Bushman jacket,nice but not worth the money you pay.
I respectfully disagree:the quality of KOM wool and the construction of the garments is just excellent, and it works--I mentioned this in another thread, that wool has the amazing quality of being non-reflective, much like animal fur. As far as the price of admission--there are many synthetic garments available these days which cost as much but don't do nearly as good a job of keeping you warm, and undetected, and enduring all of it well. KOM is worth it as is Sleeping Indian, as is Gray Wolf wool. If you can find it used, it is the best investment in hunting clothing you can make IMHO.
I have owned KOM since the days of King Cavalier, if I recall his name correctly. I still wear them every year and they have held up well. The bunwarmer pants have been patched by me as they take the most abuse from briars and such. For stand or still hunting in eastern woods, KOM is great. If on a backpack hunt, the weight of wool and the need to be warm when sitting still for hours is not needed.
Great stuff...my Bowman jacket is sooo warm that I rarely use it. Mostly use trapper shirt, vest, and bibs. Been using the same stuff for nearly 20 years...divide that into the cost! What I do find helpful is a layer of quiet wind stopper fleece for wool. Also keep mine outside all season...tippit
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/tippit/Huntinclothes.jpg)
By far, KOM garments are the best that can be had. As mentioned earlier,non reflective like animal fur and so warm. I have found that I can stay out hunting longer because of it's warmth also.
Price of admission may be high but it will last for many many years. I swear by it.
..........Philip
Agree with much that has been said. My only complaint is the weight of the coat and bibs.. Heavy if you have a ways to walk or pack..
I love your "Closet", Tippit...I don't think I can do the same and get away with it unscathed, I have all kinds of critters around my place, from field mice to Biggy Bears!
PS. Thanks for all the comments...after reading the first few, I really felt like a goof ball, didn't think the KOM on the classifieds was the acronym for the product!
JL :archer2:
Iron Man,
As others have stated; King of the Mountain (KOM) is top quality gear. I bought my first KOM product, a Bushman Shirt in 1992. I grew out of the shirt a few years back and passed it on to my son, who continues wearing it today. KOM is pricey but well worth the investment.
That is some inventory, Tippitt!
Best Ive used.
If you are packing with synthetics on, and run into an emergency situation, you will wish you had KOM, or other good wool. I've been in the CO mountains with it for miles and miles. It's not heavy or problematic when you layer and dress correctly. Everyone compares to wool, it's the gold standard for a reason.
I do stay away from anything with a liner though for packing. Breathes better and dries faster.
I've been in downpours with KOM and base layers never got wet. Amazing stuff.
It's the only set I have had to buy for 20 years of hunting. I wear for everything, out west for Elk, Texas for hogs, MN for whitetail. It still has not lost it's shape or fit and still looks like brand new.
I have alot of King clothing and love all of it, been using it for over 10 years now and it still looks great.
i have the bun-lite pants and a bushman shirt. great products!
You get what you pay for. When you can pass down these woolens to your GRANKIDS, anything else is false economy, IMO.
I'm not as infatuated with KOM as I used to be. I own several pieces and as I've become more objective, I may be liking it less. It can be bulky for one and may inhibit some archery movements. The weave is not very tight, or at least not as tight as other high quality wools can be, so definitely not wind proof (like most wool). It does tend to shrink and yes, I do know the trick of stretching it when it is wet. I have gone through several XL Bomber hats that started out big enough, only to shrink beyond me being able to wear them at all, and w/o washing, I might add. There are little things like shallow front pockets of the pants which I don't care for. The pants are also not conducive to lifting your knees at times. KOM is expensive and I'm okay with that but it's better when you have something that is near perfect.
Years ago they had an unconditional warranty and custom fitting that made it worth buying...not sure if that still applies today? You see the big names in archery wearing it less, E. Donnall Thomas & G. Fred (obviously has his own wool) come to mind.
In any case, some very objective feedback. I would consider other wool before I jumped in head first, if money was an issue. If you can afford to own it no matter what, then I think you'll find uses for it and enjoy it very much. The camo patterns always feel right and look cool! It is good stuff but IMO there may be somethings they could do to improve their product.
The lovers of KOM will flame me for this...there is a devout following and for good reason.
Kris
sounds like you need a lesson in wool care?
I have KOM wool that is 20 plus years old I wear it every season, I just gave my son a pair of pants hand me downs?
what other hunting clothing will last this long?
the only regret I have is the KOM that I have sold!
My wife has ruined so many of my fancy designers' name sweathers and pullovers few weeks old that costed 3 times more than my KOM Jacket,also some Cachemire.Wool needs some care for sure.
Its is the only stuff to wear when its cold.
The bibs, a trapper pullover, bowman or standmaster jacket and a beavertail vest guarantee at least four hours in -40, in any stand before you can feel the cold sneaking in, and it always does. You may have to shorten your draw a bit but you are warm and hunting, silently as well. Just because its cold doesnt mean their ears quit working.
I have a good collection of camo, the stuff the big names wear and some they don't, after 0 F, nothing but KOM. Some of mine is 20 years old as well which cuts the cost down.
Terry
Horn Hunter ,sounds like you need a lesson in communication ethics. Kris put his opinion out in a constructive manner,I own 5 grand in KOM wool and a lot of what kris says is true,you ask what clothing will last you 20 years of hunting,Sleeping Indian,he invented KOM garment,Penelton Wool Company,this the wool that KOM uses and there is Filson,Johnson,and many others..
I have had the KOM pants, shirt, bowman's jacket, hats, and two of their packs. I sold all but the Bowmsn's Jacket and one fanny pack. There was nothing wrong with the stuff I got rid of. I only did so because I found myself not using most of items. I will not part with the B. jacket or the fanny pack. Love them. The only fault I have with the KOM stuff is the weight.
I love my KOM, never had problems with it shrinking. Wash it in cold and hang or dry flat depending on the garment. Best of all is I have collected all of mine used so never had to pay the "new" price. I have other wool too which I like.
I have the KOm vest, shirt and bunwarmer pants. I've had these for 12 years, but don't wear it a lot cause weather has been too warm. I took the buttons off the shirt and put in a heavy duty zipper cause I got tired of trying to get it unbuttoned with cold fingers. Love it like this, The vest is great. The pants are a disappointment in that there are a number of spots where the fabric is thin and separating. For the amount of use I have put them through( not a lot) I am really disappointed in them. I have army surplus wool pants that have 2-3 times the use on them and are in much better shape.
My opinion is that there are better products out there for less money.
dnovo, I am surprised at the failure of your bunwarmers. I have put mine thru hell since 1989, including my buddy and I sliding 200 yds.down a shale slide on our butts in Idaho. We were surprised that the pants showed no sign of wear. I wonder if the older ones were better quality?
From what I heard and read sofar...I think I will be adding a Bib and Bowman Jacket to my hunting closet (not one like Tippit's, though)
JL :archer2:
i had the Bowman jacket and bibs. I liked them and they were warm. The jacket was heavy and too bulky for my liking, at least as far as drawing a bow was concerned. I did have a bit of a shrinkage issue as well.
There was a suggestion about just drawing the bow a little shorter but to me thats a recipe for disaster.
I prefer Filson at this point. Tighter weave, hand-me down 5 generation quality, and more reasonably priced.
just my opinion..
I own a KOM Bushman shirt that I purchased off the big auction site. This shirt is awesome, hope to add some pants soon.
I heard that the weave is not tight and the wind blows through it.
It is tight it is tight like wool can be.In driving rain and high winds I simply wear over some good,light raingear jacket and pant and I can tame any weather.
Too tight a weave would not breathe as well. The name of the game is thermo regulate, not seal in or out the elements. Wool is insulation, adjust your long johns for the temps and add or subtract wind/rain block membranes for the conditions. Keep it simple.