070-SS05-TRIED & TESTEDjm:000-001-SS-XHY-09 18/03/2010 10:22 Page 72

TESTED BY: Keepyerhaton... JOHN FENNA Fed up with your hat blowing off? the join between the pull-down band Then try a Stormy Kromer Cap. and main part of the hat after Designed not blow off your head, the prolonged exposure to Welsh cap is an American outdoor classic downpours, but it was minimal and and is available in olive, black or otherwise this well-designed, well- plaid wool, or in tan or Advantage proven cap kept the rain off my head Max camo print in waxed cotton. and out of my eyes. I have been trying out the tan waxed And it has never yet blown off! cotton oilskin version and have been An American classic, the Stormy impressed by its performance. The Kromer cap is solidly constructed Stormy Kromer is made with a 100% and tough as you like – it’s becoming waxed cotton six panel crown with a my favourite wet-weather headwear! stiff, but not rigid, peak and a 100% cotton lining. It is comfortable to wear TECHSPECS in any weather and has a pull down ear STORMY KROMER CAPS I SIZE and nape of the neck band for extra S-XXL I PRICE £29.95 protection when needed. I WEB www.bushgear.co.uk Altogether now: I did find that rain could penetrate I CONTACT 01795 53 43 43 Heads, shoulders...

...knees and toes Sparks will fly! (knees and toes)... TESTED BY: JOHN FENNA

The Karesuando firesteel has a handle Firesteel is a simple made from dense, mature but effective little tool reindeer antler. Simply from Casstroms, and scrape the back of your it’s ideal for field use. knife down the firesteel to The Swedish-made give a shower of sparks – firesteel will keep sparks and it should last for flying, enabling you to light approx 12,000 strikes! fires and stoves long after It is a good idea to wax lighters and matches have your firesteels between given up the ghost. uses to protect them from TESTED BY: Around 6cm long and damp – I find bootwax ADAM SMITH 95mm in diameter, this works well. Go-faster wellies Slipping into a pair of wellies is your trousers in, either. Once your feet C’mon baby, light my not always easy these days. With are safely inside and zipped up, they’re fire (reindeer rug not supplied) increasing ‘shapeliness’ being a cosseted in a foot-hugging absorbent vital ingredient in support, comfort reinforced fleece lining that’s the last and appearance, many fieldsports word in comfort. rubber boots can take a bit of Build quality, as you’d expect from pulling on, even with full-length Seeland, is excellent. There’s a 100% zips down each side. waterproof rubber outer and compressed But while the days of dropping into neoprene inner, while the sole is deeply a pair of black ‘farmyard specials’ – the cleated rubber with glass-fibre stabilised sort with enough room inside to scratch shank in the mid-sole and shock- an itch on your ankle and authentic flop- absorbing gel pads at heel and fore-foot. slop sound effects – may have gone, there are still times when rapid booting is TECHSPECS a boon, and that’s where Seeland’s low SEELANDOUTBACK TREK 12 BOOTS TECHSPECS cut 12in Outback Trek boot comes in. CASSTROMSKARESUANDO I PRICE £89.99 FIRESTEEL Thanks to a full-length zipped front, I SIZES UK 2-14 (US 3-15) I WEB www.casstrom.co.uk popping a pair of Trek 12s on takes just a I FROM quality gunshops. For your I CONTACT 0844 8807230 moment and you don’t even have to tuck nearest stockist email [email protected] I PRICE £12

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