If you want to skip through the entire article and would like to learn which hunting camo is the best, then I would recommend this hunting set from HECS. It is a complete set that includes a facemask, long sleeve shirt, and a pair of pants. It uses the Mossy Oak Country camo pattern, which is excellent for hunting deer in mixed woodland and pine forests. Its electromagnetic blocking technology allows bowhunters to get close to the deer without spooking them.
You have waited patiently from the early morning hours on the hunting fields for a large buck to arrive. All of a sudden, you spot a large buck heading towards your location. The buck gets closer to your site, and you can feel your increases heartbeat near your throat area.
The buck is now close enough, and you start to slowly pull the broadhead arrow back to nock it into place. All of a sudden, the buck raises its head in your direction and gets spooked.
I know the feeling all too well.
You have waited the entire day for a large buck to get close enough for you to take a shot only for it to get spooked. The problem was that the buck might have seen your silhouette and recognized the danger milliseconds before you were ready to take the shot. You had one chance, and you messed it up.
The solution.
Camo gear has advanced dramatically over the years in keeping hunters undetected. A lot of studies were also done to learn more about a deer’s vision to find a potential weakness. It has also come to a point where some camo clothes are specialized in one or more areas of avoiding detection.
In this guide, I have collected up to 5 of the best camo clothes and gear that you can find. Please keep in mind that this article only covers camo clothes and not ghillie suits. I have already written an article dedicated to finding the perfect ghillie suits for hunting.
There is also an in-depth guide near the end, which will give you pointers on how to choose the best hunting camo.
Below is a summary of the camo suits that I have reviewed.
- HECS 3-Piece Suit – Best For Bow Hunting
- Frogg Toggs – Best Waterproof Camo
- Scent Blocker Shield Series – Best For Avoiding Detection
- Walls Men’s Camo Coverall
- NEW VIEW Hunting Suit – Well Rounded And Versatile
Let’s get started.
#1 HECS 3-Piece Suit – Best For Bow Hunting
- Editors Rating: 10/10
- Made From: Polyester & Carbon
- Camo Pattern: Mossy Oak Country
The HECS 3-piece suit will allow you to get closer to the animal, which makes it ideal for bow hunting. The 3 pieces which you will get are the top, the pants, and a headcover. It is going to be my favorite hunting camo for several reasons:
- The pants are comfortable to wear. The pants are similar to that of sweatpants in regards to comfort. It uses an elastic waistband in the waist area. The adjustable drawstring will also prevent the pants from continually falling off.
- The headcover fits perfectly. It is one of the most comfortable apparel to wear. This piece also makes use of an adjustable drawstring at the back to give you a better fit.
- You can get much closer to the animal. I have never actually known this, but our bodies give away an electromagnetic field that the animals can detect. The HECS suit follows some Faraday principles to block any energy from going through the material. The material is made from 86% polyester and 14% electrically-conductive carbon grid.
- The material is thin and lightweight. The set weighs only 1.31 pounds and is very breathable.
Personally, I think this is a great product and is especially useful for bowhunters, where closing the distance can make a considerable difference. I would only recommend some base layers underneath this suit to help keep you warm.
#2 Frogg Toggs – Best Waterproof Camo
- Editors Rating: 8/10
- Made From: Polyester & DriPore Gen 2
- Camo Pattern: Realtree Xtra
Frogg Toggs is very well known for their waterproof gear, and they have expanded their apparel to a lot of different areas, including hunting. I am going to include the set, which has both the long sleeve jacket and pants.
Here are the reasons why I chose Frogg Toggs to be on this list:
- The material is robust and soft to the touch. Their fabric consists of 3 layers which contribute to its properties. For their inner and outer layer, they use an unknown fabric blend, which makes the material durable and gives it a smooth texture.
- It helps to keep you warm and dry during rainy weather. Their middle layer consists of DriPore Gen 2 material, which allows for both breathability and waterproofing to keep the water out.
- Your head will also stay warm and dry. The jacket also has a removable hood, which you can pull over your head to keep it warm and dry.
If you hate getting wet during your hunts, then this gear from Frogg Toggs will be the ideal fit.
#3 Scent Blocker Shield Series – Best For Avoiding Detection
- Editors Rating: 9/10
- Camo Pattern: Realtree Edge
This product from Scent Blocker is an example of recently developed technologies to avoid detection from animals such as deer. Deer can detect your scent even before they can either hear or see you. To make matters worse, you need to stay dry, because getting wet will amplify the deer’s ability to detect your scent.
- Making it harder for deer to detect you scent. This suit uses S3 silver antimicrobial technology, which reduces the odor-producing microbes. Silver is a well known broad range antimicrobial that can kill almost any bacteria. It is stopping the cause of odor than the odor itself.
- It helps to keep you dry and warm. This suit provides excellent insulation, which will trap the heat inside and regulates your body temperature. The outer membrane also has waterproof capabilities to keep you dry.
- Easy to wear and comfortable. It has 4 pockets, which include 2 chest pockets and 2 slash pockets on the front near your waist area. The built-in hoodie will also come in handy during rainfall or for some extra concealment.
This product uses one of the many methods in scent detection and works great for those hunters that want to add an extra layer of advantages to take down that monster buck.
#4 Walls Men’s Camo Coverall
- Editors Rating: 8/10
- Camo Pattern: Realtree Edge & Mossy Oak Country
Walls is a clothing company that focusses mainly on outdoor clothing, including that of hunting. This specific product is a camo coverall that comes in 2 color patterns, which are Mossy Oak Country and Realtree Edge. Below are some of the reasons why I included this product in my listing:
- Moderate waterproofing capabilities. This product uses a combination of polyester and dry-iq, which is a material that moves moisture away from the skin. It also has excellent drying capabilities. It is important to note that it is not as effective in waterproofing that as Frogg Toggs.
- It is very comfortable and durable. It uses a combination of polyester and cotton, which makes it soft without being weak. The polyester adds to the durability while the cotton helps with softness.
- This suit is easy to put on. It makes use of a covered zipper in front, which is used to open or close the suit. The cuffs are also adjustable with the help of velcro. The waistband also has some elasticity.
This product does not have any particular feature to make is unique. If you are looking for good camo and you are not worried about any bells and whistles.
#5 NEW VIEW Hunting Suit – Well Rounded And Versatile
- Editors Rating: 9/10
- Made from: Outer Layer is made from Polyester
This camo set from New View is the best option for hunters that want a well-rounded set of hunting pants and a jacket. This set does not have any special features such as odor-reducing, advanced waterproofing, or electromagnetic field disruption, but it certainly will do the job. In the end, it all depends on what you want in your hunting camo.
Here are some of the benefits that you do not want to miss out on:
- The jacket and pants are very versatile. This clothing set has many pockets and zippers, which adds up to a total of 10. You can use the pockets to warm your hands, to store your smokes or even hunting gear and accessories.
- Will keep you warm during the colder months. The soft brushed interior fleece will help to keep you warm and feeling cozy. The outer polyester fabric does have some favorable thermal properties to help retain body temperature.
- It has some waterproof capabilities. Although it is not as specialized in waterproofing as the Frogg Toggs, it still offers some protection in keeping you dry. Polyester is a hydrophobic material that helps to keep the moisture outside.
This set is an excellent choice for the hunter that wants to be well rounded and not to pay a fortune for hunting camo.
Does camo really work for hunting?
“Wearing a camo that breaks up your outline and which matches your background is critical for hunting at a close distance such as that of bowhunters.”
There is this debate online whether camo really works for hunting or if it is overrated. In this section, I will cover some facts and scenarios which might apply to hunt with camo.
You need to first understand what camo does, and it applies to avoid detection. Camo needs to do 2 things, which include matching the background and breaking the outline or shape of the target. Most camo that you can buy will do both.
Let’s get to the animal.
Let’s use the Whitetail deer as an example as it is the most hunted animal in the US. We, as humans, have a clear and crisp vision (if your eyesight is still good) that can detect finer details. Deer have a blurry vision which cannot recognize those finer details.
Deer also have around 270-degree vision because their eyes sit on the sides of their head, which makes it harder to sneak upon them. Another thing to consider is that deer are excellent at detecting movement, which means you need to stay still when a deer is getting closer.
Here is the problem.
To release the arrow from your bow, you need to pull it back, which results in movement from your part. Now that the deer have detected your movement, they still cannot figure out what you are.
Remember that the deer might be used to the environment moving around them, especially when it rains or when there is wind. Let’s say they do pick up on you, do they detect you as a threat or as part of the environment?
This is where camo comes into play.
To use camo effectively, you need to sit next to an object that matches the patterns on your camo. When the sky is behind you, the deer will quickly pick up on you and flee.
What is also important is your hunting style and how far you are from the deer when executing your kill shot. If you are hunting with a rifle, you can shoot a deer from a far distance, which makes hunting camo of moderate importance. For bow hunting, you definitely need to wear camo.
As a rule of thumb, the closer you are to the animal, the more critical wearing camo will be.
What are the different hunting camo patterns?
The 2 most common hunting patterns are that from Realtree and Mossy Oak. These types can also be divided into different subtypes, such as Realtree Edge and Realtree Xtra.
The reason why there are so many different types of camo is because of the large variety of terrains available. It would be best if you found a camo type that matches that of the terrain you wish to hunt in.
Some of the areas can include mountains, wetlands, mixed forests, river bottoms, pine forests, and also croplands, to name a few.
Which camo pattern should I choose?
To choose the best hunting camo, you need to consider several factors.
If you want a shortcut in choosing the best hunting camo, then I would recommend using this tool from Realtree.
These factors include the following:
- Country and region. Each country will be different just as each region will be different. There is an excellent chance that each region might have a different biome that can have a significant impact on how the area will look.
- The type of area. The area can include pine to mixed forests, mountain areas, open brush areas, river bottoms, croplands, and wetlands. Please become familiar with each area as it is the essential step you need to take in choosing the best camo.
- The animal you wish to hunt. Each animal will see the world differently. Some animals can see better at night, while others are better at detecting a larger variety of colors.
“The most common type of area and animal to hunt is going to be mixed/pine woodlands and deer. The camo patterns called Realtree Edge and Mossy Oak Country is the best camo for this type of combination.”
Realtree edge is also right for croplands, open brush areas, and mountainous areas. Mossy Oak County is only best for Pine and mixed woodlands.
The best Mossy Oak Country set is this HECS 3-Piece Suit. For Realtree Edge, you can go for the sets from Frogg Toggs, Scent Blocker Shield Series, and Walls Men’s Camo Coverall.
Can deer detect electromagnetic fields?
Also called magnetoreception, which is the ability of an organism to detect the earth’s electromagnetic fields. It is also known that larger mammals such as deer aligns their body to the earth’s magnetic north while grazing.
The question you need to ask yourself is can deer detect your electromagnetic field. It is well known that every living being (including us) creates an electromagnetic field around their bodies.
Our electromagnetic fields might not be as strong as that of the earth’s field, but it might be strong enough to cause a disturbance strong enough for the deer to detect.
For instance, this 3-piece suit from HECS can prevent deer from detecting our energy field. It uses an electrically-conductive carbon grid that follows the Faraday principle. Many skeptics turned into believers after wearing a HECS suit while hunting.
Will deer be able to detect your scent while wearing camo?
Deer have a very keen sense of smell and can smell you from more than half a mile away. Other factors, such as wind direction, can also have an impact on whether the deer will pick up on your scent.
Your body odor is going to be the number 1 reason why deer can pick you up. Deer will usually smell you well before they can see or hear you, which is why you must do everything you can to avoid this.
You can start by wearing a camo that will prevent the deer from detecting your scent. Some camo gear manufacturers use methods to either trap the scent or to kill the bacteria on your skin, which might also cause it.
The Scent Blocker Shield Series set uses S3 silver antimicrobial technology, which acts as a broad spectrum to kill the bacteria, which causes odor.
Waterproofing and insulation
Has the following ever happened to you? You get all of your gear together and start to plan a hunting trip to a game reserve. You arrive at the lodge and can barely sleep that night because you have waited an entire year for the hunting season to start.
You wake up the next morning and notice grey clouds starting to cover the clear sky. You go to the hunting ground anyway because you are not going to miss the opportunity to take down that trophy buck.
You finally found a good spot and start to settle to wait for deer to come closer. All of a sudden it starts to rain.
What do you do now?
You have two choices. You can stay in the rain and get wet, which might make you sick and spoil your entire hunting season, or you can go back to the lodge.
There is also another option where you can get your hands on a waterproof camo, which will enable you to keep hunting during the rainfall. The best camo suit for heavy rains is this suit from Frogg Toggs, which will keep you dry during light and heavy rain.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you could have made a more informed decision for all of the information that I have given you. If you still could not make up your mind, then I would recommend this 3-piece suit from HECS.
I have given you information regarding all of the different camo sets and also the camo pattern each set uses. Some sets have special features such as advanced waterproofing, odor-reducing, electromagnetic field blocking abilities, etc.
Please leave a comment below and tell us which suit was your favorite.
Leave a Reply