New Hunting Gear 2026 - Explore Hillman's Clothes & Boots

The boot lineup is the most significant update. Both the Aerogel and Dryhunt have moved to 2.0 versions with real changes to fit, membrane, and sole rather than just a new label. Wide-fit versions are new additions, which matters more than it sounds if standard boots have never quite worked for you. The 6OL is also new territory for cold-weather performance.

More hunters than admit it. Most people just size up in standard boots and deal with heel slip and toe bang on descents for years. Wide fit is built wider through the forefoot while keeping the heel locked. First time out in a properly fitted wide boot feels noticeably different.

Depends on the day. Active approaches in October, it works on its own comfortably. Once you stop moving in cold air, it starts needing something over it. The merino-bamboo blend is what makes it useful, specifically for deer work, where you go from sweating to standing completely still within minutes.

Leave the truck feeling slightly cold. It sounds wrong, but it works. Crack zippers before you start sweating rather than after. Wet base layers at 6 am means you're cold for the rest of the morning, regardless of what's over them.

It works for both, but differently. On a driven day, you're standing still between drives more than moving, so insulation matters more than breathability. The 6OL or a 4IL mid layer under the 5WL is where most European hunters end up for cold December drives. For stalking, you're usually dropping a layer.

A lot more than most hunters budget for when buying gear. November woodland goes quiet fast and deer use that. A jacket that sounds like a crisp packet when you raise your rifle or lift your binoculars is a problem at 40 metres. It's one of those things you only fully appreciate after it's cost you a shot.

For driven shooting in mild western European winters, probably overkill. For high seat work in Scandinavian conditions, or anywhere you're sitting exposed and stationary for two hours in hard frost, it earns its place quickly. The 5WL covers most hunters most of the time. The 6OL exists for the days that sit outside that range.