A number of the Bedford regulars asked about what I was wearing at the shoot this weekend. I'm very flattered, and in an effort to help my inquirers look as dashing as do, I'll share my secret. Below are the links to some of the items I had on. You can get most of this stuff on discount if you shop around. $10-$20 off the MSRP is not hard to find, and I even got something for around 10% of its list price once.
1. Some people (the Wright Man?) liked my pants, the LA Police Gear "Operator Pants": http://www.lapolicegear.com/elastic-waist-operator-pant.html (http://www.lapolicegear.com/elastic-waist-operator-pant.html). These use a ripstop fabric, with almost more pockets than a rifleman can count. They are basically knockoffs of 5.11 pants, but at a lower price. Right now there is a closeout sale.
(http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/policestuff_2263_1011303119)
2. Huff really likes my De Santis 1 1/2" fancy stitch lined belt: <http://www.desantisholster.com/store/SEARCH-BY-HOLSTER-OR-ACCESSORY/BELTS/DRESS-BELTS/1-1-2-fancy-stitch-lined-belt (http://www.desantisholster.com/store/SEARCH-BY-HOLSTER-OR-ACCESSORY/BELTS/DRESS-BELTS/1-1-2-fancy-stitch-lined-belt)>. It's big, thick, and stiff enough to support a pistol holster and some mag pouches. 5.11's leather belt with plastic inserts is stiffer, but not as comfortable in my experience. I am guessing that because they have to cover both sides of the belt with leather so as to sandwich the plastic in between, they use somewhat thinner leather that just doesn't look as natural as the De Santis.
(http://www.desantisholster.com/store/attachments/images/B27.jpg/image_preview)
3. A number of people commented that the hat I wore on the second day would be great for shoots because the brim is so big. I had the Sunbody Gus crease hat, 6" brim with a medium crown: <http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/product/72_3/6-brim-med-crown-gus-hat-guat-std-palm.cfm (http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/product/72_3/6-brim-med-crown-gus-hat-guat-std-palm.cfm)>. Make sure to order the right size for your head and for the material, because these hat sizes are fairly exact. See the sizing guide here: <http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=37 (http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&page_id=37)>.
(http://www.sunbody.com/images/hg6b_G_575.jpg)
The Gus crease is the largest hat I can find -- without looking absurd. Sunbody has an 8" hat called El Humongo <http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/product/194_3/el-humongo---8-inch-brim-gus-hat.cfm (http://www.sunbody.com/index.cfm/product/194_3/el-humongo---8-inch-brim-gus-hat.cfm)>, and I'm sure you can find really big sombreros. You can find other wide brim hats (mostly 4", some 5") at: <http://www.villagehatshop.com/wide-brim-hats.html (http://www.villagehatshop.com/wide-brim-hats.html)>.
Hope this helps!
I think you manage the absurdity fairly well. That is a thick stiff belt.
Thanks for the links Kevin, the passing the hat was classic and hilarious ..you were easy to instruct and will without a doubt be wearing a rifleman patch soon!
Thanks, Davey. It was a pleasure to shoot alongside everyone, and to get corrections from the instructors. Also, Chilidog's hospitality must not go without mention!
I want to add that I have no connections to any of the companies I mention in the post above, except as a satisfied customer. They're not paying me to model, though, if anyone is listening, I'm open to such a possibility.
By the way, as I wore the big hat to the line the first time, I quickly figured out why the stereotypical Mexican bandits often wore their hats like this:
(http://media-cache-ec3.pinimg.com/192x/28/d5/83/28d583db162903f44d46177cd66b933e.jpg)
Note that the front end of the hat points up at an angle. If you wear your hat leveled (the front end is at the same height as the rear), as soon as you plant your cheek on the stock, you'll discover that the brim obscures the view of whatever it is that you want to shoot.
Amen.
My regular shooting hat is a wide-brimmed backpacking hat from Mountain Hardwear. I can pull the brim forward to help cut glare when shooting into the sun.
It's a much older version of this hat....
http://www.campmor.com/mountain-hardwear-downpour-evap-widebrim-rain-hat-men-39-s.shtml?source=CI&ci_sku=75075BLKXL&ci_gpa=pla&ci_kw=
A good hat is an essential piece of shooting gear. LOTS of serious riflemen wear wide-brimmed hats.
tk