Under Armour

Under Armour. We see the logo everywhere on sports fields around the world. From American football to rugby, it's even worn by pros on the golf course, but not until just recently have we seen this high performance brand of clothing being developed for the specific needs of hunters and fishermen.

Under Armour's mission statement is "To make all athletes better through passion, science and the relentless pursuit of innovation." From my dealings with the people at Under Armour I can say that never have I had the opportunity to work with, wear and now sell such a high performing brand of product.

‘Athletes Hunt,' is a strong theme running through the marketing. In fact Under Armour engages the assistance of elite sporting athletes who are also seriously committed to their hunting. Through this input Under Armour understands the performance needs of the most demanding hunters in the most extreme conditions. On a recent equipment research trip to the States, we saw for ourselves that the Under Armour brand not only dominated the clothing racks in the three major outdoors chain stores we visited, but is worn loud and proud by ‘off-duty' hunters wherever we went. So why have we not offered Under Armour clothing in New Zealand up until now?

Under Armour is not cheap, therefore there was no point in introducing a range unless we were convinced it offered features not currently available in the excellent clothing ranges we all ready stock. In the end this process of elimination took over three years, and during that time we rejected (very strongly at times!) clothing that was popular in America but proved totally unsuitable for NZ. We hunt more actively than the majority of our American counterparts and our climate is wetter and more variable than in the US. However Under Armour was founded on the philosophy that "There has to be something better!" and that innovation will be the key to engineering it. Long story short, Under Armour listened to what we were telling them and now after rigorous trials here last winter, Hunting and Fishing New Zealand is pleased to offer a compact and complementary Under Armour range we genuinely believe is better than anything else in its class. Whether you plan to invest in an entire Under Armour clothing system, or just pick out the key garments to compliment what you already have, in my experience the Under Armour clothing we have selected really does stand out above any others I have worn.

Take ‘Base' Layer. Without doubt Base is the warmest most efficient garment I have ever worn against my skin. Base in my mind is Under Armour's number one stand out product. The thermal grid fabric is constructed with a network of grid channels that trap more air using less yarn. Quite simply what this means to the hunter/fisherman is that it is very warm, very light and extremely fast drying. Base also incorporates ‘ArmourBlock', new anti-odour technology which cuts down the amount of body odour trapped in the garment during periods of high exertion. For the NZ climate we have selected the Base 2 and Base 3 grades (the higher the number the warmer the garment). Style options are simple, long sleeve crew neck tops in two styles and ‘leggings' (Long John's). I have worn the Base 2 garments a heck of a lot now and have found them very suitable for all North Island outdoors conditions. The Base 2 garments we are stocking weigh just 4.5 oz's each and clearly out-perform other fabrics and brands in their class. Check out the independent comparison in the advert on page 144! Base items range from $139-99 for leggings, to $169-99 for the ¼ zip long sleeve top.

The Base 3 at 7oz is a heavier weight garment that is perhaps more suitable for alpine conditions and for less active hunting like when waiting for game on the bush edge or in a maimai. Base 3 will quickly become appreciated by anyone who works or plays outdoors and really feels the cold. Base 3 items start at $149-99 for leggings through to $179-99 for the ¼ zip top. In my opinion if you treat yourself to a base garment, I will virtually guarantee it will become a favorite and something you'll pack on every trip.

Mid Layer options enable the hunter to regulate insulation and in so doing choose between garments engineered for either warm or cold temperatures. For a cold weather system the Hurlock ¼ Zip Fleece top is another garment I have now worn extensively. It features a warm Poly Fleece interior for insulation but what I like most about this fabric is that the outer shell has a ‘smooth face' which is very resistant to hook-grass seeds and the like sticking to it. The fabric has a 4-way stretch which is comfortable to hunt in.