Wearing color

in the hiking community there's heated discussion between those that wear bright colors - personal choice, fashion statement, safety, whatever - and those that are horrified that someone would wear bright colors in the woods - offends their sensibilities.

nevermind a lot of critters are color blind.

i try to wear bright colors to avoid an accident like this:
go here.

thoughts?

Especially during hunting season(s).

(as I'm planning a hike for tomorrow my plan includes a hunter-orange boonie hat instead of my usual khaki one.

I like to wear muted colors most of the year, even camo, in case of a bird-watching opportunity.

Except during hunting season. Then I at least put on a blaze orange hat, and put an orange collar on my dog.

Reads like the hunter shot at movement in bushes without seeing what was moving? Color may do no good in the case of a dumb hunter.

I've spent far too much time searching for lost or injured people wearing those soft and muted colors. I firmly believe one should at least have some really bright options to deploy. It is much easier to lose a pack made with dull colors than one that has some bright spots. In the days when about all we could get was army surplus, we used to tie bright flagging ribbon to the pack so we could find the darn thing after we had set it down.

On a really good trip, you will be far enough into the back country that you are not going to encounter anyone, so the color you wear will be irrelevant.

I am more apt to avoid camo patterns than bright colors. And I am a veteran. I tend to wear blacks, khakis, light blues and greens but I'll wear a bright color no problem. I have a neon orange trail running pack that makes hunter orange seem faded.

I am not trying to hide from anyone when I am off adventuring, and if I want to color down it wouldn't be hard with most of my gear and ability to self camouflage.

Bright colors for me whenever I can. I buy bright red jackets whenever I can. Even navy blue is better than brown. Ran into two hunters out on the trail today. I'm not opposed to hunting per se -- I just don't want to be on the receiving end.

The tough thing in my area is that there is this patch work of "zones". Different zones frequently have different seasons. God only knows exactly which zone is in season for what animal when -- and coyotes are ALWAYS in season last I checked.. There are no signs or anything like that posted warning hikers.

HJ

"He saw what he thought was a bear, moving in the brush"

Another moron who will shoot at anything that moves, or looks like it might.

John Steinbeck: "The radios warned against carrying a white handkerchief. Too many hunters seeing a flash of white have taken it for the tail of a running deer and cured a head cold with a single shot."

Bright colors may save your life. Dull colors may scare the birds. Tough call.

Sue

I like lighter neutral colors because of mosquitoes, the sun, and so I can wear my hiking clothes around town and not look like an emergency beacon. I do carry a large orange bandana, flagging tape, whistles, flashlights, and a signal mirror so I should be okay. And of course I hike on well worn trails and leave a detailed itinerary of my hiking plans.

thats something i never/don't think about.on canoe trips i'm like LED and wear a tan,lightweight nylon outfit to hold off the bugs.in fact at the canoe tripping site it's sort of a joke that we all have that "uniform"..as far as just going out in the woods i just put on jeans and what-ever..that this is a issue is news to me----

I buy almost every bit of outdoor clothing on close out, which tends to give me last choice in colors. I especially love my eVent rain jacket, a bright yellow with blue shoulders from Teva, cost something like $40 years ago. A park ranger saw me walking down from Skyscraper Pass on Mt Rainier one day in blowing sleet and described me as a great yellow yeti. Loud and proud. Visibility in the outdoors is underrated.

I have friends who have belonged to canoe clubs for many years. They introduced the common-sense principle of always carrying a brightly-colored scarf with some safety pins on it to attach to their hat-of-the-day just for that reason. Even so, they had a close one on the Arkansas River one day.

Sue

Whilst times are normal I would favour bright colors for the reasons others give, less risk of being shot by hunters, and more chance of being found in case of accident or injury.

It would however be well to have dull or camo clothing and backpack for use in case of TEOTWAWKI.
In such circumstances concealment could be valuable, but in normal conditions best to be seen.

We spend a lot of time in the woods. From December through August, you will find me in tans, muted greens, and browns. During the hunting season however, I will select from my enviable collection of blaze orange hats, bandanas, and vests when on foot near any hunting area. They are EDC in my car kits too, in case we get stranded and have to walk out.

I wear mostly greens, browns and greys when I hike, 99% of which is in State parks where hunting isn't an issue. This is mostly in keeping with the Leave No Trace principles of not intruding on others outdoor experience.

Last week on the trail, I came across a woman wearing a fluorescent pink jacket and huge, white framed sunglasses (on a cell phone, naturally) and found it very jarring.

The exception to this, surprisingly, is at Scout camp. We are located right next to a State forest where hunting is allowed, right up to our property line. When out on the fringes of camp, I make sure to wear a red hat or jacket.

remember the 70's when "rescue orange"was the color for outdoor gear. i still have a orange tent and backpack..

You really haven't had fun until you have tried to find your way back to your test equipped with a light grey fly in falling snow; or tried to locate your white Suburban in thick fog.

When cycling I can guarantee bright colors are a safety issue.

Thinking back to the 70s and "rescue orange," one of the best all time garments I had was a light down jacket that was reversible - loden green on one side and screaming bright brilliant rescue orange on the other. Choose the color to fit the situation.

I can understand why some people would not to wear colors that are hard on the eye -- however -- if you are anywhere near where there is hunting it is senseless to wear light brown colors.

I make it a point NEVER to walk in my woods this time of year without blaze orange even if no one has permission to hunt there.

This time of year there are a lot of hunters who will fire away at anything that remotely resembles a deer.

To be really blunt about it, and while I don't want to insult anyone, but if you don't wear very ugly bright colors during hunting season in the woods, you are exhibiting as much sense as the people who call 911 from the corn maze.

Sorry.

Tim

Agreed, agreed, agreed. That fool needs to be brought up on charges. He intentionally fired at a non-identified target. The discharge of the firearm was not accidental. Manslaughter charges, IMO, since I really can understand the lack of malice on his part. A shame that he ruined his life as well as that Marine's.

Personally I try and walk a middle road. Typically some sort of earth tone or BDU pant, but a blue shirt or similar. Non-earth tones, but not bright orange. Usually I have a red ball cap or a BDU hat, but my backpack/daypacks are usually blue as well.

No reason to apologize...The only thing I take exception to would be the use of the word 'hunters' in this context.

There are some poorly trained, inexperienced, and generally clueless individuals in the woods this time of year. They may be 'hunting' but they are not 'hunters'.

I once saw a guy come into a big box store the night before deer opener. He bought a license, an entire blaze orange outfit, and 10 boxes (thats 200 rounds) of high-powered deer rifle cartridges........ What do you suppose he planned to do with all that ammo on opening day? I only take 5 rounds with me to the deer stand. He is an example of a dangerous idiot, but not a 'hunter'.

I could wish high schools would teach firearms safety. On the plus side, I do see a resurgence of parents teaching firearms safety at home.

"I came across a woman wearing a fluorescent pink jacket and huge, white framed sunglasses (on a cell phone, naturally) and found it very jarring."

So what? Squint a bit and pass her!

"I wear mostly greens, browns and greys when I hike, 99% of which is in State parks where hunting isn't an issue...where hunting is allowed, right up to our property line. When out on the fringes of camp, I make sure to wear a red hat or jacket."

Oh, really???

I think you'd better run your eye over this chart.

Among other sizes on the chart, a .22 short can travel up to one mile. A 7mm or .338 can travel up to FIVE MILES!

Anyone who thinks a property line is going to stop a person or a bullet just plain isn't thinking very clearly!

Sue

That's exactly how I feel, but was having trouble putting it to words. While canoeing in the BWCA, I once saw someone with a bright orange poncho across the lake. It intruded on my (illusion of) solitude. I think of it as "color pollution".

I hate to harp on this, but a good way to "become one with nature" is to have your relatives scattering your ashes in the woods you love so dearly.

Every fall, and I mean EVERY fall, I read the same story in our local paper.

One example, a young man, wearing a very faded orange sweatshirt, stuck his head through some bushes. His hair was dirty blond. His hunting companion shot him.

These stories are legion. I can understand if you are not a hunter, you don't notice them, and you find the presence of orange clad people in woods off putting.

Orange blaze is extremely noticeable. It sticks out like a sore thumb and you can see it through brush and timber. For a reason. Wearing a comfortable color that is not the color of a deer won't do you much good. You have to stick out as extremely unnatural or someone will pull the trigger in your direction.

It's called "buck fever." Fruitcakes who want a deer so bad they will pull the trigger at the slightest motion.

Tim

(Edited to add: A good way to accomplish this is to use an orange blaze hat -- they come insulated or cheap baseball cap style -- and an orange blaze vest. You can easily take them off and on, they won't add weight, and they are cheap. Available at most big mart stores.)

That's exactly how I feel, but was having trouble putting it to words. While canoeing in the BWCA, I once saw someone with a bright orange poncho across the lake. It intruded on my (illusion of) solitude. I think of it as "color pollution". [/quote]

If I come across anyone on my hikes, the encounter intrudes on my illusion of solitude. Color is irrelevant The pain and horror is assuaged if they happen to be an attractive lady...

Seriously, bright colors aid considerably in finding someone who is lost. You don't have to wear bright colors all the time, but you should have something available.

Your choice.

All I will add is I went to wal mart this morning, and they've got a mesh orange vest for $5, and a blaze orange snap closure baseball type cap for $3. A more expensive vest is $12.

If it's not hunting season, yeah, I would not wear these. But there's no excuse for not wearing them during hunting season. They will go on and off easily and not replace your regular hiking clothes.

End of my rants.

Tim

This is just so sad. Before I could get my license, I had to complete a hunter's safety course. I would never consider pulling the trigger on my rifle until I had completely verified my target.

This guy should have the book thrown at him. Accidental shooting... bah...

"Last week on the trail, I came across a woman wearing a fluorescent pink jacket and huge, white framed sunglasses (on a cell phone, naturally) and found it very jarring. "

When I was young, we were taught that a bit of color, say a
red jacket, really livened up photos of the backcountry.

Color pollution seems like a pretty silly concern in my mind.

I don't feel like I should have to dress in such a way just to fulfill someones fantasy.

If they want that kind of experience, they should take a hike up north in the Yukon and really live it.

"Among other sizes on the chart, a .22 short can travel up to one mile. A 7mm or .338 can travel up to FIVE MILES!

Anyone who thinks a property line is going to stop a person or a bullet just plain isn't thinking very clearly!"

A bit misleading. Most hunting rounds shot at hunting angles,
will hit the ground in well under a mile. A 30-06 round
sighted in for max point blank range and shot at the level
will hit the dirt by 600 yards.

I suppose if you hunt
tree squirrels with your Weatherby, you might have cause to
worry at 5 miles.

Here is a Ballistics Calculator so you can figure stuff out yourself.

http://www.biggameinfo.com/index.aspx?page=%2fbalcalc.ascx

I can see where the fish and game wants you to know the worst
case outcomes so people don't do stupid stuff like firing
into the air or across water, but I don't want hunting areas shut down based on the wildest of possible outcomes either.

its probably a worst case scnerio. My land is in WV so if I look up the mountain and see somehting I want ot shoot at then my hunting angle could be 45degrees
I'm also on a high peak so even something straight out and level from me would cross the next mountain or drop down and through a valley. I have to be extra careful.

That makes me feel excruciatingly safe when walking within 100' of the perimeter of a non-hunting area!

I'm not suggesting closing down the hunting areas, I'm warning you that invisible boundaries don't stop bullets! There appear to be multiple generations who seem to think (from movies) that every bullet fired that doesn't hit it's target simply evaporates.

Some years back (I want to say in MA), a man was fishing in a lake. Someone fired a .22 long from a rifle about a mile away and it hit him. There was nothing in between the pseudo-hunter and fisherman. Isn't it nice to get shot while you're fishing in a lake?

Also, people with guns aren't necessarily weapons-trained hunters. They can be lost, they can be poaching, they can be playing around. Have you ever seen first-hand a couple of non-safety-trained teenage boys playing with a gun? It's so scary that it makes your blood run the wrong way.

As has been said before: prepare for the worst-case scenario, NOT the best-case scenario.

Sue

And thank your lucky stars that you are not in Libya (or within a mile or so) where celebratory gun shots are the order of the day....

Of course, random hits well beyond the target make the color of your clothing irrelevant. The guy pulling the trigger never saw you.

Yeah. And we all know that bullets fired into the air get caught in the clouds and stick there.

Sue

By max point blank range, I'm assuming you're talking about a 200 yard zero and over level ground? There have been too many stories in the newspapers about bullets "threading the needle" and hitting a bystander out of sight of the hunter to take the 600 yard limit as an absolute.

I prefer earth tones and generally avoid day-glo colors. The exceptions are emergency equipment and overnight gear needs to be brightly colored. In an area I'm sharing with hunters, i'll wear something bright.

For archery only areas bright colors aren't really required, but still falls under the head of "Not a bad idea". Bowhunters have a very low accident rate. It’s probably due to the very limited range of their equipment making misidentification less likely. For shotgun only areas, bright colors are mandatory. Shotgunners have the worst accident rate by far with "swinging on game" and "failure to identify target" as the leading causes. Stay out of the woods on opening day.

http://www.ihea.com/news-and-events/incident-reports/index.php

Free hunters ed online course. I took it for snorts and giggles a while back. Most of it was review (I'm an archer), but the gun safety section surprised me IRT the thoroughness of the measures that it taught (e.g. to cross a fence, unload gun, place on ground facing along fence, climb over fence, retrieve gun, reload, engage safety). It's worth a look by anybody sharing woods with hunters.

I do not know if this is true, but i have read that one should wear a bright blue shirt (like the ugly tarps) in the woods, because that color does not appear anywhere in nature's color scheme, except some flowers.

So now I guess I need a blaze orange bullet-proof vest, perhaps reversible to digital omni-camo. And of, course a Kevlar helmet with a matching reversible helmet cover.

By the way, deer season is a great time to consider an nice indoor class.

"By max point blank range, I'm assuming you're talking about a 200 yard zero and over level ground? There have been too many stories in the newspapers about bullets "threading the needle" and hitting a bystander out of sight of the hunter to take the 600 yard limit as an absolute."

200 yard zero would be a good est. but depend on the bullet. Again you can check with the Bal. Calc. to see a bullets path.

You can't "thread" gravity, but I suppose if your mountains
are less than 600 yards apart, you could shoot over a mountain
holding the rifle level while standing on a peak.

In any case, wearing orange isn't going to protect you from
a bullet shot a mile or more away.

And I would never get close enough to shoot turkeys with either a bow or a shotgun while wearing orange.

My tarps are muted colors, but I have a Patagonia Houdini wind jacket in "plasma from the center of the sun" orange that I take on every trip. I swear, that thing is so bright I think it generates some energy on its own.

I see it as a garment and a signal panel, all in one.

I LOVE that picture!

However, blue is a very rare color among natural vegetation, rocks, dirt and lots of other things found in nature. Except for the sky and water, of course...

When I was a kid there was one and ONLY one correct color for anoracks: A bright orange color. Apart from the hunting issue I can see arguments for both being clearly visible and not hurting the eyes of others (or yourself).

My bivy bag (described here ) is extremely well camoflagued. Which makes sense for hunters, but not really for use in an emergency. After 15 years of wear and tear I'm putting a replacement on my Cristmas Wish list - and I'm considering if that should be a bright orange color. (But that orange color really HURTS my eyes...)

Solution (as others have noted): Bring a reflective vest. New regulations (in Europe, at least) dictates that any vehicle should have a reflective vest easy accessible. Which means that vests are sold EVERYWHERE. Cheap, too, and ultra lightweight.

I prefer bright colors. On a related issue, I now snowboard with a neon colored construction vest - MUCH easier for a buddy to find me on a crowded mountain, and MUCH easier for rescuers to find me if I get hurt or stranded. I'm beyond the age of putting fashion over safety.

I went for my hike wearing a blaze orange boonie hat.
Saw lots of pickups in the parking area where I've only ever seen 1 before. Must be hunting season.

I saw 2 hunters 1/2 mile away wearing blaze orange.
I walked the other way.
Didn't see anyone all day and I was in open country and walking ridgelines with very lengthy views(at least no one wearing blaze orange).

For my non-hunting season hiking clothing I wear very muted colors (camo even) but I always carry a large blaze orange bandana and a reversible stocking cap (brown/orange) in my pack in the event that I need to become visible.

Blaze orange is quite astonishing in how well it draws the human eye.

Nighthiker, that is Hi-larious.

I'll say this, I was going through some nutritional counselling for an organ issue and we talked about eating brightly colored foods, reds, greens, blues.

I looked at him kinda funny thinking, "Blueberry's, okay". well blueberries are really that blue. They're more purple. In fact there is not much food that is really a blue, most of it is a purplish color.

Not to get in a shouting match, but I think there's valid points on both sides. You forget ricochets off the ground with your point.

This was really illustrated when I got to fire a few weapons with the military. You could easily walk the 7.62 and .50 cal rounds onto a target at a half-mile with ricochets a few hundred yards in front of that targe. Tracers made it kind of fun to watch (from the outgoing side)

In the interest of accuracy, I did some quick research. I compared Automobile deaths to hunting deaths for 2004 and 2006 the closest years I could find numbers for:

"Worldwide it was estimated in 2004 that 1.2 million people were killed (2.2% of all deaths) and 50 million more were injured in motor vehicle collisions"
...........................................................

"Hunting accidents with firearms, despite the large gun ownership in the U.S. and numerous game seasons in most states, remain relatively rare and do not appear to be increasing. (Huiras, et al, 1990"
...........................................................

Based on my research, I now believe that all cars and pedestrians should be blaze orange, and hunters are good to go with camo.

Came across the following incident, reported in a fishing magazine.
---Quote---
Two buddy went fishing on a mountain stream. One guy was wearing a brightly colour T shirt, either yellow or orange. He caught many fishes and was very happy. His friend started fishing some distance from him. As the guy was fishing, danger was approaching him but he was not aware of it. Just as he pulled another fish out of the water, a black shadow jumped out of the water. A crocodile jaw missed the man head by a few inches.
Both guy quickly run away from the stream.
---UnQuote---
Usually dull/natural colour would increase catch rate as it is less likely to spook any wary fish. Hence, it is very strange why that guy wearing a brightly colour shirt was so successful catching fish that day.

Does the brightly colour shirt play a part in catching the crocodile attention?

Of course, but if they're wearing bright colors, the intrusion happens from a lot further away. Much too far to determine if they are attractive.


Agreed.

The leading cause of deer hunting accidents is falling out of tree stands. So you know what we should do about those darned trees!

You can quote statistics until the world ends, but they don't really mean as much as having it happen to you:
7-yr-old hunting accident victim identified, when it's up-close and personal.

You simply can't always dodge stupid, ignorant, poorly-trained, careless, and totally irresponsible people, on the roads, in the woods, or at a party. You need to try to cut your losses as much as you can, no matter where you are. Woman, dog shot on state land

And then we have these incredibly stupid people here in WA

Sue

Byrd Hunter's stats work for me. I have been involved in far more car accidents than hunting accidents (0). Maybe I was lucky. My parents trained pretty thoroughly before I got to shoot anything.

Day in and day out, the most dangerous thing we do is to get in our cars and drive.

I have to admit that at first I thought this might be a discussion of when to wear a blue versus red bandanna in certain urban environments.

In the woods I tend to wear earth tone colors adjusted according to the weather (i.e., darker colors in winter, lighter in summer). But I do keep a brightly-colored buff and a reflective orange safety vest with me just in case, and wear them prominently during hunting season.

My mentality when I'm out is "safety first", so staying or getting found is at the top of the pruiority list. I'm a fan of wearing bright colours, expecially when you're out with kids and especially during hunting season. I go for a blaze orange hat and rain jacket, and make GI Joe (DS) wear something neon mixed in with his camos. We each also carry a neon banadna in our pockets which can accent our fashion sense with some added signalling.

I wear earth tones most of the time.

Though a hunter, I wear little camo and always wear a hunter orange ball cap this time of year.

My tents colors are bright and stand out.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.biz

I wear muted colors hiking ( except in season when I look like a highway construction worker) But usually carry a blaze orange fleece scarf for visibility