We've all seen the war movies in which one enemy soldier after the
other bites the dust after being zinged by the bullet from a sniper's rifle.
After all the bad guys are taken out and are lying dead on the ground with
a well placed hole between their eyes, a nearby piece of earth comes to
life -- it's the hero, one of ours of course, decked out in a ghillie suit.
He was barely 30 yards away and no one knew he was there!
Rancho Safari has introduced this ultra eye-deceiving 3-D technology to
the hunting industry through a variety of garments and accessories known
as the Shaggie System. In this review we will take a look at their Deluxe
Longcoat, Boonie Hood with Face Mask and Gaiters.
Basics
The system that was sent to me for evaluation came in Rancho's 4-Season
camo pattern. This effective 3-D configuration is a combination of camo
patterns and tan colors on hundreds of cotton and jute burlap strips sewn
into the core garment or shell.
All Shaggie garments start with a ¼" industrial strength mesh
inner shell. The material strips mentioned above are securely sewn directly
into the mesh.
The Longcoat I received has an Advantage Timber cotton collar for a
comfortable fit around your neck. Both sides are relieved/vented for ease
of movement and the wristbands are elastic for a secure fit. Also featured
on the ¾ length Longcoat is a very strong, self healing YKK zipper.
Built-in packing straps makes a long hike to the stand easier. Each Longcoat
features a 72" girth to allow for fanny packs, belt pouches, etc to be
worn underneath comfortably.
Shaggie Gaiters, also called leggings, are designed to compliment the
Longcoat. Gaiters provide complete coverage to the tips of your boots.
Like the Longcoat they also incorporate the YKK zipper. The Gaiters also
include a front, bottom metal hook to attach to boot laces and a ¾"
strap with a quick release buckle that runs under the sole of your boot.
An elastic band at the upper part of the legging, coupled with tie-off
strings, keep them secure and in place.
 The
Boonie hat and face mask are actually separate pieces. The hat consists
of a sturdy cotton brim (the camo pattern isn't marked but it appears to
be Advantage Timber), and a ¼" mesh cap. The same type of material
strips used on the Longcoat are sewn into the brim and cap of the Boonie.
The strips are shorter in the front for unrestricted viewing and long in
the back and sides for optimum coverage. A thick shoelace type chinstrap
with adjustable clip is sewn into the brim. The facemask is made with a
camo mosquito netting and adjustable fleece headband. Material strips are
sewn into the headband from the nose down.
Testing
The testing started with a pull-test on some of the individual strips
of material. I wanted to see how easily they would tear away from the
mesh. Most of the time the material would tear before the stitches would
give way but in all cases it was difficult to remove them.
One important note* If the garment you buy is made entirely or in part
of burlap, it should be removed from the factory package outside or in
an area that is not patrolled by your wife! The burlap sheds quite a bit
and will leave a mess on the floor. Trust me on this one, I found out the
hard way.
Next up was a simple movement, visibility and comfort test. To
evaluate these characteristics I simply put the suit on and traipsed around
in it for a while. Other than being laughed at hysterically by my children
it was a fairly comfortable experience. I was able to move freely in most
situations but the limited peripheral vision took a little getting used
to.
I was a little concerned about hang-ups from the material strips
while shooting a bow so it was off to the range. What I found was that
to make the Rancho Safari Shaggie Suit archery friendly it takes one or
all of the following; Wear a long arm guard, pin down selected strips or
trim them completely off. The amount of pinning or trimming will vary based
on your build and style of shooting. The only way to find out is to head
to the range and pin or trim until complete clearance is achieved.
Of course the test would not be complete if it did not involve some
real-time interaction with game animals. One evening late last fall
my son and I decided to hunt the wood lot directly behind our house. Ty
hunted from a treestand just inside the wood line while I sat actually
a few feet out into the field approximately 30 yards down wind from him.
A group of three doe entered the field shortly before the end of legal
shooting time, cut the corner and headed directly toward me. None of them
took notice of me until they were within 12-15 yards and even then they
only paused to figure out where the new bush came from!
There was nothing other than the suit breaking up my form. Had I been
in the wood line the deer would have most likely walked to within a foot
of me. The only thing that sent those deer on their way was the sound of
my son trying to get his bow drawn on another deer that I did not see inside
the wood line. The poor kid was so cold he was shaking like a piston in
a 4-banger!
Another possible concern for me was the strong burlap odor. The
deer in the field didn't seem to mind it that night but then again the
wind was not blowing in their exact direction either. The folks at Rancho
Safari claim in their literature that game animals do not react to the
odor.
The Shaggie has some major advantages, the main one being the unbelievable
concealment. Another advantage is that the suit somewhat masks your
movement.
The 3-D effect tricks the eyes and movement appears to be a lot less
abrupt while wearing the suit. The suit also has a "full" feeling from
all the strips hanging from the garment that took me a while to adjust
to. I prefer the suit for ground hunting which was most likely the intent
of the design and found it to be a bit cumbersome in my treestand. If I
ever get the courage to take my self-made Bamboo-backed Osage longbow on
an actual hunt, the Shaggie will be joining me.
Rancho Safari Shaggie System Fast Facts:
Available in the following
garments and accessories
-
Shaggie Deluxe Longcoat Bowhunter
Boonie Hood w/Face Mask
-
Shaggie Ultralite Longcoat Bowhunter
Boonie Hood w/Face Mask
-
Shaggie Longcoat with soft hood
and facemask
-
Shaggie Longcoat with attached
hood
-
Shaggie Short Jacket
-
Shaggie pants with zip-up legs
-
Shaggie attached hood mini
-
Shaggie Leg Gaiters
-
Shaggie Boonie Hood
-
Shaggie Face Mask
-
Shaggie Camo covered knee pads
-
Shaggie Gun Covers
-
Shaggie Bow Covers
-
Shaggie Boot Silencers
Available Camo Patterns
-
Mossy Oak Breakup and Shadowgrass
-
Realtree/ Advantage Timber and
Wetlands
-
Rancho Safari 4-Season, Desert,
Winter and Spring
Available Materials
-
100% cotton
-
50% burlap - 50% cotton
-
100% Jute Burlap
-
Ultralite cotton
-
Ultralite Jute
-
50% Jute - 50% Burlap Blend
For information on the Shaggie System and
other Rancho Safari products contact:
Rancho Safari
P.O. Box 691
Ramona, CA 92065-0691
Phone: 760-789-2094
Fax: 760-789-1506
Toll Free: 800-240-2094
Email: email@ranchosafari.com
Web: www.ranchosafari.com |
