Duck Camp | Holiday 2022

Every year, we’re faced with choices on how to handle the holiday season. Done the wrong way, you can have a chaotic time on your hands, filled with excess and clutter.

But done the right way, this time of year can yield life’s best moments. It can be a time to unwind, reflect on the year’s accomplishments, or grow from its mishaps. It’s a time to recharge, and prep for another journey around the sun. And if you’re anything like us, it can mean more time to spend in the duck and deer blinds. ese moments at camp can be the sweet taste to end the year, or an encouraging one to start the next. Memories made, skills sharpened, and convictions solidified.

is season, don’t just buy gear for someone. Invest in time spent together doing the things you love.

So here’s to holidays well spent. Outside, with the ones that matter.

Shirts built for the hunt and the stories that come after.

Duck Camp Field Shirts

Lightweight

Shirt

Midweight

Camp Shirt

Campfire Shacket

“The shacket is simply stunning. Friends have inquired where I got it and I love the look and feel. It’s sure to be my go-to over a short sleeve in our milder gulf coast fall and winter.”

- David B.

Weightless Insulation

3DeFX+™ insulation offers a revolutionary amount of warmth, with a minimal amount of material by creating air pockets that recycle your body’s heat. The Airflow Insulated Vest, Jacket and Hoodie gives you way more stretch, comfort, and breathability than your old puffer, while remaining almost weightless.

Move fast. Breathe Easy.

Airflow Insulated

from the

Airflow provides the perfect mix of

On top of it all, it feels practically

just about any

that has

it

$179

Hoodie

Insulated

A warm feeling that lasts throughout season.

Reversible

Insulated with 700 power

duck down, which simply means that it has one of the highest warmth-to-weight ratios out there for down filling. These outer layers are treated inside and out on a microscopic level with a durable water repellent

to maintain their insulating power in wet conditions — they succeed where most down products

“The DryDown Reversible

warm,

soft lined

large and very warm as well, even without gloves!

Reversible color schemes

absolutely

great wearability, both in and out of the duck

ese Pants Are Going Places.

$

Contact Pants

SOFTSHELL HUNT PANTS

Our most technical option, made to keep you warm and dry even in the most challenging conditions. Wear these fleece-lined pants on your next cold weather pursuit.

Tracker Pants

$

| ALL-WEATHER PANTS

Lightweight, breathable and weather resistant – these are the pants you’ll be reaching for all-year-round. Perfect for all-game hunters in warm to temperate climates.

Brush Pants

$

FIELD PANTS

Until they create a more rugged terrain, you’re all set. These are built for the toughest environments and retain the right amount of stretch and breathability. They don’t look bad out to dinner either.

Bonded Fleece Inner

Lightweight Double Weave

Hip Tether Loops

Articulated Knees

Knife Pocket

Merino: Nature’s ermal Layer

One of the most important layers in the field is your base layer. If done well, it will regulate temperature, keep you comfortable, and not absorb your odors. Our merino layers accomplish all of those things.

Merino Base Layers

| CREW | HENLEY

“I purchased top and bottoms, all I can say is wow, I have used polypropylene and cotton for years and the merino wool is amazing. The difference in being miserable and completely comfortable. I was just outside of Helena Montana for a work project, temps were -6 in the morning and warmed to the 20’s at midday.”

- Richard D.

Your New Favorite Midlayer

Barnburner Merino

The merino wool advantage is real: this garment regulates your body temperature and doesn’t run too hot as temperatures rise. Featuring soft brushed fleece next-to-skin layer, thumb holes for easy layering and warmth, flat locked seams and a heavy weight construction for ultimate comfort as a mid or outer layer.

Barnburner

¼ Zip Jacket in Charcoal

¼ Zip Hoodie in Wetland

Full Zip Guide Hoodie in Moss/Woodland

Words by Oliver Hartner and Photos by Ian Mahathey

People who excel at their pursuit often begin their days before dawn. ey understand that nothing worth having comes easy, and the extra winks of sleep they sacrifice become inconsequential in attaining their goals. Chris Torain rises before the sun on most mornings while training gun dogs professionally, or waterfowling for leisure. But before this season of his life, he would rub his eyes during those witching hours and wish for more sleep before finding work that was worthy of his gifts.

Chris punched a clock on a warehouse wall at 4:00 am most days of the week, toiling there twelve hours a day until 4:00 pm. “It was one of the worst jobs I’d ever had. I absolutely hated it,” Chris recalled. The job paid his bills, but it drained his soul. Then around 2019, one of his friends introduced him to waterfowling, and with those precious hours he wasn’t moving freight, Chris dedicated himself to learning more about waterfowling and gun dogs. “I just kept wanting to learn as much as possible. I wound up buying my own dog and started watching YouTube videos and reading a lot of books.”

While scrolling through Instagram, Chris stumbled across Wildrose Carolinas and learned they operated in Hillsborough, North Carolina close to his home. He contacted them and asked if he could work for free in exchange for knowledge and a place to train his pup. “Once I finished my groundskeeping duties, I was able to work dogs one-on-one with the head trainers. I couldn’t put a price on that kind of instruction.” Several months passed under this arrangement, and as Chris demonstrated an aptitude and infectious enthusiasm for dog training, Steven Lucius and Kirk Parker, co-owners of Wildrose Carolinas, altered the deal; they invited Chris to work full-time as their groundskeeper and apprentice dog trainer. He left the warehouse behind in September of 2021 and hasn’t looked back.

The opportunity to train dogs professionally means more to Chris than simply earning a living or being happy at his job—it’s a passion found, and a promise fulfilled. Hard work with a little luck got his foot in the door at Wildrose Carolinas, but it took encouragement apart from himself to steady his footing along this path. His mentors Steven, Kirk, and renowned trainer and Wildrose International founder Mike Stewart are numbered among his support group along with several close friends. But so too was his beloved grandmother who succumbed to breast cancer. “A year and a half before I started at Wildrose, I told people I wanted to train gun dogs, including my grandmother, and she never discouraged me. So, I focused hard on dog training, and now when I’m working, I feel like I’m showing her, ‘You knew I wanted to do this, and you never discouraged me. Now look how far I’ve come.’”

Chris puts a part of himself into every dog he trains, and anything less than the best won’t do. “I want you to have the option to hunt with one of my dogs anywhere. Flooded timber. A-frame blinds. Pit blinds. Goose fields. Upland hunting. Anywhere and anytime a retriever is required, I want dogs that I train to meet or exceed an owner’s expectations. Both before and after the hunt, they should be calm and obedient. An unruly dog is irritating, and when firearms come into play, they can be dangerous.”

Whenever waterfowl season arrives, Chris takes his dogs to swampy bottoms and farm fields where he has permission to hunt. These hunts offer him an opportunity to stay connected with the resource and recruit others into sporting life. “I try every season to take at least one person with me who has never hunted in their lives. And most times, it only takes once before they’re hooked. Watching cupped-winged mallards come down to a call is amazing even when you don’t shoot any of them. It’s something they just don’t normally see.” Chris acknowledges the hurdles faced by himself and newer waterfowl enthusiasts, often from experienced hunters who have forgotten they also had to start somewhere. “I’ve heard people complain about newer hunters saying things like, ‘They’re sky blasting,’ or, ‘They’re calling too much,’ or some other thing. But if they’re not helping those people into the sport, how can they expect them to know better?”

Chris acknowledges the hurdles faced by himself and newer waterfowl enthusiasts, often from experienced hunters who have forgotten they also had to start somewhere. “I’ve heard people complain about newer hunters saying things like, ‘ ey’re sky blasting,’ or, ‘ ey’re calling too much,’ or some other thing. But if they’re not helping those people into the sport, how can they expect them to know better?”

As a young Black man, Chris often finds himself being the only minority represented at sporting events or gun dog demonstrations, but he hasn’t felt his race was an obstacle to being involved in sporting life; and he encourages seasoned sporting life enthusiasts to introduce themselves to people falling outside the traditional idea of what hunters and anglers ought to look like. “I don’t ever mind being a minority at an event or at a hunt because I know everyone there shares a connection. As soon as we start talking, we find common ground just minutes into the conversation. We all love our dogs. We all love our sport. And we all love the resource.”

Chris continues setting loftier goals for himself within his profession and his sport. Getting there will take continued progress and dedication, but he draws strength from a fathomless well of enthusiasm. When he couples this passion with his support network, Chris meets the moment and achieves his objectives. He aims to train “an absolute monster” gun dog for a guide service, or perhaps train a dog for 24.7 Hunt—a group of guys with a YouTube channel that he loves. “If there’s a ‘Gun Dog Trainers Hall of Fame,’ I aim to be in it. I know that I’ve still got a lot to learn, but I’ll always be a student of my passion. Otherwise I’m no longer a professional.”

Oliver Hartner is a South Carolina-based writer covering sporting life interests. His work has appeared in Covey Rise Magazine, Shooting Sportsman, Quail Forever Journal, USA Today: Hunt and Fish Magazine, and Covers Magazine of the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society. He serves on the South Carolina State Committee of Ducks Unlimited as its Secretary, and he can be found on Instagram @oliverhartner, or on the web at oliverhartner.com.

Make “outside” your comfort zone.

Add some quality to your quality time outdoors.

e most wonderful time of the year is always “right now.”

Watertight, from blind to boat.

Tired of rainwear not living up to its promise? Our Deck System can help with that. It’s a water resistant kit designed for the blind, off-shore fishing, and every form of precipitation in between.

“I wear the heck out of my clothes. I don’t really like getting new items because my apparel lasts me years. I’m the type of guy who wants something that lasts in durability but also style and comfort. When I first tried on this jacket, I knew it was coming home with me. I’m from Houston where it rains for weeks on end and I’m also an avid sailor who needs protection from the elements in the ocean.

This jacket has got my back!”

Deck Jacket

150-denier 100% Polyester with PU Membrane & DWR Finish

Waterproof / 10,000 Breathability Rating

Integrated Kill Switch Tab

Brushed, Soft-to-the-Touch Fabric

Fit for Ultimate Protection

Large, Easy-Access Chest and Hand Pockets

Fully Adjustable Hood,

Deck Bib

Warm

for cold days.

Merino

Waxed Canvas

So why not partner up…on a piece of cloth? One that’s made for throwing in the back of a pick up, for park meet ups, backyard hangs, front porches, and even in the blind. We’re not going to tell you how to use this blanket, but with its ultra durable ripstop nylon, water repellent finish, microfleece liner, and the all-new Duck Camp Wetland Pattern, this blanket can go just about anywhere you do.

Around here, we’re committed to fighting for hunters and anglers, now and into the future. But we can’t do it alone. That’s why we’ve been working with key conservation organizations across the nation to help fund programs that support habitat, access, and mentorship. Want to do your part? Check out our Conservation Series — all profits go directly to our nonprofit partners.

you out there!