Bought a new sweater, got a new favorite supplier.
You need to know I'm a gear snob, and I am proud of it. I've been in the market for a heavy sweater that can withstand the abuse of waterfowl season for a while now. I looked to the usual "American Heritage brand" (which shall remain unnamed) that I normally use for these goods, but balked at the price despite being made in the USA. I soon came across the Ranger Uniform Sweater which I believe is just as good and a much better value than what I had previously convinced myself I wanted.
This past weekend I chose to wear only my waders and the sweater with no overcoat for opening day of our duck season. The temperature was in the 40s with a light rain. Coupled with a boat ride, this should have been a miserable start to the day. The Ranger Uniform Sweater performed flawlessly, keeping me warm and dry. It actually got a little too warm once the sun was up, so I have no doubt it will do just fine as the season grinds on and the temperature starts to drop. My only complaint, if you could call it that, is that the center of the elbow patches fall a little high on the sleeve due to my long arms.
I would be remiss if I didnt say, the customer service at Atlantic Rancher is top shelf. After ordering I reconsidered the size I needed and fired off an email requesting a change. Within a few minutes, the owner, Engle, responded stating it wouldn't be a problem and would ship per my update.
It goes without saying I will be a repeat customer. I was impressed enough with the quality of the product and responsiveness of the customer service that I carefully peeled the decal from the shipping package and placed it on my shell box.