The Hilltrek Blog

Cameron Clouston is a 16 year old outdoor enthusiast with a passion for bushcraft, canoeing and many other outdoor pursuits.

He recently tested one of our Braemar Ventile Smocks and published a review in Bushcraft UK.

Here is an extract:

"A short while ago I received a Braemar smock, made by Hilltrek, for review. The jacket is made from Ventile, a high performance fabric made from cotton. The fabric is highly breathable so you do not overheat when hiking or working, yet the dense weave means the cotton fibres keep you dry in all but the very worst of rainstorms, as the fibres swell to help prevent any water ingress. The fabric provides good protection from the wind and is also very quiet in comparison to membrane fabrics like Gore-Tex, making it a good choice for a hunting garment.

I was impressed by the quality of the product

The smock is hand made in Scotland, by Hilltrek’s own in house seamstresses, in Ventile and is available in a range of colours. You can order it made to measure or choose standardised sizing, you can also choose to add on a number of optional extras, or have the smock made from double layer Ventile. My smock is made from single layer olive Ventile, with the 8”X8” compass pocket and ‘kangaroo’ style pocket with hand warmer flaps, an optional extra available on Hilltrek’s website. It is competitively priced at £160 for a ‘no frills’ single Ventile version to £375 for a Double Ventile made to measure version.

When I first received the smock I was impressed by the quality of the product that had been very well executed and was in immaculate condition.

The smock features Velcro adjustable wrist straps, a drawstring hem, a large adjustable hood, a map pocket on the front, chest zip with a Velcro baffle and on this specific smock the 8”X8” compass pocket and ‘kangaroo’ style pocket with hand warmer flaps.

The smock has clearly been designed well and has been thought through to make it a comfortable and hardwearing garment. I tested the jacket in many different conditions from sleet, snow and rain to comparatively warm conditions and it performed well in them all. I have not had any leaks at all and I have been kept dry in some pretty severe weather with driving wind and rain- yet I have not overheated in warmer conditions. I found the smock to be tough too, and not getting snagged on brambles and thorns when moving through thick terrain, which to me is very important.

...it has quickly become one of my favourite pieces of outdoor clothing

I have used the smock for some time now and from the day it came to now it has quickly become one of my favourite pieces of outdoor clothing. The smock is cut well and allows a great freedom of movement, making pursuits from canoeing to shooting easy without the smock falling short and leaving you exposed. I also like the fact you change your layers underneath according to the temperatures rather than needing another jacket- because the Ventile fabric is so breathable it will keep you dry in a summer shower with a t-shirt underneath but it will also keep you warm in the winter with snow underfoot.

A great passion of mine is bushcraft and spending nights out around a campfire. With synthetic fibre jackets you often suffer from holes in the coat because of the sparks from the fire- however I have not had any appear in the smock, much to my delight. I also enjoy some fine days fishing and used the smock as a wading jacket and I felt it performed great.

It is refreshing to have a high performance piece of clothing made so close home in Aboyne, Royal Deeside- in Scotland! The smock even had the seamstress’s name that made it on the label which I think is a really nice touch and gives you more of a connection to the jacket and where it’s come from. This is, to me, an obvious link to the quality- which is far easier to control and maintain when made in house. This ultimately provides us the consumer with a higher quality product- which is always a welcome sight.

What are my favourite things about the smock?

...the quality...is second to none and means the Braemar is a garment for life.

The Ventile fabric, which I think is one of the most versatile on the market. The design and layout which I think make the smock highly utilitarian and most importantly of all- the quality, which is second to none and means the Braemar is a garment for life.

What would I change?

In short, very little. I think the drawstring hem would be better elasticated rather than with just normal cord but apart from that I find it hard to fault it at all.

In conclusion I think the Hilltrek Braemar Smock is a proper outdoorsman’s jacket which is suitable for all manner of tasks that come its way. It passes the ultimate test for anything- would you get another one if you lost it? I know I would without hesitation and I am sure I will get many happy years of use from this one".

For more information please see Cameron's post in Bushcraft UK. You can see our Braemar smock here>.