LONG RANGE SCOUT JACKET / SISSITAKKI 2.0
For the last weeks of the late hunting season, we at Karu Survival here in Finland have been using some new puffy jackets by a little known company called Origopro. Origopro is family owned , Finland based company that makes high quality clothing and MOLLE pouches for Law Enforcement, the Finnish Defense Forces and Search and Rescue Personnel. The website is a little dated, but the gear is of seriously good quality and the prices are a pretty incredible value for kit made in the EU. Origopro is the contract manufacturer of Varusteleka’s M05 printed Särmä and woolshell products.
We managed to pick up a couple models of their updated Long Range Scout Jacket. Now, I am honestly not sure what to call these, they are something of a “Puffy Greatcoat” in a way. Essentially, they are a full length puffy jacket that is generously filled with Climashield Apex hollow polyester from the US. The full length assures even more warmth over your entire body, however if the length gets in your way, it can be folded back into itself and simply fastened with several buttons. To add to its versatility, the coats are reversible, meaning you can have two different seasonal M05 camouflage patters for use throughout the hunting season. These were originally designed for the long range recon troops of the Finnish Defense Forces, but they have slowly been adopted by SAR, hunters and other outdoorsmen with additional color offerings like blaze orange.
We have been playing with these for a while now and we have to say they are seriously impressive. The jackets are incredibly warm and the length is incredibly comfortable as you sit in your blind or with your back against a tree in the frosty early mornings. The M05 Camo pattern is one of the best you can use and the ability to swap it to the M05 Snow pattern in the winter is an appreciated feature for that late season grouse hunting. If you find the length restricting as you stalk the forest, simply button the lower half up and you have a more traditional mid length puffy jacket, with an extra layer of insulation around your kidneys and midsection.
The two hand warmer pockets are generous and of course mirrored on the inside of the jacket, in case you choose to switch the patterns. The zipper and buttons are all excellent and the stitching is precise throughout the jacket.
The cut is generous, to allow for layering and the hood is ample to be able to fit a helmet. Personally, I have been using this as an overcoat that I throw over my usual hunting clothes when I have set my decoys and sit down to wait in below freezing weather. The jacket is water resistant and of course because it is Climashield Apex hollow polyester and not down, it will retain its warmth in case it does get wet.
The jacket weighs around 700 grams for a medium, which makes it surprisingly lightweight for a coat of its length and it packs down to fit in a 5L stuff sack. To compare this, my Feathered Friends Eos jacket weighs 300 grams and stuffs into a 3L stuff sack. However the Origopro Long Range Scout Jacket is considerably more durable and the longer length is more comfortable to sit/lay down in as you hunt. My Eos has been torn on short walks in the forest and I wouldn’t think of using is as anything other than a mid-layer under a more durable shell. The Long Range Scout Jacket serves as a stand-alone shell jacket.
The Eos also costs almost twice as much. At 198 euros, this jacket is an incredible value. You essentially get four jackets in one, as you have two different colors and two different lengths. If anyone is in the market for a puffy for hunting or just for throwing on during rests as you hike and camp, this is a pretty fantastic option and an absolutely incredible value at this price range.
Written by Justin Lehmann (IG lehmann_outdoors)