North Mountain Stealth Vision Hat
Dr. David Vaught 09.27.13
The English poet Thomas Gray once wrote, “If the best man’s faults were written on his forehead, he would draw his hat over his eyes.” I know Jerry Scott of North Mountain Stealth Vision Hats did not use this quote in his development of his innovative hat, but it is the perfect introduction. Stealth Vision hats are something you have to see to believe and something that once you see it, you will consider the purchase.
I first saw one while surfing the net for waterfowl hunting adventures and came across a well-known guide wearing a hat with a mesh visor. It instantly made sense to me—if I could see through the bill of my hat, I could keep my face covered and still see! It is indeed a remarkable reinvention of the hat. I understand the purpose of the bill is to shade your eyes, but the mesh does this well enough and you still get some protection if you hunt in the full sun. My guess is this is not the case as most of us hunt in the woods, early morning, or in a variety of conditions that are not too sunny. After all, this is not a hat designed for boaters, it is designed for hunters.
With a face mask and the Stealth Vision Hat, you can camouflage yourself from eye movement and face flash and keep your head still as you watch game in front of you or above you. As a waterfowl hunter, this is perhaps one of the more difficult portions of your body to camouflage. Whether you are calling or just looking, the mesh bill gives you an unrestricted view through the bill. As you look through the mesh, your eyes focus past the mesh to the subject you want to see. You really do not even notice it. All you have to do is tip your head down and look up.
I put my hat to the test on the 2013 opening day of dove season in Missouri. For two days I hunted in the sun, and while it took just a slight bit of training (breaking habits), I quickly began to utilize the properties of the Stealth Vision hat to full effect. One of the two days my only hiding spot was with the sun in my face. I noticed that the bill in those conditions does not quite block the sun, but with sunglasses on, it was no problem. Where it was absolutely perfect was on shots where the doves were coming to me and I could tip my head down and still watch them before shooting. Later I also found the hat to work very well when teal hunting. I cannot wait to use this hat in the woods as I know it will be outstanding.
North Mountain Stealth Vision hats come in Realtree patterns including: Green, Max-4, Winter Storm, pink, hunter orange, black, and white. Styles range from a traditional solid cap and mesh bill to cool fully-mesh cap and bill designs. A boonie-style crusher and a flex fit hat with ear flaps are also available. Hats have adjustable straps that are comfortable, but Stealth also sells a Flex Fit hat and a Street Design hat.
North Mountain Stealth Vision Hats are available at select stores and online. They retail for $17.95 to $21.95.
