Stoney Creek Fast Hunt Ascent review: a featherweight shirt and trousers for summer stalking

Founded in New Zealand in 1994 and owned since 2012 by Brent and Juanita McConnell, Stoney Creek offers a vast range of outdoor clothing, catering for a multitude of rural activities and climate zones. The company has its roots entrenched within the hunting and farming communities, and it was reassuring to read that it pairs the latest technical developments with its own purpose-built designs and exclusive fabrics.

However, smartly tailored words won’t keep you comfortable and dry, and I was keen to push the sales blurb to one side and get my hands on the Fast Hunt Ascent shirt and trousers that I had been sent to test.

As the name suggests, the fabric is designed to cope with heat, whether generated by arduous activity or sub-tropical weather conditions. The material is certainly super-lightweight: the shirt and trousers, in size large, tip the scales at a mere 293g and 219g respectively.

Stoney Creek Fast Hunt Ascent specification

How tough is such a lightweight fabric?

Unlike heavy cotton, canvas and leather, modern hi-tech materials are difficult to evaluate by touch alone, and one wonders how something so light can withstand the rigours of regular contact with rocks or thorns. Part of the answer comes from the fabric’s two-way stretch, and this is immediately evident when you give it a good pull between your fingers – which was instinctively the first thing I did after removing the garments from the packaging.

It felt strong yet worryingly thin. I gave it another tug, but this time with increased vigour – the material is certainly a lot stronger than it looks and feels. Finally, I went for it. After all, I had nothing to lose and had been briefed to test the gear rigorously. I gave the material an unreasonable amount of stress and it held up. I was impressed.

Next, I took a close look at the stitching. It was all very neat with none of those loose bits of thread that you often find (but shouldn’t) on new garments. Again, I gave the stitching a good stretch-test and again it withstood my efforts.

It was at that point I noticed the waist button on the trousers, and my face lit up. I was delighted to see that the button was a slotted, taped-on type – much stronger than a four-holed, sewn-on version. The waist button is the most important part of any pair of trousers. After all, nobody wants to be caught with their pants down, especially not during a hunt.

Is the outfit fit for purpose in a heatwave?

So, is the outfit fit for purpose? The Fast Hunt Ascent gear is marketed as a ‘mid-layer’ and, as such, it comes into its own after a deer has been grassed and a long walk carrying a heavy roe-sack, or dragging a deer sled, necessitates the removal of a top layer in order to ventilate.

Here we see another example of attention to detail. Whereas the trousers have a durable water-repellent treatment to keep your legs dry when wading through damp vegetation, the shirt doesn’t (as this could impair breathability); instead it has a moisture-wicking treatment, which is a smart move.

Regarding the trousers, I am unlikely to use them for anything other than a single layer during warm, dry weather, but it is here that they truly excelled. My trial period was during the UK’s August heatwave, and it soon became apparent that the trousers (and shirt) could have been purpose-built for roebuck stalking.

While my stalking took place in temperatures from 15°C to 25°C, on one day, when the mercury peaked at 37°C, I decided to change from my linen shorts and T-shirt and wear the outfit around the house and garden for basic chores for a few hours. I felt more comfortable in the Fast Hunt Ascent outfit than I had in pure linen.

Pockets and room to move

From a functionality perspective, the outfit boasts a good array of pockets. The two hip pockets on the trousers are capacious and deep – deep enough for me to trust that my car keys won’t fall out while stalking. If security is required, the right leg features an equally deep thigh pocket fitted with a quality YKK zip and, while it is a slimline pocket, it does have a small bellows at the bottom to benefit capacity and comfort. The shirt has a zipped chest pocket on each side of the half-length front zip. These are mesh-lined and can be left open to aid ventilation.

The rear of the shirt is longer than the front and will not ride up in use. The centre of the back features a neat vertical pleat to aid mobility, and directly above are two horizontal air vents. The sleeves have buttoned cuffs and, while the reverse colour of the material is white, the cuffs have an additional layer of the outer material colour so that they can be folded back without exposing the white inner sleeve.

There is also another panel of outer material halfway up the inside of each sleeve for the same purpose, but I roll my sleeves under, making this feature superfluous.

Which colours does the Fast Hunt Ascent come in?

This brings us neatly to the colour options. Stoney Creek ‘Tundra’ is an inoffensive greenish-brown that would make you feel equally at home on a driven shoot or stalking along a ditch-bottom, and you won’t scare the locals when dropping in at a service station. My trial garments came in Tuatara Camo Forest (TCF), and the pattern suits our British spring and summer broadleaf habitat perfectly.

Verdict

The outfit is undoubtedly well thought out and the needs of hunters have been listened to, considered and catered for. As a single layer it is ideal for summer roebuck stalking, and the shirt doubles as a practical mid-layer on cooler days. If you are looking for a featherweight, robust, quick-drying and highly breathable hunting outfit, you will struggle to find better than the Stoney Creek Fast Hunt Ascent.

For more information, visit stoneycreekoutdoors.co.uk.