Publication: Gamewise Magazine
Edition: Autumn/Winter 2000
Article: Flash Mac
Author: Sophia Miles

Trawling the game fairs and shows for three years failed to find me the perfect wet-weather coat. My ideals were tough. I wanted it for winter and summer, for wet and dry, and for stalking in Scotland or my daily walk in Doset. It had to be waterproof, silent, lightweight, hard-wearing, a muted colour - and affordable. I tried on endless options: wax cotton (too dark and shiny); tweed (too heavy); and breathable heavy-duty nylon (frequently day-glow and often noisy).
Stand-holders at fairs found my quest exasperating and frequently marched me off their premises muttering about compromises and "being difficult". The only way was to design my own.
However, before I could patent my thoughts and make (or break) my fortune, my brother stepped in. He suggested a made to measure coat of double-layer ventile, British-made tight-weave cotton that is virtually impervious to water but breathable. Such coats, he said, were available in a variety of colours from pale green to dark brown (to suit your surroundings), via mail-order from a small company called Countrysports.
At Countrysports an ex-soldier and a highland stalker have teamed up to design as near perfect coat as I could have dreamt. At £295 it was expensive, but burnt a significantly smaller hole in my pocket than would its better known competitors. I faxed across my vital statistics and colour choice and within three weeks a package appeared on my doorstep.
A year on, I have tested my coat stalking, where it remained waterproof in a driving hail storm. The colour I had chosen ('parph') was voted by the other stalking party members as the best colour on the hill after tweed. It fits my fleece underneath for the frost mornings, but is not too bulky or too hot during the summer, and it's quiet. It's other attributes include plenty of pockets (with a hidden one for valuables), draw-cord storm collar and cuffs, and even a pile-prevention measure of a drop down seat!
This summer I flaunted my coat at the shows hoping the angry stand-holders would notice. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman ... well as much as is possible wearing a brown mac!

Gamewise is the official magazine of The Game Conservancy Trust, who can be found online at www.gct.org.uk

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