One of the biggest challenges that faces the hunter, especially during the warmer weather of early bow season, is how to conceal their face. I have tried just about everything over the years from face masks, to grease paint and even mud from the edge of a stream or rain filled hole. Each method had its own set of problems. Face masks get in your way and if you wear eyeglasses like me your breath can fog your glasses making shooting your bow difficult. Grease paint has been my method of choice for several years but when you sweat and wipe away the sweat, so goes your camo paint and you have to regularly re-apply and mud…..well, it’s mud!
Field staff member Nick Viau recently recommended that I try a product called Hardy Face Paint. He offered a link to their website and with a quick glance I saw statements like: “Smudgeproof”, “Water-resistant”, “Odorless”, and “Quick on, quick off”. It sounded too good to be true, so I immediately ordered a tube.
I gave it a try during the early weeks of the Georgia bow season, it is always warm this time of year and I was impressed by the clean application and its resilience to sweat. Still more testing was needed and I had just the right place to put the product through the ringer. I ordered three more tubes and set them aside to share with the Simply Traditional field staff team members Nick Viau and Brannon Gravitt on an upcoming hunt located on Cumberland Island. Cumberland Island is located at the southern most tip of the Georgia coast, this barrier island is typically a very warm, humid and sometimes rainy place to hunt. Hunters have to walk everywhere they venture, which usually means 4-5 miles of foot travel each day; sometimes more. I couldn’t think of a better place to test Hardy’s advertised benefits.
As luck would have it, Cumberland was all of the above. It rained the first two days and never dropped out of the 70s the entire time we were there. The humidity was thick enough to cut with a knife and we would sweat enough between the three of us to give our Hardy tubes more than a fair shake.
Nick was the first to admit how impressed he was when I asked, having hunted six hours the first morning in a hot, sticky downpour:
“This stuff is legit. I’ve never used or even seen anything like it. It goes on super easy with the applicator, leaves your fingers clean, and doesn’t come off unless you rub or peel it. Most face paints smudge or disappear with the first bead of sweat, or you scratch an itch and it comes off all over your hands. This stuff doesn’t. You have to rub it like hell with a bit of water or peel it to get it off. I’m sold. I doubt I’ll use the camo compacts or anything else again.”
Brannon saved his comments till the hunt was over and we were all back in North Georgia where it was a bit cooler and much drier. His thoughts reflect all of our experiences with Hardy during our 3 day hunt:
“Hardy face paint, the name says it all. I spent 3 days hunting in the subtropical climate of Cumberland island. Three of those days were filled with rain, high humidity and many miles walked. The built in applicator makes using the product a breeze, no muss no fuss. This face paint far exceeds any others that I’ve used, doesn’t smudge, smear, wear off, or irritate. A little soap and water makes clean up a breeze. In the past when I’ve used other paints I looks as if I got blackened eyes, not with Hardy. This product defiantly has a place in my gear bag.
As for myself, I admit I was a bit biased. I had already spent three weeks using Hardy Face Paint and during the early season North Georgia is also hot, muggy, and prone to showers and thunderstorms. Hardy’s has already taken pretty much everything Mother Nature could throw at it without fail. This is a paint you can put on once and hunt all day. My one complaint (if you could call it that) is that the unscented wipes I keep in my truck for cleanup have a hard time removing it without a good bit of scrubbing. Soap and water is definitely the key.
I’m not sure how long a tube will last (as I am still on my first) but I’ve been hunting a month and am fairly certain one tube will last the average hunter a season afield. Further use is required to know for sure.
In short, we loved this product. It delivered on all promised results and we loved the fact that application was something you did once in the morning and forgot about until dinner. We liked it so much in fact, I immediately contacted Hardy to become a dealer.
It is already in stock and ready for you to try as well. It is the perfect addition to any Simply Traditional order! Just click the “Add to Cart” button below:
Purchase Hardy Facepaint
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