Clothing Recommendations (Key Items) ... Elk Hunting in NE Washington/SE BC

[dapesche]

Good morning. First post on the site. I have been lurking on the site and learning from all the great threads that have been created. I search a lot! ... but I have found that there are so many variables when it comes to clothing selection, and I am hoping that someone who reads this was once in the same situation as myself.

From all my reading, here is some info that I hope helps:
- 5'9" 175lbs. Athletic.
- I sweat very easily
- Hunting Style: Drive up logging road and walk in 5km
- Typically I day hunt, but I hope to eventually do overnighters (not 5+ days into the backcountry though)
- Will be hunting elk, and mule deer primarily in the West Kootenays of British Columbia (google: Kootenay Lake BC and you'll see what I am dealing with ... thick timber, and mountainous).

What I hunted in last year: STC work boots, carhartts and a standfield, with a stinky poly baselayer that I use for skiing. Somehow we managed to get a 4 point muley with all my stink.

Knowing that last years setup was terrible and that I wanted to change my style of hunting, I have made the following purchases:
- Oboz Beartooth boots
- prana zion pants
- Costco merino long sleeve shirt
- horn hunter full curl pack

As you can see I am cost conscious, but I know I'll have to spend some cash on a couple pieces of high quality gear...which is why I am posting here. I have researched difference products for the last couple months and I am getting fatigued by the amount of product out there and the many different regions that are being discussed.

So from my research so far, and based on the fall weather in the kootenays, I might be able to get by with adding puffy vest, a rain jacket and possibly a pelton 200 on top of my merino long sleeve. Softshells were interesting to me, but I don't see a lot of positive comments on them.

So in short, if you were heading out for extended day trips that required hiking in temps that range from 20 degrees Celsius to 0 degrees Celsius and you had the desire to hunt rain or shine, what would you be wearing?

Really appreciate ideas and feedback. If anyone has been in a similar situation as myself and wants some more info to dial in their recommendation, please ask and I'll get back asap.

Thank you for helping me spend money

 

[Justin Crossley]

For great hunting clothes on a budget you should definitely look at Skre Gear and they are having a Father's day sale right now too.

 

[dapesche]

Thank you. Had a good look at them. Situation still comes back to what are the important pieces I should be looking for as a day hunter... Softshell a bad idea? Do I need a merino shirt or the poly blend shirt. Should I grab the Base layers...

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[Where's Bruce?]

Heavier merino as a base is item #1. I would recommend a First Lite zip tee for use in warmer weather trips. I often only wear my FL merino shirt for the day. Well...and pants. <g>

 

[dapesche]

Thanks Bruce!

So on a cooler day in the fall I'd have the pranas and something like a kuiu long sleeve shirt.

Then if it was a sunny fall day I'd have a long sleeve merino that is thinner? My cloudveil merino from Costco is pretty thin.



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[Rwbrew3]

This is a tough one in those temps, do you plan on moving the entire time or sitting and glassing. I ask only because moving in any weather willl cause sweat so something that is moisture wicking is important, something in the peloton line would work for that ( i think you mentioned kuiu above ) if your going to spend a lot of time glassing then Puffy gear will be your go to along with a zip off insulated pant.

Soft shell jacket are awesome if temps are not out of control, but if your layered properly they are a great peace. Me personally i wold hike in with a merino next to skin, a Peleton over that along with a soft shell, pair of merino boxers, zip off pants, and my guide or attack pants. Would have rating gear and puffy to put on if glassing and sitting.

Just my opinion hope this help a bit.....

Best of luck on your hunt !!!!

Rick

 

[P Carter]

I'd grab a lift vest and cheap fleece, like Columbia Steens Mountain. Perhaps a Costco merino baselayer bottom. That's a pretty bulletproof system. With a lightweight baselayer, puffy vest, fleece, and rain jacket you're plenty warm. I prefer a baselayer pants instead of rain pants for some reason. I have an old 100gram primaloft cabelas vest that I picked up for like $60. No need to buy expensive fleece. With this system you'd be good to go and you don't have to spend a fortune.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Thanks Bruce!

So on a cooler day in the fall I'd have the pranas and something like a kuiu long sleeve shirt.

Then if it was a sunny fall day I'd have a long sleeve merino that is thinner? My cloudveil merino from Costco is pretty thin.



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The basic layering is simple to grasp. Start with merino and add insulative and outer wear as needed to keep from getting cold and peel down to prevent sweating. Merino is pretty good at holding down the funk and dries quickly. It keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the fall and winter. You can cut costs by getting mid-layers at places like Costco. I have a variety of merino items but you can always just double up if you wanna save coin and have a couple shirts already. Select the thickness that suits the weather. Soft shell jackets are probably the least used piece you'll own but when you're glassing in a wind wearing every stitch of clothing you packed and aren't uncomfortable you have figured the game out. Bit of a learning curve sometimes.

 

[dapesche]

The basic layering is simple to grasp. Start with merino and add insulative and outer wear as needed to keep from getting cold and peel down to prevent sweating. Merino is pretty good at holding down the funk and dries quickly. It keeps you cool in the summer and warm in the fall and winter. You can cut costs by getting mid-layers at places like Costco. I have a variety of merino items but you can always just double up if you wanna save coin and have a couple shirts already. Select the thickness that suits the weather. Soft shell jackets are probably the least used piece you'll own but when you're glassing in a wind wearing every stitch of clothing you packed and aren't uncomfortable you have figured the game out. Bit a learning curve sometimes.

Bit of a learning curve for sure. Seems like many on the site are rotating gear through trial and error. I think my biggest issue are the amount of names for shirts/jackets between Sitka, first lite kuiu and now skre.

Appreciate the simplicity in your response. I was hoping that the simple solution was a thin merino base with a softshell on top. It's never straight forward though.

Thanks for taking the time to help.

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[dapesche]

I'd grab a lift vest and cheap fleece, like Columbia Steens Mountain. Perhaps a Costco merino baselayer bottom. That's a pretty bulletproof system. With a lightweight baselayer, puffy vest, fleece, and rain jacket you're plenty warm. I prefer a baselayer pants instead of rain pants for some reason. I have an old 100gram primaloft cabelas vest that I picked up for like $60. No need to buy expensive fleece. With this system you'd be good to go and you don't have to spend a fortune.

I'm assuming your meant a 'loft' vest?...
I Have a Marmot fleece with a bit of a windstopper layer to it. If I'm using fleece I guess I need a solid rain jacket. My understanding is that fleece is quiet but supper warm and will soak up the rain and is not very packable.

As I type I think I'll avoid fleece as sweat easily and I'm packing light for the day.

Based on your note, I'm probably better looking for the vest to keep me warm if I'm glassing and I'll be able to pack it away when moving.

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[dapesche]

This is a tough one in those temps, do you plan on moving the entire time or sitting and glassing. I ask only because moving in any weather willl cause sweat so something that is moisture wicking is important, something in the peloton line would work for that ( i think you mentioned kuiu above ) if your going to spend a lot of time glassing then Puffy gear will be your go to along with a zip off insulated pant.

Soft shell jacket are awesome if temps are not out of control, but if your layered properly they are a great peace. Me personally i wold hike in with a merino next to skin, a Peleton over that along with a soft shell, pair of merino boxers, zip off pants, and my guide or attack pants. Would have rating gear and puffy to put on if glassing and sitting.

Just my opinion hope this help a bit.....

Best of luck on your hunt !!!!

Rick

Thanks Rick. Do you find yourself pretty warm blooded too. The quietness of the softshell is appealing (vs rain jacket) and the ability to hunt in the rain without switching gear around seems pretty sweet.

What softshell do you use? Seems like the kuiu Guide is popular and I can't seem to get the equivalent jackets from first lite and Sitka straight in my mind.
I'd need pit zips for sure.

I'm liking the idea of my merino with a synthetic on top. I keep getting caught up with the jacket. Seems like it's a softshell byitself or a puffy vest with a rain jacket.

Do you have any experience with that decision?

Thank you!

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[P Carter]

Somehow "puffy" autocorrected to "lift."

Yes, I do a puffy vest for when I stop moving. And a fleece if it's quite cold (20-30s). I'll move in the fleece in those temps and put the puffy on under it when I stop. Comparing a fleece to a softshell, I find that it's lighter and warmer. Equally packable. It's less weather resistant, but if it's raining or misting I want a rain jacket anyway because a softshell is going to wet out. (Raingear will too, eventually.) Fleece does not resist water but retains its insulating properties pretty well.

Plus, a fleece is like 30 to 50 bucks.

In any case, that's my experience and thoughts. Particularly for a more budget-minded hunter. Whatever the case may be, get out and enjoy!

 

[tater]

Merino wool base layer (150 or 200 weight) to start no matter what/when. I carry a wind shirt, puffy and goretex paclite jacket all year around. I will add a heavier merino top or wool sweater if the weather dictates. This system takes me from +30 C to minus 20 C.

If you shop around, you can find good gear built for mountaineering that will do the job. Won't be camo, but unless you are hunting turkeys camo isn't really a big deal.

The key is to not get overheated, and to be prepared to add/subtract clothes throughout the day to keep a regulated core temperature.

 

[Rwbrew3]

Thanks Rick. Do you find yourself pretty warm blooded too. The quietness of the softshell is appealing (vs rain jacket) and the ability to hunt in the rain without switching gear around seems pretty sweet.

What softshell do you use? Seems like the kuiu Guide is popular and I can't seem to get the equivalent jackets from first lite and Sitka straight in my mind.
I'd need pit zips for sure.

I'm liking the idea of my merino with a synthetic on top. I keep getting caught up with the jacket. Seems like it's a softshell byitself or a puffy vest with a rain jacket.

Do you have any experience with that decision?

Thank you!

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I have the following kuiu jackets, Teton soft shell, Teton insulated, guide, guide vest,ultra down hooded,chinook and a chgach rain, if you want i can put them all side by side so you can see the difference !

If sitka i have a lot of there jackets as well

Only thing that makes kuiu difficult is not being able to walk in and try on.......

 

[Felix40]

For me the system that works pretty much all year is: merino longsleeve(chama), puffy vest(russell), puffy jacket(uncompadre), rain jacket(kuiu chugach). I can sit and glass when its cold or hike when its warm or anything in between. Im a penny pincher too and i bought everything on sale. Its all top of the line but I have less than $350 in my upper body layers.

I would add in some rain pants or at least gaiters if you are doing multiple days back to back just so your boots and legs arent soaked. Good choice on the pranas and oboz btw. I wear nothing but pranas and a buddy swears by the oboz.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Last October in the Sierras I wore two Sitka puffys (only one had a hood) to stay warm. Sometimes a vest alone isn't enough. Rain jackets seem to help in cold windy conditions more than soft shells.

 

[dapesche]

For me the system that works pretty much all year is: merino longsleeve(chama), puffy vest(russell), puffy jacket(uncompadre), rain jacket(kuiu chugach). I can sit and glass when its cold or hike when its warm or anything in between. Im a penny pincher too and i bought everything on sale. Its all top of the line but I have less than $350 in my upper body layers.

I would add in some rain pants or at least gaiters if you are doing multiple days back to back just so your boots and legs arent soaked. Good choice on the pranas and oboz btw. I wear nothing but pranas and a buddy swears by the oboz.

Great call with the gaiters. Makes a lot of sense.
I have an old pair of wool pants and the zions. Pranas could go back to back days, but those wool pants might soak.
Thank you.

 

[dapesche]

So from all the feedback, I'll be doing this:
- Pants: early season: Zions / late season deer: wool pants
- if I know it'll be cooler during early season I'll bring my wool long johns.
- I need merino briefs

Baselayer:
- wool longs johns
- medium thickness merino or merino blend

Shirt:
- Early Season: a thinner peleton-like shirt that will pull moisture away. Not too thick as I'll have the base layer on cooler days. On warmer days I'll wear this long sleeve shirt with no base layer
- Late season: my baselayer with the my wind breaker fleece with peleton-like shirt on top ... it'd be on top because I'd like try to own one piece of camo clothing with that shirt being it.

Jacket:
- Vest: find a nice basic primaloft (sp?) vest
- Rain Jacket: find a light rain jacket like the pac lite goretex jacket recommended. Don't care about camo with this one, but I do have concerns about toughness.


In regards to everyone's experiences with rain gear, has any one noticed a certain product being tougher than another? There is a first lite stormtight jacket for sale but i'd hate to rip it while moving through our dense bush. Does the toughness of a rain shell trump the sound/camo of a hunting companies brand?

This is really helping. Thank you!

 

[dapesche]

I have the following kuiu jackets, Teton soft shell, Teton insulated, guide, guide vest,ultra down hooded,chinook and a chgach rain, if you want i can put them all side by side so you can see the difference !

If sitka i have a lot of there jackets as well

Only thing that makes kuiu difficult is not being able to walk in and try on.......

Thanks for the offer. I'll dial in what exactly I need and then if I really need to get into the finer details I'll come back to you.... if that's ok with you.

 

[Felix40]

Great call with the gaiters. Makes a lot of sense.
I have an old pair of wool pants and the zions. Pranas could go back to back days, but those wool pants might soak.
Thank you.

Yeah i dont mind my pants getting wet a little but when it wicks down your leg into your socks it takes a long time to dry boots out.