Weatherproof late season clothing kits

[Opia]

This last rifle season in Montana was an eye opener for my friend and I in many ways. Opening day we were geeted at the trailhead by snow, sleet, rain and a heavy layer of fog covering most of the mountains. That low 30° morning was just a glimpse of what the rest of the season held for us. Despite the conditions we packed our backpacks and left the trailhead feeling confident.

Even with the confidence we were a bit overwhelmed a couple hours into our day because the snow coming down and everything around us was so wet. I realized about a mile into our day that leaving my gaiters in the truck was a bad idea.We both were using boots that may have been mountain worthy for early season hunts but had no buisness in the snowy conditions we encountered. We managed to stay warm enough to do some hunting but the day was ultimately cut short from cold wet feel and legs.

After that day I went home and bit the bullet on a new pair of leather waterproof insulated boots from Schnees. I wasn't able to afford a warmer more water resistant pant for the season but just getting those boots changed the game for me. Warm and dry feet for the rest of the season. By the end of the season I felt like I had come up with a great layering system to put up with most conditions you could come across in mid to late season.

I would still like to improve my clothing system for future seasons but was impressed last year with how comfortable I was with my layers. There were a few brisk mornings or glassing sessions I did get chilled and that's where I would like to improve my system.

2022 clothing kit consisted of:

Feet:
Darn Tough - micro crew cushion merino wool socks
Schnees - Beartooth 0g boots

Legs:
Stone Glacier - SQ2 Alpine gaiters
Meriwool - Midweight 250g merino wool base layer bottom
Prana - Fleecelined winter pant

Upper body:
Firstlite - Kiln Hoodie 250g merino wool (baselayer)
Patagonia - Down sweater insulation (hoodless)
Arcteryx - Atom lt synthetic insulation (carried from time to time but down jacket kept me warmer)
Firstlite - Vapor stormlite rain jacket (outerlayer/weather protection)

Head, hands, neck:
Firstlite - Tag Cuff beanie heavy weight merino wool
Kuiu - Merino 210 glove
Kuiu - Guide glove
Kuiu - Glommit glove
Kuiu - Peloton 97 neck gaiter

Most of these clothing items I would usually be wearing, but I would carry multiple gloves for various conditions. Honestly I was surprised by how comfortable i was throughout the season with that system. I didn't know if a midweight merino baselayer, my light down jacket and and rain coat would be enough to hold out the cold. Some days it was not enough, but with a good baselayer, warm insulation and a good weather blocking shell you can get through a lot of conditions.

After thoughts on my system:

Feet:
After buying leather Schnees boots I had zero complaints about my feet for the rest of the season. Those boots are my favorite piece of footwear I own and extremely warm and comfortable. Darn tough socks keep my feet dry and toasty.

Legs:
My legs were the only thing that got cold a few times while glassing. I don't think the pants were great for the conditions they were not very thick and got wet easily by the end of the season. I have since bought Firstlite Catalyst Foundry pants for the cold winter hunts. I believe they will help alot with stationary hunts, as well as work great traveling because they have heat dump zips in the legs and more waterproof fabric. I'm also considering getting a heavyweight 350g merinowool bottom baselayer. 250g kept me warm most days but some of those days I was wishing I had just a bit more.

Upper body:
I was very impressed with my 3 layer system. Merino, down and a rain jacket held its own in the Montana cold. At times I did wish I had a bit more for an insulation layer and it's something I plan on upgrading soon. Also a heavyweight 350g baselayer would have helped on some extra cold days.

Head, hands, neck:
Can't complain much I love the Kuiu gloves. The lightweight merino wool gloves are great year round and work great as liners in the glommit. The Guide glove is a great durable glove for rougher tasks, leather grip on them is outstanding and they are pretty warm. The glommit gloves are my favorite, they keep my hands toasty all day and work great for glassing in the cold. The Kuiu peloton 97 neck gaiter did well, but some days it would have been nice to have warmer neck and face protection. Firstlite beanie worked great and kept my head warm.

What works for you?

As well as everything worked there is always room to improve and I would also like to get more clothing dedicated to just hunting so I can save my backpacking gear wear and tear. I love the idea of layering clothing to have a range of temperatures you can manage and it's how I've modeled my system for years.
Recently I've wondered about getting something closer to a snowboarding jacket. Weather and waterproof protection with insulation attached inside. And wouldn't you know it, Firstlite came out this year with the new Colter Parka and the new Uncompahgre foundry jacket. Both have waterproof fabric and synthetic insulation. The Colter parka being heavily insulated (250g+) for the coldest of days and the most waterproof. The Uncompahgre foundry jacket is also waterproof but has a pretty normal amount of insulation (100g body 60g sleeves/hood).

Does anyone have experience western hunting with a one and done upper body clothing system? I see the appeal in it but feel it lacks the adjustability for conditions like a layering system would have. They are typically more expensive but compared to buying a insulation layer and a rain jacket you definitely save some money.

I would like to upgrade my insulation layer so that it is camo. Right now it is a black Patagonia down jacket that works great, but I would prefer to have dedicated hunting clothing that is camouflage requardless of what layer I have on.

Please let me know what works for you in the backcountry! Don't feel the need to add specifics like brand names or fabric weights unless you wanna nerd out like me. I just did that for the people who are interested. I typically hunt out of my pack so weight and space are priorities in my clothing choices. Thanks for reading and discussing. Good luck out there fellas.

 

[ForlohFamily]

This last rifle season in Montana was an eye opener for my friend and I in many ways. Opening day we were geeted at the trailhead by snow, sleet, rain and a heavy layer of fog covering most of the mountains. That low 30° morning was just a glimpse of what the rest of the season held for us. Despite the conditions we packed our backpacks and left the trailhead feeling confident.

Even with the confidence we were a bit overwhelmed a couple hours into our day because the snow coming down and everything around us was so wet. I realized about a mile into our day that leaving my gaiters in the truck was a bad idea.We both were using boots that may have been mountain worthy for early season hunts but had no buisness in the snowy conditions we encountered. We managed to stay warm enough to do some hunting but the day was ultimately cut short from cold wet feel and legs.

After that day I went home and bit the bullet on a new pair of leather waterproof insulated boots from Schnees. I wasn't able to afford a warmer more water resistant pant for the season but just getting those boots changed the game for me. Warm and dry feet for the rest of the season. By the end of the season I felt like I had come up with a great layering system to put up with most conditions you could come across in mid to late season.

I would still like to improve my clothing system for future seasons but was impressed last year with how comfortable I was with my layers. There were a few brisk mornings or glassing sessions I did get chilled and that's where I would like to improve my system.

2022 clothing kit consisted of:

Feet:
Darn Tough - micro crew cushion merino wool socks
Schnees - Beartooth 0g boots

Legs:
Stone Glacier - SQ2 Alpine gaiters
Meriwool - Midweight 250g merino wool base layer bottom
Prana - Fleecelined winter pant

Upper body:
Firstlite - Kiln Hoodie 250g merino wool (baselayer)
Patagonia - Down sweater insulation (hoodless)
Arcteryx - Atom lt synthetic insulation (carried from time to time but down jacket kept me warmer)
Firstlite - Vapor stormlite rain jacket (outerlayer/weather protection)

Head, hands, neck:
Firstlite - Tag Cuff beanie heavy weight merino wool
Kuiu - Merino 210 glove
Kuiu - Guide glove
Kuiu - Glommit glove
Kuiu - Peloton 97 neck gaiter

Most of these clothing items I would usually be wearing, but I would carry multiple gloves for various conditions. Honestly I was surprised by how comfortable i was throughout the season with that system. I didn't know if a midweight merino baselayer, my light down jacket and and rain coat would be enough to hold out the cold. Some days it was not enough, but with a good baselayer, warm insulation and a good weather blocking shell you can get through a lot of conditions.

After thoughts on my system:

Feet:
After buying leather Schnees boots I had zero complaints about my feet for the rest of the season. Those boots are my favorite piece of footwear I own and extremely warm and comfortable. Darn tough socks keep my feet dry and toasty.

Legs:
My legs were the only thing that got cold a few times while glassing. I don't think the pants were great for the conditions they were not very thick and got wet easily by the end of the season. I have since bought Firstlite Catalyst Foundry pants for the cold winter hunts. I believe they will help alot with stationary hunts, as well as work great traveling because they have heat dump zips in the legs and more waterproof fabric. I'm also considering getting a heavyweight 350g merinowool bottom baselayer. 250g kept me warm most days but some of those days I was wishing I had just a bit more.

Upper body:
I was very impressed with my 3 layer system. Merino, down and a rain jacket held its own in the Montana cold. At times I did wish I had a bit more for an insulation layer and it's something I plan on upgrading soon. Also a heavyweight 350g baselayer would have helped on some extra cold days.

Head, hands, neck:
Can't complain much I love the Kuiu gloves. The lightweight merino wool gloves are great year round and work great as liners in the glommit. The Guide glove is a great durable glove for rougher tasks, leather grip on them is outstanding and they are pretty warm. The glommit gloves are my favorite, they keep my hands toasty all day and work great for glassing in the cold. The Kuiu peloton 97 neck gaiter did well, but some days it would have been nice to have warmer neck and face protection. Firstlite beanie worked great and kept my head warm.

What works for you?

As well as everything worked there is always room to improve and I would also like to get more clothing dedicated to just hunting so I can save my backpacking gear wear and tear. I love the idea of layering clothing to have a range of temperatures you can manage and it's how I've modeled my system for years.
Recently I've wondered about getting something closer to a snowboarding jacket. Weather and waterproof protection with insulation attached inside. And wouldn't you know it, Firstlite came out this year with the new Colter Parka and the new Uncompahgre foundry jacket. Both have waterproof fabric and synthetic insulation. The Colter parka being heavily insulated (250g+) for the coldest of days and the most waterproof. The Uncompahgre foundry jacket is also waterproof but has a pretty normal amount of insulation (100g body 60g sleeves/hood).

Does anyone have experience western hunting with a one and done upper body clothing system? I see the appeal in it but feel it lacks the adjustability for conditions like a layering system would have. They are typically more expensive but compared to buying a insulation layer and a rain jacket you definitely save some money.

I would like to upgrade my insulation layer so that it is camo. Right now it is a black Patagonia down jacket that works great, but I would prefer to have dedicated hunting clothing that is camouflage requardless of what layer I have on.

Please let me know what works for you in the backcountry! Don't feel the need to add specifics like brand names or fabric weights unless you wanna nerd out like me. I just did that for the people who are interested. I typically hunt out of my pack so weight and space are priorities in my clothing choices. Thanks for reading and discussing. Good luck out there fellas.

Check out FORLOH - Based in Montana, 100% Sourced and Made in America

FORLOH Camo | Camouflage Clothing For Any Environment

FORLOH Camo was developed to make you visually undetectable in any outdoor environment. Shop effective camouflage clothing for hunting and fishing here.

forloh.com

 

[UpSideDown]

I'm glad you got your gear sorted out enough to keep hunting - that near-freezing weather where everything is wet, constantly mixing between frozen and thawed, is just disgusting.

I don't like to go too heavy on baselayers because no matter how good your protection layers are, you're going to get wet, and baselayers tend to hold as much moisture as their thickness can fit. 250g is my go-to wool baselayer for my top (nice weight and durable), and I go 125g on my legs or they'll overheat. I like to add layers on top instead of relying too much on baselayers, with the caveat that rain/snow makes layering a pain because your layers are coming on/off from underneath your shell.

I have the FL Uncompahgre pants and they're awesome for stationary use. I use them in the hammock to camp during deer season in the cold. I haven't used them when moving to know how well they handle body moisture.

If your head, neck, ears/face and hands feel squared away I don't know that I'd change anything there. If you really want you could carry a tiny pack towel and a spare beanie to dry your wet hair and have something fresh to throw on.

I focus primarily on feet and torso. You've got feet squared away; spare socks in sandwich/quart ziplock bags, turned inside out with body powder on them, is a good recommendation I got. I live in the PNW and don't use a hardshell because they always seem to soak out anyways. I just use a softshell with DWR and get wet if it rains a long time. That way I don't feel like I need to baby my nice raingear, and my gear breathes better.

 

[Rufus]

This last rifle season in Montana was an eye opener for my friend and I in many ways. Opening day we were geeted at the trailhead by snow, sleet, rain and a heavy layer of fog covering most of the mountains. That low 30° morning was just a glimpse of what the rest of the season held for us. Despite the conditions we packed our backpacks and left the trailhead feeling confident.

Even with the confidence we were a bit overwhelmed a couple hours into our day because the snow coming down and everything around us was so wet. I realized about a mile into our day that leaving my gaiters in the truck was a bad idea.We both were using boots that may have been mountain worthy for early season hunts but had no buisness in the snowy conditions we encountered. We managed to stay warm enough to do some hunting but the day was ultimately cut short from cold wet feel and legs.

After that day I went home and bit the bullet on a new pair of leather waterproof insulated boots from Schnees. I wasn't able to afford a warmer more water resistant pant for the season but just getting those boots changed the game for me. Warm and dry feet for the rest of the season. By the end of the season I felt like I had come up with a great layering system to put up with most conditions you could come across in mid to late season.

I would still like to improve my clothing system for future seasons but was impressed last year with how comfortable I was with my layers. There were a few brisk mornings or glassing sessions I did get chilled and that's where I would like to improve my system.

2022 clothing kit consisted of:

Feet:
Darn Tough - micro crew cushion merino wool socks
Schnees - Beartooth 0g boots

Legs:
Stone Glacier - SQ2 Alpine gaiters
Meriwool - Midweight 250g merino wool base layer bottom
Prana - Fleecelined winter pant

Upper body:
Firstlite - Kiln Hoodie 250g merino wool (baselayer)
Patagonia - Down sweater insulation (hoodless)
Arcteryx - Atom lt synthetic insulation (carried from time to time but down jacket kept me warmer)
Firstlite - Vapor stormlite rain jacket (outerlayer/weather protection)

Head, hands, neck:
Firstlite - Tag Cuff beanie heavy weight merino wool
Kuiu - Merino 210 glove
Kuiu - Guide glove
Kuiu - Glommit glove
Kuiu - Peloton 97 neck gaiter

Most of these clothing items I would usually be wearing, but I would carry multiple gloves for various conditions. Honestly I was surprised by how comfortable i was throughout the season with that system. I didn't know if a midweight merino baselayer, my light down jacket and and rain coat would be enough to hold out the cold. Some days it was not enough, but with a good baselayer, warm insulation and a good weather blocking shell you can get through a lot of conditions.

After thoughts on my system:

Feet:
After buying leather Schnees boots I had zero complaints about my feet for the rest of the season. Those boots are my favorite piece of footwear I own and extremely warm and comfortable. Darn tough socks keep my feet dry and toasty.

Legs:
My legs were the only thing that got cold a few times while glassing. I don't think the pants were great for the conditions they were not very thick and got wet easily by the end of the season. I have since bought Firstlite Catalyst Foundry pants for the cold winter hunts. I believe they will help alot with stationary hunts, as well as work great traveling because they have heat dump zips in the legs and more waterproof fabric. I'm also considering getting a heavyweight 350g merinowool bottom baselayer. 250g kept me warm most days but some of those days I was wishing I had just a bit more.

Upper body:
I was very impressed with my 3 layer system. Merino, down and a rain jacket held its own in the Montana cold. At times I did wish I had a bit more for an insulation layer and it's something I plan on upgrading soon. Also a heavyweight 350g baselayer would have helped on some extra cold days.

Head, hands, neck:
Can't complain much I love the Kuiu gloves. The lightweight merino wool gloves are great year round and work great as liners in the glommit. The Guide glove is a great durable glove for rougher tasks, leather grip on them is outstanding and they are pretty warm. The glommit gloves are my favorite, they keep my hands toasty all day and work great for glassing in the cold. The Kuiu peloton 97 neck gaiter did well, but some days it would have been nice to have warmer neck and face protection. Firstlite beanie worked great and kept my head warm.

What works for you?

As well as everything worked there is always room to improve and I would also like to get more clothing dedicated to just hunting so I can save my backpacking gear wear and tear. I love the idea of layering clothing to have a range of temperatures you can manage and it's how I've modeled my system for years.
Recently I've wondered about getting something closer to a snowboarding jacket. Weather and waterproof protection with insulation attached inside. And wouldn't you know it, Firstlite came out this year with the new Colter Parka and the new Uncompahgre foundry jacket. Both have waterproof fabric and synthetic insulation. The Colter parka being heavily insulated (250g+) for the coldest of days and the most waterproof. The Uncompahgre foundry jacket is also waterproof but has a pretty normal amount of insulation (100g body 60g sleeves/hood).

Does anyone have experience western hunting with a one and done upper body clothing system? I see the appeal in it but feel it lacks the adjustability for conditions like a layering system would have. They are typically more expensive but compared to buying a insulation layer and a rain jacket you definitely save some money.

I would like to upgrade my insulation layer so that it is camo. Right now it is a black Patagonia down jacket that works great, but I would prefer to have dedicated hunting clothing that is camouflage requardless of what layer I have on.

Please let me know what works for you in the backcountry! Don't feel the need to add specifics like brand names or fabric weights unless you wanna nerd out like me. I just did that for the people who are interested. I typically hunt out of my pack so weight and space are priorities in my clothing choices. Thanks for reading and discussing. Good luck out there fellas.

Hi Opia. I’m working on my hunting clothing also. Appreciate your experience and explanation. What temperature range were you dealing with? Were you moving most of the time or did you stop (maybe glassing) for some extended periods. Thanks. -Rufus

 

[Opia]

Hi Opia. I’m working on my hunting clothing also. Appreciate your experience and explanation. What temperature range were you dealing with? Were you moving most of the time or did you stop (maybe glassing) for some extended periods. Thanks. -Rufus

Hey Rufus, thanks for taking the time to read through my post. Glad to hear your also working on your setup. From what I've learned being comfortable and warm out there only helps me hunt harder as well as stay safer from serious threats like hypothermia.
On average I would say most mornings we went out it was high teens to low 20s. Many days it warmed up to around the high 20s which was very manageable for the clothing system I talked about. Some of the coldest days we experienced were toward the end of season when it did not warm up past 15 degrees.

We did a lot of wandering around as well as stopping at good glassing spots for a couple hours at a time. Those colder days that hovered in the low to mid teens were definitely pushing the limits of my clothing system for me. It was difficult to stay focused while I was glassing because my legs would get chilled which led to the rest of me getting chilled.
I believe a warmer/more waterproof pair of pants as well as a warmer insulation jacket for those chilly days would have helped a lot. I've also considered down puffy pants from Stone Glacier.

I will also say that I grew up in northern Montana were some years late season temperatures could easily dip into the negatives. I believe my friend from home got his buck last year in -12°F weather if I'm not mistaken. Either way the point I wanted to make is I wouldn't feel comfortable taking the clothing system I talked about down those temperatures by any means. You could certainly use parts of that clothing system to build a warmer high insulation and weatherproof clothing system but by itself I believe it does have its limits.

For me, I would say my system was pretty comfortable down to 15°F- 20°F even while glassing. It was comfortable in every condition we encountered while hiking, I almost got to warm many times while hiking. And I would say it gets uncomfortable but manageable down to about 10°F-15°F while glassing. I probably won't be taking this system past those temps if I know I will encounter them, or i will add extra insulation.

One big item I forgot to mention was an insulated sit pad! I have a small lightweight thermarest sit pad that helped me stay warm everytime we stopped to sit down. And using your pack as a back support will also help insulate your backside while your inactive. I also will either use roll top dry bags or line my pack with a trash compactor bag to protect any insulation peices i can't afford to get wet.

In the two photos I've attached, the one of my friend and I glassing was one of the coldest days from my memory. Lots of snow and low teen temps. I got chilled this day and we built a small fire to warm ourselves back up. This season I will have a Toaks titanium mug to heat up water over a fire to make hot chocolate or boil water for freeze dried meals. Both my friend and I wished we had something hot to eat and drink during some of those cold glassing sessions, would have been a game changer in my opinion.
The second picture is of my friend and I much wetter than we look on opening day of last season. The temps bounced from high 20s to low 30s and we dealt with everything from rain to sleet to snow. Having a dependable water and windproof jacket really showed its worth in those conditions by keeping my insulation dry and me warm. Lining my pack with a trash compactor bag also gave me more piece of mind about the gear inside my pack.

Like I said in my initial post I was overall very impressed with how well the system did. It does have its limits but all in all it kept me safe and comfortable throughout the majority of our time hunting last season. And with the updates I'm making this year I imagine my clothing system is only going to get better. Get some good baselayers. High quality boots/gaiters/socks. A solid pair of pants. Dependable jacket for weather protection and warm insulation pieces (jacket,beanie,gloves,neck gaiter) just remember to protect the puffy! Haha

Good luck out there Rufus!

 

[Opia]

I'm glad you got your gear sorted out enough to keep hunting - that near-freezing weather where everything is wet, constantly mixing between frozen and thawed, is just disgusting.

I don't like to go too heavy on baselayers because no matter how good your protection layers are, you're going to get wet, and baselayers tend to hold as much moisture as their thickness can fit. 250g is my go-to wool baselayer for my top (nice weight and durable), and I go 125g on my legs or they'll overheat. I like to add layers on top instead of relying too much on baselayers, with the caveat that rain/snow makes layering a pain because your layers are coming on/off from underneath your shell.

I have the FL Uncompahgre pants and they're awesome for stationary use. I use them in the hammock to camp during deer season in the cold. I haven't used them when moving to know how well they handle body moisture.

If your head, neck, ears/face and hands feel squared away I don't know that I'd change anything there. If you really want you could carry a tiny pack towel and a spare beanie to dry your wet hair and have something fresh to throw on.

I focus primarily on feet and torso. You've got feet squared away; spare socks in sandwich/quart ziplock bags, turned inside out with body powder on them, is a good recommendation I got. I live in the PNW and don't use a hardshell because they always seem to soak out anyways. I just use a softshell with DWR and get wet if it rains a long time. That way I don't feel like I need to baby my nice raingear, and my gear breathes better.

Thank you for the tips! I will definitely be taking some extra dry gear for when ive stopped because i sweat a good amount, an extra dry beanie would have been great last season. Nice to hear your opinion on baselayers because I've always gone 250g merino for most cold weather situations and they usually seem work great for me. It was really only when I would sit and glass for awhile that my legs would get chilled and I wondered if maybe 350g was the answer. But as you mentioned I will probably get too hot hiking with them and will be better off with a nice pair of insulated pants like the FL uncompahgre pants for sitting and glassing. I've been looking at either the FL uncompahgre pants or the Stone Glacier Grumman down pants. As an outerlayer insulation layer though the uncompahgre with its synthetic insulation seems to be the right choice.

As for rainjackets I was right there with you I almost gave up completely on them. Doesn't matter how much you spend they always seem to wet out. But this summer I did a week long backpacking trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, we knew we were gonna be dealing with rain so I did a bit of research and came across Nikwax tech wash for rain jackets. It's a two step cleaning in your home washer that will clean and retreat your rain gear. I didn't have much faith in it but was blown away on our trip because my jacket was performing how ive always wanted it too. The jacket beaded up water the entire trip and kept me dry, certainly a bit annoying to have to even by a separate product to retreat a $250+ jacket but I was happy with the results.

Another big reason I like the rain jacket is I just don't own a good hunting softshell lol. Do you have any recommendations for colder weather softshells? My Kuiu glommit gloves are softshell and handle water extremely well so im curious how a softshell would do for me. Also wanna mention that Nikwax makes other products for reapplying DWR to softshells and tent rainflys. Cant speak on their effectiveness but from the videos I've watched and my experience with their rain jacket wash I think they would work great.

 

[Nvbuckshot]

Thank you for the tips! I will definitely be taking some extra dry gear for when ive stopped because i sweat a good amount, an extra dry beanie would have been great last season. Nice to hear your opinion on baselayers because I've always gone 250g merino for most cold weather situations and they usually seem work great for me. It was really only when I would sit and glass for awhile that my legs would get chilled and I wondered if maybe 350g was the answer. But as you mentioned I will probably get too hot hiking with them and will be better off with a nice pair of insulated pants like the FL uncompahgre pants for sitting and glassing. I've been looking at either the FL uncompahgre pants or the Stone Glacier Grumman down pants. As an outerlayer insulation layer though the uncompahgre with its synthetic insulation seems to be the right choice.

As for rainjackets I was right there with you I almost gave up completely on them. Doesn't matter how much you spend they always seem to wet out. But this summer I did a week long backpacking trip into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, we knew we were gonna be dealing with rain so I did a bit of research and came across Nikwax tech wash for rain jackets. It's a two step cleaning in your home washer that will clean and retreat your rain gear. I didn't have much faith in it but was blown away on our trip because my jacket was performing how ive always wanted it too. The jacket beaded up water the entire trip and kept me dry, certainly a bit annoying to have to even by a separate product to retreat a $250+ jacket but I was happy with the results.

Another big reason I like the rain jacket is I just don't own a good hunting softshell lol. Do you have any recommendations for colder weather softshells? My Kuiu glommit gloves are softshell and handle water extremely well so im curious how a softshell would do for me. Also wanna mention that Nikwax makes other products for reapplying DWR to softshells and tent rainflys. Cant speak on their effectiveness but from the videos I've watched and my experience with their rain jacket wash I think they would work great.

Little late to the party, I use a light synthetic base layer. Doesn't hold water period.,it passes it on to my mid layer and it does the work. If your base does not get wet then you feel warm, wool works but likes water so its slower to dry and give it to the mid layer. I'll change my mid layer depending on temperature for that trip. When its cold I often start with my bottom jaw bouncing up and down. I'll warm up while walking and stay warm then add a puffy or my rain coat to glass i hardly ever get wet from sweating. This is what works for me anyways. Hunt hard...