Dress the dummy

[Team4LongGun]

A friend of a friend said he wants to hunt elk, and has never been west. Wanted to know what he should buy to wear. I figured it would be interesting to hear what everyone's go to uniform of the day is. Let's call it early season archery elk.

I'll throw out what I told him

Crispi Lapponia/darn tough socks
smartwool boxers (pricey but worth it)
Kuiu attack
Stone glacier synthetic T (no stink is legit)
Eddie Bauer fleece


What's your UOD? Let's keep it to one offering per item, and no dumb arguments over solids vs camo......

 

[Pony Soldier]

Depends on where , when and how high. I seen a range between sweat like a pig to frozen to a log same place - two differant years. Colorado? You are on your own. Montana or Idaho we are back to where.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

From the top down. Some items stay home depending on temps and precipitation…

.Merino Beanie/Meshback Ball Cap
.Firstlite Wick Hoody
.Patagonia R1 Air Hoody
.Nunatak or Kifaru Puffy
.Patagonia Houdini
.Swazi Tahr Rain Jacket
.Fjallraven Vida Pro Ventilated Pants
.Smartwool Boxers
.Outdoor Research Tradecraft Puffy Pants
.Swazi Overpants
.Smartwool Socks

 

[roadrunner]

Good footwear - nothing else matters if your feet hurt. My preference are Crispi Colorado's (for now).

Something lightweight for pants for ease of movement, I heard shorts are good as needed. Brand is not important. Modern synthetics.

Yeah, lightweight undies - wool if you can.

Some kind of t-shirt for a base layer, lightweight mid layer, and a lightweight jacket for an outer. Modern synthetics.

 

[Team4LongGun]

Depends on where , when and how high. I seen a range between sweat like a pig to frozen to a log same place - two differant years. Colorado? You are on your own. Montana or Idaho we are back to where.

I guess I was speaking in general, as in a base to add to for extreme weather.

 

[Traveler]

Lowa boots
layers for weather swings, camo of choice, to include wrangler solids
Prefer day pack with meat hauling, not many of those
Extra socks in pack

 

[stonewall]

my standard for september (i truck camp)

synthetic boxer
sitka ascent (or similar) pant
crispi valdres and quality socks
synthetic lightweight shirt
rain top and bottom in pack
puffy jacket in pack
light weight gloves
merino balaclava
if it's cold: merino base layers

 

[P Carter]

No need to get fancy.

Salomon speed cross

Smartwool or darn tough sock

Any synthetic hiking pant (I have stoic brand soft shell from years ago and OR ferrosi)

Any synthetic hiking or running shirt, 1 short sleeved and 1 long sleeve. Could do merino or merino blend here, I have paradox from Costco but I typically do synthetic. I do use Sitka LW hoodie but it’s fancier than necessary.

Kuiu 97 zip off bottom

Any Polartec powergrid fleece or Eddie Bauer super seven fleece pullover + wind shirt. I have Kelvin active hoodie bought at 50% off but super seven fleece + windshirt is cheaper and better, will likely that this year. EB super seven is Primaloft evolve, same as Sitka ambient but it’s $99 full price and $70 on sale (got mine for $70).

Puffy of choice. I have kuiu teton insulated (bought for $54), just got a rab electron pro for general winter use and would bring that if really cold.

OR helium rain jacket or a 3-layer Columbia if it’s going to rain all week. Cheap rain pants I bought at outdoor exchange store, I need to do better there. The garbage bag in my pack becomes a rain skirt if it’s really coming down.

 

[bozeman]

If it’s his first time and unsure if he will like it, stick with solids that can be used for other activities:
Smartwool base layers
Eddie Bauer guide pants
Eddie Bauer puffy
REI rain shell
Smartwool socks
Crispi boots

Have fun and be safe!

 

[Pony Soldier]

Northern Idaho and western mt - first week montana first few weeks Idaho -- can be 80 degrees. Seen the next three weeks someplace between rain every day and snowing slush. Thanksgiving - someplace between 70 degrees and 3 ft of snow -- possibly 0-10 degrees.

If you travel east 200 miles. Same period - 6" of powder and 20 degrees or 20 below. I've seen vets day to thanksgiving 10 degrees to -30.

Dry ground - leather boots. Snow - pacs. Wet snow - air bobs. Dry snow - corks.

I prefer wool pants for most weather. They take a beating in the heavy trees and downfall. Top half - wool shirt. How cold determines with or without a coat liner. Riding - heavy coat. Walking - a vest.
I prefer a union suit. I hate elastic.

Hats - dry and hot - ball cap. The rest of the year - a fuzzy hat. I keep a stocking cap in my vest to match my level of sweat.

If it's warm - some level of insulated gloves. The rest of the time - army arctic mitts. Bare hands hiking.

What I wear changes every day depending on weather, whether I am high or low, in the trees or in the cliffs on a short ft run or a 6-8 mile traverse.

I don't bow hunt any more because it is too hot usually, I'm still haying and I'm too wore out to pull a bow.

I still hunt up to 45 days on elk. And I never wear camo.

 

[fngTony]

I started typing but realized how much of a fan boy I am so I deleted it.

 

[InkedElkSlayer]

My OPINION only:
Boots- Scarpa. Period. Grand Dru or Zodiac Tech depending on whether you want real light technical vs. full blown mountaineering boots.
Socks- Smartwool liners and ultralight phd outer socks.
Pack- Mystery Ranch Pintlar, or a Barney’s Frame and a little Mystery Ranch Pop Up.
Kuiu or FORLOH- I have been a Kuiu fan for years, but FORLOH has some stuff worth looking into for sure.
Beer- Imagination brewery is the best beer on the planet. No one can argue intelligently against that that has ever had it. If you haven’t had Imagination, I have empathy for you. Modelo Especial with lime and Pabst are great choices if on a reduced budget and they are ice cold.

Good luck with your rookie.
Remember… OTC, DIY, Out West, Backcountry, Go Deep, Hardcore, Ultralight, FBET (Flat Brim Ear Tuck), and don’t wear ANYTHING, “run” it.

 

[5MilesBack]

For years I've worn the same stuff every September elk season. This covers 99% of my days.

Merino boxers
Lightweight merino base top and bottom
Polypropylene liner socks under lightweight merino socks
Microtex Lite or regular Microtex collared button up shirt and pants (their old school stuff)
Zamberlan Dakota boots
Microfleece mock-T

I have a heavy fleece and rain jacket to add for the other 1% of the time.

 

[Corvus Corax]

Early season on myself; Salomon Quest 4D, Darn Tough wool socks, Smartwool merino boxer, Firstlite Obsidian pant, Wick merino t-shirt, Black Ovis 1/4 zip hoody 150 weight, mesh snap back ball cap. In the pack; OR helium rain jacket, Kuiu Chugach rain pant, Kuiu superdown jacket, fleece beanie, wool glove liners, neck gaiter.
For a first timer, whatever hiking gear they’ve got and supplement it with secondhand stuff, or search for bargains on Camofire.

 

[menhaden_man]

Check out some of the SKRE bundles. Seems like better value than some of the super pricey stuff (Sitka) but better quality than some of the lower end camo (Kings).

Not sure there’s much value in the 150 bases but the 300 merino stuff is . Love their gloves for fishing and hunting.

 

[menhaden_man]

SKRE is on Camofire today @Team4LongGun, 35% off.