Hunting outerwear vs ski wear

Birdman88

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May 18, 2019
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My kids are finally old enough to take on a ski trip this coming spring break, but I haven’t skied since I was a kid. My wife thinks I need ski wear but I would rather buy hunting wear that would double as ski wear. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
 

3Esski

FNG
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Aug 26, 2023
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Lots of good soft shell stuff out there that will cross over well.
Most of the ski stuff I own is far superior to the hunting stuff for cold weather.
 
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Joined
Aug 10, 2015
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I would happily wear something like the Kuiu axis.

I'm a very occasional skier and have been wearing my fleece lined softshell hunting pants for several years, in place of more traditional snow pants.
 
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
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British Columbia
I was a skier before a hunter. Most of the gear I use crosses over which is why I love solids. My Grumman probably gets more use backcountry skiing then hunting. However the rain jacket and pant is where I differ a bit especially for downhill at the resort.

I use the dew point jacket backcountry skiing when going downhill but will use the ambient and/or the evo uphill. I love the ambient as a mid at the resort. I use the same under layers skiing and hunting as well.

Think twice about your pants, there’s a reason most downhill ski pants have a thick denier on the inner ankle cuff. Skis are sharp, they will get cut! I would never use my dew point pants.

Other then that this question is like asking what rain jacket do I need to go hunting with? Depending if you were going to Kodiak in October for goat or Montana in September for elk you’d be taking two very different jackets.

Where are you headed? Big Sky in January or Tahoe in April? If it was Tahoe in April I’d even say wear jeans and a camo shirt, you’d probably fit in with the locals.

Dew Point crushing pillows!

DSC03804.jpeg
 
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Birdman88

Birdman88

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Thanks for all the pointer. It’s appreciated
 

Kenai_dtracker

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Nov 21, 2019
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Falmouth, MA
I ski in my stone glacier M7 jacket in the northeast, and it works great. However, like StopMakingSense said, hunting pants and ski pants do not mix, so get a dedicated ski bottom for sure.
 

2ski

WKR
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Jul 17, 2012
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Bozeman
You see people wearing their sitka on the slopes in MT. Especially the smaller mountains.

I've spent way more on ski gear than hunting gear. I don't buy $500 coats to hunt in. I do to ski in.

You don't need to buy expensive for ski pants. Something to keep you warm. You need more expensive the more active you are when you ski. Steeps and moguls. Breathability and all that. If I was a green/blue run skier I'd buy something cheap.
 

ForlohFamily

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My kids are finally old enough to take on a ski trip this coming spring break, but I haven’t skied since I was a kid. My wife thinks I need ski wear but I would rather buy hunting wear that would double as ski wear. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
100% sourced and made in America. Great for hunting and skiing!!


 

jimh406

WKR
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Feb 6, 2022
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Western MT
It depends on how you ski and how you hunt.

My ski coat has zippers in the arm pits. I wear windproof gear with merino pants/tops, fleece top, thin ski socks, gaiter, hat and good goggles and gloves. I'm usually pretty cold on the first lift, then warm up pretty fast. I usually sweat. Cheap ski wear isn't very good and not usually windproof.

For hunting, I avoid sweating and move much slower. If you are an inexperienced skier, you'll probably be very hot really fast when you keep getting up after falls. Or, if you are helping kids get up, you'll also warm up.

However, you only have to be as warm as the coldest kid. I do suggest getting some of the hand/foot warmer packets for the kids.
 
Joined
Feb 15, 2019
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902
I used my ambiet hoodie and jacket as mids under my ski jacket shell, with a base under the ambient. Depending on the temp and the level of exertion skiing, i was either completely comfortable or sweating some. Definitely use the same base layers when hunting and the only dedicated ski gear is the shell outer (i dont regularly hunt in areas i need a shell outer layer), ski pants, and mittens that i always sweat in but keep my fingers warm. I could easily hunt in the gloves but have not needed to.
 
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