I will be headed into my first year bow hunting this coming season, and as such, I'm trying to get as prepped up as I can ahead of time. I will be hunting in Northern Arizona, as well as Colorado, so I'd imagine both cold & warm weather gear (separate purchases) will be necessary; if there are any companies that make good crossover gear, I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions. I've heard great things about Sitka, KUIU, and Sentlok, but am not sure which way to lean. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
Best advice I have is buy gear for the style of hunting you will be doing. Are you backpacking for elk? Stand hunting for whitetail? Maybe both? Specific brand is up to you, I feel they all make some great and sub par clothing. My hunting clothes are mostly First Lite, Sitka and Wal-Mart specials. Go with what you can afford, good luck this fall
Im a a big first lite fan. They have an entire line dedicated to western hunters and its where they got their start. Sent from my SM-G960U using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I have several brands and lately have been trending towards Sitka. It fits me well and is made well. My outer layer is currently from Day One out of Colorado. Man it's warm! I'm not a fan of the "suits" that some people like. I guess it's what I'm use to. Try everything and watch for sales. Good Luck!!
I refuse to pay huge money for camo. I like to purchase good quality base layer clothing, then I just purchase whatever camo that matches the area I hunt. I do spend some decent money for quiet waterproof camo though, it is a necessity for rainy September's when archery hunting elk. I like River's West for my waterproof stuff.
I have used a lot of different brands. I started using Sitka 4 years ago and haven't looked back since. Yes it costs an arm and a leg but there is nothing worse than sitting on stand and being cold. I have the Fanatic and the Stratus for when it cools down and the leave fall. I use the Apex for both elk and early season whitetails. Super hard to beat that stuff. I also run their base layers as well.
For warm weather I normally use OCP, BDUs,A or longrlong sleave camo shirts to keep myself from over heating. For the cold and wind i use scent blocker pants and jacket. Best thing to do is get a good layers but not too much or your sweat alot doing the which will make you colder. Polartec is pretty good. They have a waffle overshirt I've used for hunting and military. Normally it's good to 45ish degree varying in how you handle the cold.
My camo doesn't match, most times it's walmart if I can find it. I just don't see the need to spend money on the high end stuff. I do have under armor base layer. that is the only time I will spend a little money. what goes over it, doesn't matter to me. Chuck Adams has killed a million animals wearing blue jeans while spot and stalking
For bowhunting in both Northern Arizona and Colorado, I recommend looking at Sitka and KUIU. Sitka offers great versatility, with a solid layering system for both cold and warm conditions. KUIU is more minimalist and geared towards active hunts, which works well if you're constantly moving. Both brands
My concern is good layers for warmth as needed. As for camo, I have a mixture of patterns including army surplus and whatever is on sale. I can't justify the high prices for the name brands I see advertised in many places. IMHO, I'm more concerned about movement than a camo pattern.
Most of my hunting clothes were issued by the military. For colder weather I have been wearing Cabelas bibs and jackets. I am looking at transition to first lite. I am still on the fence bc of the price.
Don't go for pattern, go for quality and wind break. I also like the nail test. If my nail makes noise on the fabric I won't buy it Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk
I'm with Fix^^ Much less interested in the patter, though I do like my stuff to match, but that's my OCD. I do think that the quality, fit, and kind of materials are important. My priority for wear I spend my $$ is usually in this order: #1 good under layer, #2 outer layer (rain/wind), then #3 insulation.
I too use a layering system. A good thermal base layer and merino socks. My personal camo choice is Asio Gear. I love the pocket space as well as the vented sides. If you're walking in or just need to cool off, there's a zipper on the side of the pants that vents out the heat. Layering allows you to shed layers if the weather changes and you get warm.
I went with Kuiu base layers and a REI fleece jacket in black. I'm not big on camo so I went with neutral tans/grays/olives. If I come across something before I head out west that I really like as an outer layer, I may add it.
I knew i liked you Eric, we agree a lot on things i purchased some first lite camo last yr. i love it
