I would like to share my impressions and experiences of a number of different clothing and gear items that I either have or have had.So much of the ability to hunt effectively has to do with staying dry,warm and comfortable. Since most of my hunting has to do with longer hikes in mountainous area's what works for me may not work for another style of hunting,but there are certain things that are always important and valuable regardless of hunting style.Much of what now works for me has come from the backbacking community.Since I always have to carry layers in a pack,the weight of those layers is critical to me. I am going to list all the manufacturers and pieces that I own or have owned and when time permits I will give a description of the piece and what my experience has been with it. If any of you are looking for information on a particular piece that I have had experience with please ask.I would ask all of you to share your experiences with items of clothing or gear that has worked for you. (Socks) Dahlgren Lorpen Smartwool Ulfrotte (now woolpower) Ingenius Wigwam (Long Underwear) Ibex Brynge's Smartwool Duofold Patagonia Woolpower (previously Ulfrotte) Minus33 Polypro Polarmax Hot Chilly's Sitka gear Sporthill Xscent (Mid Layers,bottoms and tops) patagonia fleece patagonia micro puff a)pullover b)pants c)vest Dayone vest Grey Wolf Woolens Vest Cabela's 200 weight fleece REI fleece Woolpower merino wool sweater Outer layers (not including rain gear) Ravenwear fleece jacket and pants Sitka gear Asat leafy suit Patagonia wind proof fleece Enigma camo Grey Wolf Woolens Jacket and pants wolfskin Grey Wolf Woolens jacket and pants fleece Cabela's microtex Dayone fleece jacket and pants Integral designs Dolimitti jacket Patagonia Das Parka Jacket Rivers West Original Jacket and pants Rivers West LAW Jacket and pants Feathered Friends Volant Down pants Cabela's Supplex nylon guide wear Cabela's whipcord wool pants NAT GEAR Wind proof fleece Jacket and Pants (Rain Gear) Cabela's Dry plus rain gear Cabela's paclite goretex rain gear Dutch Harbor Dutch tec rain gear Patagonia rain shadow jacket (Accessories) Patagonia wool hat Ems wool hat Oregon Research Seattle Sombrero Grey Wolf Woolens lined Baclava Woolpower Baclava Woolpower wool hat Raven wear lined fleece hat Ice Breaker Boot Blankets Ice breaker hand muff Wiggy's boot liners Fleece gloves Fleece neck gaitors Rivers West LAW gaitors Goretex lined gloves (Packs) Badlands Stealth Badlands Monster Fanny back Golite pack Cabela's fanny pack Screaming Eagle wool day pack (Flashlights) Streamlight Superpellites Surefire Fenix (Gps's) Garmin 60 CSX Garmin 12XL (Boots) Danner Canadians Lacrosse Alpha Burleys Lowa Seeker Meindl Antelopes Schnee's Hunters Wolverine stalkers That's all that I can think of right now.Most of these items I still own,some of them weren't what I hoped they would be from a function point of view so I have sold them.If something doesn't work it goes and I pursue something else. I am thankful that I have been able to accumulate these things over a period of many years.With very few exceptions I have purchased the majority of these items at deeply discounted prices.Unfortunately some of the best items are not available at discounts because the demand for the product is so high.There are some things that I have purchased where I was heavily effected by hype or marketing,that happens far less often now because of websites like this one and others where you can hear the real deal before you plunk your money down. I will come on each day and talk about a category,giving my opinion as to the best of the bunch and where to go to get the best deal on the item. Again if any one has particular questions on a specific item I have listed please ask! I would also appreciate knowing what has worked for everyone!
No I havn't tried Under Armor for a variety of reasons.The material is very similar to the sitka long underwear top that I have and the Sporthill top that I have. I personally don't care for the compression style long underwear.I know your first layer of longunderwear is supposed to be more form fitting to transfer moisture away from the body but I prefer mine to be a little looser. For me Patagonia's Capilene 2,3, transfers moisture away from the body very well and If I want additional warmth I will layer with merino wool over it.
Socks Dahlgren Lorpen Smartwool Ulfrotte (now woolpower) Ingenius Wigwam The most important elements of a good sock are warmth,cushioning, durability and transfer of moisture away from your feet.A mistake I have made in the past not only with socks but with other articles of clothing was to buy things that were all for very cold temperatures because my biggest concern was always staying warm.With socks if you are doing any significant amount of walking you can go to heavy with them resulting in sweaty and then cold feet when you sit for extended periods of time. So there is a difference between the short walk in to a stand and a long hike in to a stand or still hunting or spot and stalk hunting. I use all of the socks listed above and they all have their applications but I definitely have my favorites.The Dahlgrens are at the top of my list these days they are a mixture of Alpaca wool and merino wool and spandex,they come in various weights.I have the expedetion weight and the hikers.The neatest thing about these socks is their design,they channel moisture away from your feet,and you can literally walk them dry.They retail from $16 to $22 a pair but keeping tabs on sites like Amazingsocks,Alpaca direct,Sierra Trading Post.Spadout and Gearbuyer.com will permit any one to pick them up quite a bit less expensively. Smartwools are a great sock and they last for ever,they are very warm (depending upon weight)and their cushioning is great.The Ulfrotte/Woolpower socks are incredibly warm at the higher weights 400 weight and 600 weight and their cushioning is also excellent,they will be to warm for long hikes in even very cold weather as your feet will sweat.They are excellent as the sock you change in to once you get to your stand,take your light Dahlgrens or smartwools off dry your feet with a paper towel,put the socks and paper towel in a zip lock bag and put it in your pack,and put the heavy Ulfrotte/Woolpower socks on.Depending upon how cold it is either lace your boots really loose for better circulation and warmth or while having them laced loose put them in Ice Breaker Boot Blankets,If it is extremely cold put a couple of disposable hand warmers in each boot blanket as well. Another great thing to do is to purchase a Peet boot dryer and when you are done for the day place your boots on the dryer tubes.Starting off every day with completely dry boots goes a longway to warm comfortable feet.
Long Underwear) Ibex Brynge's Smartwool Duofold Patagonia Woolpower (previously Ulfrotte) Minus33 Polypro Polarmax Hot Chilly's Sitka gear Sporthill Xscent The discussion of Long Underwear is not a simple one.Over the years I have tried many manufacturers and many different weights.I have made the mistake of thinking heavier is better because of my interest in not freezing and that hasn't always worked out. I have an embarrassing amount of Long Under wear and all of it has it's application.The key is the level of activity you will be involved with and how cold it is out side.It is easy to stay warm for most of us if it is 35 degree's F or warmer.The real challenge comes when temperatures dip beneath that mark for me.As most of you have likely heard in the past you want to be almost cold when you begin to walk in the woods.For me because of the distance and the terrain I will be walking in I can't have every thing on that I will eventually have on when I get to where my stand is or where I will be sitting while rifle hunting. So I always have a pack on and I will strip down to my light layer of Long Johns and put heavier ones on top of them. I always start off with Patagonia capiline,the weights are either 2 or 3,when I get to where I am going I put either Ibex,Smart wool or Ulfrotte/Woolpower bottoms and tops over what I have on.These are all merino wool and they are all very warm.They do have different weight selections available,with smartwool I am using their mid weight which currently is their heaviest weight and with Woolpower I am using their 200 weight for temperatures down to 25 to 30 f and their 400 weight when temperatures dip beneath those ranges. If buying these items make sure you buy them larger than your true size.The first layer you should buy at your true size,the next layer should be bought at the next size larger so you can comfortably layer with out feeling restrictive. On my way in to a stand sight I will have the capilene on and only a light pair of Cabela's supplex nylon pants.When I get to where I'm going the supplex pants pack down to the size of a grapfruit and they go in my pack in the pack I will either have wind proof fleece or wolfskin pants that are going on over my second layer of long under wear. I always look for sales,You hardly ever see the Woolpower stuff on sale but there is a great buy on it right now at Montana Woolens the top is a crew neck in stead of a zip up turtle neck which I prefer but it is a great buy on the stuff.If you Google Patagonia Dillon Montana outlet store and then call them and get on their email sale list you can get some great deals on their stuff.Up to 70 to 80 % off,you just have to be patient im waiting for what you want.Go to Spadout or Gearbuyer.com and you can find the best values on most of this stuff.Be sure to check in on Camofire and Steep and Cheap for their deals of the day every day.They deeply discount stuff. There are a couple of types on long under wear that are on my short list to try.A company called Ice Breaker is supposed to make the nicest merino wool stuff going,I will continue to look for deals on it (I forgot to mention Sierra Trading Post)and also A Helly Hansen Long Underwear called fibre pile 2000. It is what the guys in the coldest area's of the country who have outdoor jobs wear as their long underwear.It comes in top and bottoms and a Union suit.I would like to try the Union suit but it is not nealry as versatile so I will probably buy the separate tops and bottoms. I hope this is usefull for folks! As long as some one benefits I will continue to share my experiences.
Mid Layers,bottoms and tops) patagonia fleece (Synchilla fleece very light,and very warm) Get on the Dillon Montana Patagonia email sale list patagonia micro puff a)pullover (Extremely light and very warm)On the expensive side look for web specials at Patagonia.com b)pants (Same as above,Dillon Montana Patagonia outlet store email sale list or web specials at Patagonia.com) c)vest (weighs next to nothing,very warm,same sources as above for sales) Dayone vest (One of those things I thought I had to have,very warm for its weight. Dayone.com no sales ever) Grey Wolf Woolens Vest (Another seemed like a good idea at the time,very warm a bit heavier than I would like) Cabela's 200 weight fleece (pants and pullover,PM me if you would like more specifics,inexpensive and warm) REI fleece (200 weight pants I snagged then on a great sale,very light and very warm) Woolpower merino wool sweater ( I have the 400 weight,they make a 600 weight also.Very warm very comfortable,full zip including turtle neck which is always great for temperature control,a great piece,not cheap and rarely if ever on sale.When the temperature drop it sees a lot of use,very warm and it quiets down the patagonia micropuff stuff that will likely be underneath it. I mostly ascribe to the 3 layer system of dressing for cold weather wicking layer,insulating layer and then wind and possibly water proof barrier but in very cold to extreme cold I will likely be wearing mulitple insulating layers,as many as two or three.When stationary you cannot create heat you can only look to prevent heat from escaping.You do this by wearing clothing that traps air between layers and allows your body to heat the trapped air.Typically my base layer is Patagonia capilene as I have mentioned previously,if it is extremely cold I will go with a base layer of merino wool and my insulating or middle layer will be one of or a combination of additional layers of heavier merino wool,synthetic insulation such as the patagonia micropuff series,vest ,pullover and pants,they are very warm and they are extremely light.So I am getting a lot of warmth out of some thing that is very light to pack.The downside with synthetic insulation or down which I will also use is a greater degree of noise than merino wool or fleece.Another plus of the synthetic insulation and down is that it is a very good wind barrier,so you can go with a fleece outer most layer to quiet the insulating layer down and not lose body heat to wind penetrating your clothing.Fleece can serve as a very warm and considerably less expensive mid layer,Cabela's has a great series of 200 weight bottoms and 200 and 300 weight pullovers and jackets.Very reasonably priced and very warm.I have a Day One camoflage vest that is fleece and comformax lined (wind proof) and I have a Grey Wolf Woolens wolfskin comformax lined vest.I use the Day one vest much more because it is lighter and is quite warm.I purposely have purchased a couple of sets of fleece pants and jackets that are very large to wear over all my layers when it is extremely cold out.One set is Predator Fall grey,the other is ASAT.The middle layer or layers are the ones that keep you warm.Trapping the body heat.Again if you are not walking that far or if the terrain is flat and you are really taking your time you can wear a lot more clothing on your way in and can use much heavier outer garments.Every one is different as to how much weight on their back they choose to or are comfortable with carrying.I want to carry as little as possible yet be able to contend with all the elements.
Outer layers (not including rain gear) Ravenwear fleece jacket and pants Sitka gear Asat leafy suit Patagonia wind proof fleece I am going to break this category down into a couple of different sections so I can provide more detail on each garment. Raven Wear fleece jacket and pants.I was drawn to this company as a result of reading so many positive things about them over the years in hunting magazines.I did it wrong though in that when I bought these pieces I bought them unlined.They are made to each customers specific measurements and they are costly.I should have purchased them lined with either comformax or with the comformax and Sherpa lining which is their heaviest combination.While my unlined fleece is extremely well made and fairly warm and comfortable,I would have been better off with at least the comformax lining that is a wind blocker.It is seriously big money to buy their warmest pieces,I have felt the material of these at sportsmans shows and tried them on and they are top notch quality and I have no doubt they would keep you warm. The unlined fleece pieces I have do not cut the wind,so you will lose body heat if they are your outer most layer. I don't see me pulling the trigger on any of their heavy weight stuff any time soon because they really don't match up with my hunting style of long walks in to my stand sites.No doubt that it is exceptional quality and for those who are looking for severe cold weather clothing and are not walking that far with it on,it would be a very good choice. Sitka gear,I have had four of their pieces and I now have have three.I had the 90% jacket in ASAT,I sold it for the following reasons,it is a soft shell jacket which is kind of like a hybrid,a little bit of this and a little bit of that.Certainly wind proof and quite water resistant,I found it two form fitting even in an XL when I am a true large size and the soft shell material was to stiff for my liking,also not as quiet or rustle free as I would like while moving in it,lastly I didn't find it to be particularly warm.In fairness to the product it was truly designed to be worn by a hunter who is on the move,which I am a lot but I am also stationary for long extended periods of time as well.Very well made,Sitka has excellent customer servise also.Just not the product for me. I have the mountain pants also in ASAT and they have proven to be a great pant,not for stand hunting though,they are quite thin.I have used them pretty much for rifle hunting when I am walking a lot.Tight weave sheds moisture well and also blocks wind well.An equal quality pant that can be purchased much less expensively is the Cabela's microtex series.I will provide information about these pants later on.I like the mountain pant from Sitka and will get a lot of good use out of them.I will never purchase them again though. I have the Summitt shirt,stretch type base layer,expensive with no qualities that can not be secured in a much more reasonable garment.The same holds true with a hat from Sitka made out of the same material,very little warmth. ASAT Leafy suit, I get use out of it because it provides you with instant camo over any other garment.It softens up after two or three washings,fortunately I have not had the problems that some have had with it coming apart or having leaves unravel.I don't care for parts of my clothing (the leaves) blowing or moving in the wind.I would not purchase it again if and when I wear it out.DayOne Camo makes a thin ASAT fleece that if you purchase a size larger with their pullover and pants you can use in a pretty similar fashion and you have a more comfortable and quieter material. Patagonia wind proof fleece,Some excellent stuff right here! I have three jackets that I get a lot of use out of.A windproof smooth fleece on the outside and a pile type fleece lining on the inside.Very warm,sheds water well although it is not waterproof (most wind proof garments do quite well at shedding water)very soft and pliable.Down side is you can't get it in camo.That is where the light fleece ASAT pullover comes in
Enigma Camo pants and jacket Grey Wolf Woolens pants and jacket Grey Wolf Woolens fleece jacket and pants The Enigma clothing I really like and I get a lot of use out of them.Unlined Wolfskin very soft and quiet,not warm but I use it as an outer layer over long underwear and fleece and down if it is really cold.The jacket is a very simple jacket that I have ordered one size larger for layering,the pants I had made with full side zips up to about mid thigh,I think high side zips are one of the best features going,easy on and off over boots,venting if you are hot.The wolfskin material is great,soft,fairly wind proof,fairly water resistant,doesn't pick up burs.The pants have velcro tabs on both sides of the waist for fine tuning the sizing,an excellent feature for flexibility in layering during various parts of the season.A great value from an expense point of view,top notch person with Chuck at the helm.This clothing see a lot of use from me. The Grey Wolf Woolens wolfskin jacket and pants with comformax lining.The most expensive hunting clothes I own and the ones that see closest to the least use.They are incredibly well made,have all the features with the wolfskin fabric as stated for the Enigma clothing.For me they are to warm to walk any significant distances in and they are heavier than I would like to carry.Beautifully made clothing,top notch customer service with Jeff and the garment I wear the least.I may attempt to sell them. The Grey Wolf Woolens fleece pants and jacket are very simple and inexpensive fleece garments.A hooded sweatshirt style jacket and sweat pant style pant.I purchased them in very large sizes to pull on or over my warmer layers in very cold temperatures.Predator Grey pattern is awesome,these garments do exactly what I intended them to do
Thanks Guy's I havn't been around nearly as much,so I missed your comments.I really believe in clothing as gear.If you can stay dry,warm and comfortable you can hunt longer and harder.
Thank you.Kind of an area of obsession for me.I want to be as comfortable as possible when hunting.Makes it a lot more fun and productive.
im fixing to buy some dayone fleece with windstop, but im debating on adding the insulation or just layer properly. i for sure want to be warm. i will be mainly treestand hunting in the midwest in november. i have a vest that has 100 grams of thinsulate in it already and i have all the the good base layers and cabelas alaksan guide mid layers. since that stuff is custom order i just want to make the right decision.
