4th season Colorado elk Clothing???

[TXHunt]

Hoping y'all can help me out with my clothing plan for a late November elk hunt in Colorado for my son and I. Being a Texas hunter that drives a sxs right to our heated blind, we have always just hunted in jeans and a light jacket, or summer time spot and stalk for exotics.

Below is what I am thinking but I really have no clue what we really need.

Top:
ULTRA MERINO 120 LT LS CREW-T
PELOTON 240 FULL ZIP HOODIE
AXIS HYBRID HOODED JACKET
Bottom:
ULTRA MERINO 145 ZIP-OFF BOTTOM
AXIS HYBRID PANT

When glassing:
SUPER DOWN ULTRA JACKET
SUPER DOWN ULTRA PANT

It will be day hunts staying in a house at night. Anything else I need to look into? Will the Axis Hybrid work for rain and snow or do we also need dedicated rain wear?

​

 

[UncleBone]

It really just depends where you are hunting and what colorados crazy weather decides to be up to. Ive experienced days in late November at 40 or 50 degrees in the high country, as well as -2 mornings. Just bring what youll need for most scenarios and you will be good. Merino is a must have for sure. Dont forget a heavy orange beanie for glassing, and a few extra pairs of socks. I have sweaty feet, and if I hike a few miles, even in 0-10 degrees I get sweaty. So its crucial to have fresh socks when I get to the glassing spot or my toes will freeze. As far as the Axis goes, never used it, but youre probably not gonna get a whole lot of rain in the high country in november, however you could see a lot of wet ground from melted snow.

 

[sndmn11]

I think that down jacket and pant are in need of another 8oz of down.

 

[UncleBone]

Oh, and a merino face covering will do you a lot of good too, as well as some good heavy duty insulated gloves. Keep your hands and feet warm when youre glassing, and youll be a lot happier.

 

[sndmn11]

I think that down jacket and pant are in need of another 8oz of down.

Each

 

[UncleBone]

What youre saying is, go with something different? I need to buy some down stuff this year too. I was looking at FORLOH, since its made in the USA. Would love the stone glacier if it were American made.

 

[woods89]

This is an intensly personal choice, but no merino baselayers for me, unless it's a 50/50 blend or less, for late season. If you sweat a bit it takes forever to dry.

The best late season base layer I've used is the Kuiu Peleton 97 zip offs and hoody.

Also, as mentioned above, it takes a lot of insulation to stay static behind glass for extended periods of time.

Good luck!

 

[TXHunt]

This is an intensly personal choice, but no merino baselayers for me, unless it's a 50/50 blend or less, for late season. If you sweat a bit it takes forever to dry.

The best late season base layer I've used is the Kuiu Peleton 97 zip offs and hoody.

Also, as mentioned above, it takes a lot of insulation to stay static behind glass for extended periods of time.

Good luck!

So your saying to get less merino wool and more polyester? I always thought it was the other way and that 100% wool was best.

 

[TXHunt]

I think that down jacket and pant are in need of another 8oz of down.

What exactly do you recommend?

 

[UncleBone]

I am a merino fan, even though I am also sweaty. Doesnt get as cold when its wet, and it doesnt get stinky.

 

[sndmn11]

What exactly do you recommend?

What do you have now, and how do you plan to hunt?

Are you going to bring your tractor and cruise around glassing, or are your going to try and dig a bull out of a hidey hole an hour or four's hike off-road?

 

[TXHunt]

What do you have now, and how do you plan to hunt?

Are you going to bring your tractor and cruise around glassing, or are your going to try and dig a bull out of a hidey hole an hour or four's hike off-road?

I am not sure what the tractor comment is supposed to mean, but we will be hiking to glassing points and then sit and glass for a good while. I would imagine we will be on foot from before daylight till after dark.

 

[woods89]

@TXHunt , for me anything with more than 50% merino gets clammy quick and stays that way for hours. For late season hunting we are able to do wash a few times if the stink gets too bad, as we day hunt out of a cabin. The Kuiu pieces I mentioned dry extremely quickly once you throw your insulation on. I sweat a lot, and I think it's realistic to get 2-3 days before the funk gets rough.

Merino is great for moderate weather and extended backpacking trips, other than that I want a good synthetic. I brought merino base layers on a 4th season hunt a few years ago and hated them.

This question is like blonds vs brunettes, though. YMMV.

 

[woods89]

Fwiw....

My late season lineup is

Top
Kuiu Peloton 97 hoodie
BD Alpine Start
OR Ascendant hoodie
Kryptec Aquillo down jacket

Bottom
Peloton 97 zip offs
Kuiu Attack
OR Croc Gaiters
Cheap Amazon down pants

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Hoping y'all can help me out with my clothing plan for a late November elk hunt in Colorado for my son and I. Being a Texas hunter that drives a sxs right to our heated blind, we have always just hunted in jeans and a light jacket, or summer time spot and stalk for exotics.

Below is what I am thinking but I really have no clue what we really need.

Top:
ULTRA MERINO 120 LT LS CREW-T
PELOTON 240 FULL ZIP HOODIE
AXIS HYBRID HOODED JACKET
Bottom:
ULTRA MERINO 145 ZIP-OFF BOTTOM
AXIS HYBRID PANT

When glassing:
SUPER DOWN ULTRA JACKET
SUPER DOWN ULTRA PANT

It will be day hunts staying in a house at night. Anything else I need to look into? Will the Axis Hybrid work for rain and snow or do we also need dedicated rain wear?

​

The Down Ultra are useless IMO, super thin. We hunted 3rd rifle in Colorado this last season and took off from camp at -4 and -3 degrees two days, single digits the rest. 4th season is a crapshoot as well maybe warmer maybe not, but I wouldn't be confident going in with just that lineup you have there. I have the Peleton 240 and IMO it doesn't do much for insulation but it would be great for hiking in probably. I think your Merino layer should be thicker as well. I have a 145 and I wear that in Texas, for out West I use heavier First Lite pieces.
edit: You'll probably want some gaiters as well.

 

[LongWayAround]

The tractor comment was talking shit about your side by side. It was a joke but a lot of guys seem to just rip around on them and say things like "I can't find the elk."

Your starter list is fine. Merino or synthetic is personal preference.

Edit: I have kuiu's zip-off bottoms in both. The crotch got thin and ripped out of the merino in fairly short order while the peloton have not shown similar wear. I prefer the synthetic bottoms but typically wear a short sleeve merino t-shirt.

The weather is highly variable by the year and area. Some years could be bone chilling cold with deep snow, others the sun beats down and it feels downright hot. Or you could experience both on different aspects of the same mountain on the same day.

I don't have the axis stuff but it's probably fine. You are more likely to experience snow than rain.

 

[UncleBone]

The tractor comment was talking shit about your side by side. It was a joke but a lot of guys seem to just rip around on them and say things like "I can't find the elk."

Your starter list is fine. Merino or synthetic is personal preference.

The weather is highly variable by the year and area. Some years could be bone chilling cold with deep snow, others the sun beats down and it feels downright hot. Or you could experience both on different aspects of the same mountain on the same day.

I don't have the axis stuff but it's probably fine. You are more likely to experience snow than rain.

4th rifle this year up by granby was brutally cold in the morning, around 2 or 3 degrees, then like 35 and sunny by afternoon.

 

[woods89]

I'd echo the statement about it going from austere to downright pleasant in the same day......

 

[Ucsdryder]

T

4th rifle this year up by granby was brutally cold in the morning, around 2 or 3 degrees, then like 35 and sunny by afternoon.

It was balmy this year. 2-3 years ago I remember the truck said -14 when I got out to start hiking. 4th season, you can’t have too many clothes.

 

[sndmn11]

I am not sure what the tractor comment is supposed to mean, but we will be hiking to glassing points and then sit and glass for a good while. I would imagine we will be on foot from before daylight till after dark.

Tractor = truck, atv, mule, razor, can-am, ebike, sled, IH scout, buggy, etc. (not talking shit)

I'd get a pair of pac boots from @Hoffman Boots / @HoffmanBoots , @Schnee's as step one.

I would look at Mammut, RAB, Mountain Hardware, Arcteryx, Feathers Friends, Western Mountaineering, etc. for my down pieces. Under Armor also makes a fair set. I think you 8-13oz of down in the jacket and 5-9oz in the pants.
EX:
RAB pants with 6oz down
RAB jacket with 9oz down 900fp!

You will want a stool like from Hillsound or a chair like from Helinox.

Zip off bottoms are great and a mid-weight upper is fine. You want to think through staying dry as the priority. The usually will mean moving in clothes that breathe and expel sweat fast and sitting in clothes that are going to be insulation pieces. I will usually take off my top I hike in to remove that moisture if I worked hard enough, or move slow enough to not sweat. I also try not to insulate for the movement part of my hunt so those aren't wet during sitting.

From Kuiu I would probably get:
Katana pant (I like nylon and use FL Corrugate foundry)
Rubicon/Kenai jacket or 200/300wt fleece or merino (I use FL Corrugate jacket or Sawtooth) depending on wind, exertion level hiking, snaggy bushes.
Base layers 200-300wt that can come off easily (I only use merino but choose your material of preference).
Gaiters.
Full coverage dexterity glove for moving, or a half finger wool if you aren't grabbing sharp stuff.
Full coverage heavy mitten that can be worn over the above glove.
Two beanies; one for when moving that will be your wet hat, one for switching to when you sit to glass. (again, I like merino)