Best clothes to spend money on

[Bongo]

I’m a new hunter but avid backpacker. I live in Washington and rifle hunt. What I’m wondering is how can I start building a clothes system? If you could start over where would you spend money and save money?

 

[ianpadron]

What's your budget?

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[*zap*]

Socks, boots, baselayers followed by extra warm/light jacket and pants.

 

[bigharge]

Buy used and buy solids over camo. You dont need a "system" of clothes to hunt the mountain. Being in Washington though, rain gear might be your best use of splurging on one area of clothing

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[machinethomas]

I agree with above. I had a bunch of high end camouflage and have since sold most of it and bought solids. Solids work really well while hunting if they’re the right colors, and you can wear them around town. Getting away from camo also opens up a LOT more options. Don’t get stuck on the hunting only brands, though I do support them when I can. I would start with a simple system. Base layer Merino, mid layer fleece or Merino, a puffy, and a rain shell.


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[Salmon River Solutions]

Mix and match based off of sales or used deals. I have 4 different camo patterns/solid colors in my pack and on me at any given time.

Contrary to what most camo companies will tell you, an elk at 30 yards doesn't care if your camo doesn't match.

Its all made in Vietnam, China, etc.

 

[RCB]

If you’re an avid backpacker then you’ve probably got most of what you need already. You might want some more earth tones for clothing, but then you’re required to cover yourself in orange for rifle hunting anyway, so it hardly matters.

 

[Sled]

not just good boot but good boots that fit you. for cold weather i really enjoy having a puffy that i can wear or pack. when rifle hunting i use carhartt pants and flannel shirt. pick good colors and wash with a uv reducer.

 

[willfrye027]

I feel like good pants are the best place to start if you don’t have them already. Nothing like a good fitting pant with quality material to keep you on the mountain longer. I used to wear out those cabelas cotton pants every two years, my Kuiu pants have lasted me 6 years now and fit like they were tailored. Then get rid of cotton but if you’re a backpacker you probably did long time ago

 

[tlkaetz]

Get some Kuhl Renegades or Prana Zions. I prefer the Zion Straight Leg. You can pick them up for less than $75

 

[Wrench]

Go to goodwill, don't buy cotton. I did it like that for years making 6 figures. You don't NEED $300 pants. You need to stay comfortable for the whole day. I still use filson, Pendleton and Bimidji wool.

I've killed a lot of Washington deer and elk wearing a blue based fleece pullover by woolrich.

Just stay warm and comfortable.....not necessarily broke.

 

[FURMAN]

This question is a huge can of worms. You can get a lot of gear you need on Sierra or Back Country at large discounts. I personally feel Kuiu has the most complete line of gear to fill out the essentials but not every piece is best in class.

 

[5MilesBack]

I just added up what I paid for what I wear 90% of the time during archery elk season, and it came to right at $200. That includes merino base layer top and bottoms, liner socks, merino boot socks, Italian made Zamberlan boots that I got for a steal, lightweight camo poly shirt and pants, and my microfleece mock-T. Add in my $35 rain jacket, $15 800-fill down jacket, and my $10 Thinsulate thin camo gloves, and that covers the other 10% of the season.

So the best clothes to spend money on are the ones that you find on deep discount while hunting the off-season. You can find some great deals out there if you're not going for the perfect fashion show look. I prefer comfort and inexpensive.......in that order, with looks and patterns way down the list.

 

[OutdoorAg]

Nothing wrong with wanting some of the nice camo gear out there. Finding the right sizes on a classifieds section can be frustrating. Heres what I would do:

Do you have any buddies that own any of the gear you like? If so, try on some of their stuff. See what size works for you. Then wait around here looking for people selling their stuff. Lots of guys here that want the newest stuff, and are willing to take a hit on pricing to keep upgrading. Use that to your advantage.

Other option is to order a TON of stuff from the companies you like- try it all on, make note of sizes, then send it back. I have a buddy who did that with KUIU. He bought over $1500 in gear. Sent it all back for $7.50, or whatever their return label costs. Then over the next year, bought what he needed second hand and used. Def made up for that $7.50.

In terms of where to spend and where to save... I like mixing and matching my base layers. Lots of companies that make good base and mid stuff. On my exterior gear - I like to match, and I like camo. So I'm willing to spend a little more there. Does it make me a better hunter? Nope. But I like it. And life is short.

 

[cmahoney]

I think the lightweight hoodies that all the big camo companies have is one of the most versatile clothing items you can have for back pack hunting.


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[VernAK]

I use RailRider pants a lot as they are about bullet proof. Not the cheapest at <$100 but they are great for casual wear as tough back country use. Some of mine must be ten years old and going strong. One pair has the bug repellent and these are handy in the bear stand.