Clothing for September Elk-Back Packing in

[rambo2345]

Boots, pack, and sleeping bag are more important than choice of clothing.

 

[mww982]

Boots, pack, and sleeping bag are more important than choice of clothing.

The pack and boots I bought from recommendations on here. The sleeping bag is a Klymit rated to 15 degrees. Seemedd to get decent reviews.

 

[Bowhunter50]

This is what I’ve used in September and October backpack hunts

Tops:
- Merino 125
- Peloton 200
- Stone glacier Grumman
- Sitka dew point jacket

Bottoms
- Peloton 200 zip offs - don’t see a ton of use with puffy pants
- Attack/kutana
- Black ovis puffy pants - not needed in September in MOST cases
- Sitka dew point pant

Yukon gaiters are also nice to have


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[reaperukon]

Base Layers:
First Lite Wick Boxers** yes
Minus 33 Liner Socks- Already Have
Mid Weight Wool Socks- Need to see what I have
First Lite Wick Long Sleeve-Already Have
Fist Lite Fuse Long Sleeve- Already Have
Kuiu Ultra Merino Zip Off Bottoms** yes
Kuiu Ultra Merino 125 LS: ***get this if your wick doesn’t have a hoodie. You may or may not be a fan. Better to try it out.
Kuiu Ultra Merino 145 Zip-T** Don’t need. You’re Fuse is same weight merino.

Mid\Outer Layer
Kuiu Strong Fleece 210 Hybrid: ***don’t need
Peloton 240 Full Zip Up (Going to use as a jacket in lieu of a soft shell *** seems unnecessary, but I get the impression you don’t want to freeze to death. It’s daunting doing this for the first time. If it makes you more comfortable to have it, get it. You’ll end up leaving it at home almost all the time after your first trip.
Super Down Ultra Puffy: ***not sure why there’s two? Make sure you have a hooded version.
Super Down Ultra Puffy

Pants *** both aren’t a horrible idea. Try them out and see what you think. One thing Kuiu doesn’t have that FirstLite does well is the suspenders. Just a thought. Corrugate pant from FL will be hot AF though. The corrugate foundry has hip vents so it will be more tolerable. Similar to the Kuiu pros.
Kuiu Attacks
Kuiu Pros

Rain Gear
Badlands Bail Rain Gear- Already Have

Boots
Crispi Briksdalls- Already Have

Pack
Exo Mountain Gear 4800- Already Have **hands down one of the best packs. You already made a great choice here.

Tent
Mountain Star 2 with Footprint- Already Have

Sleep System- Already Have
Klymit KSB 15 Sleeping Bag
Klymit Recon V Insulated Sleeping Pad
Klymit Luxe Pillow[/QUOTE]

**do you sleep hot or cold? If you ever get cold you probably will in a 15F bag. I usually take a 0F quilt and sleep pretty hot most of the time. Easy to vent and regulate temp. If you stay warm in this in cold temps then you’re fine.

*** I’ll say this again, get the Yukon gaiters. They keep crap out of your boots, water proof for heavy dew mornings, and great to have if it snows. I usually finish my hunts and the bottom 3rd of my pants look as fresh as the first day.

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[mww982]

Base Layers:
First Lite Wick Boxers** yes
Minus 33 Liner Socks- Already Have
Mid Weight Wool Socks- Need to see what I have
First Lite Wick Long Sleeve-Already Have
Fist Lite Fuse Long Sleeve- Already Have
Kuiu Ultra Merino Zip Off Bottoms** yes
Kuiu Ultra Merino 125 LS: ***get this if your wick doesn’t have a hoodie. You may or may not be a fan. Better to try it out.
Kuiu Ultra Merino 145 Zip-T** Don’t need. You’re Fuse is same weight merino.

Mid\Outer Layer
Kuiu Strong Fleece 210 Hybrid: ***don’t need
Peloton 240 Full Zip Up (Going to use as a jacket in lieu of a soft shell *** seems unnecessary, but I get the impression you don’t want to freeze to death. It’s daunting doing this for the first time. If it makes you more comfortable to have it, get it. You’ll end up leaving it at home almost all the time after your first trip.
Super Down Ultra Puffy: ***not sure why there’s two? Make sure you have a hooded version.
Super Down Ultra Puffy

Pants *** both aren’t a horrible idea. Try them out and see what you think. One thing Kuiu doesn’t have that FirstLite does well is the suspenders. Just a thought. Corrugate pant from FL will be hot AF though. The corrugate foundry has hip vents so it will be more tolerable. Similar to the Kuiu pros.
Kuiu Attacks
Kuiu Pros

Rain Gear
Badlands Bail Rain Gear- Already Have

Boots
Crispi Briksdalls- Already Have

Pack
Exo Mountain Gear 4800- Already Have **hands down one of the best packs. You already made a great choice here.

Tent
Mountain Star 2 with Footprint- Already Have

Sleep System- Already Have
Klymit KSB 15 Sleeping Bag
Klymit Recon V Insulated Sleeping Pad
Klymit Luxe Pillow

**do you sleep hot or cold? If you ever get cold you probably will in a 15F bag. I usually take a 0F quilt and sleep pretty hot most of the time. Easy to vent and regulate temp. If you stay warm in this in cold temps then you’re fine.

*** I’ll say this again, get the Yukon gaiters. They keep crap out of your boots, water proof for heavy dew mornings, and great to have if it snows. I usually finish my hunts and the bottom 3rd of my pants look as fresh as the first day.

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[/QUOTE]

I generally sleep hot and will test out the 15 degree bag this trip. As far as gaiters I have the Kenetrek Gaiters, which look very similar to the Yukon's.

As far as pants, get the Corrugate Foundry over the Pro's?

 

[BravoNovember]

Thanks for posting this question! I'm in pretty much the same position and will be taking some of the advice given on clothing.

 

[Hoyt Ag]

I wear Kuiu primarily, I think they make an outstanding product minus boots. They dont have the best discounts for guides, but it is what it is. Here is my basic gear list:

Pro 2300 pack if at central camp location or the 5500 if I am in backcountry moving around.
Danner Vital 800gr in winter/Looking for new warm weather boot. I am done with Merrel.
UA Compression briefs(helps with chaffing when super hot)
Attack or Kutana pants for warmer hunts
Pro pants in winter with the zip of base layers.
Merino or Gila tops
Pelaton or Merino tops

I will say I tell clients and friends that your pack will make your hunt memorable or your life miserable. I place emphasis on packs, boots and strategy. Always have a backup plan for everything.

For September hunts, I always pack an extra shirt and socks. I sweat a lot, so once we make a long hike, I like to change to keep scent under control. Hang up the clothes at night and let them air out and you are good to go the next day most the time.

 

[ChiefMingo]

**do you sleep hot or cold? If you ever get cold you probably will in a 15F bag. I usually take a 0F quilt and sleep pretty hot most of the time. Easy to vent and regulate temp. If you stay warm in this in cold temps then you’re fine.

*** I’ll say this again, get the Yukon gaiters. They keep crap out of your boots, water proof for heavy dew mornings, and great to have if it snows. I usually finish my hunts and the bottom 3rd of my pants look as fresh as the first day.

As far as pants, get the Corrugate Foundry over the Pro's?



Can say the corrugate foundry are a great pair of pants. Buddy had a pair that performed so well it convinced me to get a pair.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I'm late to the party and haven't read the whole thread. I've but a bunch of Kuiu, a lot of Sitka, and some First Lite with scattered other brands. IMO stick with First Lite for the merino stuff and look to the others for your insulation and outers. The Ridgeline QZ being the exception, I always find myself in that thing lately. Kuiu has some great warm weather options and lots of their pants have zip vents which I've come to love.

 

[Huntnnw]

Id be taking everything to hunt from 15 deg and snow to 90 deg and sunny. Been in it all in the mountain in september

 

[RCB]

My suggestion would be to not spend $1000 on new clothing.

 

[arock]

I think you can keep it pretty simple - esp with the size of your bag.

• One Base layer (top with a hood and bottoms are usually the bag)
• Pants - unless you're getting a fleece type pant that is dead silent - it doesn't matter who you get these from. Hunting or non hunting brand is irrelevant. I've worn shorts.
• Tops - I like a fleece and then a puffy with decent coverage and a hood since the high country will high country (something like a FL Uncompahgre)
• I always have extra socks and drawers in my bag. I don't care how amazing technical material is, after 2 days in September being able to rotate socks and underwear is a luxury I'm willing to pay the weight penalty for.
• I like a bucket hat to keep the sun off my ears and throw a beanie in the bag because the high country
• Some midweight gloves - again in case
• Water is pretty important

 

[hubbs77]

If you want another option for pants I wore the first Lite obsidians last year on my first trip out west for early september hunt and I found these pants to be my fav by far. They are super breathable and comfy. With the amount of walking you will be doing they are great and never get too hot. They are also the most quiet you'll find.

 

[nphunter]

If you want another option for pants I wore the first Lite obsidians last year on my first trip out west for early september hunt and I found these pants to be my fav by far. They are super breathable and comfy. With the amount of walking you will be doing they are great and never get too hot. They are also the most quiet you'll find.

Firstlite obsidians are probably the least durable pant ever made. I would never recommend anyone buy them at retail price, especially if needing to rely on a pant for a backcountry hunt. I own a couple pairs and they are super comfortable, probably the most comfortable pant I've ever worn. I also owned the Kabab which these replaced and they haven't gotten any more durable, FL replaced the Kabab twice for me for free after them not making it one season. Both pairs of my current obsidians are being held together by leuko tape, they are still comfortable and the tape holds all the holes in them closed well but they were both worn to shreds after one season. My orignial sitka ascents lasted about 8 years of hard use hunting the exact same spots, they eventually started coming apart at seams after all of that hard use, I sent them into sitka for repair and they replaced them for free with a brand new updated pair.

A good light pant that will last 10X better is the Sitka Ascent or Kryptek Valhalla, the FL Guide is a great pant but much warmer, it's similar to the mountain, attack, and prana zion for weight.

 

[Bachto]

Double your workout routine, get a zero degree bag. I have (now have a zero) a 20 degree north face bag and froze my ass off on a late September scouting trip when we got a cold snap and it got down to 25 degrees one night. I even had the quilt that is supposed to make bring the rating down to 0. Bought a zero degree and have never been cold. Could have been my bag wasn’t as warm as it used to be but also can’t die from being too hot in a sleeping bag lol

 

[hubbs77]

Firstlite obsidians are probably the least durable pant ever made. I would never recommend anyone buy them at retail price, especially if needing to rely on a pant for a backcountry hunt. I own a couple pairs and they are super comfortable, probably the most comfortable pant I've ever worn. I also owned the Kabab which these replaced and they haven't gotten any more durable, FL replaced the Kabab twice for me for free after them not making it one season. Both pairs of my current obsidians are being held together by leuko tape, they are still comfortable and the tape holds all the holes in them closed well but they were both worn to shreds after one season. My orignial sitka ascents lasted about 8 years of hard use hunting the exact same spots, they eventually started coming apart at seams after all of that hard use, I sent them into sitka for repair and they replaced them for free with a brand new updated pair.

A good light pant that will last 10X better is the Sitka Ascent or Kryptek Valhalla, the FL Guide is a great pant but much warmer, it's similar to the mountain, attack, and prana zion for weight.

Ok I stand corrected. Listen to this guy. He obv knows pants

 

[nphunter]

Ok I stand corrected. Listen to this guy. He obv knows pants

I’m not trying to be a jerk, sorry if it came across that way. I do agree with you on the comfort and love of my FL Obsidians but they just don’t hold up worth a darn. I've been through 4 or 5 pairs now, most have been warranty pairs from FL due to them falling apart, they sent me some guide pants after sending back the 3rd set.

I just hate to see someone buy them for almost $200 and have that experience without being warned first, I do still hunt in them but 90% of my scouting is done in different pants so that the merino pants don't get too trashed. (They still do get constent rips in them)

Hopefully, you have better luck with yours, I do spend most of my spare time in the woods and hunt close to 50+ days each year so I am hard on gear but all the other pants I've mentioned have held up for years doing the exact same thing in the exact same spots.

 

[arock]

If you want another option for pants I wore the first Lite obsidians last year on my first trip out west for early september hunt and I found these pants to be my fav by far. They are super breathable and comfy. With the amount of walking you will be doing they are great and never get too hot. They are also the most quiet you'll find.

I destroyed mine in one season. Holes in the crotch, holes in the knee, holes by the cargo pockets and thats not even the stuff that gets ripped up on nasty brush. They look like frankenstiens monster.

Great pants but be prepared to do a bunch of sewing.

 

[RGARNER]

Even in really cold weather, 90% percent of the time I was running around in a light and heavy base layer with the Kelvin vest overtop. Once I get to a place that I am going to sit for awhile I would throw on my Jetstream jacket or my kelvin down jacket.

I love my exo k3 4800. I am using the stiffer lumbar pad and one extra shim

 

[bozeman]

Prana Zion Pants or Eddie Bauer guide pants, Eddie Bauer puffy pull-over with kangaroo pocket, smart wool base layers, smart wool socks........that's a good start!!

I do have some Sitka gear I use (fanatic hoodie, lightweight hoodie), but the hiking/outdoor wear companies make some solid gear that can be found at a MAJOR discount.

Exo K3