Colorado elk hunting clothing setup

[Archer428]

Going to southern Colorado for my first elk hunt

I might not like this type of hunting so I am hesitant in spending $2000 in clothing

what is the best options for lower cost

what you go with on everything

brand. Model. Best place to order each item from

1. Socks. Brand. Model

2. 1st base layer brand model

3. 2nd base layer. Brand. Model

4. Paints

5. Rain gear pants


same for the top

1. Top base layer

2. 2nd base layer

3. Outerwear

4. Top rain gear


I have some of the items from whitetail hunting in arkansss

I have some synthetic base layers of various thickness and brands already
Just wanted to get some advise from people that have went hunting in the Colorado mountain environment

 

[TBHasler]

I’d suggest using the thread search function and read a couple hundred posts that are already here. From that you can determine the fabrics and layering system that best fits your style of hunting. From there you can target the various pieces of gear - top of line to mid to budget.
If you take the time to read up, you can find some very budget friendly options that can get you outfitted without breaking the bank
Good luck and enjoy your hunt

 

[fngTony]

A long sleeve running shirt from target, a zip up fleece, Eddie Bauer puffy, wrangler stretch pants (anything synthetic that stretches). Buy good socks (I like the ones from kuiu). For rain gear I would look at OR, Black diamond, marmot, mountain hardware, all can be found at discount with some looking. Many of us in Colorado will just use leg gaiters and not bring rain pants (forum search will explain why).

 

[5MilesBack]

I don't think I've spent $2000 total on hunting clothes in the 40 years I've been hunting elk. That would be outrageous for one season.......or even 10 seasons IMO.

 

[Elkdreamer]

Lost me at "I might not like this type of hunting".

 

[5MilesBack]

Lost me at "I might not like this type of hunting".

He didn't exactly say what kind of hunting it would be. Rifle, archery, treestand, S&S, weather involved, etc, etc. I can think of a lot of scenarios for elk hunting that I might not enjoy either. I know I wouldn't enjoy a treestand hunt. And I don't like rifle season or rifle hunting much anymore either.

 

[carsonkeys]

Start here: Cheap Stuff that Works

 

[Gman12]

I don't think I've ever heard of anyone going elk hunting for the first time and not being 100% hooked.

 

[Archer428]

sorry for the long delay

southern Colorado
Archery. Sept 11-23

I have never done higher altitude back pack hunting. I hope I like it. The most have walked whitetail hunting is a little over 1 mile with a climbing stand on my back.

turkey hunting I have covered over 5 miles in a day,, but a turkey vest and some decoys are not much to carry.

Just trying to get an idea of what clothing and weather to get ready for.



public OTC hunt

 

[Newtosavage]

Ditch all the cotton clothing you have is my first advice. It will make you miserable and possibly even be dangerous if you are at altitude and a sudden shower pops up.

My favorite hunting pants are made by Kings Camo. Their basic synthetic hunting pants only run about $40 and they last and last. Very comfortable and they dry quickly.

Merino wool underlayers are critical. MidwayUSA usually has some at a decent price.

Smartwool socks are my favorite.

For shirts - again look at synthetics.

My outer layers are down vests and an overshell if it's cold/windy/rainy. However I don't usually hunt much if it's raining so I'll either head back to camp if it's close, or get under my tarp and wait it out if I'm a ways away from camp. Have a way to start a fire if you have to wait out a storm on the mountain. A small fire under a tarp can be the difference between hunting the rest of the day or packing it in and spending the evening drying out clothes at camp.

Be prepared for sudden T-storms in the mountains. Have a plan for if it all the sudden starts pouring down very cold rain and the temp drops from 75 degrees to 45 in about 20 minutes. If you're above 9k feet, that's a real possibility. If you're above 10k feet, expect it.

 

[Archer428]

Most of my clothing is polyester synthetic material

Just wondered if getting a full Marino wool base layer would be needed?

 

[Newtosavage]

Most of my clothing is polyester synthetic material

Just wondered if getting a full Marino wool base layer would be needed?

I would. It gets colder than you might expect in the mountains in September. My first elk hunt was a bowhunt with a buddy and we camped in a valley around 9k feet the 2nd week of Sept. There was frost on the vehicle window every morning and we were both colder than we expected. Later in the day we were burning up on those sunny aspen ridges at 10k. You'll shed your layers 2-3 times every day. Make sure you have a pack that makes it easy to put layers in and take them out. It's an exercise you'll be doing quite a lot.

 

[Newtosavage]

Lots of choices for rain gear and I have gotten to the point I don't even take rain pants anymore. If I'm stationary I'm under my tarp and if I'm moving I'm usually headed back to camp anyway. The synthetic pants that Kings Camo makes, combined with a medium layer merino wool bottoms can wick moisture and dry out so fast. As long as I keep my top dry, I'm good. I carried a pair of Frog Togg camo bottoms for about 3 seasons but never once used them. I brought those because of how light they were.

 

[fngTony]

sorry for the long delay

southern Colorado
Archery. Sept 11-23

I have never done higher altitude back pack hunting. I hope I like it. The most have walked whitetail hunting is a little over 1 mile with a climbing stand on my back.

turkey hunting I have covered over 5 miles in a day,, but a turkey vest and some decoys are not much to carry.

Just trying to get an idea of what clothing and weather to get ready for.



public OTC hunt

You want be cool as you start hiking and shed layers before you overheat. Here’s a track from OnX from yesterday. You might not be going that high but possibly steeper (generates more body heat). It was 38 degrees at 6am and 54 at 11am. I wore generic synthetics. A mid weight 1/4 zip, a fleece under my rain jacket (used as a windbreaker in this case) along with mid weight gloves a neck gaiter and beanie. Just average pants worn with a zip off base layer. I stopped about 1/4 mile from my destination and removed the zip offs, jacket and fleece to have a cool down period before stopping. Once my body was back to a resting state I added the fleece and jacket again as to not get too cold. Going back down is not generating any body heat so I kept some layers on but not all of them as the temperature had risen. Keep in mind I did the same hike last weekend but had 40 mph winds once in the open, I used rain pants and jacket for that. I would have used my down jacket if I had stopped longer than an hour or if colder. Brand wise I had kuiu zip offs, neck gaiter and a Black diamond rain jacket, everything else was generic. Certainly can do without the expensive stuff but I spend a lot of time out here and that’s when the subtle things make a difference.
The second picture is random info in case your tracking an animal that’s not blood on the snow, it’s an algae.

 

[Ralphie]

I don't think I've spent $2000 total on hunting clothes in the 40 years I've been hunting elk. That would be outrageous for one season.......or even 10 seasons IMO.

Outrageous and seems to be common.

 

[D_Dubya]

Heck, I don’t think I spent $200 total on clothes my first couple elk hunts, Not counting boots. You can get by with the Walmart version of most items If you’re going to spend money though make dang sure you buy boots that fit your feet right and have enough support. Sidehilling across a steep mountain side is a bad time to realize you need more foot and ankle support. I drank the koolaid several years ago and bought Kennetrek Mountain Extremes - best hunting money I ever spent. just make sure they fit your feet. The last ten years or so I’ve slowly upgraded my gear.


1. Darn Tough socks are great, Kennetrek has some good ones too.

2. For archery season zip off base layer pants are awesome. Kuiu has good ones that I use. Also, the 1/4 zip merino long sleeve tee from Kuiu is great. Wore mine everyday in Wyoming last year, though I did wash it in the creek on day 5.

3. Merino wool underwear. $ well spent, less man funk at the end of the day.

4. Sitka Timberlines are fantastic. Spendy though. The knee pads are wonderful. But my hunting partner has $30 pants from Walmart, he goes all the same places I go.

5. I’ve carried rain gear all over the mountains, only used it a couple times. I don’t bother with rain pants anymore, just a cheap packable lite jacket from cabelas.

Then I take a packable puffy jacket and usually start off the day with a fleece vest. I pretty much wear gaiters all the time when hunting, just get some that are quite. Throw some gloves in the pack and you’ll be good.

like some others have said, you’re going to like it…and you’ll wind up spending more and more $ on each hunt for stuff you don’t even know you need. Have a great hunt!

 

[ccarter]

I prefer synthetic base layers because most merino wool (even the good stuff) feels itchy to me. Most of the synthetics are more or less the same- Russell athletic, nike dri-fit, under armor, etc. all dry fast, fit snug so other clothes go over them well. I also have some Kuiu Peloton 118 synthetic tops that work well, and they're camo, which is more important for bow season. If hiking up hill in September, this is probably all I'm wearing. Like mentioned earlier, uphill, you'll warm up fast. If you get warm, take off your gloves & expose your wrists, and take off your beanie if you're wearing one. it'll help you cool down.

Then, some sort of light fleece– military grid fleece, sitka, kuiu, Cabela's, academy, king's, they all make one, and they all work. Warm for the weight, and they dry fast. if it's really cold- below 35 and windy, I might hike in this, but probably not.

then a mid-weight puffy- preferably synthetic in September.

Carry a rain shell in the pack.

For bottoms, lightweight base, or no base layer.

Synthetic, flexible pants like Kuiu Attacks. The wrangler outdoor pants Walmart sells would work too, though a little thinner than the Attacks. Eddie Bauer makes good options, and so does Prana I'm told.
Rain pants in the pack.

Synthetic liner socks with wool blend lightweight or mid weight sock under uninsulated, waterproof hiking boots. I wear the ones that fit me best. I've tried others' recommendations, but with boots, the ones that fit your feet best are the best boots. especially in the mountains.

I also sometimes hike in liner gloves from Academy, and carry a lightly insulated pair of warmer gloves for when I'm glassing. And a fleece beanie.

If you're going to be glassing a lot, a small foam pad is nice to sit on, too. for comfort and warmth.

My experience is that 40 in Colorado feels warmer than 40 in the south. If it's 40 in Arkansas, there's dampness and wind. In Colorado, it's dry, so it doesn't feel as cold unless it's windy.

Hopefully this coupled with all the other good info you have here is helpful.

I can't imagine you not enjoying it. The scenery, the active pursuit of game, seeing new country, the sheer vastness of the area. It's physical, but tons of fun. good luck.

 

[Oakman]

very helpful thank you all

 

[woods89]

I'm not going to get into brands and all but here are a few thoughts on clothes.

Merino does not dry like synthetics. If I were backpack hunting in Co archery I'd still use it for odor control but I'd be looking at less than 150 wt and probably a merino blend for better moisture transfer.

I like a hood and a 1/4-1/2 zip on my baselayer tops so I can manage warmth.

Pants- Anything fairly lightweight that's 90%+ nylon is probably going to work fairly well. The Walmart pants that people have brought up on here are amazing for the money.

Gaiters are absolutely a good idea, both for moisture protection and they also add a bit of lower leg warmth.

For insulation I'd want a medium weight fleece and a puffy, probably synthetic for that timeframe. Down would work fine, but you'll want some decent rain gear to keep it dry, IMO, unless you have something like Stone Glacier's down.

I sweat a lot so I find it very important to drop quite a few layers when I'm active. You want to be cold to start, and you'll be warm in 200 yds or so.

And I'll go against the grain and say that I believe there are more people who go once and never again than we think. We don't usually hear from them though as no one wants to come on here and say "I was cold, lonely, and didn't hardly see any elk, totally not worth it." I have been transitioning to hunting late season, and sometimes it's just miserable out there and I wonder why I think it's a good idea, but then before I know it I'm planning another trip, for some reason. So I guess I like it?

Best of luck!

 

[bridgerlake]

what kind of beanie do you recommend? What’s your preference for a neck/face gaitor?