Getting away from higher end clothes.

[SonnyDay]

I had zipper problems with the Wranglers after a few weeks of occasional wear… the fly zipper is really tiny (meaning the gauge of the zipper itself, not the size of the opening... haha!). Open fly might cut it in the woods but not so much around town!

 

[Swamppirate]

Give the BLACKOVIS GRANITE PEAK pants a look…..

 

[Lando]

I'd check out the Orvis pants at Costco (fleece lined and unlined) and also the Denali pants at Sam's referenced earlier are great.

 

[SMOKYMTN]

I am not necessarily getting away from higher end clothes more so than I am getting away from higher end pricing.

I grew up in the days of going up and down the mountains in a pair of Walls bibs or Wrangler jeans, and modern hunting clothes are just so much more comfortable both in the hike/sit and the temperature regulation aspects. I've bought the Sitka, KUIU, First Lite, and I'll still wear those brands but I look at sales and closeouts, eBay and the classifieds here. The Kings XKG line (XKG is their high end lineup) is an excellent option if you want quality hunting gear at a cheaper price, especially their closeouts. I've been wearing the Kings Preacher 2.0 and Ridge pants and they are every bit as comparable to a Sitka Mountain or KUIU Attack pant. Heck, right now Kings has their XKG Elevation Hoodie on sale for $25! By far the best deal going I've found on an excellent base layer. You can also grab one of their XKG Boulder Vests for $50! I highly recommend both pieces for a killer value!

XKG Elevation Hoodie

The XKG Elevation Hoodie is the lightest long-sleeve hoodie in the XKG Series. It's constructed with 2-way stretch textured poly mesh fabric and treated with odor controlling Polygiene technology, which neutralizes odor by stopping the growth of odor-causing bacteria.Ultra-breathable fabric, a ¼...

www.kingscamo.com

XKG Boulder Soft Shell Vest

A soft shell needs to work across the spectrum of changing outputs and shifting conditions. The XKG Boulder Vest delivers light weather protection, breathable warmth, and great range of motion. The wind and water resistant engineered fabric is refined for superior warmth-to-weight and...

www.kingscamo.com

 

[ddrrbb]

Scouring the various outdoor and discount sites will yield some very good deals.
I was happy to stumble upon Eddie Bauer's Guide Pro 4S Trekker pants. It doesn't look like there's much in stock now in summer. It's a stretchy softshell with leg vents. I paid $33 during one of their neverending sales.
And, of course, always keep and eye on camofire. Sitka at half price still seems high to me, but they had Ambient hoodies in the Spring for about 50% off which is a relatively good value.
Additionally, steepandcheap has plenty of gear that is usable for hunting (colors may not be very hunter friendly, but does the color of your base layer pants really matter?) I bought some Zamberlan boots off there a year ago for 50% off.

 

[P Carter]

Scouring the various outdoor and discount sites will yield some very good deals.
I was happy to stumble upon Eddie Bauer's Guide Pro 4S Trekker pants. It doesn't look like there's much in stock now in summer. It's a stretchy softshell with leg vents. I paid $33 during one of their neverending sales.
And, of course, always keep and eye on camofire. Sitka at half price still seems high to me, but they had Ambient hoodies in the Spring for about 50% off which is a relatively good value.
Additionally, steepandcheap has plenty of gear that is usable for hunting (colors may not be very hunter friendly, but does the color of your base layer pants really matter?) I bought some Zamberlan boots off there a year ago for 50% off.

Not to derail the thread too much, but how do you like those EB pants? I’ve been looking at them but never pulled the trigger. Would be interested in the weight/thickness, effectiveness of vents, and the fit.

 

[ddrrbb]

Not to derail the thread too much, but how do you like those EB pants? I’ve been looking at them but never pulled the trigger. Would be interested in the weight/thickness, effectiveness of vents, and the fit.

They weigh 14.8 oz compared to Kuiu Kutana's 13.3 (poly vs nylon, so not apples to apples, but similar pant). The leg vents are more perforated mesh, but they work (10" long). Front pockets have the same perforated mesh material. The vents behind the knee are about 1"x6" so they may help marginally. Slightly athletic fit (not baggy), but stretchy (fits like the Kutana but a bit looser in the calf area). 1 back right pocket only is a bummer for me. Good cooler weather pant where you may need to dump some heat, but softshell material so pretty warm and wind resistant. Quality is good. If you get things at 50% off or clearance, EB is a really good value on most of the stuff I've tried.

 

[P Carter]

They weigh 14.8 oz compared to Kuiu Kutana's 13.3 (poly vs nylon, so not apples to apples, but similar pant). The leg vents are more perforated mesh, but they work (10" long). Front pockets have the same perforated mesh material. The vents behind the knee are about 1"x6" so they may help marginally. Slightly athletic fit (not baggy), but stretchy (fits like the Kutana but a bit looser in the calf area). 1 back right pocket only is a bummer for me. Good cooler weather pant where you may need to dump some heat, but softshell material so pretty warm and wind resistant. Quality is good. If you get things at 50% off or clearance, EB is a really good value on most of the stuff I've tried.

Thanks!

 

[fngTony]

Well I had to pay up today. Went to buy some base layer pants and having never been disappointed with Russell Athletic I ended up exchanging them for Under Armor for an extra $25. Not wanting a compression fit I sized up to an xl which looked perfect holding them up in the store. They fit was awful, waist was more of a 2x and medium size legs plus they were extremely low rise. The UA was spot on plus they have a perforated material in the crotch and no seems across the butt.

 

[Lowg08]

Well I had to pay up today. Went to buy some base layer pants and having never been disappointed with Russell Athletic I ended up exchanging them for Under Armor for an extra $25. Not wanting a compression fit I sized up to an xl which looked perfect holding them up in the store. They fit was awful, waist was more of a 2x and medium size legs plus they were extremely low rise. The UA was spot on plus they have a perforated material in the crotch and no seems across the butt.

Base layers is one area I’m spending money. I’ve probably repeated myself but I will not give up my first lite wool.

 

[ArmyAg97]

I am not necessarily getting away from higher end clothes more so than I am getting away from higher end pricing.

I grew up in the days of going up and down the mountains in a pair of Walls bibs or Wrangler jeans, and modern hunting clothes are just so much more comfortable both in the hike/sit and the temperature regulation aspects. I've bought the Sitka, KUIU, First Lite, and I'll still wear those brands but I look at sales and closeouts, eBay and the classifieds here. The Kings XKG line (XKG is their high end lineup) is an excellent option if you want quality hunting gear at a cheaper price, especially their closeouts. I've been wearing the Kings Preacher 2.0 and Ridge pants and they are every bit as comparable to a Sitka Mountain or KUIU Attack pant. Heck, right now Kings has their XKG Elevation Hoodie on sale for $25! By far the best deal going I've found on an excellent base layer. You can also grab one of their XKG Boulder Vests for $50! I highly recommend both pieces for a killer value!

XKG Elevation Hoodie

The XKG Elevation Hoodie is the lightest long-sleeve hoodie in the XKG Series. It's constructed with 2-way stretch textured poly mesh fabric and treated with odor controlling Polygiene technology, which neutralizes odor by stopping the growth of odor-causing bacteria.Ultra-breathable fabric, a ¼...

www.kingscamo.com

XKG Boulder Soft Shell Vest

A soft shell needs to work across the spectrum of changing outputs and shifting conditions. The XKG Boulder Vest delivers light weather protection, breathable warmth, and great range of motion. The wind and water resistant engineered fabric is refined for superior warmth-to-weight and...

www.kingscamo.com

These look great, thanks for the heads up. Would be hard to beat my KETL Mtn nofry, but this is less than half the price of a nofry.

So as not to derail the thread, I bought an ASAT leafy suit probably 7-8 years ago and stopped buying anything in camo, opens up a lot of options. Still though, generally speaking pick 2 of these 3 cheap/light/bombproof. I also find hunting brands generally quieter, but fairly often the difference is negligible.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

I think this probably just depends on what you're doing. Context is king as with everything. If you're just doing day hunts in September in a relatively mild climate then I think you can pretty much get by with anything. If you're spending time in the backcountry then it may be worth re-evaluating as I do think it could impact your comfort levels. I see lots of comments on pants - I would think those are the easiest things to buy in terms of getting away from high end stuff. You don't need $250 Sitka pants to hunt. I do think some of the higher end stuff can be much better at moving moisture, though, specifically for upper body base layers and outer wear. This could make a pretty big difference in comfort level if you're spending multiple days in the field. It could be the difference between going to bed with some residual moisture vs dry. I love flannel shirts, but I'm not wearing one to hike around in all day if I can have a grid fleece or the newer active insulation stuff.

For me, the best middle ground has been to buy stuff used.

 

[Davyalabama]

Yeah, I'm just a day hunter in the South East, some of the prices of quality camo is extraordinary. I can get cold on a stand, but I'll try to tough it out for the prices.

I went to a battery vest this past year, loved that. I generally hunt in just BDU's until the weather gets cooler, switch to some older Cabelas hydro suede pants and add some "cheap" merino base layers top and bottom. I can hunt most all days. If it really gets bad, I have some very old heavy wool military pants bought when there were actually army/navy stores, those things only come out a few times a year.

 

[Mikedlaw]

I’m really liking this new active insulation “alpha, evolve” and I swear there’s some house brands too. Recently picked up one from Outdoor Research that is mapped with regular grid fleece to reduce sweat and over heating in some areas. Also it’s amazing that I could actually see sweat accumulated on the out side but dry inside, this stuff actually works. I found it for 60%off but after this morning I would pay msrp if I didn’t have the time to shop around for a sale. One day we might have generic versions of this stuff.

Like someone mentioned before rain gear is a tough one to go cheap with. Non hunting brands can be found on really good deals which is probably the best value for most needs.

What's the Outdoor Research piece you're you're talking about here?

 

[SMOKYMTN]

What's the Outdoor Research piece you're you're talking about here?

I know the Deviator hoodie is mapped like that, with grid fleece back. I've seen one, honestly reminds me of Sitka's Ambient line.

I also think the North Face Casaval Hybrid Hoodie is an excellent active insulator that folks here will love but doesn't get a ton of recognition. Body mapped Ventrix insulation with the lower back panel and side panels being nylon softshell to prevent overheating, wear and tear, and pilling in those areas. Incredibly lightweight too. Just an overall great piece.

 

[fngTony]

What's the Outdoor Research piece you're you're talking about here?

Deviator hoodie. I think it’s discontinued or renamed but some retailers still have it at a discount. Colors a light grey, dark green or black. I have the gray which should break up nicely with my dark pack straps.

 

[Lowg08]

I think they have one rhey call the vigor now that is mapped.

 

[Lowg08]

Well fellows. Been putting some miles on the ATG pants. Been great. Haven’t missed the hip vents. They Dry fast and the stretch is great. I have figured out. The ones you get at Walmart are a bit thinner and have a pair of them and those things are thin and have been great scouting in the 80s here.

 

[AnyMinuteNow]

Here lately I been off loading allot of clothes due to losing 36 pounds. When I’ve went to replace them. I’ve been replacing my pants with ATG/eddie Bauer guide pro pants and some jackets with a wind shirt and fleece button up shirt. I kept a few things such as under armour down, and first lite base layers. Went with solid earth tones and flannel patterns. Has anyone found any downside to lower price range clothes when they have had the hunting brands prior? So far the pants have been really nice.

Unless you're really spending 5-10 days in brutal back country, a lot of the premium gear these days is overkill. You don't REALLLLY need all the bells and whistles, but they're nice sure. When you go with the less expensive stuff, you usually just lose 1-2 features like waterproof to water resistant - 4 way stretch to 2 way stretch, merino blend to polyester. But let's not forget army navy surplus has been fine for generations

 

[Lowg08]

Unless you're really spending 5-10 days in brutal back country, a lot of the premium gear these days is overkill. You don't REALLLLY need all the bells and whistles, but they're nice sure. When you go with the less expensive stuff, you usually just lose 1-2 features like waterproof to water resistant - 4 way stretch to 2 way stretch, merino blend to polyester. But let's not forget army navy surplus has been fine for generations

I still have some name brand stuff. Mostly just first lite wool items. 2 grid fleece hoodies. The Klamath. Other than that. I got some under armour down and a kuiu kenai jacket. I have found that the REI activator pants are really nice. Quiet and tough. Pretty wind resistant and repels water pretty nice so far.