Are you looking to get your gal out in the woods with you? A big way I have found to go farther and stay longer is comfort. In my eyes – comfort can come in many forms such as sheer warmth, staying dry, or as easy as something to give you confidence on steep terrain. Here are a few of my favorite items that can be found in my pack or on me.
Hot Hands
Yes, hot hands. We order these by the case off of Amazon. They are relatively cheap and are a great way to warm up. I almost always have a pair buried in my pack you know, just in case. Not only do we have ample “hand” warmers, but we also stock the body warmers as well as the toe warmers, not to be confused with the full foot warmers. A real pro tip on the toe heaters is instead of sticking them to the bottom of your sock and sliding into your boot, reach inside your boot and put them sticky side up, then slide your foot in. You literally cannot notice them, except it feels amazing and warm. I packed out my deer this October and actually forgot I had them on! Game changer in my eyes.
Trekking poles
This is something I never leave camp or the truck without. Rain, shine, shed, or deer season there is one stuffed in my pack somewhere. I am a big fan of the Black Diamond Z Pole that collapse down for easy storage inside or outside of your pack. I don’t hike all the time with a trekking pole, mostly when there is a partial elk, or a few sheds strapped to my back. These poles have saved me many times from what I can call near death experiences. Ok, maybe not near death but just a bad wreck especially with a full load in my pack. I usually only bring one pole, although I have used two when loads were extremely heavy. Although, I will warn, I have had wrecks with a trekking pole, but I imagine it could’ve been worse without one.
SITKA Timberline Pants
During shed and archery season I run a lightweight pant. I can usually make just about any pair I own work during this time. Once rifle deer season rolls around Timberline pants are where it’s at! I recently discovered these this past season. I did not know what I was missing until I wore them the first day. They are warm yet breathable. I, however, am not a huge fan of the knee pads when I am hiking. As I hike, they bang against my kneecap driving me insane. While glassing or doing anything but walking they are very nice. I did opt to take out the knee pads and leave them at camp after day one. The reinforced knees are enough to keep moisture out when kneeling in snow or mud. Also, the reinforced butt area is awesome too!! It is another added protection and insulating layer for long glassing sessions.
During the later season hunts I do wear some type of thermal underneath as well. Depending on the expected temps for the day depends on the weight of my thermal.
The female sizing is a bit off I must add…I am 5’6, 130lbs, and wear a size 4/27 in all of my jeans. I tried on the 27 in these and couldn’t get them over my quads…I did size up to a 29 and they fit great even with a thermal layer. Just know they aren’t very flattering! Haha!
Cabela’s Elkskin Chopper Mitts
THESE ARE AMAZING. I think I need to order about five more pairs just to be sure I have them for the rest of my time in the woods. I am a chronic cold hand sufferer. You could hold my hands over flames and take them away, .02 seconds later – cold. Our last deer hunt had miserable weather. Ice cold temps accompanied by high winds and tons of snow. These mittens were the bomb. I hiked in them, glassed in them, and almost peed my pants in them. When things got really cold, especially while glassing, I threw a hand warmer in each mitten and sometimes put on a thin fleece liner. Talk about toasty. I had to order them online through the Cabela’s website since our local one didn’t have them.
Frist Lite SEAK Rain Jacket
Breathable, pretty quiet, and pit zips, sold! I used to have a very nice rain jacket from another big-name company, but it didn’t have pit zips. I never wore it. It just took up precious space and ounces in my pack. If it was an absolute downpour and I was sitting stationary I’d break it out and that was it. The SEAK rain jacket gets busted out if there’s even the slightest drizzle because it is so comfortable. Once again, I am 5’6 and 130lbs, I ordered a Men’s Small. It is a bit big – mostly in the mid-section but once you have a few layers on and a bino harness you can hardly notice it.
Author: Jessica Laughter, Way Up West Outdoors
