How quiet clothing do we really need?

[ledflight]

It’s wind more than warm. Maybe uninsulated cowboy suede or wolfskin. Not sure how light and packable those are though.

 

[Seeknelk]

Like most things, it depends. When tracking whitetails in Michigan ,I want total silence. Tried my attack pant there but it was too "thwacky". So when I go there I have on either wool or fleece.
If sitting in stand for late season white tails anywhere. Try drawing on one at 12 yards on a dead still ,cold evening. Pants MIGHT not play a part here, but they very well may also if you need to crouch or touch your leg with a bow limb or whatever. But you need a totally silent jacket etc in this situation.
Out west it seems to rarely matter, bit I've been on a few close stalks where gaiter or pant legs screamed I'm here! With knee high brush or stiff grass it can matter for spot and stalk. But usually it's not a thing chasing elk etc.

 

[roosiebull]

Something I have been thinking about this year after I picked up a pair of those First Lite Guide Lite pants on Sierra this spring.
They are so loud! All my pants are quieter, but none qualify as "technical" - they're either heavy fleece or poly, which has been very quiet.
So my question is - has anyone been busted stalking by the brushing/swishing of their pants? Seems more likely you're busted by a twig snap.
For perspective, I am a NY guy so it's basically whitetail for me (with hope for bears) and I picked up the pants kind of "on spec" for future possible trips where lighter mass weight clothes might matter more.

You can keep them quiet enough when you need to… I have killed plenty of stuff at very close range wearing corrugates… there are quieter pants, but the corrugates have never caused me trouble

The only pants I have worn that seemed like a liability noise wise is rain gear… I can think of 2 times sneaking in on elk wearing rain pants when the rain had stopped and me taking them off on a hillside because I couldn’t be quiet with them.

On the other hand, while raining, I have killed a good amount of stuff in rain gear, if it’s raining they are quiet enough… if it clears up and calm, they can be noisy

I think there may be exceptions like sneaking through the willows for high country mule deer on a quiet day, but pant noise is mostly over blown

 

[ledflight]

@roosiebull I think you're mostly right about sound. I sold those pants b/c I just didn't feel comfortable in them. Confidence matters a little! I feel so silent in my wool outer pants.
Maybe if I ever do a more back country hunt I'll be wishing I still had them as they were lighter and "better" than I what I have.