jacket or vest???

[tstowater]

I went for my Saturday morning hike this morning in hunting boots, Nike Basketball shorts, a lightweight shirt and pack. I'm guessing that it was around 70 and windy. By the time I was done, I was soaked from head to toe. I get really hot between my back and pack. I am going to Alaska and have outfitted to the deluxe with Kuiu. Depending on the weather, I will base layer plus either attack or guide pants and the vest if I don't need to wear more. I will have the guide jacket and spindrift if needed. I will leave the guide pants and jacket in camp and take the Chugach instead if expecting rain. If colder or hotter, will adjust accordingly. I would rather be moving with less clothes and adding when stopped. On prior hunts, I have actually changed base layers when stopped to let the one dry. Usually doesn't take long. Obviously, there are other ways to skin the coat. I have used a Mountain Hardwear windstopper vest before and really liked it.

 

[luke moffat]

I will leave the guide pants and jacket in camp and take the Chugach instead if expecting rain.

I personally never leave camp without rain gear up here regardless of the weather when I leave camp. I would imagine the Chugach will be a constant staple in your pack everyday no matter if you wake up to 70 degrees and blue bird skies or not. Weather changes fast up here and I wouldn't want to be caught out 5 miles from camp in a solid drizzle in just the guide jacket. But sounds like you are bringing more than enough clothes to keep ya warm for sure. What animals ya chasing up here?

 

[Yellowknife]

I just like to keep it simple with a base layer, insulating layer, and rain gear. I have found (out the expensive way) that its lighter, warmer, less expensive, and simplier for me to just run a simple base layer, a puffy coat, and a rain coat and use those three as a combo depending on the weather and my activities. Like I said it only has to work for me, so I'll take a simple 3 layer system over guys carrying 4-6 layers any day, less crap to buy and carry.

The three layer system is exactly what I use for backpack trips. Can't beat it for simple and functional.

However, for day trips in the summer, I really like having a primaloft vest in the bottom of my pack as the "warm" layer. I also use a windstopper fleece jacket as an outer layer for most day trips, just because of it's very high degree of durability over any primaloft type jacket. I get paid to follow a GPS pointer through some pretty nasty stuff sometimes, and durability counts for that.

Yk

 

[tstowater]

Sheep and whatever else I can find enough money to shoot. I'm thinking caribou, but outfitter says has really nice moose and griz. I don't have much "insulation" left so I have to wear it. I figure the Kuiu doesn't wear much or take up much room, so I would rather have enough rather than wish I had brought more. I'm not going to be like Les at 102 lb. pack. Ughhh. Still like vests for reasons stated.

 

[RUTTIN]

I am a vest guy, if I can keep my core warm I am usually good. When I stop to glass, or am waiting on a trail, or waterhole I like a jacket also.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Great advice and looks like I just got to see what works for me. Currently my upper body system looks like this:

Synthetic UA type wicking base layer
Russel APXG2 L2 pullover
Heavy wool sweater
Core4Element Element jacket
(unopened rain poncho if needed)

I'm wanting to replace the heavy wool sweater to cut some weight but gosh I do love that thing. Thinking about going with the KUIU spindrift or a 800 fill down vest. The sweater takes up quite a bit of room in my pack. Almost all my backpack hunts are september and I have one this year that may start middle of October in Idaho. I think that I"m leaning more towards a down layer instead of synthetic because if there is any precip at all I can throw on my element jacket. One thing I noticed in this video from Kifaru on setting up the Sawtooth tent, is the guy @30 seconds is wearing a climashield vest with zippered pocket and hood. Looked awesome but I am thinking that was a custom one-off piece. Google didn't reveal anything else on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8rDA9N9JsU

Mike

 

[dotman]

Great advice and looks like I just got to see what works for me. Currently my upper body system looks like this:

Synthetic UA type wicking base layer
Russel APXG2 L2 pullover
Heavy wool sweater
Core4Element Element jacket
(unopened rain poncho if needed)

I'm wanting to replace the heavy wool sweater to cut some weight but gosh I do love that thing. Thinking about going with the KUIU spindrift or a 800 fill down vest. The sweater takes up quite a bit of room in my pack. Almost all my backpack hunts are september and I have one this year that may start middle of October in Idaho. I think that I"m leaning more towards a down layer instead of synthetic because if there is any precip at all I can throw on my element jacket. One thing I noticed in this video from Kifaru on setting up the Sawtooth tent, is the guy @30 seconds is wearing a climashield vest with zippered pocket and hood. Looked awesome but I am thinking that was a custom one-off piece. Google didn't reveal anything else on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8rDA9N9JsU

Mike

Nope, just stoppedbeing made due to demand for other products. They still have a few I think, give Angie a call you may get lucky.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Nope, just stoppedbeing made due to demand for other products. They still have a few I think, give Angie a call you may get lucky.

Awesome... just left her a voicemail thank you! Hope they are terribly expensive if they indeed do have a few left.

Mike

 

[Broken Arrow]

Ordered my Labrador yesterday have a Llano top and springer vest works great down to the 30s but I am normally warm blooded so to speak.

 

[dotman]

Awesome... just left her a voicemail thank you! Hope they are terribly expensive if they indeed do have a few left.

Mike

If memory serves me, there are 2 versions priced at $90 & $119. One has cordura on the front.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I'm a jacket guy, I use my guide jacket for insulation. I'll pickup the chugach set next year for rain. this year Im going with a paclite set I have.

 

[HellsCanyon]

I'm a jacket guy, I use my guide jacket for insulation. I'll pickup the chugach set next year for rain. this year Im going with a paclite set I have.

How warm is that guide jacket? For an insulating layer I wouldn't think it would be as good as a puffy vest/coat or thick wool layer.

Mike

 

[pyroducksx3]

I have the guide jacket, chugach jacket, and spindrift and its funny before I read this I had decided that I would probably be fine running my first lite base layer, spindrift, and chugach jacket. Much like luke had recommended. If I was trying to decide which pieces to buy and couldnt buy them all it would be this combo.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Got a call back from Angie this morning and the vests are discontinued but she said Patrick would like to bring back the clothing line in the future. No ETA though! She said they might have some smalls left somewhere but I'm not going to fit into a small so I didn't ask any further.

Pyroducksx3, thats kind of the route I'm leaning. I could run a merino base layer, APXG2 L2 pullover, spindrift, and either my C4E jacket or a rain jacket like the chugach. That would get me into the teens I'm pretty sure and be really lightweight.

Mike

 

[HellsCanyon]

WELL.....

Just got off the phone with KUIU. Was intending to get in on the Pre-Ordered list for the Yukon Gaiters and the gal on the phone mentions "Oh hey, our Spindrift is on Special today for $100, are you interested?"...

Looks like I'm now a jacket guy! I got a Vias spindrift on the way to me. We'll see how I like it. Only thing else I'd like to get clothing wise this year is a merino upper base layer...

Mike

 

[swat8888]

For extended back country trips I also adhere to the 3 layer system (base layer, puffy coat and rain shell). While a vest probably would cut it 80% of the time for me it negates having to bring yet another layer for those 20% occasions. I also take my puffy coat a little further than most seem to based on what I see on most people's gear list. I have an outdoor research havoc jacket that I wear. It is not minimalist, but I'm willing to hump the extra weight because it gives me wind stopper and a hood. Saves me from having to dig out my shell if I want to shed the wind.

 

[HellsCanyon]

For extended back country trips I also adhere to the 3 layer system (base layer, puffy coat and rain shell). While a vest probably would cut it 80% of the time for me it negates having to bring yet another layer for those 20% occasions. I also take my puffy coat a little further than most seem to based on what I see on most people's gear list. I have an outdoor research havoc jacket that I wear. It is not minimalist, but I'm willing to hump the extra weight because it gives me wind stopper and a hood. Saves me from having to dig out my shell if I want to shed the wind.

Not a bad idea. My layers this year will be a 4 part system. Merino base layer, Russel APXG2 L2 shirt, Kuiu SpinDrift, C4E Element jacket, rain poncho if it really starts pouring. Depending on how I like the Spindrift I may replace the C4E with a Chugach jacket in the future for late season hunts. We'll see what happens but probably hold off for next year!

Mike

 

[ohhiitznik]

How warm is that guide jacket? For an insulating layer I wouldn't think it would be as good as a puffy vest/coat or thick wool layer.

Mike

The guide jacket is warm. My system is Kuiu merino base, sitka traverse top *if needed* guide jacket. I'm hot blooded and do not get cold easily so I go lower than most, but I was in the high 30's sitting in this combo for a couple of hours and I didn't have any problems.

 

[HellsCanyon]

The guide jacket is warm. My system is Kuiu merino base, sitka traverse top *if needed* guide jacket. I'm hot blooded and do not get cold easily so I go lower than most, but I was in the high 30's sitting in this combo for a couple of hours and I didn't have any problems.

Good to know. My C4E jacket doesn't sound like it is quite as warm but it makes an awesome outter layer when not in a down-poor. I think with the spin drift I might be able to get my system down to three layers with a merino base for sept/oct hunts. Only person to make that call is myself though so I'll let ya know what happens.

Mike

 

[MOHunter]

Come later in the year when treestand hunting here in KC once in the stand I wear Cabelas wooltimate with windshear.

This is a great point. It really depends how much you move. I have to dress pretty warm for treestand sitting in the midwest. However, I've been on pheasant hunts in western KS when the windchill was single digits and all I needed was a baselayer and microtex shirt.

For western hunting it probably depends on how much you glass. I like a vest whenever I can get away with it. The times I've found it's not enough is usually due to cold wind. Sitting above treeline behind the scope with a cold wind dictates a jacket for me. However, if I'm moving a lot a vest can be find even if there's wind.

I love my wool (old school) sweaters as well, but they are bulky and heavy.