Late season advice - gear/tips?

[judders87]

I'm planning on doing my first late season mule deer hunt this year and I feel like I'm solid for what gear I have and plan to bring. Just wondering from other people's experience if there was something you didn't figure out you needed/wanted or didn't need in the late seasons that might've been a game changer. If not gear maybe some type of advice? My experience is really just backpacking during archery elk season. I plan to backpack in for this hunt and have experience backpacking in colder temps.

 

[atmat]

Layer, layer, layer. And it’s nice to have a hot tent to dry clothes and boots.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Puffy pants

 

[judders87]

Puffy pants

Synthetic or down?

 

[WeiserBucks]

Synthetic or down?

Down is what I use and I can't think of a good reason for synthetic.

 

[Eric30]

Foot booties for sleeping, tested them last season and didn't disappoint. https://enlightenedequipment.com/torrid-booties/

 

[WeiserBucks]

Foot booties for sleeping, tested them last season and didn't disappoint. https://enlightenedequipment.com/torrid-booties/

I've got a pair from FF, not needed unless I'm pushing my zero bag way below zero.

 

[24valve]

Some good late-season gear and advice discussion in here:

Thread 'S2H Winter Rifle Course Observations/lessons'

Feb 25, 2025

Shoot2Hunt held a Winter version of the 0-600 Yard Hunting Course last week. Below will follow some of the notable experiences/information.

@Ryan Avery @ztc92 @jzeblaz @longrangelead @24valve



Day 1: We started the afternoon before the official start date with 4x students and 2x teachers. 2x Tikka T3’s, 1x BAT action custom, 1x Tikka M595 Master Sporter. IIRC it was 3° F. Snowed all day.




Four more shooters arrived that night or the next morning.



The first four days it ranged from 3° F to -15°F for the day time...

• Formidilosus
• Replies: 185
• Forum: Firearms

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[Eric30]

I've got a pair from FF, not needed unless I'm pushing my zero bag way below zero.

Makes sense with a zero degree bag. I'm currently running a 15 degree bag and tend to run warm except for my feet that tend to get cold easily.

 

[Muleys32]

Puffy pants and jacket for glassing, gaiters for busting snow and they help hold in warmth in the legs. Added a much larger down puffy this year for those longer glassing sessions in the cold.

 

[270Hunter]

I generally always bring a glassing pad with me anymore regardless of the season, but I definitely always bring a glassing pad for late season hunts where snow/wet conditions will be prevalent. Helps keep you warm and dry when you’re sitting down for those long glassing sessions.

 

[yo_vinny]

All of the suggestions above are really solid and I've found all of that gear useful late season.

One thing I think catches some people off guard about late season is how many calories you burn. I eat way more (like almost 2x) what I would compared to a warmer day. On that same note, normally my lunch is something cold I can eat without any prep. Late season having something warm like instant ramen for lunch makes the cold way more tolerable.

 

[atmat]

All of the suggestions above are really solid and I've found all of that gear useful late season.

One thing I think catches some people off guard about late season is how many calories you burn. I eat way more (like almost 2x) what I would compared to a warmer day. On that same note, normally my lunch is something cold I can eat without any prep. Late season having something warm like instant ramen for lunch makes the cold way more tolerable.

This is a good call out. I also tend to naturally drink less (because I’m cold and my water gets so cold in the pack), so I’ve gotta be way more intentional with drinking.

 

[CoMulies]

My 3 big take aways from a 3rd rifle hunt last year:

1. Glassing pad - sitting directly on snow for any length of time sucks
2. Puffy pants - got mine from Black Ovis. These are 1000x better than long Johns imo. Hike in with whatever your normal pants are without sweating, then pull the puffys on over.
3. Aquamira or similar water purification tablet - water filters like sawyers are compromised once they freeze. Trying to ensure your filter doesn’t freeze up all the time is a huge pain in the ass.
4. Hot tent - I did 2nd rifle in a Big Agnes copper spur and froze. Bought a seek outside cimmaron with stove immediately after and it was a complete game changer.

 

[mainbeam pursuit2]

I've been using Kuiu down glassing mittens the last few years. They can be a gamechanger to keep you glassing longer.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I've been using Kuiu down glassing mittens the last few years. They can be a gamechanger to keep you glassing longer.

Good mitts are in my pack all fall.

 

[justinspicher]

So I hunt from home, I don’t stay out like you’re planning on. I’m a huge fan of the late seasons so I’ll offer up what I use:

1-I cut a full length foam pad from thermarest in half to use as a glassing bag. It keeps me dry and my puffy pants cleaner.

2-I hike in a baselayer and a wind jacket. It breathes better and dries faster.

3-I don’t start hiking in until daylight and hunt to wherever I’m going. Walking in the cold sucks, and it’s worse in the dark.

4-I tie a handkerchief around my neck once I get to my glassing spot. It can be used to keep my face warm, wipe my optics and keep my nose clean.

5-I take an extra pair of socks to walk out in, and have an extra pair in the truck with some slip on shoes for the drive home.

 

[mtnmuley83]

I just have a small glassing pad, sthealthy hunter one, and it works great for the earlier hunts! My buddy uses a full length thermarest z pad that he can sit on, rest his feet on to help keep them warm and he can kinda fold it around him if, think when, the wind is blowing. It makes an excellent mat to put down in the tent in the evening as well if you take your boots off.

 

[Jbon92]

Id also recommend puffy gear. I was always skeptical but brought along an Amazon essentials lightweight puffy jacket as a layer for a Nov MT hunt and was amazed at how well it worked. I'll be testing a pair of black ovis anchor point puffy pants this coming late season. Also the wind has always been a real killer in MT for late season so I'd recommend some sort of layer with windblocking material like a Sitka Jestream. It makes a huge difference.

 

[Marble]

This is a good call out. I also tend to naturally drink less (because I’m cold and my water gets so cold in the pack), so I’ve gotta be way more intentional with drinking.

This is why I carry actual bottles to drink water out of, instead of, or in addition to, a bladder. I can actually see how much fluid I have consumed. This is particularly helpful on the day 3-4 when your body is making and fluahing chemicals to adapt to high altitude.

Being properly hydrated helps keep you warm, among the obvious other benefits from being well hydrated.

If you do use a water bladder, get àn insulated hose and blow out the tube after every time you drink.

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