Layering for the hike up

[Erussell01]

Good morning guys,
I have been searching the forums for the perfect solution for the climb up the mountain in the morning while elk hunting in early September. I am looking for a way to stay warm early when I start and the Temps are low, but not be immediately sweated out when I start to climb. I run hot when I am working and sweat terribly, but don't generally stink too bad. I also freeze easily when sitting still. What do you guys wear to start the day?

Here is what I have right now
Kuiu 125 or a 100% polyester short sleeve t
Light weight 100% scent blocker polyester zip t
Kuiu ultra merino 145 hoodie
Sitka core light hoodie (in the mail)
Sitka core light bottoms
Sitka heavyweight hoodie - too warm when
active
Columbia 100 wt fleece quarter zip
Puffy jacket
Soft shell vest (simms)
Simms soft shell jacket
Marmot precip rain jacket
Kuiu attack pants

Last year I ran a 100% polyester t shirt under an Amazon brand quarter zip fleece and my soft shell. I was comfortable to start, but then would get crazy hot. Where I hunted in Idaho was steep and I'm a flat lander. So by the end of the trip I was wearing the Long sleeve poly t and the quart zip Amazon fleece. That was still a bit too hot, but would feel OK as long as I wasn't really driving the pace.

Now that I have a few more options I am thinking too much.
How would you guys layer to keep the weight down and the performance high?

I am considering adding a mountain vest to go over a base layer for the morning instead of the softshell vest. Anybody ever run one?
I'm also considering adding a sitka midwight quart zip, or a kuiu quarter zip 97, but have no experience with either and nobody around me has them to get hands on.

If it's cold in the mornings like it was last year, I am considering throwing on the Columbia light fleece, or even just running the 145 over my base. The 145 is kind of an awkward piece for me. Not quite a base layer, not quite a mid layer.

I have been training in my hunting gear lately and just don't feel dialed in.

Help me out!

 

[Wyobohunter]

Just be cold when you start. That’s the standard thing most people do. Mountaineers, serious backpackers and hunters all do that. I learned it in mountain warfare school. It’s not a lot of fun at first but you’ll be glad you did when you warm up after exertion. Wear:

Base top & bottom
Pants
Gloves if your hands get cold
Beanie that you can take off & put in your cargo pocket the second you warm up.

Save the insulation for when you stop to glass/eat.

You have way more clothes than I’d bring in September. Here are my early and late September clothing lists. I think the only thing I add for late September is a mid weight Capilene sweater. The long underwear and puffy don’t leave the house until rifle season (mid October).

 

[Deli]

Everyone runs a bit different but I was always taught to "be bold and start cold" but I heat up quick. You have all the layers you need here with maybe the addition of a wind jacket or vest. A lot of times you just have to either start your hike uncomfortable or be prepared to stop and shed layers as you go. My late season hike ( or mountain biking) is a merino t shirt with a grid fleece and early season is normally a light merino long sleeve with maybe a light vest or wind jacket over and that's it.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[mtwarden]

^ ^this and this^ ;D ; if you start out "cozy" you'll be guaranteed to be sweating or stopping and removing layers

a breathable windshirt over a base layer if you need something beyond a base layer

 

[TX4ever]

Atom LT

 

[mtwarden]

^ that would be significantly too warm for me starting up a mountain (maybe in December?)

 

[P Carter]

These guys have it right. Before the hike in, I’m shivering at the truck or tent and needing to get moving. Typically just core lw hoodie and pants. When we’ve reached the desired spot, zip-on baselayerd go on the bottom and fleece or active insulation layer goes on top. (This for archery, so I’m mostly still moving, just much slower and the terrain usually don’t as steep. Layers would be different if glassing.) Also provides a good opportunity for the hunting buddies to laugh as they watch me struggle to zip on the baselayer pants. Like putting on an oversized diaper, as someone here has said.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I hate being cold but if it’s a tough climb you gotta start out that way or stop to shed layers. Lightweight base layer under Patagonia R1 Air Hoody for me.

 

[Erussell01]

Just be cold when you start. That’s the standard thing most people do. Mountaineers, serious backpackers and hunters all do that. I learned it in mountain warfare school. It’s not a lot of fun at first but you’ll be glad you did when you warm up after exertion. Wear:

Base top & bottom
Pants
Gloves if your hands get cold
Beanie that you can take off & put in your cargo pocket the second you warm up.

Save the insulation for when you stop to glass/eat.

You have way more clothes than I’d bring in September. Here are my early and late September clothing lists. I think the only thing I add for late September is a mid weight Capilene sweater. The long underwear and puffy don’t leave the house until rifle season

Thank you! That is super helpful. I should clarify, I don't intend on bringing all of this.... I intend on bringing as little as possible but wanted to see how other people with more experience would use what I have available to best suit the task.

Do you always wear your base bottoms? I didn't last year at all and I'm not sure if I should or not. I run the attack pants with vents open and really really like them.


Thank you for your list and your insight!

 

[Erussell01]

Just be cold when you start. That’s the standard thing most people do. Mountaineers, serious backpackers and hunters all do that. I learned it in mountain warfare school. It’s not a lot of fun at first but you’ll be glad you did when you warm up after exertion. Wear:

Base top & bottom
Pants
Gloves if your hands get cold
Beanie that you can take off & put in your cargo pocket the second you warm up.

Save the insulation for when you stop to glass/eat.

You have way more clothes than I’d bring in September. Here are my early and late September clothing lists. I think the only thing I add for late September is a mid weight Capilene sweater. The long underwear and puffy don’t leave the house until rifle season

Thank you! That is super helpful. I should clarify, I don't intend on bringing all of this.... I intend on bringing as little as possible but wanted to see how other people with more experience would use what I have available to best suit the task.

Do you always wear your base bottoms? I didn't last year at all and I'm not sure if I should or not. I run the attack pants with vents open and really really like them.


Thank you for your list and your insight!

 

[Erussell01]

Everyone runs a bit different but I was always taught to "be bold and start cold" but I heat up quick. You have all the layers you need here with maybe the addition of a wind jacket or vest. A lot of times you just have to either start your hike uncomfortable or be prepared to stop and shed layers as you go. My late season hike ( or mountain biking) is a merino t shirt with a grid fleece and early season is normally a light merino long sleeve with maybe a light vest or wind jacket over and that's it.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

What vest and which merino are you running?

Man, maybe with more experience I will learn to be more bold to start the day because I hate sweating out my gear early in the day. The 4 stops last year to take off layers felt super ridiculous last year and I knew I was in need of more experience with how to dress properly. Even turkey hunting this spring I got hot packing in my blind, 2 decoys, 2 chairs and my bow in just a kuiu 125 and the sitka hoodie. It is just about a mile and a half in and the snow was deep and I was sweating bad by the time I got there, only to freeze once I stopped moving. (Forgot my puffy, whoops)

 

[Erussell01]

^ ^this and this^ ;D ; if you start out "cozy" you'll be guaranteed to be sweating or stopping and removing layers

a breathable windshirt over a base layer if you need something beyond a base layer

I have seen your posts about a windshirt, if you don't mind me asking what do you recommend?

Lesson learned on that last year... baselayer, fleece, puffy and softshell on to start day 1.... needless to say I got a little warm. Coming from whitetail hunting, I have a lot to learn. Lol

 

[Erussell01]

These guys have it right. Before the hike in, I’m shivering at the truck or tent and needing to get moving. Typically just core lw hoodie and pants. When we’ve reached the desired spot, zip-on baselayerd go on the bottom and fleece or active insulation layer goes on top. (This for archery, so I’m mostly still moving, just much slower and the terrain usually don’t as steep. Layers would be different if glassing.) Also provides a good opportunity for the hunting buddies to laugh as they watch me struggle to zip on the baselayer pants. Like putting on an oversized diaper, as someone here has said.

I'm really struggling with the idea of being that cold to start, so I think I must need more reps to feel comfortable with it. You ever run your puffy before you start climbing and just stash it in your pack right before so you don't spend quite as much time cold before you start making heat?

 

[Erussell01]

I hate being cold but if it’s a tough climb you gotta start out that way or stop to shed layers. Lightweight base layer under Patagonia R1 Air Hoody for me.

What are you running for a baselayer? From what I hear the r1 is a really great piece that people seem to love

 

[Wyobohunter]

Thank you! That is super helpful. I should clarify, I don't intend on bringing all of this.... I intend on bringing as little as possible but wanted to see how other people with more experience would use what I have available to best suit the task.

Do you always wear your base bottoms? I didn't last year at all and I'm not sure if I should or not. I run the attack pants with vents open and really really like them.


Thank you for your list and your insight!

I see. You just showed us what you have available. That makes sense. Base bottoms for September are just boxer shorts. I wear a long sleeve top year round though. Long John bottoms come out in October.

 

[Erussell01]

Anybody run a light fleece over their baselayer, like the peloton 97 for the start of the climb? Does that get too hot?

I'm considering running my ultra 145 hoodie over either the short sleeve merino T or the core lw hoody just to give me a small amount of extra without it being too much. Sound decent or am I still going to end up too hot? The 145 is a piece I just don't know how to use properly. It's not really a baselayer, It's not really a midlayer. Anybody else feel that way?

 

[Erussell01]

I see. You just showed us what you have available. That makes sense. Base bottoms for September are just boxer shorts. I wear a long sleeve top year round though. Long John bottoms come out in October.

I find myself only wanting to run a long sleeve too. Seems more versatile and it keeps me from getting burnt too bad. I never wear baselayer bottoms until it's really cold, but it seems like I hear recommendations for the sitka lt bottoms and I got them on sale so I thought I'd try them. Haven't found the right use just yet.

 

[Erussell01]

I see. You just showed us what you have available. That makes sense. Base bottoms for September are just boxer shorts. I wear a long sleeve top year round though. Long John bottoms come out in October.

I find myself only wanting to run a long sleeve too. Seems more versatile and it keeps me from getting burnt too bad. I never wear baselayer bottoms until it's really cold, but it seems like I hear recommendations for the sitka lt bottoms and I got them on sale so I thought I'd try them. Haven't found the right use just yet.

 

[Wyobohunter]

Anybody run a light fleece over their baselayer, like the peloton 97 for the start of the climb? Does that get too hot?

I'm considering running my ultra 145 hoodie over either the short sleeve merino T or the core lw hoody just to give me a small amount of extra without it being too much. Sound decent or am I still going to end up too hot? The 145 is a piece I just don't know how to use properly. It's not really a baselayer, It's not really a midlayer. Anybody else feel that way?

You could try it. If it’s something you were going to carry anyway you’d just need to stop and take it off a soon as you realize it was a mistake. I just wouldn’t put on anything that isn’t part of what you planned to normally keep in your pack. Even an 8 ounce mid layer is a waste of energy if you only use it 1 hour and carry it 10.

more weight = more energy
more energy = more food
more food = more weight

 

[Chuckybmd]

I would definitely recommend a vest if you’re apprehensive about being cold. It can keep your core warm but your extremities cool.There’s nothing worse than packing a jacket that you only wear for 15 minutes and never put on again.