Recommendations for layering- elk rifle hunting

[flatlanderhuffandpuff]

I'm headed to Colorado this October for a back country elk hunt and am in need of some new threads.

I generally hunt white tail from a tree stand so I just put on some heavy coveralls and a carhartt and I'm good to go. That's not going to fly on this hunt.

The boxes I want to check are
-make sure I'll be warm enough
-make sure I won't get too pungent/foul
-not adding too much weight to my pack
-not add too much volume to my pack
-not miss any mortgage payments


I tend to run hot, I always have and I see that being a problem on a trip like this where we will be hiking miles a day in very difficult terrain while gaining several thousand feet of elevation. For instance, I can sit in a tree stand on a 20 degree day, chilled to the bone and within 5 minutes of walking I'll be down to a t shirt and sweating.

The following is what I was intending for 7 days in the back country, if you have practical advise on changing something or confirming something please let me know.

Base layer tops- 1 merino T ,1 merino long sleeve T (swap back and forth days)
Base layer bottoms- 1 pair long johns (just wear when its cold)

insulation layers- mid weight wool or synthetic long sleeve shirt. (wear every day)

Outer layer- I have an eddie bower puffy jacket that is very warm, maybe too much to make it good for layering. I couldn't really say what the insulation values of it is, but it keeps me warm in the Pennsylvania winters. Would something like a Kuiu super down jacket be a better way of effective layering?

Outer layer bottoms- REI hiking pants. They're light and stretchy and super tough. They don't really have any insulation properties themselves, how much insulation do you prefer your pants to have?

I haven't decided what kind of rain gear I'll get, but imagine it'll just be very basic poncho type as I wouldn't expect continuos rain.

I understand the merino wool is supposed to be able to be worn for days on end and not get rank, is that true?

 

[5MilesBack]

insulation layers- mid weight wool or synthetic long sleeve shirt. (wear every day)

For rifle seasons I tend to regulate my comfort level by my exertion level. If I'm cold, I hike faster......if I'm sweating, I slow down. But I really like fleece over my lightweight merino top. It insulates well, but it also breathes well while sweating. Then if you stop, you can throw on a heavier jacket. I also wear my merino base bottoms under my hunting pants 24/7 while hunting......even during archery. Just makes me more comfortable without all that sweat sticking to my skin.

As for a rain coat, during October any precip will most likely be in the form of snow.

 

[Tanya Avery]

I'm headed to Colorado this October for a back country elk hunt and am in need of some new threads.

I generally hunt white tail from a tree stand so I just put on some heavy coveralls and a carhartt and I'm good to go. That's not going to fly on this hunt.

The boxes I want to check are
-make sure I'll be warm enough
-make sure I won't get too pungent/foul
-not adding too much weight to my pack
-not add too much volume to my pack
-not miss any mortgage payments


I tend to run hot, I always have and I see that being a problem on a trip like this where we will be hiking miles a day in very difficult terrain while gaining several thousand feet of elevation. For instance, I can sit in a tree stand on a 20 degree day, chilled to the bone and within 5 minutes of walking I'll be down to a t shirt and sweating.

The following is what I was intending for 7 days in the back country, if you have practical advise on changing something or confirming something please let me know.

Base layer tops- 1 merino T ,1 merino long sleeve T (swap back and forth days)
Base layer bottoms- 1 pair long johns (just wear when its cold)

insulation layers- mid weight wool or synthetic long sleeve shirt. (wear every day)

Outer layer- I have an eddie bower puffy jacket that is very warm, maybe too much to make it good for layering. I couldn't really say what the insulation values of it is, but it keeps me warm in the Pennsylvania winters. Would something like a Kuiu super down jacket be a better way of effective layering?

Outer layer bottoms- REI hiking pants. They're light and stretchy and super tough. They don't really have any insulation properties themselves, how much insulation do you prefer your pants to have?

I haven't decided what kind of rain gear I'll get, but imagine it'll just be very basic poncho type as I wouldn't expect continuos rain.

I understand the merino wool is supposed to be able to be worn for days on end and not get rank, is that true?

Check out our podcast #16 with John Barklow, I think at about at 50 minutes in he goes into great detail about layering, and why he does it that way. The philosophy would apply to all layering systems not just Sitka. It's exactly opposite (in my opinion) of how you think you should layer but makes a ton of sense after you hear it. Good luck on your hunt!


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[Read1t48]

Thanks, Tanya. Just subscribed. Looking forward to listening to all of your previous recordings.

 

[ColoradoHunterHiker]

Yes, that podcast does a great job of laying down the foundation upon which pretty much every hunting clothing designs their gear (for western mountain hunting). With that philosophy in mind, then go pick the individual items you'd like from whatever company you'd like. You don't have to stick with one company, and in fact it's often times easier to use multiple companies to build your system.

Good Luck!

 

[5MilesBack]

Check out our podcast #16 with John Barklow

Where does one find these podcasts? Looked all over the website and can't find anything about podcasts.

 

[daddie63]

I found it at Avery Adventures. It was a good listen and the opposite of how I thought to layer as well. Good info.

 

[Tanya Avery]

Where does one find these podcasts? Looked all over the website and can't find anything about podcasts.

We have our podcast on:
ITUNES, STITCHER and PODBEAM apps. (If you have an IPhone, they already have their podcast app pre-loaded)

. WEBSITE: WWW.AVERYADVENTURES.COM and
YOUTUBE: AVERY ADVENTURES:
avery adventures - YouTube
Hope that helps!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[5MilesBack]

I found it at Avery Adventures. It was a good listen and the opposite of how I thought to layer as well. Good info.

I don't have the attention span to listen to the entire thing, but are you talking about his comment about wearing his wind block layer under his insulation piece? I have to be honest.......I rarely ever wear a wind block garment when hunting. When I'm stationary I'm cold even in moderate temps, but when I'm on the move......I'm an absolute furnace. So I don't really want a wind layer for that, I need to cool and the wind helps with that even in the cold.

But I absolutely agree with his comments on eliminating cotton. My cotton briefs were the first to go permanently.........years ago, because of the sweat factor. I also agree with his comments on base layers and keeping his skin dry. That's why I wear my base layers under my camo even in 100 degree temps (top and bottom)........keeps me dry.