Review my September Elk hunt clothing list. Help Appreciated.

[hflier]

Hey team. In the quest for continuing to lighten my load I was wondering if you could review my clothing list for a Setember Elk hunt in CO at 8,500 to 10,500 ft. evelevation. I will be out 7-9 days. This list includes what is in my pack and what I am wearing. Let me know if you think this is alright or if I can improve it. The weights are visible if you use the slider bar just under the list below.

Ron

Item	Description
Bandana	Camo	1	1.2	oz.
Base Layer Bottom	ASAT First Lite Merino Wool	1	7.1	oz.
Base Layer Top	ASAT Firts Lite Merino Wool	1	8.3	oz.
Beanie	ASAT First Lite Merino Wool	1	1.7	oz.
Belt	Kiafru	1	1.9	oz.
Boots	LOWA Tibets sz 11	1	69.8	oz.
Boxer Shorts	Core 4 Element Merino Mix	2	3.4	oz.
Doo Rag	ASAT Cotton	1	1.5	oz.
Gaitor's	Cabela's Gortex	1	8.1	oz.
Gator Neck	ASAT First Lite Merino Wool	1	1.4	oz.
Gloves	ASAT	1	2.2	oz.
Knee Pads	Arcteryx	1	8.0	oz.
Pants	ASAT First Lite Merino Wool	1	20.0	oz.
Puffy Jacket	OR Primaloft	1	15.6	oz.
Rain Gear Bottom	ASAT	1	7.8	oz.
Rain Gear Top	ASAT	1	10.6	oz.
Socks	Smartwool Socks	2	3.4	oz.
Sweater	First Lite Labrador	1	17.7	oz.
Vest	ASAT First Lite Merino Wool	1	15.8	oz.
		Total	12.8	Pounds

 

[Floorguy]

What do you use the bandana for?

 

[hflier]

Head covering when the beanie may be too much.

 

[Floorguy]

OK that's what I was thinking. You could probably eliminate the doo rag or the bandanna.

 

[hflier]

Ah I din't see that I had both listed. Correct I killed the bandana.

 

[sk1]

do you really need gaiters in september??? i never have. the only thing i can think of is if you have a ton of stream crossings that you actually plan on sinking your boots in the water, they could buy you a few extra seconds of water proofing. however i am usually able to find rocks to step on for crossing and bring trekking poles for balancing. and if you are planning on deep stream crossings, i would be considering ditching the boots to keep them dry, thus making the gaiters pointless.

what is your reasoning on the gaiters? ditch them in september is my opinion, i dont wear mine until there is snow. i have seen some guys on here wearing them in the early season, but they are nothing as big as the cabelas gortex ones, you will just get hot and not wear them IMO.

 

[ohhiitznik]

Why the sweater + vest + puffy? I'd ditch 2 of the 3. I'd keep the labrador for insulation and use your rain gear to windproof.

 

[hflier]

Good points. Thanks.

 

[BATTLEBORN]

Yep.. ditch the gaiters. No need.

 

[wapitibob]

A half mile thru this stuff at 6 AM will make a gaitor believer out of you. I always have mine with me.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I wear gaiters not for stream crossings, but for morning dew on the high grasses to not soak my boots and pant legs. I'd keep the gaiters I learned my lesson not wearing them.

 

[hflier]

That photo looks like where alot like the type of area I hunt. Maybe Gaiters back in.

 

[jmez]

I'd keep the gaiters as well. Would also upgrade those to a more form fitting pair if possible. No need for a neck gator in Sept and I'd keep the vest and ditch the sweater and puffy. The puffy jacket for sure.

 

[CW_12]

Gaiters are a must where I hunt. If not my pants would be soaked. It also protects my pants from little sticker type bushes. I also use my gaiters for cover scent. I spray the heck out of them with Elk urine and then just take them off when I'm done hunting for the day.

 

[Trout bum]

I hunted one season up high without gaiters. Never again. OR crocodile gaiters or KUIU gaiters have worked well. Not sure about the need for a sweater if you have a puffy coat, vest and rain jacket. Unless it's a lucky sweater . Not sure about the knee pads either unless it's really rocky terrain. Nice list all in all.

 

[jherald]

+1 on the gaiters. Too many soaked pant legs and boot tops. Gaiters are nice when you dont want to be roaming around in a full set of rain gear however, some places here in AK where the grass is tall, especially in coastal areas, you'll be in full rain gear until you get up into higher elevations. If you've ever walked through the 6 ft tall grass here, you know what I'm talkin about! You get wet from head to toe.

I've got the OR Crocs. They come up high to your knee and they are bomb-proof.

Hflier, which OR puffy are you running? I picked up an OR puffy but am getting rid of it because I have a Patagonia Nano-puff pullover which serves the purpose well and is lighter than the OR puffy by a few ounces.

 

[Ozz08]

Like others have mentioned ditch the either the bandana or the dew rag. I don't see a need for the first lite sweater if you already have the vest and puffy. I have that Labrador sweater as well and it's also not the lightest or most packable piece of clothing either so I'd drop it. I would keep the merino neck gaiter. They work great at keeping you warm in early morning without overheating, they keep the bright sun off of the back of your neck and it can be used to conceal your face. Plus they hardly weigh anything or take up any space.

 

[sk1]

ive never really had an issue with needing a gaiter walking through tall grass in the AM unless it just finished raining... I guess I get a little wet but once you break through it and keep walking if you have some of the new technical pants today, they dry fast. at least no issues out west that is, in the midwest mornings the dew is crazy, i have even worn rain pants when walking through hip tall grass to get to a stand.

to each their own, i havent really had any issues that i needed gaiters in the early season, but if you think you may encounter a "grassy" situation like this, take them if you're concerned about it....mine will be in my basement until winter or i have an issue big enough to convince me to take them, but that's just me!

 

[Ozz08]

I kind of agree with sk1 on the newer material pant drying so fast getting them wet really isn't much of an issue. I use the lower cut OR gaiters on every trip though. They do help to keep my boot tops and the tops of my socks dry but that's no their purpose for me. I use them to keep debris (rocks, twigs, foxtails) out but here in CA mainly to keep ticks out. No amount of deet can keep these blood suckers off out here. If I don't wear my ankle gaiters the tops of my sock line will be lined with ticks at the end of the day.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I kind of agree with sk1 on the newer material pant drying so fast getting them wet really isn't much of an issue. I use the lower cut OR gaiters on every trip though. They do help to keep my boot tops and the tops of my socks dry but that's no their purpose for me. I use them to keep debris (rocks, twigs, foxtails) out but here in CA mainly to keep ticks out. No amount of deet can keep these blood suckers off out here. If I don't wear my ankle gaiters the tops of my sock line will be lined with ticks at the end of the day.

ITs not about your pants getting wet its about your feet... What happens when your pant gets wet is the water runs down because of gravity, right into your boots. Then you have wet feet courtesy of your wet pants. That is why I wear gaiters and always will.