Talk me out of a softshell

leronious

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I hunt in low elevation desert. November deer season temp swings between 45-85F. Lots of brush busting/thorns/cacti. Average rain fall of .35 inches (effectively 0 rain). I'm leaning towards using a softshell most of the time with a sunshirt as a base. Columbia fleece for a midlayer as needed.

Am I off base here? Am I overlooking alternatives? I thought I'd ask here before I spend on nicer gear.
 

jtivat

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So, are you on the move always or do you stop? For me busting brush in those temps softshell would-be way to warm. I use a light merino with a thin brush shirt over and still end up taking the merino off in the 40s. Now I am from Michigan, so I am more used to the cold.
 
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leronious

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Brush shirt? This is the first I'm hearing about these. What's a good example?

No I wouldn't always be on the move. And yeah I'm acclimated to temps over 90F for half the year.
 
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leronious

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I see. Looks like I should look more into these lightweight and packable types of softshells.
 

mtwarden

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soft shell might be a little warm for what your describing, add to that you'll want a pretty durable soft shell for busting brush- which means it's heavier and generally warmer yet
 
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leronious

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Would a kuiu rubicon or strongfleece type of layer seem more appropriate?

Would a "hiking shirt" hold up to brush?
 

RadDad

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Softshell is a Jack of all trades, master of none. IMO there are many other options that do their intended purpose better than a soft shell. Are you going to bring a packable rain layer just in case? Then the water resistant ability of the softshell is pointless. Bringing warm mid layer to hike in? Again, no point in the softshell since you’ll burn up at those temps. Down jacket for warmth? You get where I’m going with this…

-RadDad
 
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leronious

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Softshell is a Jack of all trades, master of none. IMO there are many other options that do their intended purpose better than a soft shell. Are you going to bring a packable rain layer just in case? Then the water resistant ability of the softshell is pointless. Bringing warm mid layer to hike in? Again, no point in the softshell since you’ll burn up at those temps. Down jacket for warmth? You get where I’m going with this…

-RadDad
Ok. I absolutely don't need the water resistance. Nor do I need it to be very warm. I definitely want the abrasion resistance and the ability to layer under it. What options fit the bill?
 

RadDad

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Ok. I absolutely don't need the water resistance. Nor do I need it to be very warm. I definitely want the abrasion resistance and the ability to layer under it. What options fit the bill?
I think something like the Kuhl resistor pant fits the bill for the majority of what you are going to do. I’ve worn those up and down the West Coast and into the mountain states for hunts. If you are going to get into the heavier stuff in the southwest you may need to get a specific pair of brush pants. That said, keep in mind there really is no Goldilocks piece of clothing. You may have to sacrifice breathability for durability or vice versa. If you can get several seasons out of a good pair of hunting pants in high brush areas you’re doing it right. That is also why I don’t spend a ton of money on pants I know will get beaten up.

A lot of guys on here really like the wranglers from Walmart or the prana Zion pants. Those might be worth having a look at.

Sorry, I can’t help you more. Keep in mind all of this is just personal preference. Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with soft shell, and only wear that from now on!

-RadDad
 
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If you are moving, strip down to the bare minimum and layer back up once stationary. While some folks may like to have lots of sweaty layers to dry out, it is not my cup of tea.

I'll assume that you are day hunting and camp is not on your back...

I personally am not a fan of using a rain jacket in the desert. No point in using it for blocking the wind and protecting the under layers when the end result will likely be a "holey" rain jacket once done. Holes can range from pinpricks to full on tears. If so inclined, someone could use a Frogg Togg and consider it disposable due to cost (~$20).

You can look at fabric out layers such as the Kuiu Peloton 240 or StrongFleece. The Peloton 240 does well at blocking the wind and the material offers decent protection against cactus spines; however, the material can still "pick" and snag. The StrongFleece really doesn't do much for the wind and does better against "picking and piling" than many other fabrics; but it is still very snaggable. However, it is called StrongFleece and not Snag_Pick_Pile_Spine_Resistant_andor_Proof_Fleece. But then again there are several WKRs that appear to love the Velcro look; maybe they feel it breaks up their silhouette better.

Your best option is a low cost soft shell such as Kryptek Dalibor. This can often be found for a deep discount; Black Ovis has it for $101 right now. It does well at blocking the wind, shedding the rare light rain, and offers above average protection against cactus spines and other things that will poke and snag you.
 
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leronious

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Thanks for the recommendations so far. I'll look at more upland shirts. That Kryptek Dalibor looks solid too. Might have to wait for a size L to be on sale. Otherwise, they're in the $160 range.
 

JStol5

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I have a solid color Kuiu rubicon that’s I like. Great for brush busting. Did it this morning!
 
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leronious

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I have a solid color Kuiu rubicon that’s I like. Great for brush busting. Did it this morning!
Some of the earlier comments expressed concern about being too warm. What temp range would you say the rubicon covers with only a lightweight base under it?
 
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leronious

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A lot of guys on here really like the wranglers from Walmart or the prana Zion pants. Those might be worth having a look at.
Have a few of those atg wranglers. Some in better shape than others. I like them.
 

JStol5

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Some of the earlier comments expressed concern about being too warm. What temp range would you say the rubicon covers with only a lightweight base under it?
I almost never wear it like that- I usually wear it with a midlayer and base layer when brush busting to a glass spot when it’s cold.
 
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leronious

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I almost never wear it like that- I usually wear it with a midlayer and base layer when brush busting to a glass spot when it’s cold.
The coolest I'd see is 45F in the morning with highs in the 70-85 range.
 

mtwarden

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At those temperatures a fleece (on top of a base layer) is probably all you need. There are several hard faced fleeces out there; in particularly heavy (spiny) cover they won't last forever, but they don't cost a ton of $ either.
 
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