Thought experiment- complete budget clothing system from scratch

[UpTop]

More animals get killed in “budget” clothing than any other scenario. The percentage of people wearing top end gear vs budget is extremely swayed in the budget direction. I would have no reservations whatsoever using the wranglers for hunting. I do commercial construction and wore them all summer and they held up great. Daily use on a commercial jobsite will test any clothing to its limits.

 

[Jake Larsen]

I was wondering around Costco last week thinking about something similar. I think you’re list is pretty good the only thing I would expand on is the boot budget just to ensure people get a good fitting boot.

Came to say the same thing. Boots are going to be the failure point in a list like this. For western hunts like deer/elk, you’re going to have a major problem if your boots don’t fit and hold up


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[mtnbound]

Since its raining and I'm stuck at work on mindless meetings today.... I did a little thought experiment.

I had a person at my gym ask me about what she would need to hunt deer this year. I borrowed her everything she would need to enjoy her time in the woods and she shot herself a really nice buck which was super cool.

So I got to thinking
How much would it cost a brand new hunter not using a single thing they already own to get a clothing system that would be versatile enough to hunt most things in most conditions.

Without using a single thing already owned, what would it take to kit out an average hunter for the season.

So I hopped on google and used only things I could find in just a few seconds of searching. Using brands like 32 degrees, columbia, sportsmans warehouse, eddie bauer and amazon I came up with this list

Budget layering system
Poly base long sleeve T- 32 degrees 6.99
Poly hoodie -17.99 magellen
Puffy vest. 32 degrees 13.99
Rain shell or softshell - 35$ columbia
Poly bottom, heavyweight- 14.99 heavyweight guide gear
Soft shell pant- wrangler 27$ or eddie bauer 35$
Bibs or rain pants - midwayusa 51$
Gloves- 4.92 sportsman
Neck gaiter- 9$ amazon
Hat-9$
Wool socks- 12$
Boots- 30.92 sportmans

231$ for total startup with gear that is well vetted and not going to fail.

231$ would get a person everything they would need to hunt in the midwest, elk, mule deer, field waterfowl, upland birds etc.

I mean I'm sitting here in my sitka boxers, sipping coffee from my kuiu tumbler, wearing a first lite merino quarter zip, but a guy could really do just fine for a lot less if they were just starting out.

If you had to make a budget list, what would be on yours?

You can save a lot of money if you shop around but you do need to look at your clothing system as a whole with the understanding that it is your primary defense from the environment. I have rescued a lot of hunters who were not prepared for the environment, so yes you don’t need the high end of everything but cheap and good do not normally go hand in hand.

 

[Erussell01]

You can save a lot of money if you shop around but you do need to look at your clothing system as a whole with the understanding that it is your primary defense from the environment. I have rescued a lot of hunters who were not prepared for the environment, so yes you don’t need the high end of everything but cheap and good do not normally go hand in hand.

I see your point here for sure. I'm never trusting my life to untested budget gear. That said, certain parts of a clothing system could be thoughtfully budget friendly and other parts may need to be the top of the line that you can afford. And I think with some sense a person can pick and chose, read reviews and most importantly test for yourself during summer camping trips, hiking for cardio etc. And get a really good idea of where you can pinch pennies and where you cant. For me, I'm never going to skimp on a shell. When I need water proof, I need water proof. And for me, I'll spend a bit more for more comfortable and more durable merino.

The beauty of having tubs of higher end gear and an equal amount of more budget friendly stuff I have acquired is that I always have a backup and I cam test and tinker with similar pieces without destroying my more expensive trust worthy gear

 

[Grassymike]

All of my clothing is either budget or good stuff bought used from thrift stores or off Ebay etc. or on sale. Two of my favorites are the US military foliage green light fleece jacket and Condor 2 grid fleece that is like $25 bucks new on Amazon/the bay. The Army fleece I find in thrift stores for $5 to $10. This fleece is highly breathable, and warm. The wrangler pants are great as well. I have a pair that have lived through 2 nine or 10 day sheep hunts and have one dime sized hole and some piling from a canteen rubbing on my leg. They stretch well, dry quickly when wet ,are wind resistant and have useable side leg and deep front pockets.

 

[WestMOhunter]

Kirkland Signature socks. 57% merino. $13.88 per 4 pair. Amazon or Costco.

 

[Davyalabama]

Ebay -- Old prebasspro Cabelas stuff is still relevant. Don't get this new garbage, I'm sorry I don't want to offend anyone, but the old Cabelas stuff is still great, to me. Dry Plus fleece, Dry Plus suede (my favorite) may be a little heavy, but man it works. ------ Old Browning 3-1, 4-1 jackets ---- Old wool Orvis, LL Bean, Beretta. ----
Old LL Bean boots, redwing, browning --- boots man that's tough, you've got to figure where one's hunting and the style --- Lowa, Salomon, Bates, do your homework. I can't stress those last three enough, some liked the SWAT boots, man not me!!!!!!!!!!!! My feet love a certain boot, the old red wings from early 1990's is my go to turkey/squirrel/bird hunting boot, I do still have a pair of Browining Kangaroos from the 1980's I'll bring out just to go nostalgia. they both just work well. Now if I know I'm going to be really in it, and need the umph, the old tac boots come out.

Amazon is amazing for cheap wool base layers, merino tech --- 90% wool socks at great prices, $24 for 6 pair. Unless you are a day hunter like me, you need extra socks, always.

OP, you did a great job with that ---

 

[Erussell01]

Ebay -- Old prebasspro Cabelas stuff is still relevant. Don't get this new garbage, I'm sorry I don't want to offend anyone, but the old Cabelas stuff is still great, to me. Dry Plus fleece, Dry Plus suede (my favorite) may be a little heavy, but man it works. ------ Old Browning 3-1, 4-1 jackets ---- Old wool Orvis, LL Bean, Beretta. ----
Old LL Bean boots, redwing, browning --- boots man that's tough, you've got to figure where one's hunting and the style --- Lowa, Salomon, Bates, do your homework. I can't stress those last three enough, some liked the SWAT boots, man not me!!!!!!!!!!!! My feet love a certain boot, the old red wings from early 1990's is my go to turkey/squirrel/bird hunting boot, I do still have a pair of Browining Kangaroos from the 1980's I'll bring out just to go nostalgia. they both just work well. Now if I know I'm going to be really in it, and need the umph, the old tac boots come out.

Amazon is amazing for cheap wool base layers, merino tech --- 90% wool socks at great prices, $24 for 6 pair. Unless you are a day hunter like me, you need extra socks, always.

OP, you did a great job with that ---

I've started buying used gear more and more from ebay. Damn a guy can get good deals

 

[medvedyt]

it is a very interesting idea and i concur that honestly it will work for you.

what i do know is that the camo high end gear offered to us is nothing new than the gear used for many years in mountaineering and we all know that many animals did not care that much about your camo ...

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Cotton everything.

 

[medvedyt]

Cotton everything.

i used cotton in the past and even in mountains with snow ... ever heard of ventile? but i doubt this was the one you had in mind ...

 

[TaperPin]

Something you don’t hear about much is not all synthetics are the same when it comes to retained water weight. I used to soak all my clothes, let them drip dry for half an hour and weigh them wet. Some of my favorite pants were a knit nylon and for some reason they retained twice as much water as a polyester. To this day I don’t know if it was the size of fibers, nature of nylon, or something else, but it was enough that those were donated to good will. Of course down turns into a doggie poop bag full of loose turds.

For any secondhand clothes it’s best to test them out close to home before finding out a shell leaks.

 

[ColPenguin]

Rural King fleece lined jeans, tan color, $22. Columbia Ascender, $50-60, I have a couple of these.

I have a few off-season clearance flannel jackets and wool CPO shirts from Duluth.

You can just wear regular clothes hunting. The deer don't care. Insulated duck cloth bibs are very common eastern hunting attire on cold days.

My biggest mistake on my first time out deer hunting, I was not prepared for feet comfort. I had lightweight hiking boots, and would have invested more into 400g thinsulate boots and good heavy wool socks. For a first time hunter, $120-200 on a pair of insulated boots and get some warm everyday, or work, clothes in solid earthy tones (green, grey, brown, tan) or plaid flannel.

 

[Erussell01]

Something you don’t hear about much is not all synthetics are the same when it comes to retained water weight. I used to soak all my clothes, let them drip dry for half an hour and weigh them wet. Some of my favorite pants were a knit nylon and for some reason they retained twice as much water as a polyester. To this day I don’t know if it was the size of fibers, nature of nylon, or something else, but it was enough that those were donated to good will. Of course down turns into a doggie poop bag full of loose turds.

For any secondhand clothes it’s best to test them out close to home before finding out a shell leaks.

This is well researched for the hiking community. Nylon holds 4% of it's weight in water, polyester .4% and the merino holds a higher percentage but cotton holds the most. I forget the exact numbers but The concept is solid. I actually use cotton poly blends in hot weather training since it holds moisture and evaporates while I'm training keeping me cool.

 

[TaperPin]

This is well researched for the hiking community. Nylon holds 4% of it's weight in water, polyester .4% and the merino holds a higher percentage but cotton holds the most. I forget the exact numbers but The concept is solid. I actually use cotton poly blends in hot weather training since it holds moisture and evaporates while I'm training keeping me cool.

It makes sense the surface of nylon simply grips onto free water better. Those numbers might be correct at the molecular level, but fabrics hold way more free water than those numbers would suggest right after they stop dripping. The finer the fibers the more free water is held onto - I’ve also ditched some polyester fleece that was a sponge, but nothing close to that one pair of nylon pants.

It’s an easy test - I’ll dunk some fleece with a small amount of nylon, pure polyester fleece, jeans, a pair of nylon hiking shorts, and get back in a half hour with the amount of water held.

 

[TaperPin]

This is well researched for the hiking community. Nylon holds 4% of it's weight in water, polyester .4% and the merino holds a higher percentage but cotton holds the most. I forget the exact numbers but The concept is solid. I actually use cotton poly blends in hot weather training since it holds moisture and evaporates while I'm training keeping me cool.

I have to admit the 30 minutes of drip time wasn’t correct, it takes more like an hour and 30 minutes for most dripping to stop.

The nylon hiking shorts in a flat hard fabric did good and only retained 70% water weight. Flat fabrics seem to always hold less than insulating fabrics of the same construction. I couldn’t find a similar hiking short in polyester to compare with, but it would probably be close.

What I would consider a 100 weight Patagonia grid fleece with 7% nylon held 106% water weight.

What seems like a 200 weight Patagonia 100% polyester mid weight fleece held 101% water weight.

A surprise was a pair of fairly thin Costco jeans that only retained 99% water weight. I still wouldn’t be excited to wear wet jeans in the field, but it’s interesting nonetheless. Jeans are heavier starting out than a synthetic hiking pant with a flat fabric so the % is a little misleading and on the skin wet cotton is definitely a good conductor of heat out of the body.

Most of these numbers don’t mean all that much, but the two pieces of clothing that were ditched for holding too much water really stood out something like 20% higher than what they were replaced with. In the old days we also sprayed all sorts of forever chemicals on clothing to get the water retention numbers down, but now that’s a moot point. Well the fun wore off that exercise in trivia - I’m good for another decade.

 

[justinspicher]

I went through and added up all the clothing costs I have paid for on the budget clothes I use for hunting. I think I’m in for about $600. I have two puffy jacket, puffy vest, base layer t-shirt, long sleeve base layer, and and fleece pullover all in blaze orange along with a set of black soft shell pants and a set of green puffy pants. Everything is that Gucci Patagonia.

 

[ALhunter425]

I think an important thing to remember when looking for hunting clothes is that as long as your outer layer is quiet and a solid color/camo, then all your other clothing is not much different than what a person normally wears for the appropriate weather. I have started buying larger outer layers that are camo and lightweight then using typically cold weather clothing like cheaper puffy jackets, and fleece sweatpants.

Makes for a cheap setup, that also results in clothing that you are more likely to wear when you are not hunting

 

[Ralphie]

Most of my hunting is October thru December in the mountains of a western state. Haven’t guided much the last few years but did for 15 years.

I spend most of my time in fleece lined wrangler synthetic pants and a Swiss tech synthetic puffy. Both from Walmart.

I don’t deal with a lot of wet weather but we do get cold.

Between Walmart Costco sierra and some times deals at other places you can get your clothes pretty well sorted for the price of one Sitka jacket and not be at a disadvantage.

Boots are a killer. Although I did kill my best buck last fall in $50 trail runners from sierra.

 

[K_pem]

I definitely agree with you that one could be fully kitted out for probably less than some of us spend on just our boots.

But I am also a firm believer in buying the best gear that you can afford within your budget and intended use case. I think a better approach to a question like this is building the best kit that fits within a given budget and use parameters so that you can allot portions of that budget to the pieces more likely needed than not rather than just trying to go as cheap as possible.

For example, you could get away with a lot less in the boots category for a truck based western whitetail hunt than you could a backpack elk hunt; the same could be said for say rain gear/puffy jacket needs in late Oct/Nov vs an early September hunt.