Ultralight Clothing Systems and Strategies; A novel approach?

[khart_6882]

Hey y’all,

Just thought I’d do a little writeup of a new to me ultralight layering system I was playing with this year in hopes others might stay a little warmer and dryer out there. Before anybody rips me saying this should be in clothing, the focus is not on the clothing but how you can use layers of ultralight garments to make a more robust system then their counterparts (active insulation/"breathable"rain gear)

The basic gist is this. Ounce for ounce on a late season hunt I would take two thin base layers over pretty much any other gear; one merino, one synthetic. As I stomp up the hill on the backside of the drainage I want to hunt in the dark, I’m wearing synthetic. 50 yards before the top I stop, strip, wipe all my sweat off with my synthetic shirt, put on long underwear and my dry merino baselayer I turn my headlamp off and do this all in the dark to let my eyes adjust to the lack of light. Dry and cold, I stomp the last bit up the hill in the dark, regaining my body heat.

Result: I slip into a glassing spot, no headlamp, no noisy BS, warm and dry. I hang the synthetic shirt on a tree. In the rare event that it’s not bone dry by the time i’m done glassing, I’ll hang it from my pack as I hunt.
-Extra weight of synthetic layer: 5oz

For weird weather hunts I combine this tactic with a Patagonia Houdini in lieu of rain gear. I’m too sissy to stay warm in the rain in just a base layer, and I found myself rushing through benches or increasing my pace to heat up and losing opportunities as a result. For me, the houdini on top of a synthetic is the ticket to being warm while moving in the rain. When glassing, keep the houdini on the outside of your puffy and it’s extremely good at blocking the wind.

The reason I prefer this system to active insulation system is how you can leverage it’s modularity to take advantage of the thermodynamics involved in how heat moves water across membranes. The greater the difference in temps, the more energy there is in a system to push water through that membrane. With that houdini close to your skin, its incredibly breathable. With it on top of my puffy, its very wind resistant.
-Extra weight of Houdini: 3.7 oz

Pair all of this with a 5oz tarp shelter that doubles for glassing in the rain and you have a 8.7 oz clothing system that keeps you warm when you’re moving and dry when you’re glassing/sleeping. There are times I still wore rain gear, and there are times I brought only one base layer. But by keeping an eye on the weather, you can use different combinations of these layers and how they are oriented relative to each other, to create a system that outperforms either “breathable” rain gear or active insulation at a fraction of the weight. Hope this helps, stay warm!

What synthetic top do you prefer to do your in the dark hiking in? I do the same thing as far as hiking then changing, but my synthetic is just some random brand I found at a local sporting goods store in the athletic section but I’m wondering if there’s better options. Guys on here always mention synthetic’s but I rarely hear specific brands brought up. Thanks!


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[RyanSeek43]

I’m the same size. Did you get L or XL? Rab usuallys runs a but small

I got the XL. Its a little long for my liking.

 

[packgoatguy]

Mountain Hardware Airmesh and North Face Future Fleece are other alternatives to Alpha Direct. Both seem comparable to the lighter Alpha versions like the 60 and 90gsm weights, however I will be trying the 120gsm weight this Spring Bear season. Ive tried the AirMesh, and the principle is sound... high warmth for low weight, and sweat stays away from your body. A combo to try is the Brynje Mesh base layer, Alpha or Airmesh 2nd layer, and put your normal lightweight camo hoody (like a Sitka core lightweight hoodie) over the top of everything. This would probably keep you warm and relatively sweat free if you are hiking, down into sub freezing temps.

Another consideration is... get to the top of the hill, and pull off the wet "active layers" while you are still warm with internal heat, and then throw on a good down puffy for your static/low exertion periods. Keep it at the top of the pack, in easy reach so you can swap quickly. Or, if you dont plan to "stop" more than a few minutes at a time, use a warmer active layering system that breathes exceptionally well (like the above mentioned Alpha and mesh combo).

As for rain gear, Kings Camo recently had a sale on their XKG camo rain jackets... like only $30 if you had a military discount. Those are about the same weight as a Kuiu Chugach TR, but a bit quieter fabric I think. Not sure on long term durability... but seem decent enough for $30. A sitka Dewpoint jacket is only 10-12oz, but is to loud for Archery hunts IMO. Something like the Visp or Vertice could be a good option, but I would pair it with a lightweight poncho as a backup, because they seem light enough they could easily get shredded under normal hunting conditions.

when it comes to active layers... Ive also become fond of polypro... I know merino is all the rave, but polypro doesnt absorb as much moisture as nylon or poly fibers (let alone wool), which means that if it gets wet, it wont weigh as much as other fabrics, and it will naturally resist soaking up the water/sweat... and instead pass it on to the atmosphere. Plus, if you are on a budget, nothing is cheaper than mil surplus polypro thermals, like $8 at the army navy store, and thicker and lighter weight than microfleece...