Western gear for white tails?

[Lowg08]

I prefer to hunt mountains. I do like fishing at hartwell.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Thanks for the input! I definitely agree that dedicated whitetail stuff like the fanatic and solitude are the best for that application. However, I think if I use a synthetic puffy (doesn’t matter as much if it’s compressed) and a Kuiu axis (basically windproof) over top, it should be good enough for our Georgia 20s and 30s temps in the late season. I may be wrong though. We will see haha.


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Your mileage may vary. I have a kuiu axis and it is a great late season shell. Fairly quet and very wind and snow proof. FWIW I have to size up kuiu tops. I am a XXL in every other brand but need 3XL in kuiu.

 

[LookinforDirt]

Hey guys! First post here. Have been reading tons of stuff on here through google searches to make purchasing decisions and figured I’d join. I want to buy stuff on the classifieds as well but have to make a certain amount of posts first. Well here goes one. I’m a southern whitetail hunter in Georgia and have always gravitated more towards western or mountain hunting gear as I am a pretty active bow hunter. However, I realize it is not ideal for tree stand hunting. I’m a run and gun tree stand public land hunter. The only struggle I have found with western gear is staying warm while sitting for hours at a time and also being quiet. What quiet “puffy” or insulated pieces is everyone wearing to stay warm in the stand and quiet, but also be able to stuff it in your pack and hike for long stretches? Thanks in advanced


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Our hunting environments sound very similar. I bought Fist Lites Solitude and Furnace layers for the sub 32f days and when I don’t have to hike far. Couldn’t pass up the killer sale they had at the time. It can be packed in if needed and I’m motivated to deal with it.

For long sits that are bookend with high activity, I use my KUIU Kutana soft shell with layers under it. For temps in the 30’s I use a next to skin base, mid-layer, Super Light Ultra down jacket, and Kutana soft shell. You can adjust the weight of any of those for your needs but use the same number of layers. For me, I found things start getting cramped when I increased the weight of the layers enough to be warm in the 20’s. Thats where the heavier weight down comes in. Keep the layers mid to light weight and increase the weight of the down. You’ll never beat the warmth to weight and packability of down with a synthetic. And down holds up to compression cycles better too. It just shouldn’t stay compressed for long periods (I’m sure you know this).

As far as quiet, I’ve never had issues with the KUIU gear I mentioned. I’ve shot deer at 10 yards and had deer closer than that that never heard me when I moved. My son shot a deer at 7 yards and I was whispering instructions to him before he shot it. Deer never heard us. Me, personally, I’m good with ”quiet enough” clothing and just moving very deliberately and with caution. You have to do that anyway.

 

[archer1416]

Our hunting environments sound very similar. I bought Fist Lites Solitude and Furnace layers for the sub 32f days and when I don’t have to hike far. Couldn’t pass up the killer sale they had at the time. It can be packed in if needed and I’m motivated to deal with it.

For long sits that are bookend with high activity, I use my KUIU Kutana soft shell with layers under it. For temps in the 30’s I use a next to skin base, mid-layer, Super Light Ultra down jacket, and Kutana soft shell. You can adjust the weight of any of those for your needs but use the same number of layers. For me, I found things start getting cramped when I increased the weight of the layers enough to be warm in the 20’s. Thats where the heavier weight down comes in. Keep the layers mid to light weight and increase the weight of the down. You’ll never beat the warmth to weight and packability of down with a synthetic. And down holds up to compression cycles better too. It just shouldn’t stay compressed for long periods (I’m sure you know this).

As far as quiet, I’ve never had issues with the KUIU gear I mentioned. I’ve shot deer at 10 yards and had deer closer than that that never heard me when I moved. My son shot a deer at 7 yards and I was whispering instructions to him before he shot it. Deer never heard us. Me, personally, I’m good with ”quiet enough” clothing and just moving very deliberately and with caution. You have to do that anyway.

What down jackets do you know of that are bow hunting from a treestand quiet? Will probably put my Kuiu axis hybrid jacket over it for weather protection (wind mostly) and to silence the down jacket the best I can. I still think it’s wise to start with the quietest down jacket you can though


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[LookinforDirt]

None, lol. Quiet, light, warm. I guess one needs to be sacrificed to a degree. But I do just what you said and cover it with a quiet outer layer. That prevents noise when you might brush up against something. Set up like that, I think a deer would need to be in your lap to hear any noise my KUIU down would make moving the way you have to move when you are drawing on a deer at close range.

 

[archer1416]

None, lol. Quiet, light, warm. I guess one needs to be sacrificed to a degree. But I do just what you said and cover it with a quiet outer layer. That prevents noise when you might brush up against something. Set up like that, I think a deer would need to be in your lap to hear any noise my KUIU down would make moving the way you have to move when you are drawing on a deer at close range.

You think the axis is quiet enough of a shell to cancel the noise from the Sitka Kelvin lite down? It’s a notoriously loud puffy lol


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[LookinforDirt]

You think the axis is quiet enough of a shell to cancel the noise from the Sitka Kelvin lite down? It’s a notoriously loud puffy lol


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Sorry, I’ve never had one of either in my hands to know. But if the Kelvin has that reputation I would make sure I had the option to return it. Then buy it and make my decision. My KUIU down is loud if I rub it together or ball it up. But I’m not doing that when drawing on a deer. I see the more quiet outer layer as a means to prevent noise from abrasion. Say rubbing against the tree or my other clothing.

 

[archer1416]

Sorry, I’ve never had one of either in my hands to know. But if the Kelvin has that reputation I would make sure I had the option to return it. Then buy it and make my decision. My KUIU down is loud if I rub it together or ball it up. But I’m not doing that when drawing on a deer. I see the more quiet outer layer as a means to prevent noise from abrasion. Say rubbing against the tree or my other clothing.

That’s a good observation!


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[sconnieVLP]

You think the axis is quiet enough of a shell to cancel the noise from the Sitka Kelvin lite down? It’s a notoriously loud puffy lol


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I don’t have the Kelvin but I do have the Axis. It’s quiet but certainly not as quiet as my dedicated whitetail stuff (mostly FL). I don’t wear the Axis bow hunting for whitetail, it’s just a little too loud for my taste. During rifle that’s pretty much all I wear though.

 

[Drenalin]

I think the Kuiu Kenai would suit you well as a light, quiet insulation piece in the temps you mentioned. I don’t personally like any softshell for whitetail hunting or any other purpose, but you will need something for those windy days. I’ve had good luck with the Sitka Stratus under the Kenai.

 

[archer1416]

I think the Kuiu Kenai would suit you well as a light, quiet insulation piece in the temps you mentioned. I don’t personally like any softshell for whitetail hunting or any other purpose, but you will need something for those windy days. I’ve had good luck with the Sitka Stratus under the Kenai.

I see where you’re coming from but that’s a lot of bulk in comparison to a puffy and a soft shell such as the axis. And I run really hot while active so I can’t wear them in which means I’d have to pack them both. It’s difficult to figure out the best setup for sure. It really seems to just be trial and error as I have gotten many mixed opinions on how loud a certain item is or how warm or how wind resistant the items are because it’s really all subjective it seems haha


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[Drenalin]

I see where you’re coming from but that’s a lot of bulk in comparison to a puffy and a soft shell such as the axis. And I run really hot while active so I can’t wear them in which means I’d have to pack them both. It’s difficult to figure out the best setup for sure. It really seems to just be trial and error as I have gotten many mixed opinions on how loud a certain item is or how warm or how wind resistant the items are because it’s really all subjective it seems haha


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I’m not sure I understand what you mean; a Kenai plus a Stratus is a puffy and a softshell. I might have missed your point.

 

[archer1416]

I’m not sure I understand what you mean; a Kenai plus a Stratus is a puffy and a softshell. I might have missed your point.

The stratus isn’t what I would consider a soft shell haha it’s pretty bulky and heavy compared to a 18 oz Kuiu axis hybrid or similar. The kenai is also not the most packable puffy lol


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[Drenalin]

The stratus isn’t what I would consider a soft shell haha it’s pretty bulky and heavy compared to a 18 oz Kuiu axis hybrid or similar. The kenai is also not the most packable puffy lol


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I see what you’ve saying. Having owned most of the pieces mentioned in this thread, I disagree with you, but I see what you’re getting at. It’s a balancing act to find what will function best for our individual use cases without making too big of a sacrifice in any one other area of preference. Trial and error will probably be your best bet.

 

[archer1416]

I see what you’ve saying. Having owned most of the pieces mentioned in this thread, I disagree with you, but I see what you’re getting at. It’s a balancing act to find what will function best for our individual use cases without making too big of a sacrifice in any one other area of preference. Trial and error will probably be your best bet.

Not arguing at all but can you tell me what you disagree on? I’m new to some of these pieces and you may have better insight


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[Maverick1]

Hey guys! First post here. Have been reading tons of stuff on here through google searches to make purchasing decisions and figured I’d join. I want to buy stuff on the classifieds as well but have to make a certain amount of posts first. Well here goes one. I’m a southern whitetail hunter in Georgia and have always gravitated more towards western or mountain hunting gear as I am a pretty active bow hunter. However, I realize it is not ideal for tree stand hunting. I’m a run and gun tree stand public land hunter. The only struggle I have found with western gear is staying warm while sitting for hours at a time and also being quiet. What quiet “puffy” or insulated pieces is everyone wearing to stay warm in the stand and quiet, but also be able to stuff it in your pack and hike for long stretches? Thanks in advanced


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Welcome to Rokslide.

As far as hunting clothing and gear between western hunts and whitetail hunts, there is little overlap, for me. About the only thing that is the same between my mountain and treestand setups is my merino baselayers, binoculars, and rangefinder. Other than that, it is a completely different game.

Hiking in the mountains, in September, I am usually very active and wearing hiking boots, shorts or breathable pants, a merino t-shirt, and maybe a merino long-sleeve shirt. I usually have a fleece hat and fleece hoodie with me, but those only get worn in the morning or evenings. In nearly two decades of mountain hunting from the last week of August to the last week of September, I have never used a puffy layer on any of my mountain hunts, from ID, NM, CO, AZ, to WY. (If it gets cold in the mountains - such as the 30's - and I am NOT moving - such as sitting over a water hole or on cool days - I will wear a base layer of merino and pants on the bottom, covered by my rain gear, and a merino t-shirt, merino long-sleeve shirt, fleece hoodie, and rain jacket on top. If I am moving, all of that clothing would make me too warm and I'd be wearing just the pants and shirts.) That said, I do run pretty hot when hiking in the mountains.

Hunting in a treestand, in October or November, is usually entirely different clothing, depending on the temperature. I am rarely able to wear the same hiking boots from the mountains into a treestand. The merino baselayers transfer over, but that's about it.

 

[archer1416]

Welcome to Rokslide.

As far as hunting clothing and gear between western hunts and whitetail hunts, there is little overlap, for me. About the only thing that is the same between my mountain and treestand setups is my merino baselayers, binoculars, and rangefinder. Other than that, it is a completely different game.

Hiking in the mountains, in September, I am usually very active and wearing hiking boots, shorts or breathable pants, a merino t-shirt, and maybe a merino long-sleeve shirt. I usually have a fleece hat and fleece hoodie with me, but those only get worn in the morning or evenings. In nearly two decades of mountain hunting from the last week of August to the last week of September, I have never used a puffy layer on any of my mountain hunts, from ID, NM, CO, AZ, to WY. (If it gets cold in the mountains - such as the 30's - and I am NOT moving - such as sitting over a water hole or on cool days - I will wear a base layer of merino and pants on the bottom, covered by my rain gear, and a merino t-shirt, merino long-sleeve shirt, fleece hoodie, and rain jacket on top. If I am moving, all of that clothing would make me too warm and I'd be wearing just the pants and shirts.) That said, I do run pretty hot when hiking in the mountains.

Hunting in a treestand, in October or November, is usually entirely different clothing, depending on the temperature. I am rarely able to wear the same hiking boots from the mountains into a treestand. The merino baselayers transfer over, but that's about it.

Very interesting. I actually already use almost everything interchangeably but am lacking on insulation for those long sits. The way I deer hunt is a little different than most who walk to a predetermined stand location that’s not very far away and sit for however long they feel like it. I go in and follow sign and hunt where the deer are and not where I want them to be if that makes sense. I like to never setup in the same place twice unless I have a strong reason to. It’s also more fun this way haha. But either way, it leads to me hiking with heavy weight on my back for a long ways similar to a western hunt minus the elevation.


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[Drenalin]

Not arguing at all but can you tell me what you disagree on? I’m new to some of these pieces and you may have better insight


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Not being argumentative either, and of course these are my opinions based on my experience; you may find that it’s way off base for you. I hunt the same way you’ve described.

You initially asked about a quiet puffy. Neither Sitka or First Lite make one. The Kenai is quiet, and reviews indicate the Cirque is too. The Cirque is a lot more jacket than the Kenai or the Uncompahgre - in warmth, weight, and bulk. The Uncompahgre and Kenai are very close in warmth and packed size with the Kenai being a few ounces lighter. Sitka seems to have abandoned any attempt at the quiet puffy piece in favor of more specialized gear.

On softshells, the Axis, Stratus, and Jetstream are pretty stinking close on features and weight. I personally haven’t used a softshell that packs down well at all; I couldn’t return the Axis jacket fast enough once I found out how loud it is, maybe it packs down great. It’s about one ounce lighter than the Stratus, which is very quiet. For whitetail, that’s an easy decision for me. The new Jetstream is supposed to be almost as quiet as the Stratus, also heavier - but has pit zips, which may make it bearable to hike in if you’re lightly layered under it.

My preferred setup is a Peloton 240, Kenai, and a rain jacket. The Peloton 240 helps with light wind, the Kenai provides packable insulation, and when the wind picks up enough to overwhelm the Peloton, I no longer care about the noise a rain jacket makes. If weight and pack space are not a concern, a softshell like the Stratus may be appropriate. But I personally don’t think softshells have a place in a backpacking or fast and light scenario.

 

[archer1416]

Not being argumentative either, and of course these are my opinions based on my experience; you may find that it’s way off base for you. I hunt the same way you’ve described.

You initially asked about a quiet puffy. Neither Sitka or First Lite make one. The Kenai is quiet, and reviews indicate the Cirque is too. The Cirque is a lot more jacket than the Kenai or the Uncompahgre - in warmth, weight, and bulk. The Uncompahgre and Kenai are very close in warmth and packed size with the Kenai being a few ounces lighter. Sitka seems to have abandoned any attempt at the quiet puffy piece in favor of more specialized gear.

On softshells, the Axis, Stratus, and Jetstream are pretty stinking close on features and weight. I personally haven’t used a softshell that packs down well at all; I couldn’t return the Axis jacket fast enough once I found out how loud it is, maybe it packs down great. It’s about one ounce lighter than the Stratus, which is very quiet. For whitetail, that’s an easy decision for me. The new Jetstream is supposed to be almost as quiet as the Stratus, also heavier - but has pit zips, which may make it bearable to hike in if you’re lightly layered under it.

My preferred setup is a Peloton 240, Kenai, and a rain jacket. The Peloton 240 helps with light wind, the Kenai provides packable insulation, and when the wind picks up enough to overwhelm the Peloton, I no longer care about the noise a rain jacket makes. If weight and pack space are not a concern, a softshell like the Stratus may be appropriate. But I personally don’t think softshells have a place in a backpacking or fast and light scenario.

Those are actually some pretty good points. I hadn’t considered the fact that a rain jacket wouldn’t be loud in the kind of wind I would need it for. I also use a peloton 240 and it is great although not super durable when it comes to picks and pulls in the thick woods here in Georgia. That’s more of why I prefer a soft shell that has high wind resistance and water resistance. The axis handles water almost like a true rain jacket which is why I sprung for it. I have had a jetstream and loved it as well but it was pretty heavy for a soft shell and also not great with water in my experience. Where I disagree with you is on the kenai and unc. I find the kenai to be underwhelming and not very warm at all. The unc is warm to me and I actually think it’s pretty dang quiet for what it is. I haven’t had a cirque yet but it sounds like that’s the ticket for me. Or another unc.


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