Where to cut budget?

[PredatorSlayer]

We always make fun of guys decked out in head to toe sitka, kuiu, or first lite camo. Especially when rifle hunting…I have a some of each, all solids, and I find I wear them much less than brands like eddie bauer, ll bean, orvis etc.

 

[Jpsmith1]

Base layer, some kind of grid fleece, puffy and rain jacket are about all you’ll need for 95% of situations. Hike cold and puffy to warm up when you get to where you’re going. Rain jacket if it’s real windy.

So, I'm trying to kind of tease this apart a little and understand better.

Is your grid fleece layer wind/water resistant? Or are you using your puffy/rain gear for wind/water shedding?

 

[Amos Moses]

So, I'm trying to kind of tease this apart a little and understand better.

Is your grid fleece layer wind/water resistant? Or are you using your puffy/rain gear for wind/water shedding?

Rain jacket for rain/wind. Puffy for warmth. Lightweight fleece for an extra layer while slow hiking.

 

[Hnthrdr]

This said I prefer camo for bow hunting, Turkey and waterfowl, out side of that the elk or deer I shoot at 100-500 yards really doesn’t care what I’m wearing, heck I’m already wearing blaze orange, so my solids under it won’t make a lick of difference, technical mountaineering companies, climbing companies make some great stuff these days. Often for less than name brand hunting gear

 

[Hnthrdr]

So, I'm trying to kind of tease this apart a little and understand better.

Is your grid fleece layer wind/water resistant? Or are you using your puffy/rain gear for wind/water shedding?

Nope he is saying base layer, then grid fleece, then puffy, then outer soft shell (wind/rain).

If stationary you have on all of it. If stalking moving, or midday temps probably just 1&2 layer or maybe just first, if weather comes, toss on outer shell. Ect… be mindful when you move if carrying a pack you should be chilly/cold to start the trek, if you are comfy you will end of drenched in sweat and that is awful

 

[Jpsmith1]

Nope he is saying base layer, then grid fleece, then puffy, then outer soft shell (wind/rain).

If stationary you have on all of it. If stalking moving, or midday temps probably just 1&2 layer or maybe just first, if weather comes, toss on outer shell. Ect… be mindful when you move if carrying a pack you should be chilly/cold to start the trek, if you are comfy you will end of drenched in sweat and that is awful

Like I said, just trying to understand the layers and what he is expecting each layer to do.


Fighting the cold wind and rain is so important here to a long, comfortable sit that it's central to how I think about layering.

 

[Jpsmith1]

This said I prefer camo for bow hunting, Turkey and waterfowl, out side of that the elk or deer I shoot at 100-500 yards really doesn’t care what I’m wearing, heck I’m already wearing blaze orange, so my solids under it won’t make a lick of difference, technical mountaineering companies, climbing companies make some great stuff these days. Often for less than name brand hunting gear.

Will be hunting with a handgun. Combo, really. Open sighted revolver which can be considered as a bow as far as range with a single shot, scoped handgun as a "reach out and touch" tool. Be capable of maybe 200 with that.

 

[TaperPin]

One summer my drive passed a big thrift store - I stopped a couple times a week just to walk through the jacket rack for 4 or 5 months and picked up 3 Patagonia fleece jackets, and 3 others of various makes. That was 6 years ago and I’m still using half of them. Not bad for $10-$15 each. A Patagonia sage green wind stopper fleece is one of my favorites of all time - it’s generously sized to layer well over layers, but is comfortable on its own. When it wears out I’ll grab another off eBay.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Will be hunting with a handgun. Combo, really. Open sighted revolver which can be considered as a bow as far as range with a single shot, scoped handgun as a "reach out and touch" tool. Be capable of maybe 200 with that.

Ah… maybe solids then, wind and shadows and movement are key

 

[SmokeEater2]

I've gotten most of my hunting clothing from thrift stores.

3 Filson single mackinaws, Patagonia fleece, wool and a light goose down jacket, All in great shape and bought cheap. I prefer my old issue woodland and desert BDU pants over most other types I've tried so far.

Good boots are where I spend the majority of my hunting clothing budget. Darn Tough brand wool socks are worth every penny as well.

 

[WyoKid]

Then, like everyone else says, good outer wear and base layers. Puffy, rain/wind outer wear and base layers would be next on my list. You don't need anything overly expensive in.this department. I do try to get name brand outerwear, whether Sitka, Pnuma, Kuiu or others on sale.

 

[TaperPin]

Costco just brought out some new clothes and there’s were some sage/bluish solid pants with a very light weight fleece backing bonded to the front for $19. I tried to find something about them I didn’t like, but hunting in them I wouldn’t feel like anything was given up. Decent fleece hoodie for $19, slightly thicker zip up fleece for $19. I’m pretty impressed.

 

[RVarland]

Will be hunting with a handgun. Combo, really. Open sighted revolver which can be considered as a bow as far as range with a single shot, scoped handgun as a "reach out and touch" tool. Be capable of maybe 200 with that.

For what it’s worth, my Dad had taken quite a few animals with a handgun (all in Wyoming, usually an elk every year, antelope here and there) and he’s done a lot of that in blue jeans, but he did really step up his gear last year for his sheep tag.

For Wyoming, having a good wind resistant layer is really nice because most of the state is pretty windy. I think a lot of solids and camos look pretty good most places out here, however darker colors/camos do seem to stick out. Obviously, that’s a generalization of the entire state in one sentence and your mileage may vary

 

[Lawnboi]

What do you do for a living? Lots of discounts available if you qualify

 

[Erussell01]

Idk what cartel everyone hunting the mountains works for, but dang, this is getting expensive for a union man...

Anyway, joking aside, I may have a trip to Wyoming in 2024 and I'm looking at building a layering system. Mid October which I'm understanding is a rough time of year because you have to be ready to tan and to freeze.

My base layers are pretty dialed. I have some UA and First Lite, so I'm pretty good on base layers.

Been shopping mid/top layers and dang... just dang... They're pretty proud of that Sitka gear.

Trying to think in terms of where you'd shave dollars for what might be a one time trip?

Better to buy a higher end top layer and a cheaper mid layer or vise-versa?

Wrangler pants. Wrangler performance base layers top and bottom. Amazon basics puffy and if you're feeling frisky amazon has a mid weight and polar weight quarter zip fleece that's really really good for 22$.

If it were me the layer I'd spend the most on is your base layers, socks and boots and then pants if you feel like it.


However,

Wrangler outdoors Pants, wrangler outdoors performance baselayer and a wrangler outdoors full synthetic quarter zip, an Amazon basics puffy and a marmot rain jacket and you could hunt just as hard as I do in gear that costs a lot more than that entire setup.

Think about what you spend the most time in when you're hunting. You're always in your boots, and you're always in your base layers. After that, your pants, and then your mid layer and all layers above that.

Since a guy really needs flexibility for October weather and you don't know if you're going back don't blow all your money on one single piece of kit.

What other types of hunting do you do?

 

[Jpsmith1]

Wrangler pants. Wrangler performance base layers top and bottom. Amazon basics puffy and if you're feeling frisky amazon has a mid weight and polar weight quarter zip fleece that's really really good for 22$.

If it were me the layer I'd spend the most on is your base layers, socks and boots and then pants if you feel like it.


However,

Wrangler outdoors Pants, wrangler outdoors performance baselayer and a wrangler outdoors full synthetic quarter zip, an Amazon basics puffy and a marmot rain jacket and you could hunt just as hard as I do in gear that costs a lot more than that entire setup.

Think about what you spend the most time in when you're hunting. You're always in your boots, and you're always in your base layers. After that, your pants, and then your mid layer and all layers above that.

Since a guy really needs flexibility for October weather and you don't know if you're going back don't blow all your money on one single piece of kit.

What other types of hunting do you do?

So, the Wyoming trip isn't gonna pan out in 24, so....

I hunt whitetail out of a tree in Western Pennsylvania. I'm starting to dabble in duck hunting and occasionally go on a squirrel murder rampage when I'm not chasing deer or duckies.

The entirety of western hunting, from layering to the various methods used is still somewhat a mystery to me.

I keep lying to myself that imma hunt turkey in the spring, but I never do

 

[adamm88]

Sales, facebook marketplace, ebay


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GoM_Coaster]

I have had good luck on clearance at Sierra Trading Post/Backcounty/Evo. That's how I got my first Browning Hell's Canyon windstopper stuff but size choices can be so so.

If you are a veteran Sitka really takes car of them.

FB marketplace is good, and I have found some fair pricing at poshmark on used stuff but it seems a lot of people have stuff priced higher than sale prices.

Good luck.

 

[Whaledriver]

The whole layering thing is blown out of proportion in my honest opinion. If the amount of thought over clothing, went into actual hunting, western big game would be on the endangered list.

 

[Erussell01]

The whole layering thing is blown out of proportion in my honest opinion. If the amount of thought over clothing, went into actual hunting, western big game would be on the endangered list.

Nah. I think about actual hunting 24/7 365 and I still suck at Killin elk.

But at least I have fun sucking at it