You Have $2,000 - Build Your Layering System

[fillthefreezer]

Funny the way different gear fits different people.  I am not a huge fan of thumbholes in clothes.

yip, cant get over feeling like a hipster or something with those thumbholes unless were talking stocks ...
my wife loves thumbholes...

[SGTDuffman]

I have some stuff with thumbholes and I find the only time I ever use them is when I put a jacket or something on, to keep the sleeve from riding up. Once I get the jacket on I take my thumbs out of the holes because I don't like having the obstruction on my hands. So I guess I'm pretty indifferent to having them or not. If they don't have the holes I just pull the sleeve down and grab them with my fingers, then put on a layer and let go. Nothing rides up while I'm wearing it, just when I put something on over it.

I'd have to go pull one out and look, but I'm pretty sure the tail on Kuiu wool is longer than the front. Most of Kuiu's stuff is built for pretty tall guys. All of the pants are sold with a 35" inseam. It's a lot easier to hem a sleeve or a pant leg than to add fabric to it.

[wilsongideon]

If I had two thousand dollars Id put it towards a spotting scope.

[Sliverslinger]

If I had two thousand dollars Id put it towards a spotting scope.

You going to hunt naked?

[Alan K]

If I had two thousand dollars Id put it towards a spotting scope.

You going to hunt naked?

Probably more like $1750 on a spotting scope and $250 on camo. 

My first reaction to this thread was similar, 2k on clothing!    But it sounds like it's got some justification for the price.  I might have to try out a few small pieces and judge for myself.  It's probably something I never knew I was missing out on.  For quite a while I got by with low to mid range glass, and thought it was ludicrous to spend more than $300-400 on binoculars.  Now that I've made the jump I can't see ever going back.  Maybe the ultralight hunting gear is the same way. 

[SGTDuffman]

I'd still say $2k is more than enough. I got all my Kuiu stuff, at least as far as the clothing goes for maybe $1,200. Expensive for clothes I guess, but it depends on what you need. If you hunt archery, you probably don't need some of it, and can cut it back to well below $1k. If you just plan on archery stuff, I'd say keep the pants, the 2 wool tops, the vest, the beanie, the gaitor, and both rain pieces. Late season guys would want the jacket, insulating layer, and the wool bottoms as well.

Regardless of what brand you prefer or how much it costs, I'd highly recommend merino wool, from anyone that makes it. All these new spandex type undergarments can't hold a candle to wool. Wool works when it's wet and does wonders for getting rid of your smell. I like the Kuiu rain stuff much better than Gore Tex as well. I can't find any information on the breathability of Gore Tex, but I don't get the same clammy rubbery feeling the Sitka Stormfront Lite gave me. For supposedly being high end high tech fabrics, it just felt like a rubber rain slicker on the inside. The Kuiu stuff just seems like fabric inside.

[Sliverslinger]

Yah, I put $2,000 down, not necessarily to indicate how much I need to spend, but more to say that for this one clothing system, money is no real serious object. It's actually a graduation present for me when I finish my MBA in about 4 weeks.as far as the rain gear, it will be Kuiu or I heard that First Lite is coming out with their rain gear in June and they are claiming it to be the most breathable rain gear available. I want to look at it before I decide.

[wilsongideon]

Well I am not saying I wouldnt love to try all these products because I am sure they are well worth the money!!!some of them Id should say, But you can be pretty comfortable for a lot less then 2 grand. And so that being said unless I had 5 grand to spend on both...I would rather see the animals then be in the best clothing and wonder if I should get closer to that group of deer or not. 

[deerslyr]

I would go with all kuiu personally.

I actually dreamt of taking out a $5k loan and buying all high quality gear that would fit me for life. Soon after I started adding up costs and tossing in optics and a bow $5k wasnt even close to what I needed. More like $15k  Guess ill continue on with my budget system.

[wilsongideon]

I know seriously....and would it really last for life?  I already have gear that I will not use except for the actual hunt so that it wont wear out faster then I can afford to replace it.

[deerslyr]

Your probably right  More power to the guys who can afford it, im surely jealous Some of the systems these hard core dudes are running require nearly 20k in gear on there back at any given time 

[wilsongideon]

  definitly jealous, I saw a couple guys last year who were decked out in nice gear, had the optics, packs, custom rifles. One of the guys worked for a guide service and Ill bet he had 8-9k just in his optics.

[SGTDuffman]

I can't bring myself to spend big money on optics. I have Vortex Viper HD's and I spent half a day in Cbaela's manhandling all of the big name stuff, looking through Zeiss and Swaro's. I was hard pressed to find any meaningful difference between them, and certainly didn't see $1,500-2,000 worth of difference. I figure what I saved on optics more than paid for my clothes.

[sirmissalot]

If I had two thousand dollars Id put it towards a spotting scope.

Absolutely. I hunt in carharts more often than not. I love the higher end stuff and have some of it, but wearing 2k in clothing sounds ridiculous. Optics on the other hand... That will increase your odds significantly.

[jackelope]

If I had two thousand dollars Id put it towards a spotting scope.

Absolutely. I hunt in carharts more often than not. I love the higher end stuff and have some of it, but wearing 2k in clothing sounds ridiculous. Optics on the other hand... That will increase your odds significantly.

What happens when you're soaked in your carharts and can't hunt and it takes 2 days to dry them out? Disclaimer: I don't own $2k in clothing or expensive optics. Just the best I can afford.