Favorite hunting clothes?

[spoonman]

So I wanted to hear from all you guys what your favorite hunting pants and jacket are? What brand and model do you like? Also if the gear is listed as "waterproof" are they really waterproof?

[Wetwoodshunter]

My absolute favorite jacket is the uncompagre puffy by first lite I would wear this every day.

My pants are the Corrugate guide pants and I like them a lot but after 10 days elk hunting and down 13 lbs I had trouble keeping them on without a belt. The pants are slightly noisie compared to wool.

Neither of these are waterproof but they have a resistant coating. Wise hunters throw the rain gear on over them and stay warm. I learned my lesson this year one day, by the time my rain gear was on it was to late.

I will attest though I have the stormtight pants and SEAK jacket, water won't get through these but you can sweat them out from the inside out hiking hard even though they have good vents.

[trophyhunt]

That firstlite puffy is also one of my favorites, any firstlite under clothes I love.  Kuiu gear is the best, the Yukon kuiu rain gear is bullet proof!! Expensive but worth it! I like the chinook pant from kuiu and the guide pant.  Can't go wrong with kuiu and firstlite!

[jackmaster]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

[pianoman9701]

Most of my stuff is of the pretty-good-but-not-as-expensive type. Core4E, Rocky, stuff like that. For early season, you don't really need the expensive stuff for 5K ft and under when you're not doing backcountry. I do have some old wool and good jackets for colder season wear. I spend my money on boots, glass, and my archery equipment. Oh, and paying doctors! 

[hunter_sean08]

I was cheap for a long time and wore a pair of hand-me-down Cabela's fleece pants over some off brand merino wool base layer. I'd always pack a pair of light rain pants too just in case. On top I'd wear a base layer with a fleece jacket over it and then whatever hunting jacket that was applicable to the weather, rain shell or cold weather. This worked well for a long time until I wore everything out so I finally broke down and bought some quality clothing this year. I went with the First Lite Allegheny merino base layer pants and KUIU Chinook pants. On top, I've got the First Lite Llano qtr zip base layer with a Kuiu qtr zip Teton shirt, and then either the DCS Guide Jacket or the Cabela's Rainy River Gore Tex Jacket depending on the weather. If it's warm outside, I'll usually just throw my rain jacket in my pack just in case and rock just the base layer and whatever layer I'm feeling like on top of that whether it's the Teton or a light fleece jacket for a little warmth in the dawn/dusk hours. Will probably just wear the Chinook pants without the merino bottoms too.

As a side note, I still have all my old hunting clothes, and they'll probably still get used on some days this season. I really love those old Cabela's fleece pants. They just don't make some things like they used to.. 

[M_ray]

I wear mostly Sitka but I have some kuiu and core4 as well ... All are great! 

[trophyhunt]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

[jackmaster]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

or maybe I ain't rich like you so I can't afford that rich stuff or mostly it's because I ain't as much as a puss as you summer BDU,s may get wet but they dry in a very short amount of time and as far as my rivers west jacket, you don't hike in it, get to where I am going, cool down and put it on over a clean dry tshirt, if your sweating your moving way to fast anyways but maybe someday if I am lucky I will be the accomplished blacktail hunter you are but I am probably just dreaming and it's a good thing this thread was individual opinion

[boneaddict]

My favorite is too old to remember where it was purchased and no longer has tags on it, but boy they have seen some country.

[tlbradford]

I miss the days when you could get the nice wool pants at the Army Surplus store for $10-$15.  I still have a couple of pairs of Swedish Military cargo's.  Unfortunately, I need to get in the hills and lose some weight so I can wear them again.

[pianoman9701]

I miss the days when you could get the nice wool pants at the Army Surplus store for $10-$15.  I still have a couple of pairs of Swedish Military cargo's.  Unfortunately, I need to get in the hills and lose some weight so I can wear them again.

I know the routine! 

[jackmaster]

I miss the days when you could get the nice wool pants at the Army Surplus store for $10-$15.  I still have a couple of pairs of Swedish Military cargo's.  Unfortunately, I need to get in the hills and lose some weight so I can wear them again.

i suffer from the same thing, I have two pairs of those with the cargo pockets but they were for a 31 waist and I am probably a 35 now

[blackveltbowhunter]

We should have an " annual hunting clothes thread" And sticky it

   Its a great topic tho Spoonman the best answer is going to vary so much IMO that it will depend on your specific needs, season, weather, how you hunt etc... .

   For starters I guess I will list my personal clothing choices for this seasons Backcountry hunt. I spent 20 days in this gear in weather from from 80 degreees to 28 degrees. Rain, snow and heavy wind at times. Most of the time was in the backcountry but there were a couple basecamp nights during really bad weather. Between 6 and 10,000 feet with high activity level overall. In other words I feel it was a decent test.

Boots: Salomon quest 4D ( Lowa Tibet )
Gaiter: Cabelas Instinct/Sitka stormfront
Socks: Fox river liner with Darn tough Merino hiking sock also used a sock called Built by Altera?
Underwear: Sax or Exofficio
Pants: Sitka Ascent for majority. Changed to Timberline for 3 days of the hunt when temps were down and wind high
Baselayer shirt: Sitka Merino quarter zip
Midlayer: Minus 33 Merino quarter zip.
Insulation: REI down Puffy vest
Shell: Sitka DownPour
Hat: Sitka reversible beainie and crusher ballcap
Gloves: Wool mittens

I also used a Kryptek Koldo rain jacket for a few days, but the downpour performed just as well with less weight.

   This system worked well for what I wanted it to do overall. A couple things I would change, The puffy didn't see a ton of use. It was very warm, but when temps were down it seemed to also seemed to be raining or snowing and I was going to second layer merino and my shell and staying comfortable for the most part. It was way warm when active but it did get some play time during extended glassing sessions. I will be getting a Firstlight or kuiu merino hoody to replace the minus 33 quarter zip. I like hoods as they block wind around your neck and help hold heat inside. My legs rarely get cold, and I am not a fan of rainpants unless it goes really,really nasty or lots of thick brush (not my case on this hunt) so I carry gaiters for extra protection for my lower legs and they help hold the heat in while glassing.

Obviously I have listed Sitka as my primary clothing options, but that is mainly because I have had it for several years and don't feel the need to change or budget for a whole new ensemble. Plus I like to match But any of the companies competing in this game have dialed in their stuff.

The only piece of this gear I absolutely do not recommend are the Cabelas instinct gaiter. I have had more frustration with them.

   That covers the technical clothing I use for backcountry hunting and extended outing living in the same clothes for days at at time. Its designed generally to be weather resistant at worst to impervious at best, breathe decently for active hunting and wide range of temps, allow great range of movement, and be relativly lightweight.

But there are some big downsides as well IMO. Cost. This type of gear from ANY of the manufactures will be considerably more than a product that may perform the same task but not in a "technical" fashion. Durability. While its good, these fabrics are not IMO as durable as a microtex or similar product and certainly will not hold up to a cotton BDU type pant.
Noise: Alot of this gear is aimed toward bowhunters, but I have yet to find a technical fabric that compares to fleece or wool from a noise standpoint. Its a tradeoff but understand that going in. Not as big of deal if using a rifle but still something to consider.

Raingear: My  If hunting the eastside where temps drop and brush is not as much of an issue in many areas than any of the quality raingear should work well for ya. If hunting westside where its 45- 50 and pouring get the best wool you can find and plan to be at a heat source every night to dry out.

[Buzz2401]

Head to toe wool.  Nothing is quieter or more high tech. Naturally scent loked and doesn't fail.  Filson.  Made in America.  Been wearing wool for 27 years.   Jackets seem to last forever and pants last about 6-8 years.

[Bofire]

what time of year?
Carl

[JakeLand]

I prefer a loincloth and a dab of paint 

[trophyhunt]

I certainly don't miss those days of buying my clothes at value village or the army surplus.  Wearing cotton shirts and never being dry all day, no thanks. Don't forget how heavy your old wool pants are when soaking wet, I find myself much more comfortable and dry nowadays.

[trophyhunt]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

or maybe I ain't rich like you so I can't afford that rich stuff or mostly it's because I ain't as much as a puss as you summer BDU,s may get wet but they dry in a very short amount of time and as far as my rivers west jacket, you don't hike in it, get to where I am going, cool down and put it on over a clean dry tshirt, if your sweating your moving way to fast anyways but maybe someday if I am lucky I will be the accomplished blacktail hunter you are but I am probably just dreaming and it's a good thing this thread was individual opinion

When you feel like stepping up to the plate and letting your boys drop, I have a kuiu brochure on my desk you can look at.                             

[jackmaster]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

or maybe I ain't rich like you so I can't afford that rich stuff or mostly it's because I ain't as much as a puss as you summer BDU,s may get wet but they dry in a very short amount of time and as far as my rivers west jacket, you don't hike in it, get to where I am going, cool down and put it on over a clean dry tshirt, if your sweating your moving way to fast anyways but maybe someday if I am lucky I will be the accomplished blacktail hunter you are but I am probably just dreaming and it's a good thing this thread was individual opinion

When you feel like stepping up to the plate and letting your boys drop, I have a kuiu brochure on my desk you can look at.                             

thats it? Your not going to give me a few hundred bucks to go with that brochure? Kinda selfish ain't ya?

[trophyhunt]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

or maybe I ain't rich like you so I can't afford that rich stuff or mostly it's because I ain't as much as a puss as you summer BDU,s may get wet but they dry in a very short amount of time and as far as my rivers west jacket, you don't hike in it, get to where I am going, cool down and put it on over a clean dry tshirt, if your sweating your moving way to fast anyways but maybe someday if I am lucky I will be the accomplished blacktail hunter you are but I am probably just dreaming and it's a good thing this thread was individual opinion

When you feel like stepping up to the plate and letting your boys drop, I have a kuiu brochure on my desk you can look at.                             

thats it? Your not going to give me a few hundred bucks to go with that brochure? Kinda selfish ain't ya?

I'm pretty sure financially we are twins!! I know, don't buy any chew for 1 month and put that towards the best pair of pants you've ever worn. 

[Gutpile]

I didn't read all of the comments but I'm probably just parroting what's already been said. I used to wear cotton jean style camo pants but I would wear them out quickly so I switched to green Dickey work pants similar to carharts. They were tough and lasted forever but not real comfortable, when they got wet it was pure misery. For elk season I wore the old style heavy wool pants which really worked great but my god were they uncomfortable and ITCHY!!! LOL. A few years ago the weather was just brutal and I teally suffered. Brutal cold and windy plus lot's of rain showers so I was always cold and wet. During late buck season it was in the 0-10 range and windy. I had to dress like the little brother on Christmas Story. I decided I had to give these premium clithing lines a try. Holy crap was I amazed!!!!

My favorite is Firstlight. I believe they have the best merino wool hands down. The Kanabs are awesome although I wear synthetics in the early season. The Uncompaghre is unbelievable.

For the synthetics I prefer Kuiu but I do own some sitka. There ascent pants are unbelievably comfortable. The way kuiu and sitka cut the wind and keep you warm and dry is incredible. Unlike cotton these pants dry quickly so your not weighed down and freezing your ars off for hours. I've worn the kuiu attacks in some really nasty conditiins and I'm extremely impressed with them.

I just bought some pants from a new player named Pnuma and they seem to be just the ticket for early season eastern wa hunting. They breath far better than the sitka ascent or the kuiu attack and I think that these guys will make there mark.

My favorite clothes I've picked up in the last few years are;

Firstlight Uncompaghre, red desert boxers, Kanab 2.0 and llano and chama tops. Highly recommend. Not to mention their socks. LoL. Love those too!

Pnuma Tenacity pants

Sitka Jetstream light jacket.

For mid season I like the kuiu line. Attack pants mixed with some of their teton stuff is really pretty good.

I wish I could get back the money I spent over the years on the crappy clothes I dropped coin on. I remember buying some wrangler camo jeans for about $60 that lasted two trips before the crotch wore through.

I'd recommend dropping the coin on any one of these brands because they are all far and away superior to anything made of cotton regardless of who makes it.

The ironybin this is that when I saw someone wearing sitka gear back in the day my buddy and I would mock these guys and make fun. "What are these guys thinking spending that much on these clothes?" in hindsight it was we who were the arsholes.

[jackmaster]

I wear old school BDU bottoms from the army in the early 90s and a filson red plaid jacket if it isn't raining and my rivers west jacket if it is !! Works great and not overly expensive

the only thing I can agree with here is the army BDU's, BUT only when you know it's completely dry out.  I've had my BDU's ever since I was in my 20's, 20 years later they are still going strong, but not for wet weather.  And if you walk in rivers west, fu-get aboot it, you will be soaked in sweat.  Someday jackmaster will take his training wheels off and join us big boys in the real clothing department!! 

or maybe I ain't rich like you so I can't afford that rich stuff or mostly it's because I ain't as much as a puss as you summer BDU,s may get wet but they dry in a very short amount of time and as far as my rivers west jacket, you don't hike in it, get to where I am going, cool down and put it on over a clean dry tshirt, if your sweating your moving way to fast anyways but maybe someday if I am lucky I will be the accomplished blacktail hunter you are but I am probably just dreaming and it's a good thing this thread was individual opinion

When you feel like stepping up to the plate and letting your boys drop, I have a kuiu brochure on my desk you can look at.                             

thats it? Your not going to give me a few hundred bucks to go with that brochure? Kinda selfish ain't ya?

I'm pretty sure financially we are twins!! I know, don't buy any chew for 1 month and put that towards the best pair of pants you've ever worn. 

:chuckle:if I did that I would probably lose my job

[birddogdad]

love my Codet wool pants, normally wear layers with a cotton hoodie (like a cabelas). very silent and all toll $ less than one piece of the modern stuff.....

[Wanttohuntmore]

I have sitka, firstlite, kennetrek, goretex, you name it.  But the best value I've seen is the cabelas microtex pants.  Not perfect, but durable and comfortable.  Don't get me wrong, i love my Sitka ascents, but the price difference doesn't justify.

[PlateauNDN]

Coach told me sweatpants, sweater and Jordan basketball shoes work really good.










 

[pianoman9701]

I saw a picture of Fred Bear drawing the bow on an elk while wearing a red plaid wool shirt and wool pants. It makes me laugh when I think of the dozen or so camo shirts and pants of different warmths and styles. This guy got it done wearing everyday clothing. Pretty cool.

[jackmaster]

I saw a picture of Fred Bear drawing the bow on an elk while wearing a red plaid wool shirt and wool pants. It makes me laugh when I think of the dozen or so camo shirts and pants of different warmths and styles. This guy got it done wearing everyday clothing. Pretty cool.

my pops is the same exact way, he to this day still wears his red and black filson plaid huntn coat, old beat up Levi's, and his Clint Eastwood exact replica cowboy filson black hat, it isn't black anymore though but he has splurged on awesome boots and his old arse still hunts from day light to dark out in the brush.. I know that is how he is gonna die and it would be the perfect way to exit for him sorry getting off topic

[pianoman9701]

 

[Buzz2401]

Nothing is quieter then wool.  That is my main problem with the new gear.  If it is waterproof it is noisy.  Wool is far from being water proof, but I can be wet and still warm.  You also learn to stay dry.  Light rain isn't that big a deal, hard down pours find a tree and see if it passes.  I go to the store convinced I am going to purchase a new Gortex piece of gear from one of the new companies but always leave empty handed when I remember how noisy they are.

[Jonathan_S]

Nothing is quieter then wool.  That is my main problem with the new gear.  If it is waterproof it is noisy.  Wool is far from being water proof, but I can be wet and still warm.  You also learn to stay dry.  Light rain isn't that big a deal, hard down pours find a tree and see if it passes.  I go to the store convinced I am going to purchase a new Gortex piece of gear from one of the new companies but always leave empty handed when I remember how noisy they are.

Wool is back in style. Lightweight, base layer Merino wool is so much better than heavy wool. Layers are better than one thick jacket or pant. Plus it dries better and is soft as cotton.

Wool has always been great but the "new" wool has really taken it to the next level. Stretchy, quick drying, comfortable and better dyes too.