according to steve rinella

[Bob33]

Biggest mistake? Come on, Steve. The biggest mistake most hunters make is hunting where there isn't game to hunt.

[GBoyd]

Nobody else loves cotton?

It's my go to for mountain hunting for bears in August and all through the archery elk season. It's just plain more comfortable. I don't know where you guys are getting the idea that cotton makes you sweat, I'm pretty sure that's not true. It keeps you cool and dry in summer for the same reason it gives you hypothermia in the winter: it's constantly wicking, turning moisture into evaporative cooling. On your next hot-weather trip, you should bring some $20 Walmart cotton camo pants to alternate with you Kuiu. I think you might find the cotton works better.

Except for socks. Cotton socks are garbage.

[huntnfmly]

Do a simple experiment. Run some cotton and synthetics or wool through the wash. When you unload the clothes, you can feel the difference. Cotton holds the water well, like very well. While the synthetics will feel nearly dried out from the spin cycle.

X2

[MountainWalk]

With ya GBoyd

[j_h_nimrod]

Cotton kills, first axiom I learned in AK hunting and in mountain climbing. Cotton is a great fabric for warm and hot conditions as well as when you are going to be able to dry out at night without a decreasing temperature, humid environment.

Cotton, poly pro, wool, etc. at the same insulating weight will not make you sweat any more or less. What they will do is transport moisture away from your skin at varying speeds and insulate, or not, when wet.

Cotton is great at evaporative cooling, the moisture in the fabric will draw heat away from your body at a much higher rate than wool or most of the other synthetics.

Evaporative cooling is what you are trying to balance in your environment, how you hunt, and how hot or cold your body runs.

If I am hiking fast and sweating a lot in warm temps I will usually wear a cotton tee, if it is cooler I will wear a synthetic that will dry more quickly and insulate better when I stop.

[RadSav]

I am just happy it has gotten cold enough I can unpack my lucky wool.  I do like silk underneath though.  Used to be some great synthetics with silver thread that felt like silk, acted like silk, mosquitoes hated it and was a lot more durable than silk.  But must not have sold well because I can't find a good pair of it anymore.  So stay with old school and run silk.

My early days we wore a lot of cotton.  Toyed with hypothermia more than once.  Perhaps what he says about making you sweat more has to do with how much energy it takes to move in wet cotton.  It sticks to your knees, gotta pull the crotch up before you step over a log, sticks catch on it constantly,  it holds water like a sponge yet refuses to heat up so it evaporates off.  I hate the stuff with a passion unless I'm tagged out and want to watch football on the couch.

Once I got my first pair of Sitka pants hiking got a hell of a lot easier.  Now I might have a cotton bird vest still in the closet but that would be the only thing cotton allowed in my hunting closet.  Never liked it, certainly won't ever miss it!!

[CaNINE]

Some context is required here. KC I assume you’re referring to the conversation Steve and Remi Warren were having about what “mistakes” hunters make that limit their success when showing up to guided hunts. Other examples included being out of shape, not knowing their rifle, being incapable of setting up and getting off shots in a timely manner, and wearing cotton which meant freezing their asses off and not being able to stay in the field long enough. 

[Special T]

Everyone knows it's impossible to kill deer or elk unless your outfit costs upwards of $300.

It is completely possible to wear all synthetic for cheap. We likely agree.
99% of the time I bow hunt on the west side I wear polypropylene & wool socks. Some kind of polypropylene/spandex base layer and fleece. Usually earth tone sweats over shorts and on the top just a button up shirt possibly a jacket for layering and some rain gear. Often Its earth tone fleece but I have several light fleece jackets that are camo.

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[Special T]

Biggest mistake? Come on, Steve. The biggest mistake most hunters make is hunting where there isn't game to hunt.

Lol truth!

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[Magnum_Willys]

As a kid: Cotton long underwear, jeans, cotton socks with bread bags over them, cotton flannel shirt, heavy cotton jacket.  No raingear.   Model 94 30-30.   Shot big bucks every year.   

[bobcat]

As a kid: Cotton long underwear, jeans, cotton socks with bread bags over them, cotton flannel shirt, heavy cotton jacket.  No raingear.   Model 94 30-30.   Shot big bucks every year.   

👍


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[BigGoonTuna]

i've gotten most of my working hunting clothes from goodwill/value village and cabela's bargain cave.  my favorite are a pair of cabela's whipcord pants, and one of their red and black heavy wool shirts.  i rarely wear anything else any more unless i'm on the eastside in warm weather.  i can layer up under the wool for just about anything cooler.  keeps you dry, it breathes and i doubt you could find anything much quieter.

of course, it's all discontinued now.  i found the pants at value village for 5 bucks and the shirt was probably $20 in the bargain cave.  i like it so much i'm going to see if my seamstress mother in law can use it for a pattern and make me a couple more.

for layering up, i really like merino wool better than synthetic stuff.  i find myself getting chilly often after hiking up a hill and stopping to glass wearing 100% synthetic, like it gets sweaty and uncomfortable.  don't get that with the wool, and as a bonus, if you are on an extended hunt, you can air it out and it doesn't get stinky like synthetics.

[PlateauNDN]

As a kid: Cotton long underwear, jeans, cotton socks with bread bags over them, cotton flannel shirt, heavy cotton jacket.  No raingear.   Model 94 30-30.   Shot big bucks every year.   

👍


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I seen plenty of photos of my grandpa, uncles and dad wearing flannels and jeans posing with elk and deer and their 94 30-30's.

I inerited 2 of those 94s' have not hunted with them yet but someday will.

[Alpine Mojo]

Funny how everyone hunted for years in cotton or wool.  Then REI and KUIU came along and told us how we were doing it wrong all this time.

[Karl Blanchard]

We also used to ride horses as a main mode of transportation