Western Washington Clothing for Elk Hunting

[Carlh327]

Any suggestions on clothing/layering for hunting elk on the Wet side? I like wool but if it's wet out all day, it just gets too heavy.

[chester]

Carharts, T-shirt base layer , orange hoodie and boots for walking,romeos  for driving

[vandeman17]

I suggest the cab of a warm/dry pickup

[JimmyHoffa]

Archery or modern, early or late?

[Carlh327]

Hunting in SW Washington during muzzle loader and rifle. Lots of rain.

[vandeman17]

I will say that the older I get, the more I am willing to buck up and spend the extra money on good clothes. I also discounted the notion of how important it is to properly layer. This past year, I started reading and listening to podcasts about layering systems and started investing in Sitka gear when it would go on sale. Amazing what you can do when good clothes are used correctly. With that said, if I were to be hunting an area with a high probability of moisture, I would focus my attention first on my outer layer. Try to find the best combo of water shedding but still at least somewhat breathable.

[bobcat]

Light wool or fleece clothing under real rain gear (non-breathable.) Knee high rubber boots. No cotton.

[deerhunter_98520]

Kuiu Yukon and Merino wool base layer...you won't regret it

[Carlh327]

Vandeman17,

Any Sitka rian gear suggestions? Quiet would be nice. Had the Kuiu Chugach, but was not quiet and it didnt like trees and brush.

Thanks!

[JimmyHoffa]

Early muzzleloader, can really be tricky.  It can get rather warm out, but nights/mornings can be cool.  Last year was t-shirt and lightweight pants on the first day and rain gear the next five.  Just didn't really get that cold for muzzy.  The late seasons can be really cold.  I think a few layers with a fleece are usually enough in the late--with a cap and gloves.  Modern is more rain usually than cold, but I have seen a few feet of snow fall during the night in modern--loose rain gear seems to work fine there too.

[vandeman17]

Vandeman17,

Any Sitka rian gear suggestions? Quiet would be nice. Had the Kuiu Chugach, but was not quiet and it didnt like trees and brush.

Thanks!

Dewpoint if you want a more packable shell or cloudburst if you want more of a jacket. Both will layer well

[Alchase]

I hunted my whole life for elk on the west side. Most important good waterproof hiking boots. This is not as easy as it sounds. You can spend $300 - $400 on name brand high dollar Gortex boots that won’t hold up more than a couple hours of hiking in wet brush or constant rain. Two that I have good luck with Merrells Cold Pack Ice 6” and Asolo GTX.
Gaters, a good set of gaters are totally worth it.
Polypropylene bass layer if needed.
Good ripstop moisture repelling pants that breathe. Notice I did not say any of the $300-$400 hunting brand pants? I have been running Columbia ripstop lightweight camo pants for years. Bought two pairs for $20 each at an end of the year sale, normally $60. These have been the best hunting clothes investment I have made. They work great for timber on the wet side as well as hiking miles for muleys on the dry dry side.
Wicking t-shirt and “good” fleece jacket or wool jacket.
packable rain pants and rain jacket (I use grundens Petrus pullover and Columbia waterproof pants, many options to choose from)
And a good hat, gloves that you can shoot with.

[Humptulips]

You guys are over complicating this. Get yourself down to the saw shop and tell them you need some riggin' clothes. They'll know what you want. My dad would have called it a Black Bear suit (Black Bear was a clothing manufacturer that specialized in work clothes for loggers, out of business for years). Logger cut overalls (jeans to you millennial's), suspenders, hickory shirt and a set of black wool for when it gets cold. Round that out with a pair of caulks and a set of rain gear and you are in business. If you are of a mind you could outfit with a pair of tin pants although I have found them not to my liking. Make sure they are 4 sizes too big because they shrink. For a topper you will need a felt hat which to find the authentic red felt hat might take some searching but once were as common as hunters with smart phones are now. You don't need no danged gloves. Stick your hands in your pockets if they get cold or just man up, sheesh!
Generations of loggers wore this year round and few succumbed to the elements.

If you are now frowning and ready to report this as the worst advise lighten up, Life is too short to be serious all the time.

[cougforester]

My favorite hunting pants are the Eddie Bauer First Ascent pants. I work in the woods in both Western and Eastern WA and it took me a long time to find the right pants that I could wear comfortably in all seasons throughout the state. I now have about 6 pairs of them. Tough enough to give you a bit of resistance to the blackberries and devil's club, cool enough to wear chasing bears in late August, able to easily layer long johns underneath, DWR coating for dew, light rain or snow...even when they do get wet, if you keep hiking you'll dry them out once the rain stops. My only complaint is that there's not a suspender option, but I'm thinking I'll check out a tailor this summer to try and see if they can add some loops.

They're also on sale now....https://www.eddiebauer.com/browse/Pants-&-Shorts/men/first-ascent/_/N-274o

Tops I go with a merino long sleeve base layer, then a really light weight Sitka hoody only if I'm hiking hard, then add a quarter zip on top of that to wear while still hunting or glassing and I start cooling down. I have a hard shell (Sitka Stormfront, a bit overkill but I hadn't splurged in a while) and puffy with me pretty much all the time in case I want to sit down for a bit and glass or just relax, or it starts pouring. I don't care as much if my thighs get wet while hiking through brush since I work in the brush all year long, but I'm a big baby when it comes to getting my chest and neck wet.

[Magnum_Willys]

Merino base, fleece/wool under layer, breathable rainshell.  Puffy for insulation when stopping.