Starting in with the clothing, there are five categories; underwear and socks, base layers, outerwear, insulation, and shells. As far as socks and underwear are concerned, as I said a couple days ago, the use of merino wool is crucial as it manages moisture in both liquid and gas states well and insulates when wet. Merino wool, which is as soft as cotton, lasts ages, and doesn’t hold odors like synthetics do. I use it for base layers and outerwear as often as possible.
I wear lightweight base layers starting in late August or early September, when the mornings are cool and the days hot, then transition to heavier weight garments as the fall progresses. When the weather gets really cold, I will even layer my base layers to provide the necessary insulation. The pieces that I have had the best success with are Ice Breaker 150 for early season, 260 for the cold late season hunts, and double layer them with 150 then 260 weight to fight off extreme cold
While I still have a closet full of Cabela’s outfitter camo, which are cost effective synthetic outerwear and last eons, the clothes are cut like regular old camos and don’t move as well as backcountry or mountaineering attire. There are some new entrants into the field that address this concern and do it with good camo patterns, Kuiu is making some cool patterns with the right fit and finish that are reasonably priced. Kuiu is the second evolution from the guy that brought you Sitka gear, which sold to Gore. Kuiu offers a good understanding of the way that gear needs to function, sells directly to the consumer, and with its small flexible platform can adjust to the needs of the consumer really quickly. Sitka, on the other hand, is now owned by a huge player in the industry and has some incredible resources to work with, either route offers good gear from what I have seen, and both deserve some attention.
Then comes insulation- an element that varies from season to season, and with specific conditions. These garments are anything from a light merino sweater, like those offered from Firstlite or Ice Breaker, to down sweaters from Western Mountaineering, to synthetic filled jackets from Kuiu or Mountain Hardwear. For wet conditions, synthetic fills or wool is the safest bet. While they may not dry out in the field and tend to weight a little more, they still keep the wearer warm, down on the other hand withers to nothing when wet - offering nothing for warmth until it is dried and the down has regained its loft. In the southwest, I have always carried a Western Mountaineering’s Flash or Flash XR. The XR is made with a DWR (durable water repellant) finished fabric that does a good job of keeping light rain at bay, the regular flash on the other hand is uber light, around 9 ounces. The regular flash, compresses a little better, and works well in weather from a cool autumn morning into the low teens for sufficient warmth when I’m glassing- in fact I think it is a little warmer. The key to selecting a good insulation layer is by making it appropriate for the specific situation at hand, I find down to be very dynamic, working well over a broad range of conditions, so I tend to bring my flash jacket even in the early season to fend off the early morning chill.
Shells are the pieces that do the actual weather resistance, and they are undergoing a revolution right now. While I have worn shells from The North Face, Mountain Hardware, and even Gore prototypes, they have all been a little loud, and fit a little weird, no more though. The technology has finally begun to reach the market that allows garments to be waterproof and stretch, so the new generation of shells moves like a soft-shell while protecting like a hard shell. There are still some tradeoffs between the stretch and conventional hard-shell versions, but the mere presence of an alternative is pretty exciting. The primary function most people see for these pieces is rain and snow protection, but they are useful under a broad range of circumstances. The breathability of the membranes on the market now allow the wearer to use them as stand alone pieces topping of their outerwear. When zipped up all the way-including the pit zips-the membrane is allowed to work and excess heat and water vapor are forced out of the shell, this is particularly useful when hiking in to a glassing point. They offer just the right amount of warmth, without letting the wearer overheat. When the glassing point is reached, simply add the down jacket or merino sweater for sustained warmth in the lower activity glassing. A good shell fends off wind and rain, moves well with the wearer and is slim enough to allow easy movement, including shooting.
I also include gators in the shell category, which go over the pants and boot tops and manage to protect the lower leg from brush, prevent the movement of morning dew, rain, or snow from entering the pant legs and being wicked into the boots. While there are several options out there, I find myself always using and recommending Outdoor Research (OR) Crocodiles or Expedition Crocodiles- both with Gore-Tex, my current pair looks pretty ragged after over four years of use, but they offer up no reason for replacement- that’s why they stay out of storage and get used everywhere from late season archery backpack hunts, running hounds in the snow, to clearing up the driveway after an over night flurry. For early season training and scouting, trail gators are great, they pair well with trail runners and keep rocks and burrs out of the shoe and socks and keep the laces under control.
Up next, we will cover tents and bivvys for backcountry hunting. There are more options than most would think, so I will address the pros and cons of each option, and some of the pieces that I have come to appreciate over the years.
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