Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting mid-layer vest/sweater recommendation

As the subject reads. I have I great outer jacket for the cold days and nights and I have enough base layer items. I'm trying to find a few different mid-layers to choose from to have for warmer October days or for when I'm moving a lot and don't want something too heavy but still keeps the wind off me for the mild chill.

Take a look at some of the Primaloft insulated vests and jackets. I have an REI brand jacket called the Revelcloud that I use for the exact situations you stated, and it works perfectly for me.

Once I discovered a Lothlorian merino-possum sweater when in NZ, I wear nothing else, ever when I need a middle layer.
It weighs zero, compresses to nothing in a pack if you take it off, is not hot in moderate temperature and I have never been cold wearing it with just a wind jacket and a shirt, even at -20F if you are moving at all.
I own 3, and my wife, probably 5. My quest is over, all of my other mid layers are collecting dust and I slowly give them away.

I like wool sweaters

I'm interested in that possum/merino sweater though. I have stocking cap that I got in New Zealand of the same blend and love it

If it's the wind I want protection from, and my base layer isn't enough, I like a my soft shell Patagonia Houdini Parkas. Like them so much I have two.
For additional warmth, I've never found anything that beats Patagonia's Regulator Fleece. Coupled with their Capliene base layer, they pass moisture better than anything I've ever used as well as being just warm enough. E

That looks great. A couple of questions, if you don't mind. Is the 1/4 zip sweater the same weight as the full zip? How does the fit of these sweaters compare with other clothing items?

I bought two sizes of the Lothlorian full zipper, and bought other merino-possum brands for my wife. Lothlorian is by far our favorite. The particular one I linked is the best we like. It starts out snug, then becomes longer and looser, a bit baggy. Does not make it sloppy or floppy though, just comfy and unnoticeable. I am 5-19", 230 and bought two in XL (they had no Tall), and while the sleeves started out just a nick short being right at the wrist, they stretched as I wore it and are now perfect. Another one I have is XXL and it is a bit baggy on me, still ultra comfortable. Neither one bunches up.
You can wear them against the bare skin and they don't itch. I have no idea why.
Amazingly, you can machine wash them on gentle cycle and they don't fall apart, as weightless and fragile looking as they are. We still wash them by hand because we love them so much and want them to last forever.
They fluff up as you wear them, and the wool becomes about 1/2" thick. I don't have a 1/4 zipper one but I think those are the same weight, just don't open all the way.
The cheaper merino-possum sweaters are denser and don't fluff up quite the same. I also bought a fancier, more expensive merino-possum-silk for my wife, and while it is totally luxurious, she likes the cheaper (if you can call a $350 sweater that) Lothlorian, which have nylon as the structural yarn instead of silk, better.
I am originally from Siberia, and wore wool and furs a lot. These sweaters are superior to any other I have ever worn. I went to NZ five times in the last 3 years, and every time I brought back 2-3 of these to have a lifetime supply in case I don't get to go there again.

Does not exactly answer your question, but--
I have found that if I wear a light wool sleeveless pull over sweater/vest just over my base layer undershirt it really works well for me. Whether sitting or moving it adds inner warmth and no restriction of movement.

Then add/remove layers of insulation and wind/water protection as needed.

I am not afraid to spend the bucks to get high performance stuff, but this little addition can be a real asset and had for only a few bucks at garage sales etc. I only use light lambs wool version. Bulky wool or manmade materials does not work as well.
jmho
Tim

Those are great looking sweaters, but there are plenty of Merino wool and fleece pieces available here that are a fraction of the price and will work very well as mid layers.

I prefer light wool and fleece, especially the Columbia brand fleece wear for mid layers and they can be had for anywhere from $20 to $100, depending on what your needs are.

Bob

I concur. I have a Patagonia Puff-ball vest in OD green that gets taken no matter where I go or what species I'm chasing.

Dave

In the past, I've used a light wool henley sweater over my merino base layers. It worked well but didn't do much for stopping the wind. This year switched to a GSX Core jacket with Scent-lok lining. I'm not particularly sold on scent-lok but it was part of the package. It will be all I need for most of the hunting season, especially when stalking. On colder days or when glassing, I wear a Gore-Tex performance shell jacket. Both the core jacket and shell together are lighter than most of my other jackets.

I bought a WindStopper vest a couple years ago for cold-weather hiking and it's worked perfectly in that role for me.

When I'm slogging up-hill and it's generally chilly, it can be tough to maintain a balance with over-heating and getting cold. The vest keeps the wind off my torso so I maintain core-warmth while the absence of sleeves helps keep me from over heating.

Once I stop, I put on whatever jacket/parka I've calculated for the weather (cold, windy, rainy/snowy and combinations thereof).

I usually wear under-armor cold gear long johns as a base layer. Then depending on conditions and activity layer I will add another thin synthetic layer, like a pullover 1/4 zip. Both have turtle necks to prevent chaffing with the next item!

Old school 'looser' knit wool sweater. 100% wool and itchy as heck, hence the previous layers with turtle neck. Then I wear a light outer shell that is my water proof and wind proof layer.

This is my system and it works very well for me. If I am hiking I strip off the outer shell to reduce sweating, If I start to glass or sit I put it back on.


Hope this helps. Oh for a wool sweater, the uglier the better. This is key for hunting success, I just can not stress this enough.

I bought a Sitka traverse hoodie last year before 2nd rifle. ended up wearing it most days in Colorado over a merino 185 long tee. Comfortable. Seemed to breath well. Comfortable under a Kuiu Guide jacket when sitting, or cooler temps.

X2 on Cabelas Windstopper vest!

I got this and love it:

http://www.basspro.com/RedHead-1856-Fleece-Windproof-Lined-Camo-Jacket-for-Men/product/103640/

Light weight, blocks the wind and can be worn as a stand alone or under as a mid layer. Pit zips are nice as well.

As a note, I sometimes wear med sometimes large. My chest is 42" and the medium was just right, snug but not too tight.

Once you get some clothing with this feature, it is hard to go back. Really makes a difference

I love windstopper when I am stationary and usually carry some sort of windstopper layer for just that occasion. That said, I can't move very far with any windstopper gear without getting sweated up very quickly.

This shirt is amazingly warm and the soft material on the inside wicks moisture away very quickly and the outer layer dries very quickly. They really help to regulate your temp. I wear them from about 50 degrees on their own, down to well below zero as a layer. About 15yrs ago Columbia made a similar shirt called the "Dakota Shirt":

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Clothing/Mens-Hunting-Clothing/Mens-Blaze-Orange-Clothing/Mens-Blaze-Orange-Shirts|/pc/104797080/c/104748480/sc/104222880/i/104054580/Cabelas-Blaze-7-Button-Uninsulated-Shirt/726079.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fclothing-mens-hunting-clothing-mens-blaze-orange-clothing-mens-blaze-orange-shirts%2F_%2FN-1101002%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104054580%3FWTz_l%3DSBC%253BMMcat104797080%253Bcat104222880&WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104797080%3Bcat104222880%3Bcat104054580

I usually carry a windstopper/wool 1/4zip as a "put it on if I need to be stationary for a while" layer.

Even very light weight fleece worked in as a layer keeps me quite warm, especially if I'm moving at all.

For November hunting in Alberta, here is what I wear.

Upper: PowerDry Tshirt, PowerDry 1/4 zip mockT (two weights to choose depending on temp), (just switched to and so far so good) Cabelas Microtex shirt, Browning Genesis Fleece jacket (windpro?). Works so well, I haven't worn my Ravenwear jacket for several years.

Bottom: Choose from various weights of Thermax or similar underwear, if colder I pull on a pair of expedition weight PowerDry underwear, over top a Walls cotton bib. I know, cotton? It is relatively dry up here, and unless I'm rolling in the snow alot, I don't tend to get wet, and with the non-absorbing underwear, my skin is seldom wet.

To answer your question, I would look for a fleece jacket that has a high degree of wind blocking ability. WindPro seems to work well.

http://www.wildthingsgear.com/wild-...ductId=p_20101&startingPointId=20167

You can design your own jacket. (although I can live without the hood)