After hiking all over Southern Idaho this fall in my old Denim Camo pants (occasionally soaked - often cold) I'm starting to consider some of the high tech fabric pants. Are they really worth $200+? I'm not worried about any fashion statement but I would really like to find something that performs better than Denim when it is not cold enough for Fleece. I am a tightwad, most of my camo comes from Walmart and I tend to believe that the poly blend there works as good for me as under-armor. I guess what I would like to find is the equivalent or a pant that has the features but does not cost an arm and leg. What's your experience and your favorites. Thanks.

I really like light nylon pants like the REI adventure pants, a tough peach finished nylon material. They are light as a feather, tough, comfortable for hiking uphill, non-water wicking, and quieter than denim. They don't block rose thorns worth a darn though.
I wear them over a merino wool base layer either boxers (expensive but worth it) or long johns (terramars I got on sale at Sierra trading post). The merino underwear doesn't get so terrible smelling with use.

If it gets cold, (<single digits), when it gets wet out, or I am sitting and glassing for a long time I have some over pants from Rivers West to slip on. I was given a set of Cabelas Microtex pants and have seen good reviews of them but I haven't worn them yet. For still hunting in the timber I still use Johnson brand wool pants. The original pair is 30 years old and still usable but worn might thin in few places.

my understanding from those ive talked to that have used Sitka Gear(and Sitka Geat only) is that if you are hunting in wet conditions it is absolutely great to have and worth the money......if however you are hunting in typical dry northeast Montana conditions its prolly a bit of a waste.....

thats what i got from a handful of guys ive talked to that have been using it....

Depends on how/when you hunt I suppose.

I can tell you with some assurance that quality clothing assists in my success while hunting.

Dave

Having had and used both Sitka and Kuiu, I much prefer Kuiu. Great gear and worth the money. The Kuiu attack pant is incredible. I would add that I am not a big fan of the Kuiu merino as I feel you can get much better value from Minus 33, Smartwool, etc.

There are a lot of good alternatives to cotton that don't cost an arm and a leg. This year I wore some medium weight nylon pants made by North Face. It rained every day but they were comfortable and dried quick. Cabela's Microtex is pretty good and affordable too. I don't personally see the need to spend the $$ for Sitka or Kuiu, and I own both.

Check REI and the variety of soft shell hiking pants they carry from Patagonia, Marmot, REI, and Mountain Hardware. These are the same technologies that Sitka and KUIU are leveraging, but because they are delivered to a much larger market you can find them on clearance.

I bought a pair of Mountain Hardware Nima pants for $65 on closeout....they retail for north of $150 and are some of the best pants I've owned.

I have Kuiu, Sitka, Day One, Cabelas, etc and my favorite is the Core4 on Camofire! They sell other brands as well just watch but I think being comftorble doing what I enjoy makes the price worth it.

The Kuiu attack Pant with the thigh vents are incredible for warmer weather hunts when you are active. The crotch on my Sitka Ascent pants have come apart twice at the seam.

tag

It's about survival... If you're always able to walk a short distance home or to your truck, you could wear cotton and just (plan to?) go home if you get wet. If you're away from civilization, one better have a waterproof shell and some layers that dry more quickly / have some warmth when wet...

All depends on where you hunt I guess. I usually hunt where getting lost means I could be out for a night in any weather, and hypothermia isn't on my approved list of ways to die - so I buy very good gear. Shell, layers, etc...guys that hunt on family land near their house or whatever have a different culture. My buddy has hunted on family land his whole life and called me a gear whore. Miles up a mountain in TN when his sweat soaked cotton clothes were still sweat soaked hours later he was talking of upgrading his hunting gear. And that was dry and sunny weather - imagine if it started to rain and the temps dropped? Just depends on the situation..

I've found that this style hunting (hike a long way in rugged terrain, then stop and sit for a few hours motionless at dusk while temps drop) to be the very hardest clothing situation to accommodate.

This is why I first started carrying a pack on hunts. Then a bigger pack, and a "little farther in".......



Same thing happened with mine.

I used First Lite base layers and their Kanab pants for some fall scouting hikes (very wet) and for a 8 night/9 day hunt in the back country. Yes, it seemed a little expensive while I was purchasing the gear. But, after the hunt, I was very happy with the results and don't regret spending the money.

My hunting partner used some Kuiu Attack pants, and was equally satisfied.

YMMV,
Steve

I have not seen a situation here in BC hunting where I thought that Sitka or Kuiu gear would improve my safety, comfort or hunting success. I certainly have no quarrel with anyone who chooses to buy and use this gear wherever they may hunt, but, I consider it over-priced and the fitting is not workable for many hunters as they seem to think that only 20-something boy models actually hunt and wear clothing designed for that purpose.

Certainly, one DOES require GOOD gear for hunting in the mountains and in any remote area, where you may be dependent on just yourself and a partner to cope with any emergencies/injuries, but, this does not mean that one MUST buy and wear 1000s of $$$$$ worth of the latest, "high tech" and "kewl" clothing.

For, general uses, I find Cabela's Micro-Tex to be both functional and reasonable in cost and for colder conditions, I like Filson's woolen pants as well as the merino base layers/tops made by several firms, "Ice Breaker" has been my favourite and I like to wear 2-4 thinner layers rather than one heavy one or even WPB shell clothing, these under HH Impertech in the worst rain...and, I am going to buy a grey "Neoshell" parka from Westcomb, as this stuff is just incredible, based on over a year using my "APOC" in Vancouver's WET climate.

So, there are LOTS of options, I also like the light, peached nylon pants for a lot of outdoor stuff and, costly, but, superb and US-made, NOT china stuff, the "tactical" clothing from "Wild Things".

Ditto.

If you can live without a camo pattern, there are lots of "high tech" options out there for less money. I love Marmot softshell pants depending on the vegetation (lots of catclaw here in AZ).

I agree Cabela's Microtex are my favorite pants. Don't own Sitka or Kuiu pants. Have some of the lightweight Russel APX pants, but overall I think Microtex is the best bang for your dollar. Dries quick,fairly warm, tough as denim, doesn't fade, breathable but keeps some wind out (go with the full weight).

you can resale them

I think that just about ANYTHING will be better than your denims. Watch the sales (and thrift stores) for modern fabrics that are rugged and will shed water. Lots of good options nowdays!

Centershot,

Try looking at Sporthill 3SP hunting pants. They are less money than Sitka and Kuiu,
And they many sheep hunters favorite pants.

I went through your experience which prompted me to spend some money on better gear, like clothing and boots.

I have been using the Core4element line. It has certainly kept me dry and is a little cheaper compared to others.

I would do it all over again as it has certainly been worth it.

I've got almost everything listed in this thread and most of it is really good.

I've had great success with Sitka and layering different materials, but it's pricey. I think it's been worth it though and it's held iPad really well for me.

Denim has got to go for you amigo

I'm trying to work out your requirements from your posts and get the following:
1) You get by wearing denim right now, but its not ideal.
2) Your looking for something for "average" temps and something none water proof
3) You prefer not to spend a fortune and are not interested in "designer" gear"

In New Zealand, and I believe Oz, a lot of hunters wear what we would term "track suit" bottoms..they are sports pants somewhere in between the really tight running pants like Ron Hills and baggy "jogging bottoms"..

They are light, and being synthetic, dry easily, and are generally quiet. They don't have lots of pockets and are not overly hard wearing, but they cheap, so it not a major concern.

I wore some on and off for a season or two over here and after adding a few buttons to enable them to be held up with braces/suspenders, they worked fine..

In the end the local store stopped carrying them in OG, so I moved onto something else...

I tried several brands, and the First Lite is the only thing that fits me. I gave up on checking the normal backpacking stores and thrift shops. Nothing would fit. I still have some Cabela's Microtex, but now use it as a backup. The Kanab pants are definitely a step above my Microtex pants. I had a little customer service issue with First Lite, but that seems to be resolved after a little stern cuss talk with the customer service rep. Yes, I can see how the price is a deal breaker with some. They do run some clearances on their website, which is how I picked up some stuff. The rest I bought a little at a time. The First Lite stuff fits, is geared for hunting, and is good quality gear. Three pluses. Price is a possible negative.

Steve

If Cabelas made microtec in something other than camo, I'd jump on it. Had some Sitka pants I got rid of after two wearings. Couldn't stand only one rear pocket and dinky cargo pockets for that price. LOVE the fit and comfort of my Kuiu Attack pants but I think they are overpriced. They are also badly picked from a few briers in only their second season. Doubt I'd spend the money again.

I'm getting pretty well sold on all wool.

I have owned several pieces of Sitka gear. What I've found is that it's very specialized stuff. One piece may be great for you and another suck.

The 90% pants are a great piece of gear for me, and it sounds like what you need. I literally wear them every time I hunt. They are the only pair of pants I own. They are pricey, but I bought mine secondhand, and have hunted hard in them for 4 years and you can't tell them from new. I will be shocked if they don't last me 10 years. As a matter of fact, I may buy another pair just to put back in case they stop making them.

Another piece of their clothing I love is the kelvin vest, and the traverse 1/4 zip shirt. I hated the stratus line fwiw.

Love my Sitka and base layers. My favorite pc of clothing this year was my gaiters. Kept snow at bay and my pants legs clean and dry.

Thanks guys for the comments thus far - let me elaborate a bit on how I hunt. I usually start out in early September archery hunting. Weather is typically cold in the mornings ~30 degrees and warms to 60 or 70 in the afternoons. A typical elk jaunt consists of a 5-6 mile hike with 2K vertical. I sometimes bivy for a night or two. The weather is typically dry with an occasional rain shower. I usually go from the warmish bowhunting to cooler deer rifle or if I can draw a tag rifle elk hunts that are in mid to late October. This is where things get cold and wet at time. As was suggested above I've made due with denim, poly long johns and gaiters when wet. Chances of an unplanned overnighter are there but not too likely. I carry enough stuff in my pack to survive and it is rarely too wet to get a fire going. I was kind of wondering if some of these 'wonder' materials could be used for all that, still be quiet, dry and not feel like wet burlap bags draped off my legs when climbing. Sound like I'm asking an awful lot from a pair of pants, but for $200 I'd expect a lot. Thanks. I should add that I have and wear when it's really cold, old military surplus wool and or fleece pants. They work but are heavy and really suck to climb in. I do nearly all my hunting on foot and almost all requires a pretty big climb to get up where the critters are. Makes for a very difficult clothing solution to not get sweaty on the way up, yet stay warm once you get there and slow down. Layers work on the top half but are much more difficult to deal with on the lower half.

Not Sitka gear, but I do own a Rivers West jacket. It should be re-named Rivers WET! If you are stationary, it will keep you warm, HOWEVER, it holds sooo much water on the outside. If you move around and perspire, it will hold that on the inside.

Once when I was out moose hunting and returned to camp, my jacket was extremely heavy and took a long while to dry. This is one brand name I will never buy again.

I started hunting with pretty basic stuff. Do you remember cotton thermal underwear? I spent many miserable hours just trying to stay warm - back in the late 60's.
As I got smarter and had a little money, I upgraded. My cousins took me to a store called Eddie Bauer. Wow! To a 20 something, that was a world changing experience.

Now with all the new miracle fibers, 850 down and such, there is no reason to have "bad clothes". I have a set of Sleeping Indian wools (now out of biz due to death) that will last me the rest of my career - because I take care of them. I have some Kuiu stuff too. These are specialized items that cost quite a bit but if you look around, you can find great stuff on sale or clearance.

Its just me, but I have been shying away from all the camo stuff and sticking with earth tones.

Technology has been our friend here - allowing us to enjoy outdoor pursuits to the fullest.

Lotta good info posted.

The wear and tear on pants (brush, thorns, rock ledges in our steep hunting) gives them a beating compared to upper body clothing. So... I may spend a bundle on a jacket and wear pants from thrift stores and clearance sales.

For an expedition in the Arctic, I'd buy better pants...

My grandsons hunt in the jogging pants Pete mentioned. One killed a 5x6 Roosevelt with a bow in steep rain forest this Fall, the other stalked and killed a coastal blacktail buck with his recurve while wearing such. It works.

Will ditto that the soft peach finish on nylon pants from REI are super comfortable and dry instantly if given a chance. Don't know if anyone has mentioned my staple of light weight wool dress pants from thrift stores. Water resistant, lighter weight and vastly more comfortable cut than denim jeans - and no cotton to kill you!

For pure trail hiking on a cleared trail in cool weather, a pair of light nylon shorts over silk weight (or real silk) long johns is a super comfortable ensemble. I wore that while packing out a buck, sans the shorts, longies only-- and met some granola hikers on the trail of course. I said nothing and let them think I was trendier than they were.

Okanagan;
Thanks for the chuckle this evening sir - I can just picture the granola hiker's reaction.

A few years ago here on the 'Fire when the subject of lightweight pants came up, I believe it was you who suggested to me to try 100% wool dress pants picked up at a thrift store.

So when the local Value Village opened up I combed the racks and came up with a pair of Canadian Armed Forces dress pants -100% wool and a tight, tough weave - for $6.

I liked them so much I picked up another pair of pants labeled from a men's shop in Edmonton and again Canadian made - for another $6.

So help me until the snow hits and it freezes hard up on the mountain behind the house I hunt in those thrift store pants - in combination with Stanfield's lightweight wool underwear when it gets cooler.

Now admittedly it's fairly dry here - most years not this one as mentioned - but so far I'm more than satisfied with the light wool pants in warmer weather. If they rip in half I'm out $6 and so far I've not managed to tear a single hole in them.

For the record and Okanagan can verify this, I'm all of 5'6" with my arms waving in the air - so when someone who can double as a lawn gnome has to traverse BC mountain shin tangle its not unusual for clothing (pants) to suffer.

Oh, the one thing I would say is it might be a good idea to take a belt of the same width used hunting along to the thrift store as some dress pants have a thin belt loops.

Hopefully that was some use to someone out there Okanagan. All the best to you and yours in the upcoming week.

Dwayne

Hi Dwayne,

Always enjoy your style, plus you always have something worthwhile to add.

Disclosure: the reason I was hiking sans outer pants and only in long johns was that I tore my thrift store pants badly enough to leave them on the mountain. That's the only time that happened, but when they don't cost much there is little downside to burning your pants in the last campfire.

Partly what has shaped my thinking is a time when a good friend tore his $200 pants as we richochetted down a snowfield pinballing off of boulders. My $6.00 pants fared about the same. It was a controlled sliding descent, not a fall. That's a fast way to descend off the mountain but rough on pants.

I bought a pair of Sporthill 3SP pants and returned them. They felt too much like wearing sweat pants.

I tried KUIU attack pants. I wasn't impressed.

The pants I use the most are Cabelas Microtec, military BDUs and surplus military wool pants. BDUs are the most comfortable but are 50/50 cotton/poly. I won't wear them if I'm expecting wet weather. Microtecs are great pants and dry quickly. The wool pants are worn when the highs are below 40 degrees.

The Sporthill 3SP clothing is designed for colder weather, that stuff is way too warm for hunting in Aug-Sept. I've got a pair of the original camo (looks like they spray painted them) Sporthill pants and the only time I wear them is when it's 20� or colder outside. This is where these pants really shine. I wore them on a mid Oct moose hunt, there was over 2 feet of snow on the ground and the temps never got about 25�. I never once got cold and I stayed dry even while hiking through all that snow.

For early season hunting, the Core4 stuff is hard to beat but after reading some reviews on the Kryptek gear I think that is next on the list. Not too sure about their new camo pattern but i've heard good things about the clothing.

Rattler, I use Sitka Mountain pants with fleece and wool base layers and I'm very impressed with them. I'm in pretty dang dry country, and while they certainly aren't the end all of hunting pants, I'm fairly convinced that I'm getting my money's worth out of them even though they are pricey.

Mainly, they fit me great, they are good for a lot of movement, as mentioned they repel water really well, and they are tougher than they get credit for.

I have been climbing and hunting the mountains for 50 years now in many countries. IME gear built for alpinists has led the way for many years.Just got back from wolf hunting in the Sawtooths. Temps ranged from mid 60's in late Oct. to 0 last week. I used a pair of North Face "schoeller" [sp] climbing pants for everything. I added light weight synthetic long johns when it got colder and layered marmot gtx side zipped pants when it was blowing and snowing. I really like the gusset crotch, stretchy material and zippered pocets on theTNF pants. Everything was purchased on sale at REI. Good Gear is always worth the money but getting it in camo is, IMO a waste of money.

mike r

I like the cabelas microtex for the basic hunting clothing in tops and bottoms. Also run the polyester kings shirts and pants.

For waterproof shells top and bottom I have been using products from the Browning line for the last 3 years. Browning has really upped its game recently and I think its the best buy out there.

I like heavy fleece or 800 fill power down for insulating layers as well as poly base layers.

I've just tried the Microtex shirts and am favourably impressed so far. It is getting to the point where I have to replace my Walls Bibs. I love the pattern, but when it is wet, the cotton sucks, but is moderated by layers of synthetic underwear.

I am interested in the Microtex pants, but wish they made bibs as I've become attached to them.

This is what I've worn for more than 10 years (2 pair).

http://www.walls.com/mossy-oak-non-insulated-bib

Would love that pattern in a better material.

I've got KUIU, Microtex, and various cotton varieties of pants. Any ol pair of cotton pants will put the KUIU Attack pants to shame if there are thorns around and its dry. They do snag and pull way too easy. They are nice if its a bit rainy or windy and there are no thorns to stick on. They have the best cut of any pants but the material is really no better than Microtex in my experience.

For synthetic pants without the camo, look at Arborwear Tech Pants.

If you can find a pair of Microtex pants in the Bargain Cave at Cabela's that fit you well, I would say they are the best bet for your money, by far!

I have a BUNCH of Sitka gear, I like it and my wife loves to buy it for me. It makes her happy knowing whatever she purchases will be used. My gear works well, it isn't anything super but it has held up and I find the cut fits me well. The real performer is my Sitka Downpour rain gear, I've never had rain gear work that well. The 90% jacket is too heavy for the performance delivered. Celsius bibs are a delight to wear. The ascent pants are so-so but I do wear them a lot. The base layer faded heavily after a couple of washings but is warm and comfortable although I most commonly wear SmartWool. Beanie is nice, light, warm, and comfortable; I've slept in it several nights camping. The ball cap is my favorite but it does leak a tad where the bill meets the cap during heavy rain. Never warmed to wearing the vest but it is a nice add on really cold days.

My all time favorite pants are Eddie Bauer Mountain Guide Pants. The Schoeller material out performs anything I've ever worn. I haven't tried them in the briers but have slid on lots of rocks. They do keep me warm and dry and the stretch makes it SOOOO comfortable. Heard about them here first.

I recently returned for a CO elk hunt where we hunted in a foot or more of snow. For the trip I picked up a pair of Gore-Tex Upland Field Pants from LL Bean to replace a pair of rain pants. They are light weight compared to other hunting pants and, after washing, were not any more noisy than my other pants. They are also briar-proof and proved to be waterproof even when sitting in snow for an hour or so at a time. Best $139 I've spent on hunting clothing.

I have a lot of the pricey gear and use it hard. I do have to say that I really liked the 1st gen sitka mtn pants for example,I still use a pr after 8 yrs of hard use, but the newer stuff often seems to have too many silly doodads on it. I do use cabelas microtex, I find cabelas gear hit or miss but the microtex stuff works great. Recently got a pair of LL bean north weave pants, they are really really nice and only $60, and they come in green as well as camo. note they do run really small, I wear 35 jeans and needed 38s.

Like others have said, there is a world of difference in the gear I need in remote high el country when I am backpacking or need to plan to spend and survive a night out .vs. on my visits to my Buddy's ranch...

Have a lot of newer high tech gear. Most Sitka is decent but it doesn't hold a candle to Kuiu.

No, they're not worth the financial expense, and that conclusion comes from 50+ years of traversing the back country, internationally.

I love this thread. I don't have the experience or the $$$ to evaluate all of the mega-dollar clothing out there, and when people who have a decade of heavy outdoor clothing use write that there are good lower-dollar alternatives out there, I listen.

Speaking of which, Maverick, do you mind telling us what you use?

Would also like to know what you like to use Maverick. Thanks.

Back up, time for some new pants - what's a good one?

Core4Element, Kryptek, First Lite, and Cabelas has some pretty good stuff as well. Try Camofire.com or Black Ovis.

I posted this statement on 6/9/2014

"Got caught in that storm that spawned a tornado in Salida on Sunday. Think of the William Tell Overture. That's the storm that I got caught in. Most of the time my expensive gear isn't really necessary. But that storm is the kind that justifies needing the best."

KC

Of late, the ML season is Co has been wetter than usual.
I had a set of the expensive Cabelas packable raingear and they don't hold up. This year I have a set of Bass Pro, not packable, but heavier. They were 1/2 the price.

Strolling thru Cabelas yesterday in Lone tree, I checked all the rain gear out. Ain't no way in hell I am paying $300 for a jacket or pants or even $150.

When in the saddle. I throw a heavy duty pauncho over the saddle, with the horn sticking out of the head opening, then I put on the rain gear. I am very dry that way, even in heavy downpours and all my gear/tack stays dry. For snow use, I have a set of insulated bib's I got on sale at Dick's for 1/2 price. About $50. They keep me warm and they are almost water proof.
I guess I could se it if you are guiding or such and out in the weather for several months at a time or maybe Alaska where it is always wet.

Guys that are buying this stuff have a heck of a lot more money that I do.

I tend to not hunt in the rain or a snow storm. I have found the animals hole up and hunting success goes way down. I do like they do. If I am out and about, I hunker down under some big pine tree and wait it out. If I get up in the AM and it is snowing or raining, I go back to bed. Hunting is suppose to be fun, and getting soaked or even being out in the rain or snow isn't. When you get older with a few more rings under your bark, you get smarter.

I'm not sure if I'm any smarter, but I tend to remember my mistakes and I try not to repeat them.

KC

High quality synthetic pants, shorts and jackets at Goodwill??
Yep. Gore-tex, Dry Plus, wool, wool-blend, etc. Sitka, maybe not. You don't need to go to the top of the market for good synthetics. Those brands may indeed be worth the price, but that did not seem to be the question from the OP.

Regarding performance underwear, I have a pair of $20 Underarmor boxers that are 10 years old, and 4 $20 pairs that are 3 years old. The older pair are twice as good quality as the newer pairs for the same coin. I'll look elsewhere for boxers next time.

65/35 milsurp pants will get you a long, long way. They come in lighter and heavier weights. Add gaiters and you've pretty much got it knocked. Especially if there's room for a layer underneath. I wear DryPlus rain pants over them if it is super cold. But if you are moving, they are warm enough. To sit in a blind, I take a sleeping bag ...

How many rocket-science features can be in a beanie cap? Seriously. You're paying for the sweet matching logo.

Looking at the website a guy could wear 1k worth of clothes

My brown bear guide for 2016 recommends either Sitka or Swazi out of New Zealand, the latter being outrageously expensive. We will be using Sitka. He also suggests Helly-Hansen Impertech, particularly if the Goretex coat is not Sitka or Swazi and is more than a couple of years old. He also suggests lightweight chest waders with wading boots. It will be what we use. I expect to have rain at least 50% of the time.

KUIU Attack pants ,done

I agree partially. I have welcomed the advent of these new garments. I like less bulk, equal warmth which equates to greater mobility. The poly blends work very, very well. But, they will stink after first wearing & I don't like that. I will pay the money for the effective thinner stuff.

I do have a King of the Mountain wool coat. That thing will cook toast by itself.

I only use Sitka or Kuiu for the merino base layers. Think Filson wool, it's been working for hundreds of years (Wool, not Filson). It retains 80% of body heat when wet, doesn't smell like azz after a few days wearing it, and is pretty rugged in rough country. Down sides are it takes FOREVER to dry if you do get it wet, and it can be bulky heavy, but I find I don't need extra heavy weight wool if I just layer. I start with Merino wool base layer by KUIU, First Lite or Sitka, and Smartwool socks, Filson wool shirt, Filson wool vest and a heavy wool sweater for if it gets really cold. Wool pants are either LL Bean or lighter weight Filson with gortex gaiters. Wool hat, wool gloves. I never get cold and carry my layers in my pack. I've got a Filson waterfowl sweater with the wind stopper lining that keeps me warm down into the teens easily. Good wool pieces can also be pricey, but I've got a few pieces that have seen regular use in the field for 25-30 years and they are still going strong.

PS- you don't need camo, plaid and solid colors worked long before all the new fangled camo patterns came out. Admittedly, my rain gear (Cabela's MT050) is camo, but it doesn't come out of the pack all that often, and I still fill my fair share of tags.

I use a lot of wool, some surplus stuff I have had and used for years. I don't expect to be needing it in spring coastal Alaska. I have been eyeballing the Kuiu rain wear lately though. Seems to be a fair bit heavier but also a fair bit less costly.

I have been spending some money on KUIU gear and I have to say that I am really impressed with the attack pants. They fit well and are very comfortable to hike in. I love the side thigh zipper vents, they really work. They are tons better than the old Norwegian milsurp heavy wool I have used in the past.
I am also totally amazed with how light this clothing is. Their down jackets and zip T seem so light and thin I thought that there was no way they would keep me warm in the mountains but they sure do seem to. Their down Zip T is really nice for a first layer over the base merino.
My only question is that this stuff is so light weight I wonder how it will hold up over the long haul.


Bill

as much as you can get away from cotton. I have no idea who is paying all that money for sitka, cabelas has some stuff that is priced at least as much. For pants I wear what I normally wear everyday, tru spec 24 7 cargo pants, coyote tan, which actually blends decently in the rocky terrain I normally hunt. I also have the same pants in multi cam, which is a pretty darn good all around camo pattern from mountains to sage brush desert. my pants are comfortable, functional, tons of pockets and dry quickly when wet. if I am hunting below 25 degrees I put on a compression type 100% polyester long john under them. If I am hunting below 15-20 degrees I go with a cabelas outfitter wool pant. I don't normally do much hiking when its that cold so a heavy pant works just fine.

for tops I run a polyester thin shirt, then a polyester hoodie, then a cabelas wooltimate coat. the wooltimate coat is amazing it comfortable from 60 degrees riding around in the truck to around 0. I have packable rain gear if needed. I think someone mentioned wet hunting conditions is where sitka works great. thinking more about it thats probably correct. I actually don't normally hunt in wet conditions much. a summer cloud burst is all I have to worry about.

I have come full circle and started wearing wool again, although I still use a Gore-Tex Pro shell jacket. I wear merino base layers and usually a wool sweater as a second layer. I have a pair of First Lite Kanab merino wool pants and for colder weather, a pair of Cabelas Superwash 24 oz (heavy) wool pants. It is probably just me, but whether I'm still hunting, or chasing elk in CO, wool just seems to help in regulating my body temperature better than some of the hi-tech fabrics. I do wish wool pants were lighter, but I guess it is an acceptable trade-off for comfort.

One thing's certain, wet cotton will kill you, or make you wish you were dead.

I have to agree with the other folks about wool pants. I've used WWII "Ike" pants and some German wool pants of unknown origin I got from Cabelas, and they work very well. They would probably be termed medium weight, but are no heavier than denim and very warm. The thrift store dress pants idea sounds like a good one.

I have a Filson double mack and a washable wool coat from Cabelas and like them very much, but they are much too heavy for climbing. My go-to coat is an old Cabelas waterfowl parka, so old that it's made in America. It's a medium weight shell with thinsulate and Gore Tex. It's very light, very warm, and completely wind and waterproof. I can take it off or unzip it for hiking, but even if I don't, it doesn't drown me in my own sweat. Obviously, it's not available any more, but something like it surely is.

I like fleece for it's light weight, price, and comfort, but all of it retains too much moisture for me. The same is true for the ECWACS long underwear I've been wearing lately. I'm looking for a replacement.

Bow hunting with my grandson the other day we met a hunter outfitted head to foot in Sitka Gear. As we drove on my grandson said, "That guy was wearing $800 worth of Sitka Gear and maybe a lot more."

Wool dress pants. Thin, light weight: all of the benefits of wool in less weight than jeans and a far more comfortable cut.

Okanagan, I've had this suggested before and I may have to make a trip to a local thrift store to check it out. How is the durability of thinner wool dress pants?

I have a Sitka 90% jacket that I bought 6-7 years ago and I love it. Last year bought Kryptic pant and like them and just bought some Sitka ascent pants online. Been wearing Kings pants/shirts for years. Will see how the new wear.

Biggs300;
While I'm not Okanagan - he's much taller and has much more hair than I - I'll say that the same pants that I posted about on this thread - page 2??? - last season made it through another season and still have no holes in them so far this year.

So far I'm very happy with the wool dress pants I've been hunting with, again though I'll say if you wear a belt then you might want to take it along to the thrift store as some of them have very small/thin belt loops.

Again though, for $6 invested they seem to be a good investment - hey I paid that for a trendy coffee this morning at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal in Vancouver.

Hopefully that was some use to you sir and good luck on your hunts this fall whichever pair of pants you end up in.

Dwayne

They are tougher than we might expect if they are quality material to begin with, pretty close to half faded jeans for how easily they tear. My best ever were Pendleton wool and they lasted five seasons (apparently custom sewn for somebody). Others have lasted for one trip. A little bit of synthetic blend doesn't hurt anything IMO though virgin wool is my first choice.

I stock up with a few extras in case I ruin a pair. Don't know how to describe better quality wool fabric but it is usually a tight weave, even if soft on the surface. The good stuff is tough even if very thin.

Just back from a bow hunt for elk on the Olympic Penninsula. I wore super thin peach-finish nylon pants (REI ?) and alternated a pair of thin wool dress pants though it was so warm I didn't wear the wool much.

Like many have said here I went synthetic for a couple of years for the waterproof features but wasn't really comfortable in a broad range of temperatures like I had been with wool. I have the cabelas, Codet, Columbia, and LLBean pants or jackets most were gift card eBay or thrift store purchases and there is a pretty good variety of weights. I treat the seat and knees every year with camp dry spray from Walmart and that helps sitting in the snow .

Layering is important if you plan to hike 2 miles and gain 1000 feet in the dark then have to sit for an hour pre-dawn in 0 degrees. I try to go with wicking polyester and wool with light rain gear and some fleece, the Cabelas parka and a vacuum packed synthetic down vest get dragged along of it could be very cold and windy. Old Pendleton shirts are a great layer as are light merino sweaters. Medium heavy wool pants poly or wool base layer wool shirt and light waterproof wind breaker covers a lot of temperature variation. I like the light frog togs if all I'm doing is sitting in the rain and not hiking through thick brush.

If there is any place you can cut costs hunting in the mountains it is in the area of clothing. Good boots and expensive optics have a lot better payback than fancy name brand clothes. As long as you stay away from cotton you can be comfortable on days that change from 20 to 55 degrees and then drop to 0. Besides the idea is to get them a little bloody after all.

New tech and old fangled:

FWIW a pic of my 17 year old grandson's lower legs while he was bow hunting for elk last week on the Olympic Peninsula. Wool flannel dress pants from Good Will with the new toe shoes or whatever they call them. He climbed up and down canyons all day in those and got within bow range of two bulls, though he passed the shots due to iffy factors that risked wounding.

Problem is that no matter how much money you spend on that clothing is that despite claims, when you need it to keep you dry, it won't. Boss tried the latest and greatest Kuiu rain jacket this summer out on the boat. After a few days, he was back to pvc. He had their previous model the year before, and same result.

I'm guessing that if your boss climbed a mountain in his PVC he'd be wet too....

No doubt!

I don't mind spending $$$$ on quality stuff. "Worth it" only matters to me. OMMV.

Ohhhhh to have young ankles again.

I just don't have the resources to spend the kind of money some do on high end clothing for my hunting trips. But I do need good clothing for the changing weather conditions we constantly run into.
I am a pretty thrifty shopper (well trained by my wife) and I look around constantly for good sales on all kinds of gear, including hunting gear.

I shop for most of my hunting gear at the END of hunting season when the clearance sales come out and I avoid the highest end clothing like the plague as I've had great experiences with lower priced gear in weather that would drown and elk/deer, freeze a penguin, or boil water- sometimes in the same day.

As almost everyone on this site knows, layering is essential to being comfortable in changing conditions. To me, that means carrying a pack to carry the different layers as I go through my day from dawn to dusk.

With layering, only one layer has to be REALLY good, the others can be average as you can stay warm with a wool layer as long as the other layers don't interfere with it's action. Same with synthetic under layers and outer layers.

I shop for most of my hunting camo at Columbia outlets in this area, since they are headquartered here and have great availability at the stores here. I've found their hunting clothing and boots to be as good as anyone's and I get it at bargain prices at around the begining/middle of hunting seasons, which is when the clearance sales come on to make room for spring fashions.
Other manufacturers have the same system, so become a better shopper and you can get great clothing at bargain prices.

Cabelas also has some great hunting clothing for great seasonal prices if you watch their sales. Get on their email list and you will be notified of great sales coming up.

For me, though, I've got Columbia gear I've been wearing for many years on tough elk and deer hunts and it has held up great and kept me comfortable from walking up mountains to sitting and glassing in 2 feet of snow at dawn/dusk. A very few times when it has been particularly nasty I've had to start a fire to warm up or dry off, but that has been rare and only in the worst conditions when I was afraid of becoming hypothermic. Another reason to carry a pack with adequate supplies to start a fire, carry food, etc....

Bob

Bet he didn't walk on rocks or shale much in those.............

If he did, he's one tough SOB.

MM

Slow reply, Fall time distracts me from the internet!

I was amazed at how he climbed up and down in deep steep canyons all day in those things. He loves them but after three days his ankles were scratched and bruised from shale and especially from blackberry vines, so he went back to boots. We talked about rigging him some ankle leggings/gaiters to go with the toe shoes.

He said that they grip rock well but are surprisingly slick on many rain forest surfaces. The pads are Vibram, notorious for being slick on wet wood.

Near as I can make out from the September Sports Afield which someone (probably my FIL) subscribed me to, I can't kill a deer for less than $10,000 in clothes, optics, firearms, etc...

Here in the Arctic, I struggle along with some insulated bibs (read Carharts type), synthetic underwear, 40 below Hogden Pacs, fleece pants, a synthetic hoodie, and a Mouton Eskimo-built parky in the coldest weather when I'm out traveling on the snow machine. The parky is now 39 years old -the wrist wolverine trim is pretty much gone- damned campfires!

In lighter weather(read above minus 15), the Eskimo Parka is exchanged for a Cabela's goose down jacket topped by a medium wt Gore-tex insulated parka.

My answer is no- cheaper stuff- appropriately chosen and layered is all you need. The fancy stuff is ego-fluff, effective, but not necessary.

People have hunted cold/inclement weather for millenium without it.

Fine, but after I shot my moose last month, we had 72 hours of mostly rain, when we had to quarter the moose and portage it twice over river blockages, often in driving rain. I have had varying success with different rain gear. Many will work well if you can put them on dry over dry layers and sit still even in driving rain. But when you start working like a mule in the rain, you eventually will get wet (sweating from the inside or raining from the outside). When that happens, you need to have good synthetic or wool layers that still work somewhat. You'll be wet nonetheless, but you still can be reasonably warm.

When hunting there are two things that are very important to me: 1) stay warm, and 2) stay alive, not necessarily in that order. Whether Army surplus or from Wal-Mart or wherever, the source of clothing is unimportant. Name brands mean nothing and cost is a secondary concern. The camo pattern means nothing to me, either, other than I go for fall colors rather than winter white. How the clothing works is the most important thing.

Good insulated and waterproof boots, good gloves, army surplus wool pants, a wool shirt and wool-blend long johns compromise my cold weather gear. Coats and jackets vary depending on just how cold and/or wet it is. As required by Colorado law, blaze orange is my outerwear for body and head. (It goes well with all camo patterns. )

If the weather is nice an insulated blue-jean coat and denim camo pants will be fine for my hunting. In my pack I�ll have heavy-duty contractor-size plastic bags, which serve as butt-be-dry ground cover, emergency rain wear and water/windproof emergency shelter. I also carry a waterproof rain suit that folds up small and occupies a small corner of my pack.

Cotton kills. OK if dry, but not wet.

If I am at all in doubt about getting wet/ sweaty, I wear nothing of cotton. I've been hunting 45 years in Alaska- on the Alaska Peninsula, mostly on the Kenai, some in Interior, a fair bit in the Arctic. More backpacking than from the ATV or snow machine.

OK- unless it's around the yard- then I can go in, change clothes, and have a hot buttered rum. Gotta plan ahead, ya know!

Here is what is currently in my hunting clothing arsenal:

A couple pairs of light weight/fast drying nylon pants originally designed for rafting I believe. My SIL sent them to me- she and her hubby run a rafting service out of Billings in season... Real nice for warm weather/ exertion hiking, or even as an under -layer.

One pair of LL Bean fleece pants- about 30 years old.
One pair of Cabela's Gore-tex rain pants- ditto - windstopper, not so much for rain anymore, or ever... I sent the first pair back after 3 days use in heavy rain/vegetation - no diff in second pair - but I kept it.

A couple pairs of 60/40 (synthetic/cotton) pants for cooler, but dry weather use. Or under my bibs when snow-machining. Don't work too bad in wetter weather, either.

One set of Under-Armour synthetic long underwear - I wear the bottoms in cold weather sometimes- the tops only twice - relegated to "not-wear". Too clammy and tight.

Several pairs of synthetic Cabela's briefs (MTA MTM ???)

About 18 pairs of synthetic T's - various earth colors - worn also on an almost daily basis. ( White cotton T-s are for dress-up, travel, or lay-about at home.)

I get these synthetic T's whenever they are on sale on Sportsman's Guide.

A couple pairs of synthetic, camo, long-sleave T's - pretty much worn out after 15-20 years hunting use...

A couple pairs of Cabela's synthetic long-underwear bottoms - loose fitting. Medium and heavy weights.

Synthetic insulation/ nylon covered bibs - cold weather ATV or Sno-go use. Sometimes I use the Carharts instead. Dry pretty fast if wet.

Top side wear, besides the previously mentioned T's - I have several synthetic hoodies. One, purchased last year, is even in camo! The other two are dark/light multi-colored- good enough for color-blind critters- and both about 30 years old...

A pale grey/green Cabela's down jacket.

A long-length semi-"urban camo" fleece jacket. Blends well in alpine rocky, or even the woods..

A Mad Dog? Mossy-oak (good tundra design too!) medium wt. "breathable" parka in large ( bought 6 years ago so I could put a belt around it and carry the late Dachshund inside - he loved to hunt, but not the wet so much.... ) But it works well alone, even better with the down or fleece jackets inside.

One Browning 50/50 camo shirt. Sometimes worn - mostly around home or as a camp shirt.

Cold weather/snow-machining/Arctic hunting pull-over Eskimo Parka, hand-sewn out of 6 Mouton sheep skins, skin out, wolverine trim, with snow and dress covers. I think it cost me $160 for materials back in '74. Emma Nashookpuk sewed it for me there in Pt. Hope - a perfect fit after she eyed me over for about 30 seconds.. She liked me, and was concerned for my dumwhiteass safety and that white-man's parka I had. Which was admittedly inadequate for going out of the village.

That mouton parka saved my butt in the Arctic at least twice in the last 40 years... including the time I put the snowmachine thru an overflow up to my nipples 12 miles from home in 10 degree weather, with light wind, and had to walk home. I did have a complete change of dry clothes (bibs and parka excepted) on the over-flow thing. Lots of fun stripping naked and changing!!! Those bib legs got a little stiff on the 5 hour walk home, but I never got cold ....

Parka is too hot to wear on the Kenai, mostly, or anything above a -30 chill factor.

I have couple other heavy parkas with synthetic fill/coverings. None camo, tho I do have snow-covers for them.

Rain gear - gave up on all the fancy expensive stuff. Fairly inexpensive light or heavy weight (depending on if I am hunting and/or river-running) Helly Hanson is all I use anymore, with the exception of the two "breathable" items mentioned above, and a 20 year old shell "breathable" rain gear parka from Cabelas, which again is (and was from the start - plus 3 days of weather - mostly useful as a wind-breaker - and those I mostly use in very light drizzle or snow... they'll work for that. The HH non-breathable stuff works well enough with all-synthetic understuff if you leave it open enough to ventilate or draft while moving (much like that heavy mouton parka!!)

I have virtually no use for "breathable" stuff based on past experience - with the exception of headgear and boots, and that Mad Dog parka, which, because it is so large, "breathes" as much or more by convection draft out the neck as it does thru the membrane, I think.

If you aren't moving - like in a drizzly duck/deer blind or snow machining in snowfall - I have found that "breathable" simply does not live up to the hype in heavy weather, dense wet vegetation, or exertion.

I seldom use wool, as it is too heavy when wet (or dry!) and too slow drying. Synthetic fleece works better, if you can keep the wind off it. Be aware not all things advertised as "fleece" is synthetic - some is cotton.

I generally use either wool glove liners or synthetic fleece gloves for hunting - Gore-Tex ones make my hands sweat and get cold. For cold weather use on the snow-machine, I wear heavy synthetic finger gloves inside military wool-lined mitts- the ones with the fuzz on the back for wiping one's nose.... I also have handlebar mitts, since neither the ATV nor the Bravo has heated handlebars.

Things get serious, I carry chemical hand warmers packets for gloves, boots, or to slip inside front pants pockets to heat the femoral artery as it goes by.... And sometimes in the sleeping bag.

I have yet to find it necessary to spend several hundreds of dollars on a single item of hyped clothing, but if you have the bucks and feel the need, have at it.

las -

I agree cotton kills. Your forays into the AK backcountry doubtless put you at far greater risk than typical hunts in the lower 48, especially hunts like my group does where we are limited to how far we can go by how far our legs will take us and still get us back to the truck by or shortly after dark - provided all goes as planned. Plus we are generally in an area where firewood or sage for a fire is plentiful and cell coverage is surprisingly good in much of the area.

The worst we've experienced in terms of threats to life was a few years back when an ex-boss joined us. He was hunting alone and fell into a creek. Fortunately his truck was just a couple hundred yards up the hill. No idea what kind of clothing he was wearing but I know he got pretty cold trying to get back up the hill.

A couple years ago my long time hunting buddy sprained his ankle coming out through the sage after dark. The sprain was so bad the doc said he would have been better off with a clean break. That ended his hunt and his wife drove out from Denver to take him home. Not life threatening but a painful walk a mile back to the truck.

My personal worst was on a dove hunt in September heat in SE Colorado. Left my boots at home and took a hit to my achilles tendon area from a rattler. Even though it only got one fang in me my foot swelled up like a football and was extremely painful for several days. Fortunately the truck was a close by and a hospital was 15-20 minutes away. Don't think I'll forget my boots again and will definitely pay more attention to what is on the ground. Boot might not make a difference, though, as the brother of one of the pastors I was hunting with took a hit just below his knee several decades earlier and nearly lost his leg.

Your point is well taken, though, and more poly would be welcome. Might see what I can find in the next week or two. It looks like I'll have a hunting partner (SIL) for the first few days of the hunt this year but if I don't get my elk then I'll be alone for the remainder. Wife wants me to get an emergency transponder, too, in case my hip gives out and I can't make it back to the truck.

Hopefully the biggest risk I'll face this year is having a heart attack while packing out. Seems I get most of my elk after everyone else has gone home.

I noticed Costco now has poly/merino wool underwear for about $18 each. Should work good.

I usually wear poly underwear, blue jeans and have rain gear with me. I make it a point though to stay dry. I don't hunt in the rain and hole up if it is snowing. I found out a long time ago, elk hole up in a snow storm but you had best be out there right away after it stops snowing.

Thanks for the heads up on that. Picked up a top/bottom set at the Parker store last night.

Also picked up a shirt, cotton outer with poly fleece liner, for $20. If nothing else it will be good when lounging in the camper, which is hard to heat.

Saddlesore, just noticed your comments above. Your comments about deer and elk holing up in rain are accurate IME when hunting the Rockies and inland dry BC mule deer country. Surprisingly, we've found that the opposite seems true for most animal behavior on the wet coast. The BEST time to hunt PNW blacktail deer is in a light long lasting rain (normal weather IOW )

After using synthetics for 20 years, I switched to Filson woolens and waxed cotton shells about 13 years ago. No matter what the conditions synthetics always left me feeling clammy....IMO they simply don't breathe enough.

Filson make a pretty darn good hunting boot as well.

Every hunting adventure comes with some risk. There is a big difference walking out to your trees stand 1/4 mile away from a cabin versus a drop off backpack trip in a remote area. The folks up in Alaska know this all too well and those who post here should be considered 'value added' to the forum. This is not to say a remote trip into the western lower 48 comes without danger.

I think back to our first western big game hunt in 1981 near Kaycee WY.. We wore a lot of cotton camo stuff and cotton thermal underwear. We got wet and cold but we didn't know any better and hell, we were shooting mules and pronghorns. Over the years we wised up to Eddie Bauer, LL Bean (pre-yuppy) and later Cabelas and so on.

My trips to Alaska in all seasons sealed the deal on the need for proper gear that is usually pretty expensive. But your comfort and survivability is much improved.
Put it bluntly, there is no reason to be routinely wet or cold with the high tech clothing and support gear available today. Buy smart - cause you generally get what you pay for. Forums like this help speed up your learning curve on what works and what fails.

I'm back to wool, myself. I haven't tried every synthetic product out there, but absolutely have not been impressed with the Kuiu or Sitka products, especially their pants. They are light, and keep you dry until you poke or wear a hole in them, and that ain't too difficult. I like plain jeans better when its not wet out.

I wear jeans warm weather, jeans with gators when I need them and wool when the snow is more than a foot or so deep, or the rain is coming down hard. I am all about Filson 100% virgin wool bibs and their tin products.

I'm a big fan of wool. I'm going to slowly move my clothing towards First Lite.

I use filson double tins for winter trapping, love them over a merino base layer.

I also prefer Patagonia over all the camo hunting garb out now days.