Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Lower body layering system

Dec 1-5 , New Mexico / Colorado line .
Here is where I’m at right now.
FL Aerowool 150 long boxer briefs
FL glenbrook 3/4 aerowool 150
Sitka mountain pants
FL Uncompaghre pants
Marmont precip pants
Kenetrek gaiters

Am I good to go or should I add another base layer that can be doubled up ?

Was thinking about a pair of the kuiu with zips , so they could be put on or taken off easily .

Have not used those but you should be good. I like pants or overalls with full length zippers these are easy to put on when you stop to glass or if the weather changes. The Marmot precip pants are nice but not the quietest for walking but good for sitting especially with snow on the ground. You could use Nikwax DWR spray on the main outer pants and be good until you get really wet conditions.

Milsurp uniform wool pants. This pic is the East German variety, available for $13. The only drawback is that they have button flies. I HATE those things. I replaced them with zippers.
They're good down to maybe 20F and up to 70. A pair of polypro long johns takes them down to well below 0. The uniform pants are lighter than the heavy cargo pants and easier to wear. Cheap, indestructible, comfortable, quiet, and butt ugly, but who cares.

They don’t look so bad, when I gotta pee now, I gotta pee, wouldn’t care for buttons either.

What you have should be fine, especially with the puffy pants. I was out on the NM/CO border this past weekend where it was swinging between low 20s and mid 50s and was getting by with a pair of lightweight long underwear underneath a pair of gridded fleece Cabelas pants and I was fine.

Especially with cold hands and fingers 🥶

If there is room in your outer/shell layer, I’ve found that polypropylene Polar Fleece Thermal Sweatpants can add a lot of warmth. They seem to breathe well and they add a lot of insulation. They do add some bulk but for $20 they’re a real value. When it’s super cold or it’s pretty cold and I’m planning on doing a bunch of sitting or glassing, I’ll put these fleece sweatpants on over my thermals and under my shell layer.

I went from feathers to thermal underwear, now a big fan of fleece, layered as needed. But, 20* is really cold here. Mostly in the 30*'s, which isn't that cold compared to the North.

I sweat under the feathers and get cold. Thermal underwear works; I just love the feel of fleece and the way it wicks away moisture.

Heavy wool like Cabelas sells is good. Hunting bud really believes in that.

DF

Depending on types of precipitation, snow conditions, altitude, activity considered, temps and wind velocities, usually use one or a combination of these:

32 Deg. brand base layers.

Merino base layers.

Light to mid-light fleece.


MH Mountain Bibs, Tru-Spec H2O ECWCS pants or MH Returnia Pants as shells.

The bibs and ECWCS easily accomodate Marmot Tarn or Scree pants with mid layers and/or tactical clothing with mid layers.

RC you get those through Sportsman’s Guide?

Op it appears to me that you’re good to go just being your layers so when you stop you can stack em. Just don’t forget to get a little cold before stacking or you’ll end up damp and freezing.

Elk hunt?

I've had mine for a long time and bought them locally. I searched for 'milsurp wool pants' and got quite a few hits. The trick is to find the right size.

I'd want access to a mid-weight fleece base layer as well. You might not need it every day or all the time but fleece, especially new fleece has a LOT of insulating ability for minimal weight/space. One of my hunting buddies has the Kuiu bottoms w/zips and they're a doggone good idea for adding/sobtracting warmth pretty quickly.

Recommend knee length heavy fleece pants over lower mid layers when sitting in snow or very low temps with waterproof shells.

Why would you sit in the snow for any length of time? A small foam pad or chunk of Z rest weighs nothing, takes up no space and serves multiple functions. And doesn't make your crotch sweat while working hard.


mike r

Wow! Really?? Thanks for telling me about THAT!

Guessing I don't spend as much time "sitting" as you do. Is that the same foam you have on your favorite couch?

Thanks for the profound advice.

Hah!

Hey sheriff, tell us some more about those knee length heavy fleece pants you serious alpinists wear.

You are welcome, profound advice is why we all come here.



mike r

Do you wear a beret and wool sport coat with your breeks?

Is that what you wear on your couch, sissyboy? You couldn't keep up with me for a mile with your breasts bouncing the way they do. Take your pills and go back to bed.

No point, slacker...YOU rarely get off your fatass. If you did, you would perish...here, flatlander. Bring your toe tag.