Not sure where to put this post but here it is! The wife and I are headed to Montana in late October for an elk hunt and she has decided she needs new hunting outfits. Anyone have a wife that hunts with them? What brand of insulated underwear and waterproof outerwear does your wife or girlfriend wear? Btw new boots are needed also. My wife's preference is the lightest weight and warmest. Thanks

First Lite makes clothing that is sized for women. My girlfriend likes their outerwear but says the base layer bottoms are terrible. For some reason they didn't put a waistband in them, so they constantly slide down while hiking.

Not a woman (yet), but have been kept toasty cheaply by military-issue polypropylene underwear for several years. Available in several weights and small sizes. Check Amazon for good prices from various sources. I much prefer the polypro over the polyester that looks much the same. Get her some genuine silk for underneath.

No idea at all on boots.

Might take a look at this line. http://www.womenhunters.com/index.p...ear-reviews/583-she-safari-alyssa-haukom Met the owner at DSC and she was very personable and seemed to want to put out only quality products.

I have found nice Merino wool items for women at Sierra Trading Post. Some by Ibex, Smartwool and Icebreaker. Some have lace and flowers and are down right hot.

New England Trading Post has a number of cold weather items for women so might check there too.

The light weight insulated miendles might fit the bill and most boot makes have a light backpacking style that comes with goretex and insulation like the Vasque Sundowner or LL Bean Cresta hiker.

My OL likes the first lite outerwear and likes their charma hoody (sp?). I don't know about her base layer.

She got a new pair of Under Armour boots, don't remember what they are called, but she loved them. Said it was one of the best pieces of footwear she's bought in the last few years.

My wife uses mostly Meindls hunting boots. For clothing, while not fashionable but very practical and affordable... military surplus. Many different styles and degrees of thickness, depending upon the country of origin! She likes lightweight undergarments, such as silk or lightweight polypropylene or similar. In her own words," I'm not trying to make a fashion statement"! memtb

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Muted colors of Patagonia, North Face, etc. is what my wife normally wears if she is with me. No requirement for camoflauge really (even for men's hunting clothes camo isn't "required").

I don't know what brand her boots are right now, but that's very dependent person to person. Schnee's makes a Beartooth women's boot that's high quality.

Nice trade....

Look into running/workout clothing, then choose those made for cold weather.

What sort of a hunt is it? Horse pack in? At a ranch? Lots of time on foot? Time on foot and horseback? Finding a hide and sitting still for long periods? Thick timber that breaks the wind or exposed sage flats or grassy ridges?

Late October can get pretty cold in these parts. At other times it can be mild. Being prepared with layers and for snow will be wise. The comment about warmest boots leads me to recommend pack boots with removable liners that can be dried nightly or have a spare to swap out every other day might be a good idea to have along. But a lot of time in the saddle and needing to get out of stirrups may have some influence on boot toes or bottoms -- unless your outfitter thinks about that and uses oversized stirrups for winter boots. Take regular hiking or hunting boots as well, in case it is mild or warmish. Something to swap out with is never a bad plan as the weather may swap out over your hunt. And new boots may eat feet.

Midweight Smatrwool merino as a base layer would be good. If wool "is too itchy" a light silk next to the skin then the wool on that would be a warm combination, but still breathable and not over-hot when working hard. Sometimes 2 layers of wool are not too much, depending on the temperature. Had some polypro once. Gotta be careful not to get that too close to a stove to dry it. It melts.

Jaguar, we will be walking the forest logging roads if no snow to push the elk down. If enough snow in the mountains to push the elk down, we will be hunting some agriculture fields. We have not seen the fields so not sure about the type of hunting. We are both senior citizens so it will be an "old person" type hunt! We hunted with the outfitter last year with very poor results due to weather being so warm. Thanks for the information. Daniel

DLALLDER

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Well the easiest way is to find a gal that wears your shoe size. I just hand my size 14s down to the little lady and works great. She likes them broke in a bit so it gets me brownie points.

Merino wool base layers from head to toe is what my wife and I like to use in cold weather. We really like the Icebreaker brand, a nice lightweight down coat is a must too. Can't say enough good things about Merino wool for cold and wet weather. We alternate between wool and lightweight breathable style pants and similar shirts. If it's wet she will use one of my raincoats, as for boots Merrell's is what fits her best and Meindel's for me. It's something she will just need to try on to see what fits best.

^^^^Merino.

Footwear is soooo personal. This year will try Kenetreks for warmer weather since I finally got to try on several pair to find a size. I hope they work out as spendy as they are. They do make ladies' sizes and the boots look good - as in equally durable and well made as the men's boots, just smaller. Have been wearing Vasque climbers for several years out of desperation, but really want a higher boot for more shin and leg protection. But not too high so my calf is not restricted. Tough height to find.

When hunting the fields you may get a long shot so best be prepared for that. If hunting logging roads it might be quick and close. We will need stories later.

Jag

My wife hunts with me. We went shopping and I said pick whatever works and feels best for you. Don't worry about the cost. Best decision ever! Was several hundred $, but she's happy and I'm happy. She ended up with Cabelas' OutfitHER outer gear in multiple layer options and some high end merino wool long underwear. Boots were special ordered from some Italian company, damn if I remember. Got her everything I would get for myself in terms of hat, gloves, pants, rain gear. Been super awesome and she's never had an issue with weather. Hard not to like the view when she takes off the other layer pants in camp and has camo leggings on. My advice is don't skimp, if she's happy, you're happy.