Cold weather clothes

K

KenIa

New member
Mar 23, 2017
8
Son and I are going 3rd season Colorado this yr, Craig-Meeker area first time and probably only time going don't want to break the bank but would like some info on clothes. Getting Merino wool undies, but wondering about coats and that, in Iowa for Dec-Jan deer season I wear my brown duck insulated bibs and coat,mittens, sweat shirt and stocking cap none are water proof do you need a water proof  outfit will have a rain suit along. TIA
 
Whatever you choose, remember that layering is the key. Hump to the top of a ridge and you'll be wet with sweat in your bibs and then freeze to death. I went with Sitka because it's a proven system, but there are others out there.
 
What days/month will you be in Colorado, September or October? Merino wool is great for base layering but you can get away with something polyester/cotton mix if you are trying to do it on a budget. Stay clear from bulky clothes, they are heavy and absorb moister like no other (sweatshirts).


I highly recommend a 1/3 zip long sleeve fitted shirt as my base. When hot, I can pull up my sleeves and unzip my shirt to decrease my sweating. I will try to match that with a vest or thicker long sleeve (same style) for an outside layer. I keep a light rain jacket in my pack. Of course if it calls for colder weather I'll bring a thicker puffy or insulated jacket.   
 
I've hunted about 100 miles north of there several times in the and mid-late November rifle timeframes (I don't know what dates CO has).  I can't guarantee it, but the odds are pretty high that you'll run into some weather (snow) especially at the higher elevations.

In addition to what jstephens, backcountry, and Admin have already put out there, a lot depends on your hunting style as well.  Are you going to hike in to a meadow or water source and stand hunt as you would whitetail?  Or are you going to hike the ridges, glass and go after the elk you spot 3-4 miles away?
 
A Base tent camp the first 10 days of Nov. Don't know how we will hunt. Blue jeans, carhart tshirts? It will probably be cold just don't want to get all warmed up and then freeze
 
If it's a base wall tent you might be okay so long as you have a wood stove to warm and dry things. If you're hiking in and pitching a eureka out in a wilderness I'd rethink the outerwear. Definitely invest in good boots, gaiters and decent rain gear.

I've seen jeans and cotton ruin a guts hunt in 2 days from the east cost during 2nd rifle. I felt bad for him as he drove for 2 days to get there trailering his own stock.
 
Kenya, is this a one and done hunt or the start of a annual thing. If this is first and last, your jeans will get you by. Most guys that are bitten by the elk bug go back as often as possible. A good set of gear will make the hunt more enjoyable and will last. Heck,you can even use it in Iowa. The new Subalpine is pretty sweet. No I don't work for Sitka.
 
jstephens61 said:
Heck,you can even use it in Iowa. The new Subalpine is pretty sweet. No I don't work for Sitka.
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Not only that but I'm really impressed by even some of the more economical lines coming out that run a little cheaper than Sitka, FL and kuiu. Companies like nomad, Core4, kings, etc... are putting out clothing now for pretty cheap that is still far better then what the best was 10yrs ago.

Personally I've gravitated toward actual mountain wear as of late from arcteryx, montbell and patagonia. Much of your hunting line stuff (like jStephens said) will duplicate in the whitetail stands in Iowa.
 
KenIa said:
A Base tent camp the first 10 days of Nov. Don't know how we will hunt. Blue jeans, carhart tshirts? It will probably be cold just don't want to get all warmed up and then freeze
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Like Jstephens61 mentioned, if this will be an annual thing id invest in the proper gear and think about which you can still utilize in Iowa. If not, you will at least want to invest in well insulated GORE-TEX boots plus gaiters (if you do have them already). Lots of thick wool socks are key during this time of year in Colorado. Nothing is worse then cold feet because there really isn't much you can do about it beside build a fire or head back to camp.
 
Having came from the Midwest 12 years ago, I can tell you clothes can make or break a hunt.  The reason people go Sitka, first lite, kuiu and the like is not because wanna look cool and pay $150 for a pair of pants....it's because they work. 
As was mentioned before, if this is a one and done type of thing I would invest in Lowa, Kenetrek, Soloman or Crispi boots, and some gaiters from Kenetrek, kuiu or first lite. When I rifle hunt during weather, I am hiking to a mountain top in the dark, glassing and then hiking to catch up to the elk. When I stop to glass I pull a goose down overcoat out of my pack, mittens and a stocking cap. Otherwise, I'm on the move.  I can't imagine trying to accomplish this in carhartt bib overalls and a heavy coat. Keep the feet and lower legs dry. Throw some layers in your pack, including rain gear and stay mobile! Long johns and My spring turkey gear was my go to hiking layers (before I invested in technical clothing) when I first started, but I always have been layering with down when I stop, and packing rain gear. Good luck, guys!
 
Probably my bucket list hunt, one and done but you never know. Just trying to hunt without breaking the bank but I also know being cold and wet really sucks. Have to keep checking Cabela's, Bass Pro and Scheels for sales on clothing. Cabela's has a winter camo coat on sale right now that looks good but it's white and camo don't know if that color scheme would work in Nov or not but then most of it will be cover by a blaze orange vest.
Thanks for all the info, a newbie to Elk hunting so I have a lot to learn.
 
Personally (and this just has to do with my disdain for big box retail companies but) I would watch online discount retailers like steepandcheap.com or sierra trading post. You'll likely find much better deals there than at a cabelas. Most of the really good sales cabela's type stores will run on apparel are over and the 2017 stuff probably won't be hugely discounted now until Decmber'ish... I get alot of clothes from steepandcheep but I don't put as much value into camo as some others. FYI Kings Camo has a really good sale going on right now on some rain gear. It doesn't belong in the same category as others but for $50 for a complete set, it would get you by at least for one hunt.


If I have to go into a store for apparel, lately it's been REI. There's companies like patogonia, arcteryx, mountain hardware etc... that were making clothes for mountain elements long before mountain hunting was "cool" stemming companies like sitka, kuiu and FL, and they do it as good or better, often cheaper.
 
jstephens61 said:
Camofire.com, check it out.
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Only problem I have with camofire is they only seem to have odd sizes in the stuff I need/want. Seems like they always have my size in the stuff I'm not interested in but then something comes up I could use and it's only for big, tall, short or wide people... :mad:
 
Lately Campfire has carried a lot of Sitka apparel in all sizes for a great price. In the past, I've signed up for their daily emails in which would send me deals every day, that way I never missed a special. Once I found what I was looking for I was able to jump on the purchase without a size going out of stock. Icebreaker is a Merino Wool synthetic product and brand that I've seen on Camofire lately. It is affordable and great for base layering. First Lite stemmed off Icebreaker from their beginning stages as a company.   


Amazon and Camel Camel Camel (CCC) is another option. An individual can choose an items from amazon on (CCC) website and view the Amazon price history of that item. When the price drops on Amazon, (CCC) will email and notify you. It is a convenient site to use only if amazon has that item your looking for and if you have time to wait on products to drop. Price drops are not always guaranteed and its a little complicated but worth looking into.   


Again good quality products like the ones we all have mentioned above are worth their weight in gold and will last you a long time. Here is a link to the Elk101 store of the Sitka products we currently carry at our marked down price:

http://www.elk101store.com/clothing/sitka/
     
 
Lot of really good advice here. Make sure you have plenty of layering options and that you can keep your outermost layer dry. Even light snow can turn into really wet conditions in a hurry when the sun comes up. I've had this problem field dressing moose, and I didn't get a waterproof layer on fast enough and my insulated jacket got wet. Big pain. I recently got some Nomad rain gear for my outer shell, it's not super lightweight and it doesn't bead water on the outside, but I like the toughness of the fabric and I think it will do really well in these conditions.


For your son, don't know his age, but if he's young, make darn sure he stays dry. Check out Tuff Kids Outdoors, they have some really good new youth hunting gear that's affordable from ScentBlocker to keep warmth in and water out, tops and bottoms. The Browning Wasatch sets might be perfect for your situation. They also have higher end Sitka Gear for kids, some has grow cuffs I think. Keep his head, hands and feet really warm otherwise you'll be cutting your hunting days short.


Best of luck.
 
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