timberland
New member
- Aug 27, 2015
- 471
Anybody use the performance hunting clothing like Sitka, Core4, cabelas Instinct, etc.?
Worth the money or any opinions?
Worth the money or any opinions?
Performance Clothing
- Thread starter timberland
- Start date
cohunter14
Administrator
- Jul 10, 2017
- 5,345
I use a lot of Under Armour...it is tough to say if it is worth the money. Is it way better than the cheaper stuff? YES! But how do you justify how much is too much? I typically try to find stuff on sale, so the majority of my gear hasn\'t been bought at full price. So, for me, yes it has definitely been worth the money.
I use UA (loose fit) and Smartwool base layers and socks... Other than that it\'s regular Walls overalls, a cheap turtle neck fleece shirt and a fleece shirt/jacket.... That and my waders normally keeps me warm and dry since I don\'t hunt in the rain anymore...
You can hunt in blue jeans and a flannel shirt, or with the high end gear - it sometimes gets down to personal preference and type of hunting. I started out with the military type BDU\'s from the army surplus store and cotton equipment - I still have some of that clothing. Over the years I have tried different clothing and have hunted out of wall tents and have backpacked in for hunts. I do have some of the more expensive clothing: Sitka, FirstLite, KUIU and Smartwool; as well as the old BDU\'s, Cabela\'s Hunt Tech, UA, North Face, Kings and other clothing.
For truck based camps, the clothes you bring can vary since you don\'t have to pack them in and weight isn\'t an issue for this type of hunt. I usually look at the weather report and what area we are hunting and bring a variety of clothes since I am not limited by weight.
After my first backpack hunting trip in the 90\'s, I was able to appreciate the lightweight gear and durability of that gear, as you only want to pack in so much weight - but what you pack in you want to perform. I have been trying different clothes and gear over the years to stay fairly light, as I usually stay out for lunch during the day, so everything I need is on my back in my daypack. Last year on my buddy\'s mountain goat hunt, we packed in 6 miles for 8 days. After that, I wanted to upgrade some of the gear I had in order to get the blend of lighter and dependable gear for this type of hunting. I want to do more backpack hunting, so I will be looking to upgrade some of my heavier gear.
I normally archery hunt and usually hunt cows/does 2nd rifle season. I like the Sitka Ascent pants and KUIU attack pants and then I usually pair them with merino wool tops from both companies & FirstLite, along with merino boxers (FirstLite or Smartwool), merino long johns (if in cold weather) and merino wool socks. For me the merino wool is far better than the synthetic clothing when it comes to the amount of stink when one uses it for consecutive days without washing. The merino wool is great for me in that I don\'t get too hot or cold when wearing it, it is soft to the touch, it breathes very well and also provides great insulation. I still really like the Cabela\'s Hunt Tech garments, as they are about half the cost of the high end gear. I have cut cotton out from my tops, underwear and socks. I still occasionally (but not too often) use some cotton or cotton blend pants for a truck camp if I don\'t expect wet weather.
I have the Cabela\'s MT050 Gore-Tex raingear, and it works great. I would like to upgrade that to some lighter weight Sitka Gore-Tex raingear, but every time you go lighter, the costs typically will increase.
You can always look to upgrade gear/clothes, but the important thing is to actually get out and hunt and do what we love. :upthumb:
For truck based camps, the clothes you bring can vary since you don\'t have to pack them in and weight isn\'t an issue for this type of hunt. I usually look at the weather report and what area we are hunting and bring a variety of clothes since I am not limited by weight.
After my first backpack hunting trip in the 90\'s, I was able to appreciate the lightweight gear and durability of that gear, as you only want to pack in so much weight - but what you pack in you want to perform. I have been trying different clothes and gear over the years to stay fairly light, as I usually stay out for lunch during the day, so everything I need is on my back in my daypack. Last year on my buddy\'s mountain goat hunt, we packed in 6 miles for 8 days. After that, I wanted to upgrade some of the gear I had in order to get the blend of lighter and dependable gear for this type of hunting. I want to do more backpack hunting, so I will be looking to upgrade some of my heavier gear.
I normally archery hunt and usually hunt cows/does 2nd rifle season. I like the Sitka Ascent pants and KUIU attack pants and then I usually pair them with merino wool tops from both companies & FirstLite, along with merino boxers (FirstLite or Smartwool), merino long johns (if in cold weather) and merino wool socks. For me the merino wool is far better than the synthetic clothing when it comes to the amount of stink when one uses it for consecutive days without washing. The merino wool is great for me in that I don\'t get too hot or cold when wearing it, it is soft to the touch, it breathes very well and also provides great insulation. I still really like the Cabela\'s Hunt Tech garments, as they are about half the cost of the high end gear. I have cut cotton out from my tops, underwear and socks. I still occasionally (but not too often) use some cotton or cotton blend pants for a truck camp if I don\'t expect wet weather.
I have the Cabela\'s MT050 Gore-Tex raingear, and it works great. I would like to upgrade that to some lighter weight Sitka Gore-Tex raingear, but every time you go lighter, the costs typically will increase.
You can always look to upgrade gear/clothes, but the important thing is to actually get out and hunt and do what we love. :upthumb:
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
i want to reply.
i LOVE my rugged, cotton, predator green pants. they are essentially jeans with a pattern.
i got some KUIU \"attack\" pants for last years AZ deer hunt in the winter and it was eye opening. the fabric was awesome. i kept dry sitting in the wet world. and the best thing was the articulated knees and crotch. i actually hiked higher and faster..like my crotch was unhindered.
i will buy the KUIU tiberon pants for warm weather and back packing.. being wet from rain and sweat sucks.
dont go crazy, but some performance pieces are worth the money.
i LOVE my rugged, cotton, predator green pants. they are essentially jeans with a pattern.
i got some KUIU \"attack\" pants for last years AZ deer hunt in the winter and it was eye opening. the fabric was awesome. i kept dry sitting in the wet world. and the best thing was the articulated knees and crotch. i actually hiked higher and faster..like my crotch was unhindered.
i will buy the KUIU tiberon pants for warm weather and back packing.. being wet from rain and sweat sucks.
dont go crazy, but some performance pieces are worth the money.
A lot of the higher-end stuff IS wool ... in fact, if I had my druthers, I\'d get outfitted by First Lite ... I have some pants this year, and they are very comfortable, and, like other good wool, they don\'t stink. My UA stuff is no longer used, at least not for hunting, because it sure gets a smell going.
Filson has some nice wool ... the kind of stuff you can hand down to your grandchildren ... but it sure is a lot more expensive than the stuff discussed here, and heavy, too.
I used to hunt in Carharts when I was after cold-weather whitetails ... \"high-end\" meant Carharts with insulation. I remember one particular Nebraska football game when the temp hovered around zero ... the \"sea of red\" became a \"sea of Carhart brown\" ... but Carharts are really farm equipment ... too heavy for the hills, I say.
I own some Kuiu stuff (bought only on sale) and I sure like it ... seems of a higher quality than the Wal-mart stuff I have, and I hope that translates into a longer lifespan. But the First Lite pants I got are great ... loose, pockets in the perfect spots, dry quickly, don\'t stink ... I think I\'ll look at them more in the future.
Still Hunter is right ... high end wool is where it\'s at. Heavy if you want, light if you want, but I like wool.
Filson has some nice wool ... the kind of stuff you can hand down to your grandchildren ... but it sure is a lot more expensive than the stuff discussed here, and heavy, too.
I used to hunt in Carharts when I was after cold-weather whitetails ... \"high-end\" meant Carharts with insulation. I remember one particular Nebraska football game when the temp hovered around zero ... the \"sea of red\" became a \"sea of Carhart brown\" ... but Carharts are really farm equipment ... too heavy for the hills, I say.
I own some Kuiu stuff (bought only on sale) and I sure like it ... seems of a higher quality than the Wal-mart stuff I have, and I hope that translates into a longer lifespan. But the First Lite pants I got are great ... loose, pockets in the perfect spots, dry quickly, don\'t stink ... I think I\'ll look at them more in the future.
Still Hunter is right ... high end wool is where it\'s at. Heavy if you want, light if you want, but I like wool.
The most important layers are baselayer (merino wool), including socks and underwear, and outerwear. Twice, I have had the start of hypothermia, hence, my emphasis on those layers. Next, would be the insulation layer (middle layers).
As soon as I could afford it, those were the ones I opened my wallet for. Last year, I bought the first lite pants and love them for their versatility. If stika made clothing that fit women, I would have gotten a jetstream vest because I hate bulky clothing while hunting. Face it, elk hunters are mostly a mobile bunch of hunters.
I did survive those first few seasons with cheaper clothing, however, my new stuff pulled it\'s weight last year during the heavy rains.
IMHO, most are overpriced, but they are far above what I used before and may even last longer.
As soon as I could afford it, those were the ones I opened my wallet for. Last year, I bought the first lite pants and love them for their versatility. If stika made clothing that fit women, I would have gotten a jetstream vest because I hate bulky clothing while hunting. Face it, elk hunters are mostly a mobile bunch of hunters.
I did survive those first few seasons with cheaper clothing, however, my new stuff pulled it\'s weight last year during the heavy rains.
IMHO, most are overpriced, but they are far above what I used before and may even last longer.
archery bum
New member
- Sep 28, 2013
- 159
To me anything that makes my hunt more enjoyable is worth the price. I bought the hole Kryptek outfit, base, middle, outer and rain gear. I\'m a nonresident and travel a 1000 or more miles to pursue my passion of bow hunting. I can\'t decide to take a break from elk hunting and go home for a couple of days and rest. Then go back out and start hunting again with clean clothes and all refreshed. Once I\'m out their I\'m their for the long haul. So if I have to drop $1000 or $1200 on clothes, backpack and or anything else to make my hunt more enjoyable so be it, it\'s worth every penny to me. This is all I do and think about, I do nothing else. I don\'t smoke, drink, do drugs just work for the money I need to buy what I want and hunt. If I\'m not hunting I\'m thinking about hunting, if I\'m not thinking about hunting I\'m dreaming about hunting. My wife tells everybody that she is a hunting widow and she is right. To each their own, that\'s what makes the world go round. I say if you want it buy it if you can afford it, you only live once. Just my 2 cents.
Kuiu is having a pre-Black Friday sale starting this Friday Nov 21st and ends Sun Nov 23rd, 2014. Everything will be 25% off, excluding backorded items, items in their \"Gear Shop\" and previous orders. It is essentially a sale to exhaust their current inventory. If you are looking for some high performance Kuiu clothing, accessories, packs, etc., check out their gear for 25% off! They only sell out of their website.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
Okay. I\'m sitting on a pinch point waiting for a hog to trot by.
It rained so hard this morning. And even when the sun came out, the bushes were soaked and brushing against them got me wet.
I wore my kuiu rain gear with kuiu pants and first lite wool shirts. I got sweaty a bit, but once I shed layers, phoosh! I dried fast. I even had to shed my lower clothes to cross a swollen creek!
I\'m still hunting. Dry and warm. Performance clothes is working right now for me.
It is doing nothing for the mind numbing boredom tho.
It rained so hard this morning. And even when the sun came out, the bushes were soaked and brushing against them got me wet.
I wore my kuiu rain gear with kuiu pants and first lite wool shirts. I got sweaty a bit, but once I shed layers, phoosh! I dried fast. I even had to shed my lower clothes to cross a swollen creek!
I\'m still hunting. Dry and warm. Performance clothes is working right now for me.
It is doing nothing for the mind numbing boredom tho.
elkmtngear
New member
- Aug 9, 2017
- 1,152
Merino wool base layers are well worth it IMHO. I have both First Lite and Core4 Shirts...one of the best investments in clothing I\'ve ever made.
Superior thermal regulation and keeps the stink down even after multiple days of \"elk aerobics\".
I pack a down vest if needed, and I use Cabela\'s Space Rain for an outer waterproof jacket. That gets me by in most weather conditions,
since I always have my SLIP System for a downpour shelter.
I never wear rain pants, but I\'ll pack gaiters in case I need them. My theme is to be as light and packable as possible.
Superior thermal regulation and keeps the stink down even after multiple days of \"elk aerobics\".
I pack a down vest if needed, and I use Cabela\'s Space Rain for an outer waterproof jacket. That gets me by in most weather conditions,
since I always have my SLIP System for a downpour shelter.
I never wear rain pants, but I\'ll pack gaiters in case I need them. My theme is to be as light and packable as possible.
elky McElkerson
New member
- Mar 13, 2014
- 2,038
Update. Saturday. Left my buddy in my favorite spot watching a hole in the fence that hogs use. In the dark I go to get him. He is nowhere. I turn on my radio and call him. He is back at the truck. I hike up in the pitch black, find him. He bailed cuz he was frozen. Haha. Good gear is worth it.
I agree with most of the opinions that it is worth the money. Morino base layers is a must for me now along with Kuiu and Sitka pants. Mid layers I found that REI has a great selection on warm light weight packable vests and coats that wont break the bank. I own all the vest and jackets from the other high end companies and still use the REI tops.
Having this gear allows me to hunt harder with less stress physically. I can control my body heat better by adding or removing layers, as some have already stated the stretch and fit is awesome. That all being said I purchase all solid colors now not camo so I can wear them anywhere.
Having this gear allows me to hunt harder with less stress physically. I can control my body heat better by adding or removing layers, as some have already stated the stretch and fit is awesome. That all being said I purchase all solid colors now not camo so I can wear them anywhere.
