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Elk hunting cold weather gear help. #7726966 01/24/20 02:31 AM
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smirly22 Offline OP
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Thanks for the help with rifle calibers, i have chosen the 300 weatherby.
Now if this thread has already happened, let me know.

Base camp is 8400ft in wyoming, was told horses/hike in to 11k feet.
Ive never hunted in heavy snow. Last year they said shin deep after day 2.
I duck hunt here in NTX so i have my base layers and beanies, socks, and balaclavas.
My feet and hands are the only things i worry about getting cold, as they do so here in low temps. Add snow and idk...
Along with my base layers, i have my mid layers suh as vests and thermals/fleece gear

What types of jackets/coats do you prefer, what footwear is suggested? I have insulated muck boots.
I was told big heavy parkas is a no due to weight and being active of course sweat is a concern.
What gloves are suggested? I assume multiple pair...

Any gear suggestions at all are welcome. I just dont want to be the one that is unprepared. And i have 9months to spread out my purchases.

Any help is welcome.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7726968 01/24/20 02:33 AM
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Ive read several websites and they all vary in opinions. And just a heads up, i prefer not to pay outrageous sitka or kuiu prices unless i HAVE to.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7726981 01/24/20 02:42 AM
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Originally Posted by smirly22
i prefer not to pay outrageous sitka or kuiu prices unless i HAVE to.


peep


Well, I'm a kuiu guy. It works. I survived the realtree coveralls epidemic for years, with sweating going up hills and freezing in my sweat once I stood still glassing. Then I went with a designed layer system and my life in the field changed forever. Sitka, Kuiu, Firstlight, whatever...they work. Kuiu fits me and I'm an "Outfitter" for them now. So, I vote Kuiu always

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: RobertY] #7726992 01/24/20 02:51 AM
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Originally Posted by RobertYuras
Originally Posted by smirly22
i prefer not to pay outrageous sitka or kuiu prices unless i HAVE to.


peep


Well, I'm a kuiu guy. It works. I survived the realtree coveralls epidemic for years, with sweating going up hills and freezing in my sweat once I stood still glassing. Then I went with a designed layer system and my life in the field changed forever. Sitka, Kuiu, Firstlight, whatever...they work. Kuiu fits me and I'm an "Outfitter" for them now. So, I vote Kuiu always


I have no doubt they work well. But man, thats a hefty price tag. If i knew for a fact that i was going to continue mountain elk hunting after this first trip, i would do it. But man thats a lot of money for a first trip. Granted if it keeps me warm it may make my going again more likely.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7727391 01/24/20 04:13 PM
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Smirly i feel your pain, but right now is best time to buy close outs.
Camo Fire has great deals on sitka, kuiu’s running specials

You need three part core system

Base
Mid
Outer

Base-> Kuiu zip off base(merino or synthetic)—— firstlite just introduce zip offs
Mid -> grid fleece or heavy fleece pull over (pick a brand)- pants look at synthetic with a DWR like a Prana zion stretch($50-$70)
Outer-> down jacket(warmest and lightest option)- Columbia, mountain hardware, LL bean, etc($100-500 depending on weight to warmth ratio)

Rain/wind- jacket pick one <26 oz I’d make sure it has pit zips

Gloves I use synthetic liner glove and then mittens from mountain hardware
Gaiters- Kuiu, OR, Kenetrek, firstlite etc
Socks- farm to feet, smartwool, darn tough (all mid weights)
Beanie(heavy and light) and neck gaitor. * I sleep in heavy beanie

Boots 200gr+ lace up hiking boots

It’s that simple


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Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: BOBO the Clown] #7727858 01/25/20 01:55 AM
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Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Smirly i feel your pain, but right now is best time to buy close outs.
Camo Fire has great deals on sitka, kuiu’s running specials

You need three part core system

Base
Mid
Outer

Base-> Kuiu zip off base(merino or synthetic)—— firstlite just introduce zip offs
Mid -> grid fleece or heavy fleece pull over (pick a brand)- pants look at synthetic with a DWR like a Prana zion stretch($50-$70)
Outer-> down jacket(warmest and lightest option)- Columbia, mountain hardware, LL bean, etc($100-500 depending on weight to warmth ratio)

Rain/wind- jacket pick one <26 oz I’d make sure it has pit zips

Gloves I use synthetic liner glove and then mittens from mountain hardware
Gaiters- Kuiu, OR, Kenetrek, firstlite etc
Socks- farm to feet, smartwool, darn tough (all mid weights)
Beanie(heavy and light) and neck gaitor. * I sleep in heavy beanie

Boots 200gr+ lace up hiking boots

It’s that simple

Thanks for the input! Thats awesome.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7727920 01/25/20 03:03 AM
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its all about the layering. In snow, your outer layer should be waterproof, your mid layer something warm and comfy and your base layer light and breathable. I wear Underarmour 2.0 base layer, then a pair of cabelas Zone pants and a pair of waterproof pants over them. Up top over the base layer I wear a T-shirt, then a button up then a Medium Heavy Zone jacket, or a more often, a T-Shirt over base layer, then a hoodie then the Zone Jacket. Waterproof gloves similar to what waterfowlers use ( no fleece!) As bobo mentioned smartwool socks are good, I use a Irish Setter 400 gram insulated hunting boot. Leg and neck gaiters are a must as well.



I agree the Kuiu stuff is pricey but talk to the real mountain hunters and you will become a believer. But you don't "have " to have it.



One thing to remember, is mountain cold is different than the cold we have here. Lot lower humidity so it doesent feel near as cold. I've never been as cold in Colorado as I have been in west texas, even when temps were hovering around single digits.


For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: txtrophy85] #7727923 01/25/20 03:08 AM
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Originally Posted by txtrophy85
its all about the layering. In snow, your outer layer should be waterproof, your mid layer something warm and comfy and your base layer light and breathable. I wear Underarmour 2.0 base layer, then a pair of cabelas Zone pants and a pair of waterproof pants over them. Up top over the base layer I wear a T-shirt, then a button up then a Medium Heavy Zone jacket, or a more often, a T-Shirt over base layer, then a hoodie then the Zone Jacket. Waterproof gloves similar to what waterfowlers use ( no fleece!) As bobo mentioned smartwool socks are good, I use a Irish Setter 400 gram insulated hunting boot. Leg and neck gaiters are a must as well.



I agree the Kuiu stuff is pricey but talk to the real mountain hunters and you will become a believer. But you don't "have " to have it.



One thing to remember, is mountain cold is different than the cold we have here. Lot lower humidity so it doesent feel near as cold. I've never been as cold in Colorado as I have been in west texas, even when temps were hovering around single digits.



Thanks for the input as well. Im actually on the cabelas and kuiu sites now shopping. My sister lives in colorado at 8500ft and u are right. That cold is way different than tx cold.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7727962 01/25/20 03:53 AM
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I elk hunt in New Mexico

These things are important to me

Silk base layer
Soft shell pants

Thin long sleeve jacket
Down vest
Wool coat

10” lace up in 1-2 sizes larger boots
Or neoprene rubber boots

Farm to Feet socks mid - heavy

Wool hat w ear flaps
Neck wrap
Thin gloves with insulation

Keep neck head and chest warm You ll be fine

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: cabosandinh] #7727970 01/25/20 04:08 AM
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All that makes sense as well. Other than the gloves... im a sissy when it comes.to my hands and feet getting cold haha. Was wanting to ask if anyone uses insulated muck boots instead of lace ups. Seems more water proof to me... any drawbacks?

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7729707 01/27/20 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by smirly22
All that makes sense as well. Other than the gloves... im a sissy when it comes.to my hands and feet getting cold haha. Was wanting to ask if anyone uses insulated muck boots instead of lace ups. Seems more water proof to me... any drawbacks?


lace ups will eventually leak, they're really designed for walking in wet grass

my brand new $400 goretex /leather pair leaked at the tongue folds on the first outing (not surprised)

muck boots are fine , need to play around with size and socks, not all sizes are the same
My wife goes elk hunt with me , she had on rubber boots, she did fine

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7729885 01/27/20 06:22 PM
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You want some boots you can do mountain trails in, some mucks will work if they fit well. Spouse has some grizzlies, a Schnee's pack would be great.
Get some gaiters for sure.
I would have merino wool or silk for base layer on bottom and merino on top with a fleece and then a puffy jacket with something on top. Puffy jackets woprk rteally well with a light windproof layer on top.
You will want a wind stopping layer up top, midlayer or outer.
Our cold is a very dry cold, your humidity makes your cold feel colder at same temp if that makes sense.
Look at some mittens for your gloves, ones that fold back are great. You can put a handwarmer in them if needed. I have some merino glove liners that help a lot: https://www.sitkagear.com/products/...DQZWEAAYASAAEgKo8fD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Watch on Camofire and BlackOvis for sales.
Wool socks and get some lightweight ones, and medium.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: Wytex] #7730499 01/28/20 02:20 AM
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Im definitely planning on leg gaiters. Thank yoi for the merino glove liners. And i like the mitten idea as well. Im probably going to get a lace up pair and bring my much boots as well. Uncle has a propane powered boot dryer. Ive got under armour and nike pro cold gear for base layers that i love down here. And they dry quick if something happened. Thinking wool or fleece mid layer with a puffy top layer like ya'll said. Then a water proof something on top. Ive never been in real snownor mountains much, so ny #1 priority is getting in proper shape.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: cabosandinh] #7730592 01/28/20 03:55 AM
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any amount of weight on your hips/back with slip on boots that have no support in the last, or side and zero supportive rocker, will wreck you feet. Muck boots work great horse back and in camp. But 30% grades and a few miles, not so much, especially if you have to side hill a bunch.

Wearing gaiters eliminates a lot of water issues.

All water proof boots eventually fail but leather boots have the advantage because you can actually treat them and make them pretty waterproof from an external perspective.

Snow in the high country comes and goes.


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Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7730611 01/28/20 04:26 AM
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So what im gathering is muck boots for camp and horseback/ easy treks. And lace ups for all other. And pack a propane boot dryer...?

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7730649 01/28/20 05:12 AM
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Check out the forum at rokslide.com, they are mountain hunters for the most part and can steer you, although the info you have gotten here is a condensed version of what you will find in several threads over there.

This is good info above. Look at non hunting brands. I try to keep my purchases to pro-hinting companies, but that doesn’t mean everyone needs to. Sitka, Kuiu, firstlite, etc are expensive, but their gear is tried and true and just works for their intended purposes. However, each company has a niche, and most people mix and match based on their needs. I use my gear here and plan to use it in the mountains as well, a good layering system is adaptable to many conditions. One thing is for certain, static Texas hunting is not the same as mountain hunting, so you need to understand moisture movement and having gear that can move your sweat better is a huge plus and could save your life if you were solo hunting. Being that you will be in a group it’s unlikely you would get hurt by sweating too much, but proper sweat control/movement will make you more comfortable.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7730657 01/28/20 05:25 AM
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I would take something with a good sole but very comfy for camp and a second pair of hunting boots. Wet boots will ruin a hunt.
Get some kind of blow up or small pillow too, a puffy coat works in a pinch.

Are you staying in a cabin or wall tent for base camp? If a cabin then maybe the propane boot drier, if a tent the wood stove will dry your boots but be careful not to get them too close to the stove.
Make sure you have a warm enough sleeping bag also. I use a -25 for all our wall tent hunts. A lighter weight bag works fine with a blanket over it for colder nights.
And, that stocking hat for really cold nights like BOBO said.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7730658 01/28/20 05:29 AM
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Thanks for all.the input. And i will check the other site. Its my undersranding that we will be sleeping in a military style large group tent with a wood burning stove.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7730955 01/28/20 04:24 PM
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I jumped on the Kuiu bandwagon a couple of years ago in preps for an elk hunt that ended up not happening for me this past year. We went to Co. in 2015 on the THF group hunt, and although it wasn't that cold, i felt like the Michelin man with my big coat and 2-3 pairs of pants on the couple of cold mornings we had. I've slowly pieced together what i feel would be a good set up geared more for the mountain hunting, but still have a lot of the essentials of traditional texas hunting.

My 2 favorite pieces of kuiu is Axis Hybrid jacket and attack pants. I'll probably pick up the axis pants as well for a little more warmth and better waterproofing. The attacks are great for texas, but will be a little chilly in the snow, even with some layers under them. I have some of their synthetic zip off base layers (which are awesome for ease of taking off when you get hot). A few weeks back on that last cold spell, i went on a doe hunt in Mason. It got down in the high 20s and low 30s with a 10mph wind. I had the synthetic zip off pants under my attack pants. We would park and hike up to our spots anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 of a mile. Hiking in got a little warm, but the hip vents in the attacks, when opened, shed all the heat out. Once we got to our spot, i zipped back up and was fine. For the top, i just had a merino shirt, light fleece, and the axis hybrid jacket. The pit zips on the jacket were definitely needed, but i was just a touch cold once we stopped at sat for 3-4 hours. The jacket cut the wind excellent, but i wish i had my columbia puffy vest, which is MUCH cheaper than any of the kuiu puffy stuff.

I have heard from a few guys that First lite makes better merino base layers, but i dont have any first hand experience with FL yet. I have one Kuiu merino shirt, and i dont know if i got a bad shirt or what, but after i sweated in it one time, the thing stinks anytime it gets wet...i've since gotten synthetics due to the one with the bad smell lol. The merino is warmer though..

You'll definitely want layers hiking into your spot, but probably some puffy uppers and lowers for once you sit to glass. I agree with others that kuiu, sitka, etc. are expensive, but they have it down in terms of "non-stand hunting." Light weight and packable sure is nice. You'll want to size up a little, due to everything being an athletic fit, just FYI.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7731163 01/28/20 06:47 PM
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Originally Posted by smirly22
So what im gathering is muck boots for camp and horseback/ easy treks. And lace ups for all other. And pack a propane boot dryer...?


I have two pairs of Hanwags I roll with depending on weather predictions

Hanwag yukons- Leather lined all leather boot- no waterproof membrane
Hanwag Chillkats -synthetic technical boot- goretex waterproof membrane(I normally rock these late season or above treeline, they are very stiff)

I wear the yukons 90% of the time. They seldom wet out. Especially with gaitors on. Hunted Mulie deer in them for roughly 30 days in 2019. From the desert to 10k in Jan w/ft of snow.

Yukons are on their 3rd resole so probably 900+ miles pretty easy
My Chillkats first resole so probably 300 miles, still water proof.

In Camp I run uggs

You have a stove so drying out boots if they wet out won’t be difficult, just hang the at top of the tent( don’t put them next to fire box, you will melt shoe glue and shrink them.

An all leather boot w/ membrane has two fail Safes if you treat them properly. Leather (oil and DWR) and membrane

Not advocating you buy 300plus boots for on trip, but there is a major difference in overall performance compared to muck. With that said Danner makes a good seasonal boot, long term durability isn’t comparable to a higher end euro made boot. Salomon is another.

Zamberlan vioz line is most readily available mid line boot because REI carries them



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Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: BOBO the Clown] #7731609 01/29/20 01:47 AM
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Thanks for all the info fellas. I think ive got an idea where to start now.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7731692 01/29/20 03:20 AM
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Kuiu all the way use the layering system and you cant go wrong, I have their snap off legging that you can just pull you pants down and they snap off and unzipped so you dont have to take off your boots when ut gets hot during the day, I've heavily work their jackets and pants for 3-4 years now and I do about 15-20 hunts a year and they still look new and that's hunting some rough places with alot of thorns like south texas, New Mexico and Mexico and u just walk right through the thorns and because you the nylon type material it doesnt catch. I started with a basic jacket pants and some under layers then just keep adding to my collection I now have the socks, several types of hats and gloves the neck gaiters, I have the leg gaiters too those are pretty cool if in water above your boots they really keep the water out.

Re: Elk hunting cold weather gear help. [Re: smirly22] #7732146 01/29/20 05:42 PM
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Layers are key. You can wake up to 15 degree weather, and then be running around the mountain in a t-shirt by 2pm then back to being bundled up once the sun sets.


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