Hunting Clothes

[Swede]

Some time ago there was a thread on camo patterns that people prefer. I did not post there as I have no strong preference, but I do have more concern with the material I use. The patterns I go for are just larger splotches of light and dark that will not all blend together just a few yards away. But what about the material. Is cotton good. How about polyester? Is denim a good choice especially for trousers?

[bnsafe]

i bought a complete outfit from scent lock because it was a stretchy material. not that i care for scent lock stuff but like the ability to move without having to fight the clothes. and i always wear something to wick persperation away regardless of what im hunting.

[cnelk]

Swede
I know that most may disagree, but IMO but I like my ARMY BDUs
They wear like iron, the camo pattern is pretty much universal, lots of pockets

My new camo material seems flimsy compared to them

[buglmin]

Im not a fan of wool, have KOM and Sleeping Indian, and know what Im talking bout when I compare it to other materials. Me, I love ASAT, and Cabalas Outfitter Camo...but I love my Sitka Gear, been using it since 2009, just dont like the camo pattern, cause it does blotch up at long distance...Like the First Lite gear, ASAT pattern, just wish there was more choices in shirts and pants.
Cotton, in late August, is what I wear in the high country and on my antelope hunts. But once it starts frosting, its time for the Sitka and the First Lite.
Denium...Chuck Adams, for years wore jeans to hunt in, using clorox to bleach huge white splotchs in them. He used jeans for hunting everywhere while working on his sheep Slam...plus for hunting here in the lower 48. It wasnt til he started getting noticed that he was sponsored by Realtree in the early 90's that he started using camo.
Because of my size, its hard to find camo that fits good without being baggy. Gary from Day One Camo made my first set of camo in 1994, and Ive still got it, still fits perfect, and is in perfect shape. He makes some of the best camo out there, and its ime to buy a few more sets from him. He still has my measurements and his camo fits perfectly. Just gotta figure out wht pattern I want...

[>>>---WW---->]

Dag-nab-it Swede! Here ya go getting me in trouble again. I always get my arse jumped with that (cotton kills) stuff! But I have to be honest here, cotton is 90% of what I wear. I like long sleave T shirts and lots of times my pants are just plain old bluejeans. Although I do have some camo Wranglers and some camo BDUs. If you aren't smart enough to know when to slip into the rain gear, maybe you had better find something besides cotton. But I'm an old retired fart on a fixed income and a $500 dollar suit if Sitka is completely out of the question for me.

As far camo goes, I like Max-1. It matches the terrain around here from sagebrush to pucker brush. And from quakies to pines to oak brush. If I'm in an antelope blind, I like a long sleave black T and a dark glove on my bow hand.

To me, the fabric isn't near as important as the price of it. I keep plenty warm and dry in cotton. You just can't teach an old dog new tricks. Especially if the old dog is broke and happy with what he can afford.

[montanabrown]

wool for undergarments and then synthetics like sitka or core4element for outerlayers are the most comfortable. Camo doesn't matter because i where an ASAT gillie suit, which i've worn the last seven years so it is well worth the 130 dollars.

[BrentLaBere]

I have pants and jacket I used for whitetail hunting made by scent lock. I like it for the reason of it being extremely quiet. I have owned this setup for 5 years now and its getting its wear and tare. Its great for stand hunting but doesn't work so well for hard heavy hiking like I did last year in the beginning of September. It doesn't breathe at all. Trying to decide what to do next for this falls hunt. Merino wool is so heavily talked about I might have to give it a try. As far as patterns go, well, I would love to have some kuiu or sitka stuff but we will see what I can come up with.

[CrazyElkHunter]

I wear what ever Mossy Oak camo pattern that matches the terrain and pursuit. Mossy Oak Far West Big Game Pro Staff

[Lefty]

Last year I was able to purchase some poly blends in pants( they feel wierd) in an unknown discontinued if ever started pattern , Kind of a very light grassland and sage
I own some of Kings desert shadow
I do sometimes wear black cotton shirt iinside my box blind and black cotton blend shorts
Most of my other clothes is Cabels on sale sometime cheap,
Funky poly blends and fleece of fair quality, I was able to get a warm weather longsleeve silver in a desert camo that I really like
All of my hats, clearance cheap, one cotton, 2 fleese, all three might have cost a total $5.00

Good wool /silver socks . Ill change socks 2-4 times on a full day hunt

[stringunner]

cabelas silent weave pants and a mix of synthetic shirts. Nothing special and nothing expensive.

[Swede]

I have quite a variety. It runs from cheap to pretty good. Like WW I don't need to spend a small fortune just for style or show. Really the elk I hunt don't care much what I wear. Out of consideration for them, I won't wear regular polyester as it stinks on me. I don't want my antlered friends to turn tail and run because I was not sensitive to their delicate noses. I too wear quite a bit of cotton, but I also have some quality Cabelas rain gear, and some shirts and pants that are supposed to reduce scent and wick vapor off quickly. I have a bunch of Mal-Wart cotton stuff that I got real cheap after the hunting seasons were over. Garage sale stuff in good condition that fits, works for me. Just don't tell the elk this information as they think I am all fancied up for them. I have hunted in street clothes some and they seemed ok with it. Other than that I like camo with large dark and light splotches that breaks up my outline, but plaid works fine.

[elkmtngear]

I used to be the cotton king....until I fell in love with Merino Wool base layers.

I have purchased several First List Shirts in various weights from Dan at Hunt Hardcore

Dan is an Elknut Forum Sponsor, and a great guy to deal with.

[WapitiTalk1]

All my old Army BDU bottoms finally wore out a few years ago. I too think they are very good bottoms for hunting (the winter fabric is much more durable than the old summer stuff). I've used the Cabelas Microtex pants for a few years now and really like them (light, soft, plenty of pockets, and pretty darn tough). I use synthetic blend base and mid layer tops; have been very happy with the Russell Outdoors line. I don't get too spun up on camo patterns but seem to have a lot various patterns in Mossy Oak something or other, and, quite a bit of King's Mountain patterned stuff. Oh, I do use some kind of synthetic drawers also, they sure stay "fresher" longer than the old cotton drawers I used to hunt in I don't know about cotton killing anyone, but I sure prefer the synthetic blend drawers.. Take the Pepsi challenge between a pair of good old fruit of the loom cotton snugs and a synthetic blend and you'll know what I mean .

[Jaquomo]

I like light wool outers when it's cool, but if it's warm and dry I'll wear cotton pants with a soft synthetic outer (mostly Cabelas stuff when it goes on sale) on top. I love the new base layers with silver thread and have pretty much replaced everything I used to wear as base with that, merino wool, and silk. Really, the silver works for odor control. I used to be a skeptic, not anymore.

Not too concerned with camo patterns. I've killed elk wearing old-style woodland, solid green wool, solid gray wool, wool checkered shirt, Mossy Oak Brush, Treebark, Advantage, Realtree AP, Max HD, Xtra Brown, other stuff I forgot. IMO camo pattern is the very LEAST important factor in bowhunting elk. When I was guiding rifle hunters I called bulls into point-blank range when I and my hunters were wearing orange vest and hat.

[Swede]

Something else I will add is, that I am careful not to have baggy sleeves on any outer wear. I do not use an arm guard, so my sleeves need to be fairly tight to my arm.

[BrentLaBere]

People saying you don't need to be fancy for the elk, well, I completely agree. But I think there are times when a cammo pattern with big game animals can only help. For example last year I stalked 3 bedded spike (hoping there was a nicer one with them) and go to within 45 yards before holding up and watching them. The wind was swirling around the knob/hill I was on and one of them must of caught my scent and got nervous and almost busted out of the area. The one spike started to pace between the other two back and forth never taking its eyes off of where it thought the smell came from. The two bedded spike then stood up for a while, after noticing how nervous the one was, and had at least a 5 minute stare off. I thought for sure these elk were going to take off and be gone for good. After the calm two bedded back down, the nervous one finally caved in and got comfortable enough for me to back out. I was posted up in front of a small berry bush and had nothing else around me. Did the pattern save me by breaking up my outline? maybe. Could have been because I wasn't moving and it was unsure of where or what it is that made it nervous. I guess I am not sure. One thing I do know is this was the 6th day I was out hunting without a shower and I could barely stand the smell of my own clothes at night in my tent. One thing I am hoping for from a nice merino wool shirt and good pattern is what I just described wicking sweat away helping with scent and possibly a better pattern. So if its late in the hunt and I am in a tough spot where the wind could swirl (scent being really bad after not showering) and give me away would just suck.....
Is it really worth it? I guess I don't know and I am trying to decide that for this fall.

[>>>---WW---->]

Swede: If you do happen to have a baggy sleeve just cut the foot off of an old sock and pull the upper part of the sock up over the sleeve to compress it.

[tdiesel]

I am a Walmart prostaff I suppose cause they usually have some cotton t shirts and camo wranglers just my size.
WW made me laugh if you can't put on rain gear applies to me most my rain gear is army surplus and like I said my hunting apparel probably cost 35 bucks total oh and I can even take another shirt for stench $6 for another shirt and rinse one out in the creek and alternate.
Not saying the other stuff isn't nice just can't make myself buy a 100 dollar pair of pants but I do see how it would save some weight

[Huntography]

For my early season hunts, I have a relatively inexpensive set up.

Base layers: First Lite merino wool in ASAT
Outer layer: Day One Camo in light fleece ASAT

I was comfortable in freezing temps all the way to 90 degree weather.

Also, light weight merino socks are what I use.

Hope this helps.

Rudy

[Swede]

WW: That is a great idea about the sock. I guess my wife should thank you though. She is the one who hems the sleeves on any loose fitting camo. If I do the sewing, it ain't pretty. Tdiesel: " Walmart prostaff". That is funny. I guess I should quit referring to them as "Mal-Wart", but my brother saw that on a bumper sticker that said, "Mal-Wart your source of cheap plastic junk". We both got a kick out of it. That probably says more about our sense of humor that about the retail chain.

[cnelk]

I have found some great deals on camo clothes at ARC / Goodwill.
Yeah, Im cheap - they dont call me a 'cheapwegian' for nothing

[Huntography]

You're just being savvy. Nothing beats finding a good deal.

Rudy

[cnelk]

So to cure some of my boredom [see other thread]
This afternoon I went down the the Goodwill store looking for anything camo...

Alas!
I found 2 heavy cotton camo shirts [$5 each], a set of camo gaiters - like new [$6]
And a green wool hat with a brim and fold down ear flaps [$3]

SCORE....

[Huntography]

Awesome!

I might try that out at my local Goodwill.

Thanks for that tip!

Rudy

[bowhunterty]

I've used a lot of different stuff over the years. Fleece has been the go to fabric until 2011. Then I switched to Sitka. Put the Ascent pants thru some tough conditions and they have held up great. I don't buy it until it's on sell and buy a few pieces at a time. Have used military BDU's in the past but make to much noise and are miserable in the rain.

[Trophyhill]

i will be wearing a military pant in digital camo this year. i bought some for work to try out and they fit the bill for me.

[>>>---WW---->]

Kinda like I said Ty! You have to know when to put on the rain gear! LOL!

[pointysticks]

my favorite pants are from predator (green). they feel and wear like a pair of Carhartt work pants. tough and comfy.

elk hunting for me is just one trip. the rest of my trips put me in some of the burriest, stickery, thorny, seedy mess this country has to offer. cotton pants are the only thing that wont pick up every seed like velcro.

i made a huge mistake in AZ. i had to..well, you know. i ran into the bushes wearing my first lite bottoms. genius!! i got burrs everywhere. the entire trip, i would hike along peacefully and then "OUCH!" something would shift and i get stabbed in a soft spot. it was awful. my hands were down my pant entirely too often

[bowhunterty]

WW, I remember those days. As long as you put your raingear on before it started raining. Which on wetside of Washington was all the time.

[Breeze]

I'm in the 'cotton is rotten' crowd. It's very comfortable and inexpensive (and I have a lot of it) but if we are talking about camouflage it has a propensity to fade quickly and (I'm not sure if the right term is) pil. You might as well wear white. Have someone take your picture with the old-favorite-stuff and you will probably see.... I'm appalled at the recent military digital camo, not for it's pattern but for the fact that those people are wearing white after a few washes. Cotton is great for fishing trips.

I like the warp knits; Cabelas Microtex and a few others. The best I've found is Wolf-skins at greywolfwollens. Very durable, DWR finish, tough; and resists some of those burrs. The color remains intact. Not cheap but lasts and lasts.

Lately we have sometimes been wearing some non-camo climbing pants for September. I really like the Marmot Scree, and Prana Zion for movement flexibility.

As for patterns, I like big... Predator brown and green are my favorites. ASAT, and etc. Small patterns make nice neckties and look cool in the store but do they really break up your outline?
It has been pointed out many times that good hunters don't need camo... but I do...LOL... it gives me a nice false-sense-of-security and confidence.

[WindedBowhunter]

Swede
We personally wear a mixture of First Lite (ASAT) and Sitka Gear, for the ladies they wear Prois. We eat our own "dog food". I prefer the open patterns, not imagery. I don't care how it looks, just how the fabrics and patterns function by getting into bow range of the critters I chase.

I would also give the new Predator line a look. They have changed their fabrics to be more technical.

Personally, I stay away from carbon clothing, as I have not witnessed any "hunt changing" effects. I have been able to fool a deer's and elk's ears and vision, but never their noses.

Even when I hunt close to home (I hunt whitetail all year long), I sweat like it's nobody's business, even while on stand!


Additionally, because I hunt on foot especially in the backcountry I would sweat like Lindsay Lohan on Jeopardy!

[Swede]

I have not seen Jeopardy for years, but I wonder if Lindsey was just confused and thought she was standing in front of a different judge. From what I read that could explain her sweat problem anyway.

[pd]

Hello, all. Your friendly lurker here. I am really enjoying this forum--you all are very friendly, and I am learning a lot from you.

On the subject of camouflage clothing, I had an interesting conversation with a DFW biologist yesterday (if you are on this forum, and I suspect that you are, thank you again for your time). He told me something very interesting; you guys might listen up on this.

Like most states (all states?), wildlife are considered property of the people (administered by the state), until properly hunted and tagged, at which point the game animal becomes the property of the hunter. Thus, if wildlife are causing property damage (think of private tree farms), then the state is liable. DFW occasionally runs special hunts to remove problem game, in this case tree-eating elk. This is where it becomes interesting. The biologists and wardens are on hand when the selected hunters show up to remove the pests. This biologist has personally witnessed hunts where hunters in bright red wind breakers or rain jackets can walk right up to the elk and shoot it, whereas a hunter in camo immediately causes the elk to head for the hills. The point being that elk become aware of the meaning of camouflage.

It doesn't matter for me, because I am a rifle hunter, and we are required to wear Blaze orange.

[Swede]

Most of us are aware it really is not the color that makes camo work. People used plaid for years. One of the main reasons I have camo is because I treat my hunting cloths different than the others. I wash them in unscented soap with no ultraviolet brighteners. Blaze orange and black, in camo splotches is fine too. But there are so many variables to consider, that it would take a lot a soda pops, with the biologist, before I would be ready to accept the line that I could put on blaze orange an walk up on elk. Maybe, just maybe he has some ranch fed elk that are different than the ones I hunt. When I worked for the Forest Service I had a blaze orange vest that I wore a lot. I can assure you the deer and the elk were just as afraid of me when I put that vest on as with anything else. Wind direction, line of sight, sound are all important considerations. Wearing blaze orange is no basis to drop your guard when trying to slip up on elk.

[BrentLaBere]

pd,
Interesting observation from the biologist in this scanario. Although I am not ready to bite on it just yet. First off it seems to be in an area where the elk may be used to human scent and pressence. For an example, I go golfing during the summer and one of the golf coarse is located along the river bottoms with great cover surrounding it. This coarse is also right amongst city limits. Turkeys, deer, pheasants all find cover and comfort in this area. Heck if you hit a ball into the rough the deer will walk 10 yards just to keep some distance and let you play on with out even flinching. The city allows a certain amount of tags to control the population becuase of how the wildlife is interfereing with the residents(traffic and such).
These tags are easily filled becuase the animals have a tolerance towards humans. Now I am not saying this is exactly the same thing going on but I thought I would bring up the point of how it may affect it. Typically in the woods if big game, not used to human scent all year, catches wind of you they are over the ridge and out of sight. Same goes for seeing you in the open, if elk/deer see something stalking them they head for the hills. So I feel this is not something to be practiced by a long shot. But an intersting post none the less.

[WindedBowhunter]

I have not seen Jeopardy for years, but I wonder if Lindsey was just confused and thought she was standing in front of a different judge. From what I read that could explain her sweat problem anyway.

Swede - That's funny!

[BrentLaBere]

Well, I decided to go back and look up the first thread about cammo........never meant to get into anything with my comment but wow do I feel embarrassed .

[Swede]

I do not know if this is the best thread to post this on or not, but I will be gone for a week and don't want to start another now. What is on my mind is that PD, who has been a lurker, posted information above that he had learned from what should be a reliable source. That is a good thing to do. I disagreed with the statement he made. That is also ok too, so long as we don't attack one another.
My concern is that when writing disagreements about other's posts, I do not always express myself as well as I should. Also we may shut down a larger variety of discussion if we are careless in rebuttals. I do not want anyone feeling that their observation should not be posted and aired out. Even though PD may have shared something I disagree with, still there is a broad benefit derived from what was posted. Many people can gain insight through the discussion. There is more learning that goes on that by stating questionable beliefs, than from most discussions. It is also important that the older dogs do their job by keeping bad information from becoming established.
There is nothing gained by keeping our ideas and beliefs to ourselves. That is even more true if those beliefs are not correct. Like many people on here, I still hold onto some quaint theories I can neither prove or disprove. Like others I have questioned things where I knew there was information I was lacking.
I do not know if I will ever get to sit an camp or hunt with any of you on the forum, but as we sit around the campfire here, lets remember the purpose we have is to help prepare one another to be better hunters.
See ya when I get back to camp here.

[>>>---WW---->]

Hey Indian Summer! Did you hear that? Swede is going to be gone for a week. Now we can talk about him. LOL!

I don't know where you are going Swede. But have yourself a safe and enjoyable trip!

[pd]

I do not know if this is the best thread to post this on or not, but I will be gone for a week and don't want to start another now. What is on my mind is that PD, who has been a lurker, posted information above that he had learned from what should be a reliable source. That is a good thing to do. I disagreed with the statement he made. That is also ok too, so long as we don't attack one another.
My concern is that when writing disagreements about other's posts, I do not always express myself as well as I should. Also we may shut down a larger variety of discussion if we are careless in rebuttals. I do not want anyone feeling that their observation should not be posted and aired out. Even though PD may have shared something I disagree with, still there is a broad benefit derived from what was posted. Many people can gain insight through the discussion. There is more learning that goes on that by stating questionable beliefs, than from most discussions. It is also important that the older dogs do their job by keeping bad information from becoming established.
There is nothing gained by keeping our ideas and beliefs to ourselves. That is even more true if those beliefs are not correct. Like many people on here, I still hold onto some quaint theories I can neither prove or disprove. Like others I have questioned things where I knew there was information I was lacking.
I do not know if I will ever get to sit an camp or hunt with any of you on the forum, but as we sit around the campfire here, lets remember the purpose we have is to help prepare one another to be better hunters.
See ya when I get back to camp here.

Thanks for the comments, Swede.

I might have written the previous post poorly. I no way intended to say that a Blaze orange clad rifle hunter could simply walk up to a docile elk, and shoot him, whereas the camo-clad bow hunter always scares away the game. The biologist's point was simply his observation that elk do become aware of camouflage, and react to it. This doesn't mean that Blaze "hides" the hunter. In fact, what this observation means is that elk are intelligent, and learn from repeated attempts on their lives!

A final comment (I will try to write carefully): The recent conversation also left me with this gem--movement (or lack thereof) by the hunter is probably more important than camouflage patterns. Personally, I tend to agree with this.

As Swede says, the really nice thing about this forum is the encouraging atmosphere. There was a post a few months back, requesting lurkers to chime in and participate (give a bit, not just take). This is what I will try to do, if it is helpful and positive.

[Raghorn]

I do not know if this is the best thread to post this on or not, but I will be gone for a week and don't want to start another now. What is on my mind is that PD, who has been a lurker, posted information above that he had learned from what should be a reliable source. That is a good thing to do. I disagreed with the statement he made. That is also ok too, so long as we don't attack one another.
My concern is that when writing disagreements about other's posts, I do not always express myself as well as I should. Also we may shut down a larger variety of discussion if we are careless in rebuttals. I do not want anyone feeling that their observation should not be posted and aired out. Even though PD may have shared something I disagree with, still there is a broad benefit derived from what was posted. Many people can gain insight through the discussion. There is more learning that goes on that by stating questionable beliefs, than from most discussions. It is also important that the older dogs do their job by keeping bad information from becoming established.
There is nothing gained by keeping our ideas and beliefs to ourselves. That is even more true if those beliefs are not correct. Like many people on here, I still hold onto some quaint theories I can neither prove or disprove. Like others I have questioned things where I knew there was information I was lacking.
I do not know if I will ever get to sit an camp or hunt with any of you on the forum, but as we sit around the campfire here, lets remember the purpose we have is to help prepare one another to be better hunters.
See ya when I get back to camp here.

I haven't heard it said any better than this before...well done Swede!

Raghorn