Hunting Jackets - Bulky vs Tight and wool vs synthetic

[knothead]

Synthetic all the way. Wool is good and I wore it for years but it takes forever to dry when wet, and it will get wet if your hiking in the bush from your sweat if not your leaky rain gear.

[r106]

Multiple light weight layers is your friend. I use wool base layers and mostly synthetic on top. I average 2-4 upper layers depending on conditions.

Early season I always have a light weight wool long sleave shirt on first and my sitka timberline jacket on outside. As it cools down i will add sitka heavy weight core hoody under the jacket. That will be sufficient for my hunting until the temps drop in november at that time i use a puffy vest. Combining/alternating all of those covers me for 90% of my hunting. Also a good toque and gloves make a huge difference as well. Rain gear is another story.

I never realized how much it sucked wearing a bulky heavy jacket till i learned to just layer properly with good stuff. All my hunting cloths head to toe probably weigh less than just a heavy carhart jacket lol.

I should add i always have my stanfield wool shirt with me in my bag for some reason. Always.

[Vini]

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for posting this information. This forum and it's members are fantastic. I tried posting similar questions on another forum (FB) and got nothing but silly posts that were, lack of a better term, just plain stupid. Some good posts as well but for the most part useless.

Anyway, keep the opinions coming. Much appreciated

[MichelD]

What the hell is wrong with stanfields comes with handy back door and made in Canada! All we get from China is viruses!

I grew up wearing those but I still don't like the huge wide open collar. I'm a "I like my neck warm" type of guy. And they're friggin' expensive.

My secret; a couple years ago I went on a Merino wool shopping campaign for two weeks in May and hit local charity thrift stores, Sally Anns, and one VV (I hate VV) and paid prices anywhere from $2.00 to $10.00 for Merino wool light and medium weight pullovers I wear as undershirts hunting and some are nice enough to wear in the house over a t-shirt. Spent $70.00 and got enough to fill a drawer.

I had a pile of synthetic long sleeved undershirts I wore for years, but Holy-Moly!!! One morning in the duck blind not even doing anything and I smelled like a rutting billy goat, never mind the aroma after wearing one for several days hiking.

[pg83]

I'll echo a few responses here so far.

I love merino wool as a base layer(for its antimicrobial/antistank purposes), but that's about it. Synthetics are just so much better for hunting in BC IMO as you're gonna end up wet and they dry quicker and hold their insulation value along the way. This does, of course, depend on how you hunt, but you mentioned "boots on the ground" so I assume you will be soaked from sweat or rain(or snow melting on you, or wet bushes)at some point in your typical day afield regardless of the time of year. I have given up on softshell jackets entirely for any hunting that isn't road warrior style. It's a useless layer to me as the only thing it adds to your kit is weight.


Layers, layers, layers: Base - Insulation - Rain/Wind
Stick to the pieces of gear that perform a specific function for you and you will be ahead at the end of the day.

Or be like me 20 years ago while packing out part of my Dad's goat and hope for the best(it was a great day for packing, besides the gumboots)... I got lucky.






Point is, you can get shit done regardless of what you're wearing but you will be far more comfortable and far better off(Read: safer) in certain things than others. That doesn't mean you are less manly or any other bullshit you might hear.

Wear the best layering system you can afford at the time and you will be able to hunt better/farther/deeper or whatever else someone wants to call it.
It doesn't need to be a hunting brand, it doesn't need to be camo, it doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to work for you, period.

[stosto]

Merino wool base layer, puffy jacket and rain jacket is the ultimate combo.

My black puffy arcteryx jacket is light, warm and packs down to a small pouch. No need for camo or hunting brands either, since some moutaneering gear can be moderately priced, especially right now, and will likely last longer and outperform the gimmick gear from Cabelas.

[Redthies]

First lite has quality stuff. I picked up a kiln not too long ago when it was on sale. Unfortunately I’m thinking of not supporting them anymore because of the cost of their items and where it’s made. The kiln is made in China.

To put it in perspective, I could buy 5 kiln shirts made in China, or a brand new Exo K3 pack made in the USA. I own several of their jackets and have had a couple pairs of their pants. Some is made in Vietnam, some in China etc. Like I said the quality is there, but for the cost it should be made in a better place.

Merino wool all the way though.

Most companies manufacture in offshore factories. It’s an unfortunate reality. I appreciate the desire to support companies that manufacture here. At least First Lite is very involved in conservation and access work. I will admit to having a dog in this fight as they say, in that my old roommate from the Kootenays is the founder of First Lite. I already liked their gear before I found that out though, so I’m grandfathered as an unbiased source...

[Pauly]

I used to hunt in all wool but now I’m head to toe under armour well built and durable keeps me warm in minus 20 no problem. It’s expensive but worth it

[whognu]

the mrs tells me big bulky jackets make my ass look big.............................................er

[Redthies]

the mrs tells me big bulky jackets make my ass look big.............................................er

She’s right.