Hunting Gear vs Hiking Gear? How do you decide?

Interesting reading, thanks for all the input guys.

I have never owned any Gore-Tex or any store bought camo other than the occasional piece of clothing I have received as a gift. None of the camo has left me impressed at all. As an old timer all I have ever hunted with is old technology, such as wool pants and jackets etc. I like them a lot but every fabric has it's weakness. For me it was wool until it rained then add a rain coat if I REALLY had to be out in the rain.

Observation: Hikers are, by definition, supposed to make as much noise as possible to avoid accidental confrontation with wildlife. Hunters actively seek to be quiet.

I once saw a blaze orange, standard orange, red sort of camo pattern that a guy was wearing. It made me pause and think because most animals being colour blind, the blaze orange pattern "should" appear as shades of grey??

As far as noise goes, it is very situational. Much the same as odour. If you are in a mountain range, where the nearest human is normally many miles away, the slightest bit of human odour may get you busted. If you are standing in a farmers field with the entire yard a half mile away then animals are pretty much used to human odour to some level. Noise would be a similar comparison.

Interesting aside: Many years ago and old timer told me that in the bush if you are making lots of noise, with no attempt to conceal your movements and headed in steady direction, that animals are not overly concerned. They can easily track you and your path and can stay hidden just a few yards into the bush. After you pass they often will wait a while then come out to see what sort of animal is so careless and noisy out of sheer curiosity.

Flash forward a number of years: A number of us were in hunt camp. I was laid up with very sore Achilles Tendons from wearing a brand new pair of hunting boots for a day. Sad lesson learned as I could barely even walk and we were there for a week. So after hobbling around camp in my running shoes I decided to walk slowly and carefully down a nearby ridge to stay out of the muskeg. When I got there the overnight wind had stripped the black poplar trees of all their leaves and left a carpet of crunchy leaves everywhere. Impossible to walk with out making noise. Thinking back to what that old timer had told me I deliberately walked as quickly and loudly as I could, even shuffling my feet to crunch the leaves. I did this for a few hundred yards until my feet hurt so bad I had to stop. Then I took cover and watched my back trail. About 30 minutes later a very large bull moose stepped out onto the line and stood there looking up and down, obviously wondering what idiot had just passed. A 210 yard shot that proved easy for my .270.
So noise...in context.
Dave​
 
I wear a mix of Kuiu, HH, MEC, Arc'teryx, Lowe, etc etc for mountain and grizzly hunting. My pack is a Kuiu carbon frame, it replaced an Arc'teryx just because it has better adaptations to hunting (gun carriers, meat packing webs, yada yada). Even wear Dunlop boots when called for, I see no reason to subscribe head to toe in one brand or style of gear.
 
Same a Cintax, wool all over. Cheap wool army pants, lasted 30 years but can't get them anymore. Underwear is synthetic with some Merino with a wool or synthetic/Merino shirt or wool sweater. Also, the best Jack/Shirt ever made (COLUMBIA WOOL) if it's cold. Best jacket ever, bar none. All are completely breathable and never holds sweat plus if I'm still hunting I can add or subtract layers as needed. If it's raining then I don't care about noise so I have different rain jackets. I haven't bought any gear that was camo for the sake of camo. I do have to wear Blaze and I'm not convinced any pattern is better over another brand. Years ago my brother in law took some black/white pics of a group of us in our hunting gear, all different camo blends. He had the old GI camo and his seemed to give the best breakup of shape. With the newer MERINO wool it's very easy to wear next to your skin. I highly recommend total wool for clothing then just use rainwear if it's really pouring. Best of luck.
 
Merino under layers are available at Costco for $20 a shirt, their merino blend hiking socks are also awesome and a 1/4 of the price of an outdoors store like the shirts.

Kuiu Yukon guide suit, lives up to its name, waterproof and breathable. Also extremely light, Kuiu's modus operandi.

 
was looking at some of that Kuiu gear. looking to replace some of my stuff over the off season.
It is hard to find good gear with the product turn over rate at most places. found good gear that lasted only to be discontinued LOL
recommendations from guys who actually work in the hunting gear they are using is always a bonus as I'm sure one would figure out what doesn't work or stand up to the rigours of outfitting pretty fast.

so, with an allergy to wool products, anyone recommend anything?
 
Is it an actual allergic reaction to the substance, or do you just itch from the texture of it? If the latter, you can find Merino wool products that feel like silk and cause no irritation.
 
jjohnwm said:
Is it an actual allergic reaction to the substance, or do you just itch from the texture of it? If the latter, you can find Merino wool products that feel like silk and cause no irritation.
Click to expand...

Speaking for myself, I've literally tried all of them, from the latest Costco stuff to $150 Smartwool underwear. It all itches. I don't have an actual allergy wherein a rash develops,etc., but it just plain itches when next to skin. I can wear wool sweaters and such, so long as there's a synthetic next to skin.
 
You'll find stories online about Kuiu leaking, I packed HH the first time I wore the Kuiu Yukon suit and regretted packing the weight. I'm guiding on the North Coast, one of the wettest and most miserable places in the world in fall, so I feel it's been fairly tested. It worked well for me, I simply wear it as my clothes, with under layers. Kuiu has an outfitter and guides program so full disclosure they set me up pretty well, but if it didn't work I'd be the first to say it as getting wet and cold is life or death.

You do need to dry out the Kuiu nightly, I hung it under the fly sheet, it didn't truly dry but lets it air out. HH won't have that issue, but you'll sweat like a pig. On the coastal bear hunts I'll still wear HH as it can't fail being rubber, but it's a lot less comfortable than the Kuiu. When alpine backpack hunting you only get to carry one set of outer wear, and if that doubles as your rain gear it's a big bonus.
 
jjohnwm said:
Is it an actual allergic reaction to the substance, or do you just itch from the texture of it? If the latter, you can find Merino wool products that feel like silk and cause no irritation.
Click to expand...

I break out in hives LOL like chicken pox. we discovered this years ago when I was gifted a hand made wool sweater by a member of the bella coola first nation.
it's definitely an allergy
 
awesome info team.
Im on the 'Wet Coast' as it were, so being prepared for rain isnt so much 'preparation' as much as its an 'expectation'. Im going to be building up merino wool base + mid layers over the xmas season and keep an eye out for some good outter shell's as the sales come up.
 
For sure gwes and +1 to big boar. See "First Moose Hunt Yessum" and their I am with wool underneath and PVC on top (issued by the way).
 
Wool is certainly warm when wet, but I find the itchy factor increases tenfold with moisture.

It's also the exact opposite of "quick to dry". Wool I find never dries. I find fleece to be far superior.

In my mountaineering days, I'd wear polypro base layers (stinky!) and, supplex nylon pants (yeah, rad pants) microfleece shirt, a fleece jacket, goretex etc.

The big key was a giant (not roomy, just fairly thick) synthetic sleeping bag. Our down bags just got wet, and that was that. I'd go to sleep fully dressed (socks, base layers, pants and micro fleece shirt) and wake up dry.

Coast mountains, winter and summer, this setup worked.

I used to work at MEC, way back when. Don't shop there now, because their clothes only fit 26 year old Asian guys. I used to get in trouble for telling members MEC meant "medium equipment coop" :)
 
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