{"id":1561,"date":"2018-03-28T12:52:29","date_gmt":"2018-03-28T18:52:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/?p=1561"},"modified":"2022-02-09T07:03:03","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T07:03:03","slug":"hunt-gear-checklist-part-1-introduction-and-clothing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/hunt-gear-checklist-part-1-introduction-and-clothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunt Gear Checklist Part 1: Introduction and Clothing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hunting Gear and Clothing:\u00a0 Intro and Context<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This is part 1 of my post on hunting gear and clothing.\u00a0\u00a0A few notes about this list to provide some context:<\/p>\n

I hunt deer and elk.\u00a0 My hunts are all self guided.\u00a0 I tend to backpack hunt, generally 3-8 miles from my vehicle.\u00a0 I don’t have pack animals.\u00a0 Everywhere I go, I walk.<\/p>\n

I hunt public lands in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Colorado.\u00a0 (Thinking of hunting Montana in the future.)\u00a0 Because I only started hunting a few years ago, I have not accumulated significant preference points in any state.\u00a0 My hunts are generally over the counter, general season tags, or easy to draw limited entry units.\u00a0 I try to hike in to places that other hunters don’t go.\u00a0 Terrain is usually high country; either heavily timbered, or more sparsely covered high mountain terrain.\u00a0 Temps can range from hot (Utah early season) or cold and snowy (Colorado 3rd rifle season.)<\/p>\n

I’m a meat hunter.\u00a0 I don’t have any place in my house to hang a\u00a0taxidermy\u00a0head.\u00a0 I will keep antlers, but have no real use for a big mounted trophy.\u00a0 Because of this, I don’t really care about an animal’s “score.”\u00a0 Given two healthy, legal targets, I will opt for the smaller, younger one, on the assumption that the meat will be better.\u00a0 (I prefer females to males for the same reason.)\u00a0 \u00a0You will see this preference reflected in some of my equipment decisions.\u00a0 For example, I don’t need a giant spotting scope to count antler tines, so I generally bring a smaller lightweight spotting scope.<\/p>\n

Most of my hunting is solo.\u00a0 (Another reason I prefer to harvest a smaller animal.)\u00a0 I generally plan on spending 5 or 6 nights on a given hunt.\u00a0 I’m getting older (in my 50’s) so I try to keep my pack weigh down as much as possible.<\/p>\n

A final note about my hunting gear.\u00a0 I’ve tried not to make any compromises with my gear.\u00a0 With very few exceptions, if I’ve chosen to take a particular item of clothing or equipment on a hunt, it’s because I believe that it is the absolute best piece of clothing or equipment for the purpose.\u00a0 After a few years of hunting, I have refined and honed my hunting clothing and equipment over and over again.\u00a0 I have finally got the list to a pretty stable state.\u00a0 Stuff that doesn’t work or is not needed has been trimmed from the list, and many items have been changed out for things that work better.<\/p>\n

\"My<\/a>
My “trophy”
Elk tenderloin medallions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clothing:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hunter Orange.<\/h2>\n

Idaho and Arizona do not require hunter orange.\u00a0 Colorado and Utah do.\u00a0 Because of this, when I’m hunting in Utah or Colorado, I don’t bother with camo on my upper body. \u00a0I just wear orange clothing. \u00a0 Most folks wear camo and an orange vest. \u00a0I opt for just wearing orange\u00a0clothing and not bothering with a vest. \u00a0I’m not convinced that camo clothing makes a huge difference in how easily elk or deer can spot me, particularly at rifle hunting distances.\u00a0 Furthermore, the orange vests that I have tested with a UV light have glowed like crazy, indicating they have heavy optical brighteners in their dyes.\u00a0 My orange clothing doesn’t glow under a UV light.\u00a0 (Deer and elk are sensitive to the UV spectrum, so generally, UV optical brighteners are bad because they make you more visible to your prey.)<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Camo clothing for an Idaho Deer Hunt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Above:\u00a0 Camo clothing.\u00a0 Below, orange clothing.<\/p>\n

\"Hunter<\/a>
Hunter Orange Clothing for Colorado and Utah<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

DeFeet Duraglove ET Wool\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 These are great lightweight gloves made from a blend of synthetic and merino wool.\u00a0 Good dexterity for fine tasks (including shooting.)\u00a0 Compatible with phone touch screen.\u00a0 Good grip.\u00a0 Durable.<\/p>\n

Dachstein boiled wool fingerless, mittens, with fold-over cap.<\/a>\u00a0 These are my go-to cold weather hand gear.\u00a0 They are warm, windproof, water resistant, and easy to convert from fingerless to mitten configuration (just fold over the finger cap.)\u00a0 These mittens provide warmth for my hands, while the fingerless feature makes them easy to shoot with without removing them.<\/p>\n

Simms Freestone fingerless, fold over mittens<\/a>\u00a0 This is my warmer weather version of the Dachstein mittens.\u00a0 Same features in a lighter weight fleece version.<\/p>\n

REI Minimalist Rain Mittens.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Waterproof, seam taped rain gear for your hands.\u00a0 Ultralight fabric is not very durable, but I only wear them if it’s raining, and it doesn’t rain much where I hunt, so it’s not a big problem.<\/p>\n

Head<\/strong><\/p>\n

Golightly cashmere Expedition Weight Hat<\/a>\u00a0 (Replace with orange\u00a0Golightly cashmere watch cap <\/a>for Hunter Orange states.)\u00a0 \u00a0These hats are warm and super comfortable.\u00a0 I wear them in cold conditions and for sleeping.\u00a0 They are ridiculously expensive, but buying them is a fiscally irresponsible decision I have never regretted.<\/p>\n

\"Golightly<\/a>
Golightly Expedition Hat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Buff headband\/neck gaiter<\/a>\u00a0 (orange for Hunter Orange states, camo pattern for Idaho)\u00a0 This is an indispensable piece of clothing.\u00a0 It’s a sweat band in hot weather, a neck gaiter, and an ear band in cold weather (Sometimes a warm hat is too much, and all I really want is something to keep my ears warm.)<\/p>\n

Outdoor Research Sunrunner cap<\/a>\u00a0 (I tie-died this cap to give it a more camouflaged look.) \u00a0Replace with LL Bean mesh and cool-max hunting cap for Hunter Orange states. (The Bean cap is discontinued, but Headsweats <\/a>makes a similar cap.)\u00a0 Keeps the sun out of my eyes, and absorbs sweat.<\/p>\n

Julbo Venturi sunglasses with Zebra Light lenses<\/a>.\u00a0 These sunglasses are made for trail runners, and they vent well and resist fogging.\u00a0 The photochromatic “Zebra Light” lenses adjust to allow for good vision in shadows and bright sun and glare.\u00a0 Comfortable, and durable.<\/p>\n

Base layers<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smartwool boxer briefs<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Merino wool underwear is low stink and comfortable.\u00a0 I generally will bring a spare pair on a multi day trip.\u00a0 (This and my socks are my only spares)<\/p>\n

Kuiu Peloton 200 Zip-Off\u00a0 long john bottoms<\/a>\u00a0 These long johns are genius because they have full length zippers that allow you to take them off and put them on without removing your boots.\u00a0 This is a common feature for raingear, but Kuiu is the only company I know of that does this with base layers.<\/p>\n

Ibex\u00a0merino t-shirt<\/a>\u00a0 (orange for Hunter Orange states.)\u00a0 Low stink.\u00a0 Comfortable.\u00a0 Doesn’t dry as quickly as synthetic, but more comfortable.\u00a0 Not durable.\u00a0 Knit wool fabric won’t stand up to bushwhacking very well.<\/p>\n

Primary Layer; Pants\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

FirstLite Obsidian Pants<\/a>\u00a0 These pants made from\u00a0woven, ripstop merino wool are my choice for early season hunts and any time when I’m not expecting snow or wet conditions.\u00a0 I don’t like belts, and these work well with suspenders.\u00a0 They have a high waist that fits well and is comfortable under a backpack hip belt.\u00a0 They are a replacement for the Kenab pants, and have better pockets, and a more durable fabric.\u00a0 Not at all water resistant.\u00a0 Not great for snow or wet conditions.\u00a0 They will get wet and don’t dry as fast as some other pants.<\/p>\n

Sitka Timberline Pants.<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 These are my pants of choice for wet and\/or snowy conditions.\u00a0 They have some water resistance and dry quickly.\u00a0 The seat and knees are waterproof, so you can sit or kneel on snow and not get your butt or knees wet.\u00a0 Good suspenders.\u00a0 Comfortable under a pack hip belt.\u00a0 Knees have removable knee pads which are flexible and comfortable.\u00a0 High waist and suspenders.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Primary Layer; Torso<\/strong><\/p>\n

Voormi Blur Jacket\u00a0<\/a> \u00a0This is my camo layer for Idaho or Arizona, when I’m not worrying about hunter orange requirements.\u00a0 It’s a nice, hooded softshell jacket, made of a merino wool blend.\u00a0 It is weather resistant, and will shrug off light rain or snow.\u00a0 It has a wide temperature comfort range.\u00a0 Two chest pockets and two handwarmer pockets provide ample storage.\u00a0 The Blur Jacket is one of several similar hunting oriented tops in Voormi’s clothing line up.\u00a0 There is a similar top with many of the same features in a pullover version, the Voormi Two Pocket Hoodie.<\/a>\u00a0 All of Voormi’s clothing is made in the USA from American sourced materials.<\/p>\n

\"Voormi<\/a>
Voormi Blur Jacket, Firstlite Obsidian Pants and Firstlite Brambler Gaiters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For hunter orange states, the Voormi Blur jacket gets replaced with an orange\u00a0Patagonia Nano Air Light hoodie<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a lightly insulated softshell with excellent breathability and good stretch.\u00a0 Not as warm or wind resistant as the Voormi Blur, but lighter and better for high exertion activities.<\/p>\n

Rain Gear<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don’t hunt in any states where it typically rains a lot.\u00a0 My primary concern with rain gear is that it is light weight.\u00a0 I don’t really care if it’s durable, as I don’t really plan on wearing it all that often.<\/p>\n

Kuiu Teton Rain Jacket<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0(Replace with Patagonia M10 Anorak<\/a> for Hunter Orange states)\u00a0 These are some of the lightest rain jackets available.<\/p>\n

Kuiu Teton Rain Pants<\/a>\u00a0 Light weight.\u00a0 Full side zips make them easy on and off without removing boots.<\/p>\n

REI Minimalist Rain Mittens.\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0Waterproof, seam taped rain gear for your hands.\u00a0 Ultralight fabric is not very durable.<\/p>\n

\"Kuiu<\/a>
Kuiu Teton Rain Suit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Puffy Jacket<\/strong>\u00a0 I always carry a puffy jacket.\u00a0 I want insulation that I can layer on top of my other clothing for times when I am stationary and not generating heat.\u00a0 Hooded jackets are warmer than non-hooded versions.<\/p>\n

FirstLite\u00a0Uncompahgre Puffy Insulated Jacket<\/a>\u00a0This is a nice insulated jacket.\u00a0 It pairs well with my Voormi Blur softshell, and keeps me warm and toasty when glassing and hanging around camp.<\/p>\n

For hunter orange states, I use the\u00a0Patagonia Fitzroy hooded down parka<\/a>.\u00a0 This is a very warm, very light down filled puffy that is great for really cold conditions.<\/p>\n

\"Glassing<\/a>
Glassing in my Uncompahgre Jacket<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Feet<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gaiters keep rocks and sticks and moisture out of your boots.\u00a0 I wear the\u00a0FirstLite Brambler\u00a0Hunting Gaiter<\/a>,\u00a0 except in early season, when I prefer a shorter, more breathable gaiter.\u00a0 For early season, where snow isn’t an issue, and I’m pretty much just keeping rocks and sticks out of my boots, I opt for the\u00a0Kennetrek Hiking Gaiter.<\/a>\u00a0 They are light, stretchy, and breathable.<\/p>\n

When I’m backpacking and hiking (not hunting) I seldom wear boots.\u00a0 I pretty much just wear lightweight trail running shoes.\u00a0 However, after trying to wear trail running shoes while hunting, I’ve found that I prefer more substantial footwear.\u00a0 When I’m hunting, I tend to travel off trail most of the time.\u00a0 Boots provide more protection and comfort off trail.\u00a0 The loads I’m carrying (especially if I’m packing out meat) also tend to be heavier than typical backpacking loads, and I find that I want a bit more support than trail running shoes provide.<\/p>\n

My primary boot of choice is the\u00a0Zamberlan Lynx. <\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a>These are high quality, Italian boots that are waterproof, comfortable, and great for cool to cold weather.\u00a0 One thing I really appreciate about these boots is that they come in both regular and wide widths.\u00a0 I have a somewhat wide foot, and the wide width fits me perfectly.\u00a0 They are very nimble, with a grippy sole for scrambling over rocks.\u00a0 Their mid-height construction doesn’t bind or constrict.\u00a0 These are great boots, and I use them for everything except hot, early season conditions.<\/p>\n

\"Zamberlan<\/a>
Zamberlan Lynx<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0Keene Liberty Ridge hiking boots\u00a0<\/a>are my choice for early season warmer conditions.\u00a0 They are a bit lighter than the Zamberlans, but still provide good support.\u00a0 They are water proof.\u00a0 They don’t come in different widths, but they have a relatively wide fore foot, so they fit my feet well.\u00a0 As a bonus, they are made in the United States.<\/p>\n

As with my merino boxer briefs, I generally bring a spare pair of socks.\u00a0 I wear merino blend socks pretty much exclusively.\u00a0 Nothing surpasses wool for sock material.<\/p>\n

With my Keen boots, I wear\u00a0Lorpen Merino hiking socks<\/a>.\u00a0 These socks are comfortable, durable, and maintain their shape well.<\/p>\n

With the Zamberlan boots, I wear Patagonia Expedition weight merino hiking socks.\u00a0 I don’t think that these socks are still made by Patagonia, which is too bad, as they are great socks, with good cushioning and excellent warmth.\u00a0 A good warm, thick sock like these allows my feet to stay warm and comfortable in cold temperatures.\u00a0 I find that even in more mild conditions, the thick terry-looped merino interior absorbs any sweat from my feet and my feet stay comfortable and don’t feel too hot.<\/p>\n

Item weights:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Clothing:<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Julbo Venturi sunglasses with Zebra light lenses and cloth bag<\/td>\n1.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Smartwool Merino boxer briefs (2 pair) 2.6 ounces each<\/td>\n5.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sitka Timberline Pants<\/td>\n32.7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
First Lite Obsidian Pants<\/td>\n22.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kuiu Peloton 200 zip-off bottoms<\/td>\n8.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Merino t-shirt<\/td>\n5.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voormi Blur Jacket<\/td>\n26.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange Patagonia Nano Air light hoodie<\/td>\n11.8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expedition weight Cashmere Hat (Golightly Cashmere)<\/td>\n5.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange Cashmere Watch Hat (Golightly Cashmere)<\/td>\n3.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange Buff<\/td>\n1.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Outdoor Research Sunrunner Hat<\/td>\n2.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange Cap (LL Bean Technical Upland Cap)<\/td>\n2.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Keene Liberty Ridge Mid height Hunting Boots<\/td>\n51.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zamberlan Lynx Gtx Mid height Hunting Boots<\/td>\n64.4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Lorpen mid weight wool hiking socks x2 (2.8 ounces per pair)<\/td>\n5.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Patagonia Expedition wool socks x2 (7 ounces per pair)<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DeFeet ET Dura glove<\/td>\n2.2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dachstein fingerless mittens with fold over cap<\/td>\n5.3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
REI eVent rain mitts<\/td>\n1.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
First Lite Brambler gaiters<\/td>\n11<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kennetrek Hiking\u00a0gaiters<\/td>\n5.5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Patagonia Fitzroy Down Parka (Orange)<\/td>\n21.1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
First Lite Umcompagre puffy jacket with hood<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Orange Patagonia M10 Anorak<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kuiu Teton Rain Jacket<\/td>\n9.6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kuiu Teton Rain Pants<\/td>\n6.9<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hunting Gear and Clothing:\u00a0 Intro and Context This is part 1 of my post on hunting gear and clothing.\u00a0\u00a0A few notes about this list to provide some context: I hunt deer and elk.\u00a0 My hunts are all self guided.\u00a0 I tend to backpack hunt, generally 3-8 miles from my vehicle.\u00a0 I don’t have pack animals.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1584,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[198,3,392],"tags":[400,402,401,399],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1561"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1561"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1561\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2005,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1561\/revisions\/2005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/larsonweb.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}