Hunting Clothes for Staying Warm and Dry

The ability to stay warm and dry on a hunting trip depends on layering hunting clothes. Besides, layering clothes gives more flexibility in a changing weather evironment. A mountain hunter should aim at packing several layers of clothing made from lightweight and durable materials, choosing a base layer, insulation layer, super-insulation layer and a shell layer.

Base Layer. The best way to keep the moisture away from your skin is to bring along long underwear, including tops and bottoms – and it’s best if they’re synthetic or wool, but not cotton, because cotton looses insulating properties when gets wet and it does not dry fast. 

Insulation Layer. When traversing mountainous areas, conditions vary from hot in the bright sunshine at lower elevations to wet and cold when it is snowing at higher elevations. Under these changing circumstances, several light and medium weight layers of synthetic, wool or down filled insulation clothes are the best. Choose down, specially treated to prevent getting wet when exposed to water. Take a shirt for hiking during good weather made from synthetic fabrics, a wool, down or synthetic filled sweater or fleece sweater and fleece pants with side zips for easy on and off. 

Super Insulation Layer. While mountaineering or hunting in winter conditions, safety and comfort require wearing a super Insulation layer of clothing consisting of insulated parka and pants or bibs.

Shell Layer. Super insulation layer can be your shell layer. The shell should chosen according to expected weather. If rain is expected it must be 100% waterproof. Having windproof breathable membrane is important. The Shell Layer protects mountaineers and hunters from wind, rain, sleet, and snow and prevents the build-up of condensation inside your clothing system. What do you need to create a protective and comfortable shell layer?  Look for this checklist of items: parka Shell - loosely fitted, with a hood, wind tunnel and plenty of pockets, wind pants with room for multiple layer, lightweight yet strong face mask or balaclava, hat with a double layer construction and complete ear protection, gloves or mittens with sleeves that go up the arm and removable liners If you’re hunting during the hot months you will need a wide, durable hat. 

Socks. Bring along several pair made of wool or synthetic/blend to ensure comfort, the ability to change often and keep your feet dry, plus a pair of thick socks. Never wear two pairs of socks at the same time because they can chafe and irritate your skin.  

Gaiters. This item is very useful and will prevent snow, mud or water from coming into your boots. (They don’t protect against alligators, however, but those are rare at high altitudes.) 

Our store offers clothes from several leading manufacturers, including Sitka gear, minus 33, Badlands, Scent Blocker, Banded and Kryptek.

Hunting camouflage.  Wearing hunting clothes colored in a camo pattern helps to be less noticeable. The actual camo pattern design is not very important hinting for animals that have no color vision, which includes predators and antlered game. Therefore it does not make much sense to pay extra for using clohes with expensive proprietary camo patterns (like Sitka Gear pattern, for example). Badlands, Kryptek and  Scent Blocker offer camo patterns that don't add extra to the cost of clothing. Bird hunting is different because birds have very sharp colored vision, therefore choosing camo pattern suitable for a particular hunting environment is very important.