Clothing for a Coues backpack hunt

[mruda1]

The gents and I were lucky enough to get drawn this year for a late December coues hunt. We've decided we're gonna back pack in this year, which is a first for a few of us, including myself. I've had to nearly completely revamp all my gear which leads me to my next dilemma...

 

Any opinions on decent light weight clothing thats also warm for a back pack hunt? Also, how much do most of you take? As of now we plan on 7 days and I figured I'd only take a set of clothing and a jacket.

 

Lastly, since it's an Arizona hunt I don't plan on investing much in rain gear since a poncho should suffice in a typical Arizona storm.

 

Thanks in advance!

[cjl2010]

What unit?

[mruda1]

Whoops... 36C...

[Cell4soul]

Enjoy. I just went through the process of updating and upgrading ALL of my gear, including my rifle, in preparation for my first backpack hunts this year. In October I'll be packing in with a buddy in Wyoming to try killing him a big buck (I don't have a tag in the unit). I'll be packing solo in 24B for the early December Coues. I am not much help as to what will work, because this is a first for me as well. i was carrying 8x32 binos on my neck and 15x56 in my pack. I switched to 12x50's only and shaved some weight there. I shaved 4lbs off my rifle/scope. I upgraded to a Kifaru pack.

 

For clothing I went with Ice Breaker base layers, Kryptek Dalibor pants and jacket and the Helios shirt. I also have a Kifaru Lost Park Parka and Kryptek Poseidon rain gear. I should be able to layer to the weather with this combo. I know the December hunts can have huge temperature swings and I think warmth and comfort are key, while minimizing sweat. My plan for the hike out is nothing on my upper body except the base layer to minimize sweat....this worked well last year on my day hunts, even when temperatures were in the teens; my body movement kept me plenty warm without getting any of my layers wet from sweat.

 

Have you already worked out your sleeping gear (tent, pad, sleeping bag)?

[AZ_SAWBUCK]

Seems like we always get a winter storm around Christmas (Late December and January). Make sure you have some good rain gear and a place to get out of the rain and warm up. With rain gear and lightweight warm gear you usually get what you pay for. I'd take note of what guides are wearing in cold places like Alaska and sheep hunting in Canada. Kuiu or Kryptek would be my first choices.

[metau]

For a backpacking trip that was 7 nights in the field, my clothing list would look like this.

 

2x Merino Boxers

2x Merino Long Sleeve Tops

1x Merino Bottoms (depends on temp, could swap for a pair of the boxers)

3x Merino Hiking Socks (4-5 pairs if weather is supposed to be wet)

1x Merino Beanie

1x Down Puffy Jacket

1x Windproof Outershell Jacket

1x Wind-resistant & Abrasion-resistant Pants

 

 

That's really about it. Depending on the weather/temps, I may also bring appropriate gloves (with or without liners, or just the liners), a Merino neck gaiter, and boot gaiters. For rain, I treat the seams of my windproof outer layer clothing and that handles the light stuff that happens most of the time. For heavier rains, I always have my tarp, gutted 550 cord and trekking poles. As far as brands, for the Merino wool I like First Lite, Kuiu and SmartWool. For the puffy, I would suggest any reputable mountaineering brand you can find on sale. The jacket and pants you will need to research on your own.

 

Also keep in mind that when it comes to shaving weight off your back for a trip like this, ounces get expensive. Look at your heaviest items first and see where you can save the most amount of weight for the least cost. Water is also a huge factor. Being your hunt is in unit 36C, I would not count on any water you stash prior to the season still being there, unless you bury it. If you pack water in during your hunt, it gets heavy quick. Splitting shelters and food among multiple people helps. Look at calories per gram/ounce when meal planning. Dehydrated meals are great if you have a water source, not so much if you don't.

 

Gear, food and water for backpacking for a week can get a bit heavy, but once you add optics, tripod, rifle, rangefinder, etc. as extras for hunting, the weight goes up fast. I would recommend keeping a spreadsheet of everything you have for your trip and seeing what your total weight will be. That will also let you research individual items to replace and do a cost analysis to reduce weight for the least amount of cost. You should be able to easily get under 50lbs total weight before water for that type/duration of a hunt.

[mruda1]

Sweet! Thanks for the info.

 

Yea, I replied to one of your threads earlier. I just bit the bullet on a new Kifaru Fulcrum and the REI Magma 10. One of my buddies in my group is running of the Kifaru multiple man tents so we're set there. And I'm still in the market for a pad since the above mentioned gear took a big hit on the bank account 😂😂

[Viper]

"And I'm still in the market for a pad...." If you are going with an inflatable, be sure it is insulated. Even a good bag won't work well on an uninsulated air pad...at least not for me. But I sleep kinda cold.

 

If you're only taking one change of cloths, you better have decent rain gear.

 

The technical "mountaineering-type" clothing is best (Kuiu type). It is light weight, wicks away your sweat, and dries fast. Most good stuff has a DWR (water resistant) coating, which works well in light rain. It aint cheap though.

[Cell4soul]

Sweet! Thanks for the info.

Yea, I replied to one of your threads earlier. I just bit the bullet on a new Kifaru Fulcrum and the REI Magma 10. One of my buddies in my group is running of the Kifaru multiple man tents so we're set there. And I'm still in the market for a pad since the above mentioned gear took a big hit on the bank account

I get the whole bank account thing. I am pretty drained now, but all of my purchases except food are done. Good luck on your hunts. Don't forget water purification. I went with the MSR Guardian. It is REALLY expensive, but will purify for all bacterias and viruses and it pumps really fast. The base of the MSR Guardian screws directly on to Nalgene bottles or MSR Dromedary bags. I picked up a Nalgene bottle that I plan to have on my waist belt (it is the Kifaru Nalgene pouch). I will use electrolyte powder in the Nalgene bottle. Then I have a 2 liter dromedary bag with a drinking hose for hiking and a 4 liter for back at camp.

[Guest akaspecials]

1 Thick Carharrt Pants

1 Fleece Sweat Pants

1 Long Underwear Pants

2 Long Underwear Shirts (Doubles as your daily shirt)

1 Fleece Jacket or Hoodie

1 High Quality Puffy Jacket (And shell if it will be windy/rainy)

1 Light Weight Mechanics Gloves

1 Mitten

1 Beanie

3 Heavy Wool Socks

3 Underwear

1 0 degree sleeping bag

 

I throw in rain gear if it's in the forecast, otherwise I just carry a tarp. If it gets too cold just hop in your sleeping bag. I usually glass from my sleeping bag in the morning until the sun hits me. Only items that I think need to be high quality are the puffy jacket and sleeping bag.

 

Also, burn anything you own that is cotton except the Carharrt Pants. They are the only thing that will stand up to the brush.

[Zeke-BE]

I have had a 36B December hunt and it started like this.

 

1st day AZ had a heat wave 95 degrees (what!!!!!)

2nd day Arivaca had a high wind advisory 40 mph winds. On top of the mountain we had 60 mph winds. Our tent look like a spider web of rope to keep it down

3rd day we woke up to rain. It drizzled all day not one min of clear skys

4th day we woke up to snow on the top of the mountains. Hunted that day and I had to go back to work.

 

Be prepared for anything. Some of the coldest hunts have been down south

[firstcoueswas80]

In stingy sometimes, so I found myself using layering for pants and then having one REALLY good piece of gear that I leaned on a lot. It was a Kifaru lost park parka and it's awesome. Light and fits very tightly in the Kifaru compression sack. Can be used as a pillow at night, then put it on when glassing and you will not be cold.

[mruda1]

Seems like we always get a winter storm around Christmas (Late December and January). Make sure you have some good rain gear and a place to get out of the rain and warm up. With rain gear and lightweight warm gear you usually get what you pay for. I'd take note of what guides are wearing in cold places like Alaska and sheep hunting in Canada. Kuiu or Kryptek would be my first choices.

Any way to try on or see Kuiu items in stores?... I've done some research and I believe it's all online.

[mruda1]

For a backpacking trip that was 7 nights in the field, my clothing list would look like this.

 

2x Merino Boxers

2x Merino Long Sleeve Tops

1x Merino Bottoms (depends on temp, could swap for a pair of the boxers)

3x Merino Hiking Socks (4-5 pairs if weather is supposed to be wet)

1x Merino Beanie

1x Down Puffy Jacket

1x Windproof Outershell Jacket

1x Wind-resistant & Abrasion-resistant Pants

 

 

That's really about it. Depending on the weather/temps, I may also bring appropriate gloves (with or without liners, or just the liners), a Merino neck gaiter, and boot gaiters. For rain, I treat the seams of my windproof outer layer clothing and that handles the light stuff that happens most of the time. For heavier rains, I always have my tarp, gutted 550 cord and trekking poles. As far as brands, for the Merino wool I like First Lite, Kuiu and SmartWool. For the puffy, I would suggest any reputable mountaineering brand you can find on sale. The jacket and pants you will need to research on your own.

 

Also keep in mind that when it comes to shaving weight off your back for a trip like this, ounces get expensive. Look at your heaviest items first and see where you can save the most amount of weight for the least cost. Water is also a huge factor. Being your hunt is in unit 36C, I would not count on any water you stash prior to the season still being there, unless you bury it. If you pack water in during your hunt, it gets heavy quick. Splitting shelters and food among multiple people helps. Look at calories per gram/ounce when meal planning. Dehydrated meals are great if you have a water source, not so much if you don't.

 

Gear, food and water for backpacking for a week can get a bit heavy, but once you add optics, tripod, rifle, rangefinder, etc. as extras for hunting, the weight goes up fast. I would recommend keeping a spreadsheet of everything you have for your trip and seeing what your total weight will be. That will also let you research individual items to replace and do a cost analysis to reduce weight for the least amount of cost. You should be able to easily get under 50lbs total weight before water for that type/duration of a hunt.

Great info, thank you sir!

 

I see some extra clothing may necessary. As yes, we plan on hiding/burying water shortly prior to the hunt.

[mruda1]

"And I'm still in the market for a pad...." If you are going with an inflatable, be sure it is insulated. Even a good bag won't work well on an uninsulated air pad...at least not for me. But I sleep kinda cold.

 

If you're only taking one change of cloths, you better have decent rain gear.

 

The technical "mountaineering-type" clothing is best (Kuiu type). It is light weight, wicks away your sweat, and dries fast. Most good stuff has a DWR (water resistant) coating, which works well in light rain. It aint cheap though.

Yes, I'm quickly learning anything that is light weight isn't cheap...