September elk hunt clothing
Elk
What do yall recommend for a September New Mexico archery elk hunt. This hunt is a horseback guided hunt if that makes any difference. Looking for the best deal or cost efficient . Thanks
Buy five full sets of Kuiu, Sitka, and firstlite. Then pack it all in.
Just kidding. there's a ton of topics on this so I'll just touch on it a little bit.
No cotton.
Light Base layer long sleeve preferably merino that you can roll up the sleeves on, heavier outer layer for colder days, rain gear, good broken in boots, can bring longjohns just in case or at least to sleep in. Good pair of pants, ask if there is thorns so you know if softer pants will survive. Should be fine with that. Extra socks.
Search, or google and you'll find a ton of threads on this.
Merino wool and good rain gear is a must.
Most of the my clothing is Sitka but there's others to choose from that are similar. I just found Sitka to have the best quality and customer service
Big difference weather wise from early to late September so plan accordingly
You don't really need multiple sets of the same clothing either, other than maybe socks and underwear, that way you could wash some in a creek while you are wearing the other. Try to multi purpose your clothing, for instance, my rain gear isn't super light, but it's quiet and serves as a jacket too to keep me warm early and late in the day.
Don't forget you can get 4 days out of a pair of underwear. So if it's an 8 day hunt bring 2 pair's.
The elevation you are going to and part of the state make a big difference. In some parts of NM elk country you could have highs up to 90 degrees and see zero rain and zero cold ( especially below 7,000 ft). In low elevation AZ I'm almost always in the lightest cotton clothes I can find. The lows are typically in the upper 40's during archery season.
I have worn cotton for 20 plus years , then last year bought some other stuff. Cotton works in NM also just carry good rain gear. I do mostly wear wool base and mid layers now great for scent control.
"Looking for the best deal or cost efficient." Jeans or carhart pants, long johns, hiking shoes/boots that fit well, long sleeve base layer, plaid flannel shirt, fleece vest, beanie cap, mid weight jacket, gloves and a poncho.
I'm a big fan of sporthill pants. And there are occasional darn good sales out there.
As mentioned above, it's good to have a variety of layers. Most guys tend to use the same camo color/pattern on their tops and bottoms. I'd recommend different camo for tops than bottom to break up the human outline. A windstopper vest is a good layer. A rain jacket/pants with pitzips on the top. I'd highly recommend Marmot Precip from Sierra Trading for around $50 each. One of my favorite shirts is Cabelas microtex. Heavy or lighter fabric microtex wears like iron, dries fast, super quiet and is reasonably inexpensive. Patagonia base layers come in different thickness and is reasonably priced. You can usually find 1/2 off Sitka gear online...which is tough to beat.
Only 4 days for a pair of underwear? That's about when I reverse mine....
I like a thin base layer under the Merino top fir added flexibility as temps change during the day. Depending on where/when you're hunting in NM, could be freezing when you get up and mid-70s during the afternoon. Terramar, SilverMax, others with a high percentage of silver thread will help keep pit smell at bay. For any and all your inner and outer layers, watch Camofire and Sierra Trading Post for great deals on high quality stuff.
A fleece beanie can be a welcomed friend for sleeping if it's cold, around camp in the evenings, and takes up zero space.
