Three years ago, I've written the article-review of mountain clothes. But the new technologies and material have appeared. Moreover, all these years I have been getting the new experience and ready to share with it. It has sense to add some changes to the article, written in 2012.
You need to know that I’m going to tell only my opinion, based on my own experience - no theory at all. I’ll try to show two variants - the right clothes (the hunter should try to get it) and the compromise one, what means it has reasonable price.
First of all - underwear. It’s not easy to find the right underpants in the shops. I prefer the thin sports synthetics. One of the recommended sets is pants, produced by Odlo (Switzerland). It dries in 20 times faster than the cotton things and doesn't gather in folds when you wear it.
Most of the hunting trips takes place in the fall season and you can’t go to the mountains without a comfortable and warm thermal underwear. It's better to have two or more sets. The thin one for a warm time and a thicker set for cold. In recent years I’m used to wear thermal underwear made from the wool of the Australian merino. I tried to wear different kinds of underwear but the sets, made by the Australian company Minus 33, is the best one. I don't think that it’s necessary to explain why do we need the thermal underwear. It wicks away moisture, keeps you warm and can stretch (it's important in the mountains). Everybody knows how we sweat when climbing or hiking in the mountains.
The alternative is any synthetic thermal underwear. But you’ll need to pay attention how it can stretch. The lower part of the pants mustn’t make it difficult to move and bend the legs.
I consider trousers to be one of the most important elements of the hunting equipment. Requirements: they have to stretch (in knees minimum). Your legs take the main load when you climb. They should carry your body and fight with the resistance of non-stretch fabric. If you are slim as a cypress, and your legs in the trousers are like a pencil in a glass, the fabric will stick to the skin and increase the load when it gets wet (rain, fog, dew). I heard once, how the hunter said that there was not stretch fabric in the past and everything was ok. I objected that the ancient men hunted with the stone axes and didn't complain about their fate. I realized all advantages of stretch trousers when put them on in the first time.
I’ll tell about the main material from which the product is made. My choice is - soft shell from the American company Kryptek. It’s like a multi layers pie in the one fabric, which has waterproof and breathable properties. If it's fully waterproof it means that one of the layers is membrane. Unfortunately, the very popular GoreTex hasn’t moisture wicking performance when you are too active, hiking in the mountains. The strong rain doesn’t pour each day when you are hunting and it's much better to wear breathable clothes DWR with moisture wicking performance than to get hot in membrane. I advise to have a membrane as a raincoat. The Soft-Shell clothes help with the wind and keep you warm. The mentioned models are made from the stretch and not rustling fabric (not all things from the soft shell have such quality).
I prefer to have trousers with braces. It's more comfortable for me. Other things such as pockets, zippers and puffs are not so important. The model of the pants Cadog has special pocket for the knee pads what is very comfortable. There are two kind of soft-shell fabrics with Single- and Double-Layer Insulation. Cadog has Double-Layer insulation and sometimes they are too warm for me that’s why I have another variant - a single insulation trousers Dallibor - for a hot season.
The budget alternative can be trousers made from different kinds of fabric: where the knees and other necessary places can stretch, but the lower part of the trousers is tough and waterproof.
Everything I have said above, can be used for the jackets too. Don’t forget about the regulated wristbands, comfortable fit and a pocket for a camera on the chest. The Cadog jackets have additional pockets on the shoulders where I put the sunglasses and a lotion. The long zippers in the armpits zone gives the additional ventilation. It’s the universal jacket which I use all year around.
The budget set can consist on the windbreaker with membrane + fleece jacket. It’s enough for a hunting when you have to walk for long distances. You put on the fleece jackets when climbing ( or can ascend in the underwear if it has green or camouflage colors) then add the windbreaker if it’s cold or wind.
You can buy the jacket with the detachable membrane. You can fasten it only when it’s necessary.
The rain costume, I use, is also made by the Kryptek company. It's made from the membrane fabric, waterproof, fast-wicking, quick-drying, and highly technical packable pant. The trousers have full-length zippers to wear above the main clothes. The jacket has the adjustable hood. The Poseidon model is extra light, doesn’t rustle but stretch and have welded seams. The model line of Kryptek has another raincoat Koldo for a heavy rain.
The low-price variant is any PVC raincoat or even an army poncho. It doesn't have many advantages but will protect you from rain.
I like caps with a visor and turn-down ears. The light caps for warm weather and other ones for a cold. The main purpose of a head gear has to protect us from a wind. If we all are wet because of sweat and the head and ears will froze without the cap. The cap color mustn't be dark. The first thing, which the animals see, is the hunter’s head and dark one-color caps contrast against the general background.
You also need to have one softer cap for sleeping. I advise you to take any fleece hat and a cap the same color.
The extra isolation needs for a hunt when you have to walk for long. The weather in the mountains in a fall can change several times during a day, it can be cold even in October and the temperature drops to minus 25 degrees. You feel warm while you are walking but everything changes when you need to stop and to wait for a couple hours. I froze and not once when we stayed in the mountains for a night. That’s the reason why I always have extra light down jacket “800 Phill” from the American company Marmot. It’s very light and warm. The upper fabric is synthetic and this year I have torn it on a branch. I’m going to buy one more Kryptek down jacket in the camouflage color.
The alternative variant is the jacket with artificial insulation like tinsulate. They are cheaper than the jackets with the technical (professional) down but a little bit heavier. You can buy a cheap Chinese down jacket but it’s heavy and not so warm.
The insulation when you need to seat and to wait. I deal with such situation when have to wait for a wolf, sitting in a definite place. The extra insulation is necessary when you ride by horse or drive by the snow machine or like ice fishing. In any situation when it's cold but you don’t move. The composition: the outer fabric with membrane, synthetic insulation inside, semi-overalls with full-length zippers to put it on above the other clothes.
I use the model Aegis from Kryptek. The first time I took it for a hunt was this fall when we hunted on Kamchatka. The jacket (I took just it) seemed to be not warm enough and short, I felt it when we happened in the snow storm. But I changed my mind when hunted in the highlands. it was very cold with a biting wind. The semi-overalls protected me fully. It has the additional insulation for a back and a chest. The jacket is enough when you walk. It's not heavy. But if it’s cold you need to use the full set.
Moreover, I have the additional waistcoat from Kryptek with the tinsulate. I never use down layer because if it soaks with sweat it will stick together. This piece of clothing deserves a separate place in the list of equipment. You can use it as the extra set or as the light insulation when climbing in windy weather.
In conclusion, I want to say few words about gloves. My choice is the fleece ones which you don’t need to take off when shooting. The mittens are good for a situation when you don’t move.
The disposable fabric Chinese gloves can be not only white color but brown and khaki too. I put on two or three pair in a time if it’s cold.
