planning for next year........again

[Luke Downing]

cant ever seem to get things to work out to get out west to do some Elk hunting.
next summer im getting married in June and our Honeymoon is 10 days in Yellowstone the end of Aug first of Sept. so Archery season is going to be a bust for me.
so trying to plan to go out in one of the later rifle seasons the end of October.
having never been out west im planning on camping in my Cabelas Alkanak 12x12 tent with a propane stove.
but also having enough gear with me packed in to where if I hike in that ill be able to spike out for a night or two if needed.
areas im looking at is unit 171 or 18 if I remember right.
what type of weather can be expected that time of year and also what is the terrain like in these units?
any advise I can get would be a big help.
if your not comfortable with a reply on the open forum please feel free to PM me. don't want to swipe anyones honey holes just looking for some general ideas on the area.
I have quite a bit of my backpacking gear figured out but still haven't figured out clothing.

 

[Hilltop]

Plan on a temperature range in late October somewhere between way too hot and way too cold... seriously. I have elk hunted in short sleeves on Halloween and had to use hand warmers on October 15th. During my deer hunt early last month in southern Wyoming, we had temperatures as low as single digits to the warmest temps in the mid 60s. Bring a lot of layered clothing... Can't speak for the terrain as I haven't hunted those area specifically.

 

[LaHunter]

Hilltop is spot on. I have seen snow over my knees in mid October and night time temps dropping down below 10 degrees. I have also seen temps in the 50s. You will need to plan for any type of weather possibility.

Make sure you have your plan worked out on how you will get your elk packed out if you were to get one down. They are huge animals, even cows can be very large. Even a large mule deer is a chore to pack out, and they are no where near the size of an average elk.

Good Luck

 

[Slugz]

Plan for snow also. I got snowed off the mountain last year at 10,400' Sept 23rd. Had to get down because it was gonna take 10 days to melt and the 2 tracks to clear enough for safe passage.

 

[Luke Downing]

this is the clothing I have picked out so far that I plan to take

First Lite Chama 230g Merino Quarter Zip, Size L Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Allegheny 230g Merino Bottom, Size L, Color Dry Earth, black or conifer
First Lite Uncompahgre Puffy Insulated Jacket, Size L, color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Corrugate Guide Pant, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Merino Beanie, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Halstead Tech Fleece, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Uncompahgre Puffy Pant, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
Uncompahgre Insulated Vest, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion.............yea im a vest guy

 

[Hilltop]

this is the clothing I have picked out so far that I plan to take

First Lite Chama 230g Merino Quarter Zip, Size L Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Allegheny 230g Merino Bottom, Size L, Color Dry Earth, black or conifer
First Lite Uncompahgre Puffy Insulated Jacket, Size L, color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Corrugate Guide Pant, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Merino Beanie, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Halstead Tech Fleece, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
First Lite Uncompahgre Puffy Pant, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion
Uncompahgre Insulated Vest, Size L, Color First Lite Fusion.............yea im a vest guy

Your list is more expensive than all of my hunting clothing combined lol. I do need to upgrade I think.

 

[Daubs]

Others have posted this advice -- check craigslist and e-bay for hunting clothing. You can get a fraction of the cost. if you are close to a Cabela's, stop by their Bargain Cave. I found a pair of Sitka Mountain paints that were discontinued...$199 marked down to $100. I added a $20 off Cabela's coupon, threw in some gift cards from work, and used some points from my Cabela's Visa, and walked out of there with no money out of pocket : )

I'm gradually upgrading my clothing, most of which is 15+ years old. Got Kuiu Guide jacket, attack pants and gaiters this year. More to come.

 

[Luke Downing]

I agree it is not cheap that is for sure.
but at the same time I have been wanting some new clothing for a while. it will be used here at home for deer season as well as wintertime predator hunting also so it will get used quite a bit and hopefully serve me for a while. so I really don't mind to spend the money on the clothing

 

[LaHunter]

First Lite is quality clothing in my opinion. I have a few sets of their merino base layers that I really like. My favorite pants for western mountain hunting is the Kanabs, regardless of the temps, they have a wide temp comfort range. No experience with the Corragate pants but I have read plenty of good reviews on them. Looks like you have a good setup.

Make sure that you get some top quality boots made for mountain hunting that fit well. I have worn the Lowa Tibets for the past few years. They fit my feet perfectly and work great for me. Be prepared to spend a few hundred bucks on boots. Check out shoes.com, they run 30% off sales fairly often and you can save $100 dollars on some boots. Also, merino socks are something you will want to get a few pairs of.

 

[Luke Downing]

First Lite is quality clothing in my opinion. I have a few sets of their merino base layers that I really like. My favorite pants for western mountain hunting is the Kanabs, regardless of the temps, they have a wide temp comfort range. No experience with the Corragate pants but I have read plenty of good reviews on them. Looks like you have a good setup.

Make sure that you get some top quality boots made for mountain hunting that fit well. I have worn the Lowa Tibets for the past few years. They fit my feet perfectly and work great for me. Be prepared to spend a few hundred bucks on boots. Check out shoes.com, they run 30% off sales fairly often and you can save $100 dollars on some boots. Also, merino socks are something you will want to get a few pairs of.

Socks I plan to go with Darn Tough Merino full cushion.
as far as boots go I have a pair of Asolo power Matic I wear all the time now and they fit great so ill be getting a new pair of Asolo since I know they fit my feet well here in a few months to be able to get them broken in well before season

 

[mcseal2]

I second the idea of looking for Ebay deals, Camofire sales, classifieds on the forums, dealer specials, etc for clothing. I have a lot of camo picked up over the past 8 or 9 years that I paid 1/3 or less of retail for. I just got a First Lite SEAK rain coat, one of the layers I didn't have a good one of, for about half price when they had the sale on the ASAT pattern they are discontinuing.

For layers I hunt a similar time of year usually and I like to go with a light merino wool or FL Aerowool base layer depending on the temp. I never want to warm a base layer because I don't want to sweat it out hiking. The warmth can come in the layers above. A favorite insulating layer is the Kuiu Kenai zip-off pants and puffy. I can get away with a light lower body base layer, or nothing but Aerowool boxers by having these along to zip on when stopping. My favorite jacket I've tried is the Kryptek Dalibor II, it has a great hood, vents heat well when moving in colder temps, and is great to put a puffy under when stopping.

I probably wouldn't pack both a vest and puffy jacket out of base camp. I usually find I want the jacket for stopping and don't use an insulated vest much. I will put a softshell vest over a base layer at times to cut wind a little more or while walking in in colder temps, put the puffy jacket on once I stop.

I like the choice of socks. After trying several models from brands like first lite the Darn Tough are still my favorite. A good warm glove for glassing is important too. I like to wear Sitka Core gloves and put an Aleyeskan rag wool glove, or Kuiu glassing mitten over them when my hands start to get chilled glassing. Most times the much cheaper Aleyeskan glove is enough, but occasionally I'll pack the down ones instead.

Having lots of layering options is nice at the truck or base camp, but it's easy to overdo and take to much weight in your pack.

 

[Middle Country]

Your list is pretty good. Maybe a little too much but that?s a good thing as only you can fine tune it after being out there. I would recommend a lighter base layer though. It can be surprisingly hot at only 50* in the sun while hiking with just a day pack.

October is when the forecast looks mild but it takes awhile to reach the daily high. Generally unless there?s a storm you?ll be comfortable with minimal layers. If you get snow it will likely be a wet heavy snow that will soak through unless you brush it off. A dry bag to keep your extra clothes dry is cheap insurance.

 

[ScottR]

Your list is pretty good. Maybe a little too much but that?s a good thing as only you can fine tune it after being out there. I would recommend a lighter base layer though. It can be surprisingly hot at only 50* in the sun while hiking with just a day pack.

October is when the forecast looks mild but it takes awhile to reach the daily high. Generally unless there?s a storm you?ll be comfortable with minimal layers. If you get snow it will likely be a wet heavy snow that will soak through unless you brush it off. A dry bag to keep your extra clothes dry is cheap insurance.

I will echo the dry bag comment. It can make a big difference.

 

[Fttpow]

cant ever seem to get things to work out to get out west to do some Elk hunting.
next summer im getting married in June and our Honeymoon is 10 days in Yellowstone the end of Aug first of Sept. so Archery season is going to be a bust for me.
so trying to plan to go out in one of the later rifle seasons the end of October.
having never been out west im planning on camping in my Cabelas Alkanak 12x12 tent with a propane stove.
but also having enough gear with me packed in to where if I hike in that ill be able to spike out for a night or two if needed.
areas im looking at is unit 171 or 18 if I remember right.
what type of weather can be expected that time of year and also what is the terrain like in these units?
any advise I can get would be a big help.
if your not comfortable with a reply on the open forum please feel free to PM me. don't want to swipe anyones honey holes just looking for some general ideas on the area.
I have quite a bit of my backpacking gear figured out but still haven't figured out clothing.

What is the maximum altitude for in-tent propane heaters? I thought you risk carbon monoxide above 7500'. Is that true?