When I started hunting nearly a decade ago, I balked at the absurd expense of hunting apparel. I was a lifelong penny-pinching minimalist. Did I really need a $400 jacket, $250 pants, and socks that rang in at $28 a pair? It seemed like overkill (pun intended).
But, on one hunting trip in Montana in 2017, winds and snow blew at rates far exceeding 40 miles per hour. Thankfully, a full set of truly windbreaking Sitka gear kept me comfortable—I moved easily across the open mountain ridge, completely unaffected by the gusts. Beneath the burly outerwear, First Lite’s merino layers wicked sweat and kept me warm. My feet were toasty and dry in wool hunting socks, and they remained blister-free in my well-fitted boots for all six miles of the loop hike. Eventually, I took one shot on a legal mule deer buck that I later field-dressed and packed off the mountain alone. It was my first solo big game animal tag, and if it weren’t for my gear, I would have turned around long before I ever had the chance to spot it.
Much of the hunting apparel in my camouflaged closet continues to perform year after year. Its…
