How To Create The Perfect Archery Elk Layering System

Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases.

The midday heat was torture. The elk were quiet, and despite our best efforts to get some shuteye in the darkest north-facing timber we could find, it was too hot. I vividly remember lying there, thinking about making a mile hike to an alpine lake, when things started changing. The sky turned an ominous color of gray, a crisp wind whipped through the pines, and before we could deploy a tarp, inch-sized hail beat down on us. An hour later, my two hunting buddies and I huddled around a fire, trying to get warm and dry some clothes. The ground around us was white, the temperature had dropped over 25 degrees since the storm, and bulls were bugling.

Archery elk hunting is difficult for many reasons, including the weather extremes hunters will face in the mountains from late August through September. Never in my hunting life have I experienced such drastic changes in weather patterns than when chasing elk in the high country during the fall which makes picking the proper clothing a chore.

One minute, you may want a light, next-to-skin garment that wicks moisture, and the next, you will be scrambling through your pack looking for a PrimaLoft-filled puffy.

When backcountry hunting and living out of a backpack, you can't take everything and the kitchen sink. Don't fret. Over the years, I've developed the perfect archery elk garment system. Follow it, and you can counter any move Mother Nature makes.

Base Layers Matter

A base layer is the first garment next to your skin, so this is where we will begin. Base layers come in many makes and materials, most commonly synthetic and wool blends.

Which do you choose? You want your base layer to feel comfortable, not itchy or bulky. The top and bottom should also wick moisture, be durable, and be odor-resistant. I'm a go-get-them elk hunter. I make extreme hikes that come with massive ascents and descents daily. For this reason, I opt for synthetic base layers over Merino or other wool forms.

So Does Materials

Wool and synthetics are comparable in their insulating abilities. However, wool holds moisture, and synthetics move mechanically through capillary action to bring moisture from the skin to the surface. You'll get cold if you soak a synthetic layer with heavy sweat or get caught in the rain. The excellent news is synthetics dry very quickly.

If I sit in a Midwest whitetail stand in November, my base layer is Merino. Still, when trekking through the Rockies in September, I want a polymer-based product that wicks moisture, boosts comfort, and reduces odor.

Insulation Matters

Now that you've got the base-layer 411, it's time to keep moving. Next on the list is a mid-layer. A mid-layer is your second insulating layer, not something you want to skip. There have been archery elk hunts where I never used any garments besides my base and mid-layer, other than adding an outer layer while eating a Mountain House before bed.

My mid-layer must be an active-insulation layer, meaning breathability must be maximized when I'm on the move, and warmth needs to be retained when I slow down or stop to rest. I wear my mid-layer more than any other garment. Whether an active-layer vest, hoody, or ultra-light puffy, my number one mid-layer go-to must also feature durable, quiet fabric that can withstand light precipitation. Several kingpin outdoor clothing makers like KUIU, First-Lite, Sitka, etc., make amazing mid-layer core-coverers.

I never leave the truck or camp without a garment that ensures static insulation. Static layering is when you are no longer on the move. Whether it's waiting out a mid-September snow squall or glassing a mountain basin in the early morning or late evening, a static insulation garment (outer layer) is a mountain must-have. A top-tier static-insulating layer will also allow for some breathability. For instance, a few years back, I spent most of my northern Colorado archery elk hunt dawning Browning's Packable Puffer Jacket. The jacket features PrimaLoft Silver blended-down insulation and a hoody. This garment layered over mid- and base-layers provided just-right static insulation and was quiet and breathable when I needed to move.

Do You Even Wear Pants?

I realize I haven't dove into the duds that cover my legs other than the synthetic base layer. Here's the thing about pants and archery elk hunting: I take only the pair I wear. For this reason, those pants must be ultra-tough, quiet, breathable, and warm when they need to be.

Multiple studies conducted in various environments prove that our thighs and lower legs are less sensitive to cold than other body parts. For this reason, I focus more on keeping my core, hands, and head warm. I wear a lightweight, early-season pant under a synthetic base layer throughout September. Sometimes, I wish I had a mid-season pant, but I have yet to pack a pair into the backcountry. However, two of my elk hunting buddies never leave home without their KUIU Guide Pant. Crafted from a premium fleece-lined soft shell, Primeflex fabric handles colder conditions like a dream.

Know How To Use Your Layers

On September mornings, I find no romanticism in rolling out of my sleeping bag, turning on my headlamp, and dressing in the mountains before dawn. It flat sucks! I want to get warm as fast as possible. Typically, we make no fire. Warmth comes from our tiny gas-powered stoves, a cup of joe, and the adrenaline surge from a bull screaming up the hill from camp.

Last season, my Garmin watch told me the 4:20 a.m. temperature was 19 degrees. My bones rattled. I wore every piece of clothing I had, even though I knew better.  
Three hours later, I was cold, clammy, and sweaty after chasing a 300-plus-inch bull repeatedly across a series of gnarly mountain drainages. The intensity of the morning bugling kept me on the move—mostly uphill—and my active insulation and static insulation combo created a furnace.

Crisp Mornings

Out of the gate in the morning, when you're fired up and ready to chase bugles, wear nothing more than your base and mid-layer. You may be cold for a while, but your body temperature increases rapidly with activity because heat is created as your muscles produce energy. You will get warm quickly. Rather than wearing that outer layer for three or four minutes and having to stop in the dark to remove your pack, remove your outer layer, store it, and go with your mid-layer; just leave the outer layer in your pack from the start. Pull the outer layer to warm the body if the morning is uneventful and you find yourself on a vantage point glassing and the temperatures are chilly.

It would help to constantly think about what's best for your body while hunting elk with your stick and string. It's a grueling game and comfort matters. Listen to your body! It will tell you when it's 10 a.m. and overheating. When it does, don't fight it. Stop, remove your mid-layer top and base-layer bottom, and hunt in your pants and base-layer top.

The Hanging Line

Often, during the middle of the day, especially early in September, when rut activity halts, I strip down to my KUIU ULTRA Merino Boxer Briefs, hang a rope between two saplings, and let my clothing air out. Not only does this help with odor control, but it's also a mental booster.

These briefs blend 67 percent Merino wool and 33 percent polyester, but I've found them ultra-comfortable, and they wick moisture reasonably well. I always have two pairs in my pack and one on my body. Nothing will make you feel more gross than having to sit in the same pair of underwear every day for 10 days.

One More Archery Elk Bonus Tip!

Take care of your feet! Nothing will ruin a trip faster than a blister. Cover your feet in the best boots you can afford. I like Zamberlan's Baltoro Lite and Kenetrek's Corrie II Hiker. Both are uninsulated, preventing swamp foot and are durable and highly comfortable.

In addition to covering your feet with winning boots, wear the best socks. I like makes from Darn Tough, Kenetrek, Zamberlan, and others. Every time you stop to eat or rest, take off your boots and socks unless moisture is falling. This practice prevents blisters, keeps your feet dry, and is a mental refocusing tool.

You now know what you need when it comes to clothing and layering. Go get it, and earn an encounter with a September screamer!

---