Hunting gear layers up and down into both winter and summer outfits. If you want to protect yourself from heat and sweat, lightweight hunting gear is the best bet for you.
When going on a hunting trip, your comfort should be your top priority. Why? Because if you are to spend hours out in the direct sunshine stalking prey, you don’t want chaffing to stop you. Body odor can warn prey away by scent, so the right lightweight gear can really improve your game.
Let’s talk about how to keep your hunting gear lightweight this warm season. Nobody wants to get sunburn while they hunt, so here’ what you need to pack.
Lightweight Hunting Outfits that Protect from Heat and Sweat
How can a hunting outfit protect the wearer from heat and sweat? It all goes back to choosing your layers. It’s no secret that any hunter worth their salt dresses in layers. You have the cozy, comfortable and soft base layer, then the mid-layer fleeces, sweatshirts, and tees, and then you have your top layer of waterproof material. Usually, the top layer is a vest or a hardscrabble jacket. These protect you from the elements and keep you dry in heavy rain.
On the other side of the layering coin, you have dressing for summer hunting. Some of the best hunting clothing you can buy for summer is lightweight, soft, and moisture wicking to protect you from sweat. Dressing in layers in summer means you can reduce to your merino wool base layers, add lightweight waterproof jacket and trousers, and be off.
Lightweight Hunting Gear isn’t Just for Summer
While we are focusing on the summer months and better climates, lightweight gear isn’t just for such occasions. You can choose lightweight kit in winter, too. You may need more layers but you can still choose a lighter backpack, aluminum kit over steel, polyester over heavier fabrics and make other small changes so you can pack light.
Lightweight hunting gear suits long distance hunting. If you are travelling on foot, carrying all your gear at once, or breaking camp and moving often, lightweight gear just makes sense. When selecting your lightweight kit for hunting, be sure that you don’t sacrifice sturdiness or quality for a lighter item. You can carry more but there’s no use carrying junk.
Lightweight Hunting Gear to Protect you from Sweat
How does your hunting gear protect you from sweat? The answer lies in Merino Wool. This type of wool can absorb about 30% of its own volume in sweat. It captures it within the fabric, removing it from your skin to stop chaffing. It’s soft, temperature regulating, and perfect for a good base layer. We recommend you use a merino wool vest or short sleeved top in summer as a base layer, then dress upwards from there.
Lightweight Hunting Gear to Protect you from Heat
The merino wool layer will also work to protect you from heat. The material is temper regulating, just as it would be for a sheep still in the field. If you get it wet, it will trap warmth inside. If you keep it bone dry, it is lightweight and breathable. Hunting gear that protects you from the heat doesn’t end with Merino, though.
Consider a polyester shirt with a camo pattern as your next layer. You can always unbutton a button up or keep it closed as you need to. It’s light, airy, and it isn’t cotton. Cotton beside your skin makes you sweat, so avoid wearing a t-shirt on a summer hunt, no matter how tempting it seems.