How many layers can one guy wear? - Part 1

Everybody keeps telling me that the best chance of success on the Cadomin bighorn hunt is achieved by staying put. Find a vantage point, hunker down, and sit till dark. This provides a big challenge in terms of clothing. First you need to hike up a mountain, in the pre-dawn darkness, and then you need to sit still in temperatures that customarily reach 0 oF (-17oC) but can easily go down as far as -20 oF (-29 oC). And then there's the wind.

Even when it is really cold, a guy doesn't need too much in terms of clothing when hiking up a mountain. In fact, less is more, as you want to avoid get drenched with sweat. But sitting still in a freezer for maybe 8 hours is a challenge. New fabrics and technology have greatly improved clothing over the last decade, just think of the beautiful systems put on the market by companies like Sitka (www.sitkagear.com), KUIU (www.kuiu.com) and Under Armour (www.underarmour.com). The downside: the price. At the risk of suffering through a lot of cold, I've decided to minimize purchases and see what I can accomplish with what I already have in my closet.

Base layer

OK, I had to break down and spend money here right away. I picked up two sets of long-sleeved shirts and long-johns in a merino blend fabric at Costco.

Second layer

I have a heavier long-sleeved T-shirt that will go over the merino; I need to buy one or two more for rotation. For the legs I can chose between two pairs of 'tights': lightweight spandex, or heavier one that contain 30% wool. I guess the choice depends on temperature and experience as the days progress.

Third and consecutive layers

From here it gets tricky. Do I need more insulation while hiking or not? On the legs, likely not. On the upper body, maybe. The legs' next layer would  be an old pair of fleece pants bought a decade ago at Cabelas. That should suffice for hiking. On extremely windy days I'll throw rain pants over top, either the KUIU brand, or again a ten-year old set from Cabelas with Dry-Plus. Upon arrival I will add a pair of Craft 'warm-up pants' from my biathlon days. Insulated with Primaloft, a synthetic insulator, and fully zippered along the side, it fits over any pair of boots, and should add good warmth.

Left to right: merino-blend long johns, choice of wool-blend or spandex
tights, fleece pants, Primaloft pants and choice of rain pants

On the upper body I may wear a thin Primaloft-type liner jacket and a rain jacket for the hike. To add to the package once sitting down I bought a 700-fill down vest from Browning (http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/clothing/detail.asp?fid=034A&cid=304&tid=766), on sale at CamoFire (www.camofire.com), to go under the outer shell, and I'll bring a sleeveless fleece vest to stick under there if that isn't enough.

To be continued...