When the elements are against you, layering is everything.
MeatEater's Steven Rinella knows a thing or two about hunting. He's hunted all over North America, from Alaska to Mexico, subjecting himself to every climate the continent has to offer.
Through his experiences, he's mastered a layering system that will work for any conditions he might face, and now he's letting us in on his secret.
Watch the video below:
Obviously, Rinella only wears First Lite Gear, but this system could work with cheaper-brand clothing. First Lite is top-notch gear, so you wouldn't go wrong buying these exact pants, but you could also easily just buy less expensive versions of each.
He starts with the Fuse Long John bottoms, which he packs on every hunt, just in case. Any thermal long underwear or base layer will have the same effect, whether you go with Walmart thermals or lightweight merino wool bottoms.
Next, he goes with the Obsidian Merino Pant, which he wears no matter what. Then, if it's raining, he adds the Boundary Stormtight Pant, and if he's experiencing frigid cold weather, he adds the Uncompahgre Puffy Pant as an outer layer.
"Cold conditions" can mean different things for different situations, but we should all know by now that cotton t-shirts and fleece pants just aren't going to cut it for outdoor activities in the winter.
All of this would cost a lot of money, but it undoubtedly would keep you covered no matter where you were hunting. But if you decided to stick to the cheap route and add to your Walmart long johns, you could add a pair of cheap stretch nylon mid-layer pants, a pair of waterproof (and ideally windproof) rain pants and then a heavier pair of winter pants as your outer shell. As long as you can find pants that comfortably layer on top of one another, you're in good shape.
Depending on your activity level and weather conditions, this system should work quite nicely.
Thank you for some great advice, Steve!
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