The best PNW outfit?

[P7M13]

Wife tells me I look like a bum. Of course I do -- I'm a cheap m-f'er. IDGAF -- been wet or cold too many times to remember.
Had a real estate agent turn her nose up at me this weekend. Borrowing words from Kurt Vonnegut, she can take a flying f*ck at the moon!
So, here's my "budget conscious" write up:

1. If you are trying to do it on the cheap, watch goodwill / St Vinnies / Value Village over the course of a year. Every item you would want (except boots) will come up 2-3x in a year.
2. Don't skimp on boots. You *really* do get what you pay for here. Stay away from Chine-chesium stuff.
3. Socks : Two Pair of wooleys.
4. Legs :
   1. This stuff stores individually in bags. You layer as needed, and can bring the bag with you in case you *might* need.
   2. Wicking Compression base layer - polypro or silk work great. Nylon/Lycra doesn't wick as well.
   3. If you want thermals, nothing beats wool. Period. I have found Pro-togs to be the best.
   4. I find Kuhl pants are excellent, but I don't use them as rain chaps.
   5. If it's really going to get cold, like when I drive over the pass, I have a set of snowboarding removable pants to go over my trousers.
   6. As far as brands, I find Helly Hansen has been the best water proof / foul weather / snowboarding gear of all the stuff I've bought.
5. Torso (very similar to above, with some exceptions):
   1. Base layer
   2. Thermal layer - I have different weights of Ice Breaker wooleys for this.
   3. Warm layer. Here, cashmere or alpaca (NOT llama wool -- that's some scratchy shizzle). Alpaca is *much* warmer than wool, as soft as cashmere.
6. Overcoat
   1. I have a down packable undercoat poofy layer. Works great. Don't think for a second it's gonna keep you dry in anything beyond an Irish mist.
   2. Above that, I use an Eddie Bauer or Helly Hansen rain slicker. Cheap, light, takes up zero space, dry as F.
7. Severe weather.
   1. Wonder Bread Bags for your feet. I kid you not.
   2. For sideways, torrential rain like what often falls at the coast, I have a Driz-a-bone oil skin duster, and an oil skin outback hat. These are the bulkiest things I have, but I have been happy and dry in the nastiest weather.
8. Hat
   1. A thin balaclava is always useful. Thicker hat for colder. Helps if the warm layer balaclava fits under your oil skin outback hat.
   2. Wide brim is useful because nothing worse than a hat that drips down your collar. You'd be a cold m-f'er in short order.
   3. For extreme cold weather (30+ years ago for me...), I sewed myself face masks out of rabbit skins. Fur on the inside, oiled skin to the outside. Back then, you could get them from Tandy for $3 to $5 each. One or two skins would do the job.

Except for the oil skin stuff, almost everything above would fit in ONE Safeway plastic grocery bag.
For vacuum packing, I use those heavy ziplock bags from Dollar Tree that have the valve.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I concur with thrift stores for almost everything.
be aware though that old DWR rain jackets may need refreshing. Goodwill sells decent wool blend boot socks that are dang warm. Bimart does have sales on rain jackets and boots every so often, if you're of a size that they have (M to XL usually. Rare to find 3xl jackets )

 

[Cavedweller]

I like the layer concept. For the upper body, a 100% wool sweater for warmth as an inner layer. A military surplus commando style sweater from any European country is good. Mine is Norwegian. It is warm and comfortable. For the PNW, an outer waterproof shell is a must. Gortex or a similar material that is both waterproof and breathable, but also removable in mild weather.

For lower body, a pair of milsurp Gortex trousers? IDK. Just a suggestion.

A milsurp wool jeep cap, and maybe a ScotchGuard treated boonie cap to wear over it in the rain.

A pair of wool socks.

Any reason you want to vacuum seal it? I would store it in a spare backpack, which could also be used to carry other stuff when you put your gear on.

ETA: A pair of long johns would be a big plus in cold weather.

 

[Soliderity]

I prefer it to be more tacticool .

 

[Toxic6]

You have to grow a thick beard, get a neatly pressed logger flannel, and then squeeze into your girlfriends skinny jeans. You'll fit right in

 

[Spitpatch]

My brother lived the last 2/3 of his life in Alaska (and with a landscape business, hunting and fishing, spent most of it outdoors).

We'd show up from the lower 48 with "the latest" stuff (usually Columbia or equivalent), and were always mildly disappointed that he wasn't excited about our "scientific, porous, breathable, yadda yadda yadda" rain gear.

Noting our chagrin, he'd perk up, examine the garment, flash an encouraging smile and add praise for some little cool feature he found (inside pocket, hood that stashes in the collar, etc.). Still humoring us, he'd exclaim, "Yeah! Gore-Tex is NICE!"

Then, in a more serious tone, "...but rubber is waterproof."

In the course of an 8-10 day hunt for sheep or caribou (where there were no pajamas in sight, and you lived the 18-20 hours of daylight in your clothing), we'd all realize he was absolutely right.

I think he paid more attention (or got wetter and colder than me) when we hunted the Coast as kids with our uncle: A Vernonia logger in his youth.

Uncle Lester's standard attire for the Coast Range in winter was a red wool felt Crusher hat and green Helly Hansens. Practically wearing his own wall tent.

 

[joken]

Layers, wool, and some lightweight rain gear in my pack. Most of my stuff came from thrift stores. My friends and I laugh at the puffy coat folks in Bend as a sign that they just moved there from California.

 

[OldTengu]

Get a Columbia (or better) waterproof shell jacket. Wear this over your normal clothes and coat.
Get some extra socks. And an extra pair of boots. Take a pair of good, solid workpants and waterproof them with Rustoleum neverwet or a linseed oil mixture.
If this is just waiting in your car as a backup, this should be plenty for most times of year, except maybe in the high mountains or high desert.

 

[Siglvr]

Good to know. My wife gets passes to their employee store, I'll have to actually look next time I go there. I usually just giggle at the price tags when I go there.

For anyone not aware of it, at the Columbia/Prana/Mountain Hardwear factory store: when you are looking for something specific and can figure out the size, if they don't have it on hand, you can still order it off one of the inhouse computers for the discounted price at the factory store and have it shipped to your home or office. I'f done this successfully several times.

For hiking umbrellas, Golite was the best until they went out of biz. 7 moons designs makes a solid one and I've been happy with the euroSCHIRM Swing Liteflex Trekking Umbrellas that I have bought off Amazon or Campmore. In a hundred mile wind (or whatever) you want flexible stays that will bounce back. Aluminum will break and the umbrella is ruined forever, whereas carbon fiber and some plastics will flex back and be fine.

 

[SonicBlue03]

The Ghost Whisperer jackets are ridiculously warm for how thin and compact they are. If space is a premium, adding one of those to your pack for cold is a good idea. I'd layer a shell over that for rain and such.
Pants-wise, I've warn my Duluth Trading lined fire hose work pants in all weather and have been protected in literally everything nature could throw at them (sans an asteroid.)

 

[slimmer13]

(down) Poofy jackets are for lightweight warmth. Down will retain some insulation while wet, but wool is king. I prefer Merino wool base layer, an insulation layer if cold, then a shell.

 

[Member 34319]

(down) Poofy jackets are for lightweight warmth. Down will retain some insulation while wet, but wool is king. I prefer Merino wool base layer, an insulation layer if cold, then a shell.

Thick or thin wool?

 

[slimmer13]

Thick or thin wool?

Thin. Good in the summer too.

 

[Lethal Defense]

You have to grow a thick beard, get a neatly pressed logger flannel, and then squeeze into your girlfriends skinny jeans. You'll fit right in

And add a man bun!

 

[TNThomas]

Im so dang big I cant find any of the fancy stuff. 6'9" 340. I gave up trying to stay dry en-route on overnight hikes a long time ago, so now I just wear literally whatever works the best for my "hiking cloths" then switch over to the warmer/kind of water resistant stuff once at camp. I always bring a blanket, big tarp, and extra stuff to get a fire going. Then I use the fire to dry out my hiking cloths. Recently on evernighters I have been bringing a roadflare on all my hikes. There have been a few wet nights that was the difference maker in getting a fire going or not.

Im also a big believer in two hiking poles. They will eventually save you from falling while slipping/tripping/etc, they take alot of weight off your feet, and help to use other muscle groups in your upper body that normally are of little use when traveling distance.

 

[Zechariah]

What is the best outfit, if you had to pack one, for the PNW?

Does it look like this?
View attachment 1101006
What about those poofy jackets everywhere? Are they any good in the rain? Keep you warm yet breath?
View attachment 1101007
Or should it be more tacticool?
View attachment 1101018
Pants? Should they be waterproof? Who makes good breathable waterproof pants that don't scream tacticool? Or should they be tacticool? Zipper knees? Knee pads?

I want to invest in a good set up and put it in a vacuum sealed back in the car. I currently have something, but it's not the greatest.

Hope to hear your thoughts!

Reno

If I see someone in da woods looking like any of those photo my response is usually PHIFF with a slight shake of the head and I'm off. You dress like that in Goble you might just be hearing some banjo love songs.

 

[DirectDrive]

With my outdoors activities and construction work, I've tried quite a few different types of raingear.
My latest is Carhartt.
Bought the set in '07 I think.
They've been through concrete pours and lots of other things. Still in very nice shape.

Retail was about $150 for each piece (they were topline) and on sale they were about $90 for each piece.
Gotta pay to play.

 

[belshawelk]

I hunt hike play in the same gear. While Coulmbia makes great stuff ( titanium line) and I have lots of it for skiing and everyday use. If I am on a true hike, or a true hunt where things matter and weather is a problem, I only wear KUIU and Kenntrek boots. I have tried it all and there is nothing better. I dont care of its hot weather or cold I use the correct layering system. I have spent several unplanned nights in the woods and glad i had it.

 

[slimmer13]

I hunt hike play in the same gear. While Coulmbia makes great stuff ( titanium line) and I have lots of it for skiing and everyday use. If I am on a true hike, or a true hunt where things matter and weather is a problem, I only wear KUIU and Kenntrek boots. I have tried it all and there is nothing better. I dont care of its hot weather or cold I use the correct layering system. I have spent several unplanned nights in the woods and glad i had it.

Good stuff. Sitka too

 

[Member 34319]

Any good brands to recommend for thinner wool clothing?