How to Choose Lightweight Hunting Clothes for Warm Weather Hunts

Besides buying your tag and determining your weapon of choice, picking out the right clothes to wear and layering for those early-season hunts is super important. If you make the wrong decision, it could lead to overheating, excessive sweating, and quicker fatigue in the field.

Having the proper set of clothes will help you stay cool and comfortable by regulating body temperature and offering protection from the sun and wind.

So, how do you pick the right lightweight hunting clothes for summer and early fall hunts? That's what we're talking about today.

Start With the Right Fabric

The fabrics that work the best as moisture-wicking layers are lightweight synthetic or merino wool. Both are great at pulling sweat away from your skin to keep it cooler.

You will also want the clothes to have mesh panels or ventilated fabrics for the best possible airflow, specifically down the sides over your ribs. Some fabrics will even offer UV protection; this is an added bonus because if you get a sunburn, that just makes a difficult hunt miserable.

Don't Forget Odor Control

Another factor to keep in mind is your clothing’s odor control. Anti-microbial treatments in clothing are more common these days, and this helps to reduce scent detection by the game you’re after, so this is something that I try to look out for.

It might not make a huge difference, but when it comes down to crunch time, every 1-2% that you can shift the odds in your favor might be the difference between a freezer full of meat or not.

Style Matters

Now that we have gone over some fabric options to look out for, let’s talk about the style of clothing that will be beneficial in the field.

One of my favorite clothing pieces is a lightweight long-sleeved shirt or hoodie. This will keep you cool in the heat by keeping the sun off your skin and allowing a breeze through to keep you cool. It also helps keep bugs off your skin and the brush from cutting you up.

You are also going to want rugged but breathable boots. You will likely be covering some miles, so having boots that can breathe and not just fill up with sweat is ideal.

If you’re not a hoodie guy (or girl), I would also recommend bringing a wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun out of your eyes and off your neck during the hottest times of the day. And, if you really miss the 2000s, you could even rock the zip-off pants to get some extra breeze across your calves.

Choose the Right Camo Pattern

In my opinion, pretty much any brand of camo can be effective as long as it is the right shade and style.

If you are hunting out west in a more open country, make sure to buy clothing that is lighter in color and more consistent with the terrain of grass and sparse bushes. However, if you are hunting whitetails in Kentucky at the beginning of September, you’ll want darker camo to blend in with the trees and leafy surroundings.

Again, I do not think one camo pattern works marginally any better than the next, so buy what you can afford and what is available to you.

How to Layer

After assembling your stack of lightweight hunting clothes, I want to share some tips on the best way to layer them.

• First, start with something that is moisture-wicking and will work to pull moisture away from the skin. This will help you to stay cool.
• Second, in the early morning or the evening, it may be slightly cooler, so go ahead and put on a lightweight mid-layer to combat the chill in the air.

Always stuff a rainshell jacket somewhere. This can serve as a windbreaker as well as a raincoat if unexpected weather rolls in, and you’ll be saying many thanks to your past self for packing it.

Don't Forget Lightweight Hunting Gear

With the right combination of clothing, you'll also need light weight hunting gear ideal for warm-weather hunts.

First, you will need a minimalist but sturdy hunting pack to keep the rest of your gear in while staying as light as possible. Bring a hydration pack or water bladder in your pack to make it through the day and the entire hunt successfully. You will have to fight dehydration, so having plenty of water is important.

You could also throw some bug spray in your bag for a worst-case scenario, but you probably don’t want to use that too much. Animals can likely smell bug spray on you.

You will also need to have a good set of binos, preferably with a bino harness or chest rig to hold them. This will give you easy, quiet access at all times.

Lastly, you will want a sharp knife, something lightweight and slim, to process your kill.

How to Stay Cool In the Heat of a Hunt

Once you're layered up and strapped on your gear, staying cool is the name of the game.

When hunting in warmer weather, take breaks in the shade when you can. The sun will wear you out faster than you realize.

Also, try using a cooling towel and putting it around your neck for instant relief. Laying the damp towel around your neck will cool your body temperature very quickly.

If possible, avoid wearing cotton against your skin because it holds moisture for a long time, so it doesn’t dry very fast.

Lastly, this may sound like common sense, but target your hunts around the early mornings and the evenings since this is when it is the coolest outside and most likely when the animals will be moving the most. They do not want to be out in the heat any more than you do!

Assemble the Best Lightweight Hunting Clothing and Use HuntWise for Warm Weather Success

Wearing the right combination of clothing based on the temps is an often overlooked aspect of being a successful hunter. It can be tempting to head out on a hot day in short sleeves or forget to bring a hat, but getting sunburned, scraped up, and letting animals smell you coming can quickly end a warm weather hunt.

Choose the best lightweight hunting clothing using the tips we shared today, and make sure you have HuntWise! Use the app to help identify the most optimal times and days to pursue a specific animal or when to be more aggressive around the heat of the day. It is the ultimate tool for homing in on the best times to hunt!

Start prepping for your next hunt this summer or early fall. Gather your gear, then download HuntWise and enjoy your first week free.