Welcome from NM!
High dollar clothing and boots were the last items on my list. The exception is a high quality outer goretex type shell to shed moisture. That's an investment in survival in my opinion. I've always stuck with synthetics or wool and stay away from cotton. I still won't invest in high dollar insulating layers since they are underneath my high-dollar, outer layer camo, and there are many low-cost options that perform well (quality synthetic or wool). Many HT'ers will disagree with the boots, but my feet are forgiving and I've backpacked in Teva watershoes and hunted big country with tennis shoes. When I did wear boots, they were were Irish Setter type quality. Yes, there have been many hunts with cold wet feet where I had to warm boots by the fire and still get into wet boots the next morning..., but it didn't prevent me from hunting. I've now invested in lots of Kuiu gear/clothing (outer layers only) and am in the process of upgrading boots to Hoffman, Kinnewick, Meindl, or something similar (based on opinions from HT'ers). I don't expect the Kuiu camo/materials or top quality boots to equate to an increase in hunting success. I do expect I will be more comfortable and have clothing/gear that's more functional. I've had deer sniff my tennis shoes while I leaned against a log wearing blaze orange and blue jeans..., coulda harvested them with a hammer!
