Just wondering what people wear when it gets really cold in the stand, I'm talking -10 Celsius and colder?
We don't see much of that kind of weather down here, but I've had some Day One bibs with insulation and wind stop for about 12 years. I've never gotten cold in them. I also have a vest from them with wind stop only that I wear with my king of the mountain shirt. I believe the key to staying warm, for me anyway, is in the feet. I wear my burlys all year, but when it gets cold, I have a pair of arctic shield boot blankets. They are small to carry and if I need it, I place a hot hands hand warmer inside the boot blankets. These have served me well, but I'm a long way from Canada!
My brother has a buddy that hunts up there and I believe they bought some heater body suits. I can't speak from experience on them though.
That's 14 Fahrenheit...shirt sleeve weather 8^).
I would want a good pair of insulated boots for sure and maybe a snuggie; wool, of course. You live in Canada...you should be telling us eh?
AMB, you wear that stuff in Alabama? Good grief son, you would freeze for sure up there in RCMP country...or even northern Virginia 8^).
lots of wool along with my gray wolf coat and bibs. not to mention hot hands and muff for my hands
Layers, Cabelas heavy silk then light marino then heavy marino with one thin layer of wind stop. For over the top a wind stop sweater thin vest (I like filsons) toped with Grey Wolf lined parka and pants. It would hurt to have a pair of mukluks to put over your boots with some heat packs in them. That set ups good for a day sit in below 0 weather.
wool, wool wool!! its 12 above and I am dreading this am's sit, oh the bed is so inviting!
A good neck gator and hat can go a long ways also.
Wool and windproof stuff, plus the disposable foot and hand warmers and pac boots. Or, roll over and reconsider. We had the coldest October on record this year, no thanks to global 'warming', and I spent a lot of time in wool and windproof clothing. I had never used the hand/foot warmers before this year, but they work great. I'm getting soft in my old age, I guess.
the key for me is warm feet. I have a pair of pacboots with 1/2 wool felt linings. I put a 1/2 foam insulation under the insole and wear two pair of good wool socks. Second is my head and nothing beats a good wool stocking cap with windstop.
Body layers are poly, light wool, windstop, wool sweater and a insulated parka. On bottom, poly, light wool and windstop fleece.
Don't have much call for it here in TX but used too hunt the late seasons in Washington. Many times the temps never got over zero for the week.
Mike
WOOL from head to toe and a few hand/foot/body warmer packs. Coldest I've sat in a treestand is -3 degrees F. It was not terrible. I don't get much late season hunting in Colorado (main archery ends late Sept) so I have to travel to hunt in below zero weather.
Use boot blankets and put a disposable heat pack in them keep your toes warm all day.
I try to acclimate myself by doing yard work naked when that doesn't work its a good hat good boots and wool.
When it get's that cold my bow starts complaining and thinking of reasons to stay indoors. Seriously though, the Swedish made wool power base layer and socks is great stuff. It keeps me warm, but we really don't get that cold very often in MO.
Heater Body Suit...from late season bowhunting in Upstate New York, to January blizzards in Iowa- I've never been cold in mine yet. Best investment I've made for staying warm on stand yet!
Two here for Heater Body Suit.
I have lived in WI my whole life. Tree stand hunted my whole life. I have tried everything on the list, and the heater body suit is the only thing that works to keep you warm and is reasonable to deal with.
I don't want to start and argument, but I don't like wool because it is heavy, hard to clean, and when you put on a lot, restricts too much movement. The latter is very concerning when climbing and shooting bows from trees.
And a hat (or two at the same time - try it!), a gator, and a hand muff, go with it. You can sit all day like that.
Smart wool socks, cabelas 1000 gram leather boots, easy to hike in. Arctic shield over boots easy to pac, 2 pairs fleece long johns and pair of wind pants over them then Sleeping Indian pants. Up top 2 fleece long john tops, camo turtle neck and camo sweatshirt then down vest and over that bowhunter extreme parka. I wear this in Iowa on the coldest days in sub zero temps and handle it fine on stand bowhunting.
I am convinced that the most important aspect of cold weather sedentary gear is that it is windproof. That air exchange can suck the heat right out of you! I used to freeze with my wool pants on, but now I put nylon snowpants over the top and stay warm when it gets really cold(-F temps). Not the most normal thing to be wearing in the woods, but it works for me. Boots and a good wool hat also help immensely, especially the hat.
Also, it's very important not to get sweated up on your walk in. That moisture compromises all your layers.
Oh, and I almost always bring a thermos with hot tea along! Warms you right up...at least for a little while. Also, when you have to pee, pee! That's less your body needs to warm.
Happy hunting, Matt
Body heater suit, I have two. pack in with the nap sack and put it on in the stand. The new suits have a windstop layer in them.
Night Stalker--Care to share more info on the heater suit and where to get one.
I use:
smartwool or Ulfrette wool base layer
Fleece top and bottom.
Then either:
Stand hunting:
1.Hidden Wolf uninsulated Wool pants and jacket
2.Hidden Wolf uninsulated Wool pants and top with Hidden Wolf insulated hidden wolf vest
3. Weatherby insulated pants and parka
stalking:
Sitka pants/jacket
Sitka pants/jacket with Hidden Wolf insulated hidden wolf vest
Heater body suit is like a big sleeping bag. It has legs but no arms. it has inner straps that alow you to open it up & its made to roll off your shoulders & out of the way to shoot . seems to be the way to go if you ask me. heres the website. heaterbodysuit.com
I have been wondering what others do for their hands in the cold. I am shooting with a 3 under tab, and have been wearing a loose mitten on that hand, I can slip it off when I want to shoot. Other ideas?
Another thing that I've been doing the last couple of years is bring a piece of 1/2" closed cell foam that I can stand on instead of standing on the cold steel. It makes a huge difference.
Another one for the Heater Body Suit. Can't beat it. Give it a try, they guarantee you won't get cold with it on. What've you got to lose? Getting cold ? :campfire:
Boz. I'm a thin blooded Texan but I hunt in Canada every November. I have found that using a muffler around my waist with a heat pack in it is the ticket. My hands stay toasty in the stand. I only wear a leather shooting glove on my right hand and a light wool glove on the left. Works great becuase it doesn't affect my shooting and it is very warm.
windshear berberfleece and super slam bibs by chuck adams good insulation and heavy icrod (hope i didnt spell tht wrong) insulated boots
I personally never hunt with out wind shear clothing, good headgear, etc and my feet still get cold. Artic shield boot covers do help alot but boot blankets are better but they are bulky and make a treestand platform seem very small. Been looking real hard at the Heater Body suit makes tons of sense actually and no doubt is the warmest way to go but worry about the treestand platform becoming real small like with the boot blankets. I'd hate to not be able to turn in my treestand. Any thoughts from those who have them?