Mods, forgive me if this is in the wrong forum.
I'll admit, I've NOT sat in several AM's this year, because it was cold. I've got "pretty good" camo. What I've been putting off, is getting one REALLY GOOD cold weather set.
And, no...it doesn't have to be camo, even. I have the ASAT 3D leafy suit I could pull over anything.
I've been looking at the Cabela's Outfitter wool. It's priced right. But, I have no experience with it. I'm also considering the Outfitter wool from GWW. I don't have to question the quality, there. I have some of Jeff's garments, and they're great.
If you're suggesting wool, can you tell me what you're wearing for layers under it?
Love to have a toasty pair of gloves to get me TO stand and set up. I've got a system (thin UA gloves/hot hands/muff) covered, once I'm there.
While we're at it, tell me what you have on your feet, too.
It was 18deg. with winds close to 20mph here, this am. We're typically more humid than some areas. My buddy from CO froze his nads off here a couple years ago....lol.
Thanks so much, guys.
When it is really cold, I wear Kennetrek pacs with those heat packets, but for me, that is still not enough when it is zero or below. I'm looking into Muck boots for next season; advertised as being warm to 40 below, and my wife has a pair of them and swears by them.
Look into the Cabelas windshear stuff. I have one of their sweaters, and it is very warm and really does stop the wind.
My solution when it is below zero is to stay at home, unless it is a no wind, sunny day.
Go with the heater body suit and you will solve all problems.
GMMAT,
I am going to keep an eye on this thread. Like you, the older I get the colder I get. I grew up in the midwest, and I can't believe I used to hunt in zero-degree weather. In those days it was duofold long johns and lots of heavy wool layers. I'll be interested to see the answers you get.
Joe
I used a Therma Care heat wrap in the small of my back last Saturday for the first time. The results were amazing, 18 degrees and a 15 mph wind and I never got the slightest chill, I sat in my stand for 5 1/2hrs. I had plenty of clothes on but would have chilled out with out the wrap. I draped a fleece throw across my lap to keep my legs warm.
There are a lot of tecnical suit for extreme sports,they don't have to be camo since you cover everything with one of those leafy wear.I love old Chìashemire sweater,they are very light and extremely warm and they are not bulky at all,also some bibs make a great difference since the kidney area is the one you need to protect the most.In the past people was used to wear some kind of belly wool belt to keep that area warm.So above some layers of wool you can wear a wind breaker suit,many to choose from,then a outer shell that is silent enough to hunt in.
I have forgotten a heavy wool blanket when you are in the blind or on your stand,it falls easy without noise when you need to shoot.
Lets see. I live in Louisiana. Lots of water and humidity. If it gets down to 18 here with a 20 mph wind, I am not going hunting. A windy 40 degrees is cold as heck here being as you have to get in some kind of boat to go hunting.
I have been out duck hunting when it was 17 degrees here with a 20 mph wind, and ducks were about the only thing out and about then. I have never seen a deer on its feet in Louisiana when the temp was in it's teens. I think they crawl up in hollow trees and shiver.
There has to be a law of diminishing return on cold and clothes.
I like the ulfrote merino(?) wool in varied weights for underlayer. I hear the Cold Gear under garments are great, but not in my budget.
Scarves really help and years ago, like Eric posted, we had these kidney "wraps" for the old stinky Jon-e-Warmers. They worked, but I hated the mess and smell. With the new chem powder hot hands/ hot body, etc... that kidney things is a good bet! The kidneys circulate your blood repeatedly so if you keep that area, and your head warm, you'll stay warmer all over.
Wind chill is another issue mentioned. Only thing I find is that wind barrier clothes often is noisey as all get out in cold temps! There was a time when "comfort max" was a membrane lining that DIDN'T get noisey when cold. I have a jacket in that in fleece, but... it picks up every flippin burr in the woods!
For me, finding a combo of warm, wind-proof but not bulk to shoot a bow is not always easy.
This will be a great thread... but the basics of head and kidney will really help!
Even though I'm not that old yet but I've noticed myself not caring too much for the cold more as time goes by, I'm in the process of slowly acquiring more wool clothing to layer myself with.
I too will keep an eye on this thread to see the different ideas there is & suggestions.
You might think this sounds crazy but it's been working to keep my feet warm for a number of years. I wear uninsulated rubber/neoprene knee boots with one pair of heavy socks. Once I'm in my stand i put a chemical handwarmer on the outside toe of my boot. I used to hold it in place with the top off an old black socked. Just stretched over my boot toe. Now I use a small slip over bootie made for that. It works for me down to 18-20 degrees. If I have a long walk I will put a thin liner sock on to improve wicking.
I use the wind blocking clothing when the wind is blowing but on calm days it just seems a bit too noisy for our hyper alert deer.
UA cold gear base layers, fleece pants and wool bibs or UA Ayton pants if not as cold. Up top, coldgear base layer, fleece pull over, heavy wool sweater from LL bean, vest and either a UA Ayton jacket or a Ravenwear bowman's jacket as outer.
The UA Ayton gear is quiet and very warm to me. I have the older jacket and it looks like they changed the cut and pockets on the new ones.
I use a UA beanie or Columbia beanie hat with a short bill and then a neck gaiter. I've used a hand muff some but usually end up using jacket pockets with warmers.
And a thermos of coffee....despite all the points about it actually making you colder, I sure do enjoy it while on stand!!
And you're right, that humidity is a killer...
mrjsl's post made me think of another issue: Damp cold vs. dry cold.
Living in MT, I could throw on a wood shirt over a t-shirt and put on a hat and gloves and go out and walk around in -20*... but it was like 5% humidity.
Met a old RR man from the Philly area when I first moved out there... he told me "Be careful with this dry cold...doesn't hurt---just kills"
He weren't lying but it was more pleasant and easier to dress for...
He then added that he remembered how back East, it'd be "damp" and cold...and you'd near freeze to death at 30* with every stitch of clothes you owned on ya because the damp eats through everything!
Over the years living out in MT, I learned the truth in all he said, and already KNEW how damp cold can just seep into your bones no matter what you wear!
Heater body suit! Believe me....all day sits here in Canada are easy in the suit. I borrowed to my 66 year old father after I was tagged out this year and don't think he's returning it.....Ryan
Woolpower (merino wool, formerly called ullfrotte). Have worn it for 10 years while iceclimbing und dogmushing down to -18 degrees fahrenheit. Real great stuff! Holds up for years and warms even when wet.
hate the cold. body is not the issue, it's the extremities - hands, feet, face. haven't found anything worthwhile yet that will still allow decent movement and clearance for drawing and shooting.
I hear you about tolerating the cold. What I have come up with that works, and doesn't make me feel like a Jimmy Dean sausage link, is as follows: Sitka Traverse top and bottom, wool sweater or fleece pullover, hooded windproof Berber Fleece(Cabela's) outer layer, with several adhesive warmers on the inside. On my feet, heavy wool socks, Arctic Muck boots, adhesive toe warmers. On my head, a wool stocking cap and a fleece windproof hood/face mask. Hands, light gloves inside warm mittens. This sounds complicated but it's warm and worth it!
I finally found some really warm, lightweight boots- Mukluks. For my hands, two pairs of army surplus wool glove liners. For my face, a full-coverage fleece face mask. On my head, an insulated Radar-style hat over the face mask. I use Merino wool longjohns, two sets if needed, and a Walls insulated coverall. I add a down vest under the Walls when really cold.
For your feet, nothing has worked for me like the surplus "bunny boots". My feet have never gotten cold with them. And the best thing is they are very cheap to buy.
This works for me: Eat something for breakfast(digesting food creates body heat), then wool long underwear, 1 to 3 thin layers works better than 1 thick...tried the UA stuff years ago, it was just as cold as the old cotten stuff so I gave mine to the SA. Boots 1/2 size large,1200 gr insulated, wool socks. Wool sweater vest under heavy wool sweater and wool coat. Wool scarf wraped around neck and wool watchcap. Hands in fingerless gloves inside waist muff with handwarmers. This has worked for me on stand in pretty nasty weather down to about 0 for about 4-5 hours. As it gets even colder, ground blinds and wool blanket around leggs and I have to sit less and move more. Thermos of hot coffee or chicken broth and nuts and cheese to snack on.
I like the Mukluks as well!
I like the ua cold gear for a base layer then polartec over that, then layer with some fleece, berber fleece and if its windy use the stuff with windshear in it. Oversized insulated rubber boots with wool socks, neckgator and salt nd pepper face gear!!
I tried the little toe warmers under my waders this year. Seemed to work well. That's about the only thing that suffers in the cold for me. A freind gave me a surplus neck gaiter this year and I love it.
I'm saving up for the "Heater Body Suit" I,ve read nothing but good reviews. Also I'm tired of putting on layers upon layers of clothes, it takes a half hour to get ready. Thats another reason I tend to sit the morning hunt out.
I found out that the reason I was always cold was not the amount of clothes I wore (although that's important)but that I have hypothyrodism!One of it's symtoms is that you may be cold all the time in even moderate weather.Now that I'm on medication for it, things are much better (warmer)!!!!!!!!
Check it out, can't hurt !
I'm with Bill Kissner, my feet have never gotten cold in bunny boots.
I used to use an extra large down mummy sleeping bag and a butt pad on a wood chair. I made a snow blind put the chair in it. Blocked some of the wind kept me out of sight and warm on a week that never got above zero. All that is needed besides that is a small plastic shovel.
I have posted on several threads about my "NEW" needs regarding staying warm. After a bit of open heart work 7 years ago I was told by everyone I would get cold... Did not happen! However, after a stent in August, a year ago things are very different.
I now need warm stuff.
I have been using the wool stuff I have had but did not use until it really got cold more often now. I start with a poly or UA base and then add merino wool over that. Then go to a 100% wool sweater (Filson) over that with a heavy fleece Jacket outer. I use loose fitting pants of camo or wool depending. This combination works for the body and my feet seem to be OK with insulated boots and wool sox. Actually, its very comfortable both in temp and freedom of movement and not too bulky at all.
Its my damn hands that kill me. My fingers turn to ice quickly if exposed once the temps get below about 25. I use a thinsulate glove on my left hand and stuff my right hand in a pocket with some chem packs to keep it warm.
There are times that the temps reach down to 20 or so and I just do not go sit... walk, maybe, depending on how I feel.
Plan to replace my wool this year, most likely with the Cabelas Outfitter stuff.
As Eric said, keeping your kidneys warm makes a huge difference. I carry a few of the hand warmer chemical packs and one of the larger size. When it gets COLD, just open the large pack, work it around a bit until you can feel it start to warm, then drop it down the back of your shirt collar to rest against your kidneys. A hand muff with a chemical pack inside takes care of the hands and doesn't get in the way when shooting.
I tried to talk my wife into using an ice shack propane heater in a blind, it would work, but she will have no part of that.
QuoteAs I age, I want to be warm
We get too soon old and too late smart.
I am adding wool. I also find I am moving less and sitting more; but I usually split my day and go home for a warm lunch and cup of coffee. I NEVER used to leave the woods from an hour before sun up to a half-hour after sun set unless I was dragging something. Getting soft (or smart).
I get cold easily but this setup has worked well for me. I start out with Carol Davis Sportswear long underwear which are super warm. Then i have a cabelas turtleneck microfleece shirt. Then the cabelas windshear wool sweater and them my KOM bowhunters wool shirt. Thats usually all I need but sometimes i will use a cabelas wool vest too.
When it gets cold, I have a set of 10X thinsulate, insulated clothes that I bought at a Shyda's clothing barn. It stops the wind, and I bought it large enough to put a layer or two of insulated underwear under it. It is only brown in color, noisy if worn as an outer layer, thin and packs really small....
yea i used to like winter when i was a kid . no more .i still think wool is the best i have been wearing those merino wool socks and leather insulated 400 gram . they are good down to about 25 degrees if you are not moving .
I have been hunting in the cold for a long time and have made a few discoveries over the years.
Lots of layers but that is nothing new, you also have to have a way to vent the heat out or shed layers if you start to heat up. If you sweat up when it is 0 degrees or colder you can have bad things happen faster than you think.
Silk, then Merino Wool for the under layers then wool outer wear seems to work for me anyway.
Last Sunday after moving snow I went out for 5 hours until dark. It was -2 when I went out and -11 when I came back with a bit of a breeze.
Silk then Merino Wool UW Top and Bottoms
Filson Mackinaw field pants
Light weight wool shirt
Heavy weight Wool wind blocker sweater
Wool Vest
Fleece Face mask
Wool Stocking cap
Leather Choppers with 2 wool liners (Just wear my tab under the mittens)
Kenetrek Northern Boots
That kept me fine for 5 hours I do bring hand warmers just in case it starts to get cold.
We'r enot "frigid", here. I'm thinking the Cabela's outfitter wool will do me fine.
Can anyone help me on sizing? I'm 6'1"/190#'s.
Thanks.
I have silk Patagonia longjohns and merino wool longjohns, also. I use the UA coldgear top with a Filson wool vest and a fleece pullover under a wolfskin (really no thermal value) jacket. I'm hoping to do away with some of that layering.
I have Kenetrek boots (uninsulate) and love them. I'll check into the warmer renditions after I recoil from the wool camo hit....lol.
Thanks to all for your suggestions. I hope it helped others looking on. It helped me.
jeff
I like wool for warmth, but it can be expensive sometimes. For legs, underneath I use some Guide Gear poly-fleece I got online for about $19.95 as a base layer and some oversized M1951 Korean War era U.S. Army medium wool pants that I got online for $15.99. For top, I use the same Guide Gear poly-fleece and more wool over it. For feet I use a thin base layer of ski socks, then wool socks over them and thinsulate boots. Plenty of wool caps to keep the head warm. It's my fingers that eventually get cold, no matter the gloves and mittens I put on.
Hate to tell you this, but as you age you will be getting colder. It's just what happens and you can't do much except add clothing and use chemical warmers.
I use a sleeping bag in northern MN. Even then, 4-5 hours is about my limit.
Heater Body Suit..... :campfire: It's like sittin' by the campfire. :campfire:
Why I live in Texas? Love them winters, hate my summers. Good Luck
I like my Muck boots i wear the same socks under them that i wear in the summer and my feet dont get cold. I also bought a fanny pack hand warmer from cabelas for 30 bucks its 300 gram thinsulate, best thing I have ever had for my hands.
what kind of money are you talking for the heater body suits?
Here is what I wear here in Michigan in order to stay warm in a tree, yet still be able to draw a bow. Think wool....
Any insulated boot (my feet dont get that cold)
KOM boot blankets if it is extremely cold (less than 10 degrees)
Good quality but lightwieght longjohns....NOT cotton
Woolrich "Malone" wool pants
An old wool sweater vest, or most recently an Asbell Wind Stopper vest
An Asbell wool pullover shirt, or one of the Longhunter styles that Ron LaClair sells.
An Asbell or LaClair Trecker pullover vest. Handwarmer pockets here are key.
Fingerless wool gloves.
A Stormy Kromer hat.
Some sort of fleece head/neck pullover.
With this combination I can sit for as long as I need to, and it is not too bulky to pull a bow. When choosing wool, I'm convinced that more layers of THIN wool is warmer than fewer layers of THICK wool. Thin vs thick also contributes to drawing the bow, less binding, less bulk.
After the cloths,eat right for the cold,like a deer browsing in the winter, protein and fat. Eat less sugars and starch for a nice long, slow burn of body heat. Eat like the polar bear not like the warm weather hummingbird. You will be surprised how this helps your body heat after those long sits in the cold. Mother nature knows best...eat like a winter squirrel or almost any winter animal.
Merino wool undies, Filson or LL Bean wool pants,if windy an FGA windblocker. A heavy wool shirt and vest, then depending on the temp. Filson wool jacket or GFA pullover.
Head: I am a baldy so a good felt/wool hat.
The feet: is merino wool socks and 600 thin. Danners.
Hands: Thinsi. wool mittens. Head and neck a fleece full face and neck fit.
Improvising and adjusting with weather conditions I find I can be like a peace of toast down into - double digets.
In other words, wool is my friend and the right layering I can stay comfie for a while in cold conditions.
3undr, they're about $325. I don't have one.
I got tired of wearing 5 or 6 layers.Santa is bringing me what has kept me warm for many years with less layers,one piece insulated coveralls!Even in the teens all I wore was 2 thin poly longjohn shirts and a hooded sweatshirt on top and poly bottoms with my BDU camo pants and I was warm.My feet get wool socks and 2000 gram knee high rubber boots.My head gets polypro facemask and Mad Bomber hat.Hands get US Army wool glove liners.
I invested in Raven Wear this year. Best $$ I ever spent on hunting clothing. I can PM you info if you like.
A lot of folks here in the mid-atlantic swear by the previously mentioned Carol Davis Sportswear. I would have gone that way, but with I went the Raven Wear system route instead. Should be plenty good for you in N.C. though.
pm sent from NC mountains, cold in NC is not the same as Wyoming, Colorado, Canada or Georgia. One of the coldest hunts I had was in south Georgia. Not freezing but with the humidity coming off of the gulf, I could not get warm.
Living in the mountains, where ever you are in NC, it colder here. It is roughly 10-12 degrees colder hear than down the mountain. I am what you called obsessed with trying to stay warm over the years. I am still hunting and last weekend in the snow, I kept falling asleep I was so warm. Secondly, I have to be able to shoot. What is the sense of wearing all that kom wool if you can not shoot effectively..
Last weekend, this is what I was wearing stand hunting. I had a Sitka gear transverse shirt on with ulfrotte wool undershirt over the sitka transverse. Next I had my hunter safety vest. For bottoms I had regular white gold toe socks, my bunny boots or mickey mouse boots as some people calls them. I had ulfrotte wool underwear and insulated pants. I had a KOM wool shirt and a polar fleece vest that I do not wear to my stand for the climb up the mountain but I carry it in my knapsack. The polar fleece vest has pockets sewed on the back inside were the kidneys are and one in the middle of the back. Lastly when I get to my stand, I climb up the tree, put my wool shirt on then my polar fleece vest over and on top of that. I then put on my body heater suit and attach my self back to my tree with my safety vest. I do not wear gloves, I do wear a regular hat and a fleece gaiter around my neck. I have killed many nice deer with this kind of set up. Body heater suit Is my best advice, I have two of them. Check out the video on youtube or their website. It is so quiet and when I come out of it, no bulky clothes to make a bad shot. I am deadly with it. I have KOM Hillbilly bibs, bowhunter jacket, beaver tail vest. I have not wore none of them this year. I have wore my KOM muleskinner vest to replace the polarfleece vest when the temps get up in the upper 20's.
forgot to say that the pockets in the fleece vest is for those large heat pads you get at walmart. When you stand up with the body heater suit then sit down, You can feel your body heat coming up around your face.
I've been really pleased with my Kenetrek hiking boots for early season hunting. I took a slight chance, today, and ordered the Kenetrek Northern Pac boots. I also have the arctic Shield covers, if it gets crazy!
Heading back to Bath County, VA next week. It's stupid cold, there.
I appreciate all of your inputs. Thanks, so much.
:goldtooth: hunt AZ :biglaugh:
Heater Body suit. No joke, no regrets.
Got my Cabelas Wooltimate jacket today. The wind wasn't really blowing and it had warmed to 30 today and I wasn't sitting still. Only shot a few at the hay bale. It looks great. Although I felt warm enough I guess I'm just so used to wearing bulky stuff that (in comparison)this thinner weight jacket seems a little, I don't know...wanting(?). I'm waiting on the wooltimate pants so maybe I'll get out there and ground hunt for a few hours in colder temps. Hopefully then I can come back and give a glowing review on finding the holy grail of keeping warm at my age....Phil
tried the heater body suit and it's great. also muffled tree stand noises as well. hunted for 5 hours in -16 celsius with no issues,very warm.jp
Wool layers + still-hunting when it gets cold enough.
If I'm going to sit on stand, I walk in wearing as little as I can tolerate and then put on all my warm stuff when I get there. Gotta keep that sweat down.
Yesterday I still-hunted for hours and was perfectly comfie in single digits with this gear:
Trunk:
* polypro longjohn shirt
* old Pendleton wool shirt
* LaClair longhunter shirt/hood
* Filson Mackinaw wool vest
Head/neck:
* fleece neck gaitor
* Mad Bomber brand goofy hat
* dopey grin
Legs:
* polypro longjohn pants
* Cabelas wool pants
Feet:
* polypro sock liners
* heavy wool socks
* uninsulated Bean Main Hunting Shoes
Hands:
* nothing. Keep them in muff til you need them.
Belly:
* two McD's sausage biscuits from the $1 menu
* coffee
wool = yay.
(http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff187/GingivitisKahn/20091228_ac_02.jpg)
QuoteOriginally posted by Roger Norris 2:
Here is what I wear here in Michigan in order to stay warm in a tree, yet still be able to draw a bow. Think wool....
Any insulated boot (my feet dont get that cold)
KOM boot blankets if it is extremely cold (less than 10 degrees)
Good quality but lightwieght longjohns....NOT cotton
Woolrich "Malone" wool pants
An old wool sweater vest, or most recently an Asbell Wind Stopper vest
An Asbell wool pullover shirt, or one of the Longhunter styles that Ron LaClair sells.
An Asbell or LaClair Trecker pullover vest. Handwarmer pockets here are key.
Fingerless wool gloves.
A Stormy Kromer hat.
Some sort of fleece head/neck pullover.
With this combination I can sit for as long as I need to, and it is not too bulky to pull a bow. When choosing wool, I'm convinced that more layers of THIN wool is warmer than fewer layers of THICK wool. Thin vs thick also contributes to drawing the bow, less binding, less bulk.
Nice kit - we're practically twins.
:bigsmyl:
Show me some pics of the heater body suit. Man, it sounds WEIRD. BILL
I feel like I'm bragging posting this pic again but here's me in my suit!
(http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu178/ryanderlago/ryanBuck2010013.jpg)