I had to cut a hunt short last week. I'm set up for 10 to 15F above zero. The temps in the morning were 5 to 10 degrees below zero F. After one to one and a half hours in the stand I was too cold to shoot.
So I have a couple of questions.
1) When it comes to below zero F temperature what specifically do people wear to stay warm?
2) How long can you remain in a stand wearing your cold weather gear? Am I asking too much to expect to stay warm for longer than an hour and a half?
At those temps, I am guessing most can't do it unless you are in a heated blind or are in some sort of heater suit. Its just too cold, period.
CHuckC
I don't use a stand, but do a lot of still hunting. I use wool and layer. Merino wool base, wool socks, ll bean Maine hunting boots, wool pants, flannel shirt, down vest, asbell wool zippered jacket, various hats. I've never gotten too cold to hunt. Used that attire for all last year and year before in southern Alberta where the temps were to -35c. Oh and wool gloves, that I sewed leather to the fingertips on my shooting hand. That count?
At those temperatures I can last about 2 hours max. If the wind is blowing not that long. It gets to the point where I can't shoot accurately enough due to the cold.
I have to leave and warm up and then return. Fortunately I normally don't have to hunt when it is that cold!
I invested in a pair of MT150 Cabellas cold weather coveralls. $500.00. I wear first layer minus 33 tops and bottoms, second goose down 600loft pants and top, with wool sweater under goose down top. Then merino wool asat vest. I carry the coveralls in to my tree on fanny pack and dress at tree. [coveralls way to warm to walk in wearing you would sweat to death, they are that warm.] Two pair of wool socks and sorrel pac boots. Wool beanie first layer for head, then in tree double thickness head and facemask. Handwarmers for hand muffler. I have sit out four hours before in temps well below zero and stayed very comfortable. Some days I think it was too cold for the deer, ha........... But I love late season, my favorite time to hunt big bucks when everyone else has given up, woods are quiet, and scent free and bucks are hungry and sometimes a lil careless. Good luck hope this helps, Gary.
20-30years ago, I used to tough it out to minus twenty dressing about like bow tough does. Don't do that anymore. I did manage to kill a buck this year at 4 below zero, but i was lucky. He came by before I was on stand long enough to get cold.
I've heard good things about the Heater body suit. If I were to plan to make a day of it in below zero weather, that's what I'd be wearing now. Anymore, though, when the temp gets below zero, especially if there's a fair to stiff breeze, I stay in.
My son swears by his heater body suit. I'm too old to hunt in those temps--I might break I'm getting pretty brittle.
Kind of a different mind set to hunt with temps that cold. One item that I take that I can't wear above about 10 degrees is a beaver hat. I take it with me on the walk in and put it on once on stand - it's just too warm to walk in with. Otherwise, wool, down and fur are the primary materials for temps below zero. Personally I wouldn't touch any synthetics that cold except maybe a synthetic wind breaker of some sort.
I just got back from Alberta and I hunted 6 days and never got cold. Here is what worked for me on stand. Head: Beanie hat and good fleece neck gator
Upper Body: UA 4.0 base layer and Merino Wool layer
Micro fleece pull over, Cabelas Berber Fleece vest
Cabelas Berber fleece coat
Hands: to and from stand wool glove mits. Once on stand light gloves but kept hands in a handmuff warmer with hothands.
Lower Body: UA 4.0 base layer, Berber microfleece pants.
Feet: 2 pair of good wool socks and Sorel Pac boots.
Worked for all day Sit's in down to -15f. Wind we very light so that helped.
Heater body suit all the way!! And way cheaper than top of the line clothing too. Money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose by trying it.
There is a slight learning curve to using it and you may get busted getting out of it, but hey, that's a fair trade off for warmth in my opinion.
I like my Heater Body Suit, but you have to get out of it eventually. And, when you do it's cold. I seldom hunt in those temps anymore. I want my hunt to be enjoyable. I don't enjoy being that cold.
Heater Body Suit,PERIOD!
I did 8 1/2 hours at -37 the other day...toasty the whole time in my HBS!
My Fisher Mama Bear works for me. I load her up with some Wild Cherry,Ash,or Walnut and stay warm all day.
Those temps are for keeping meat frozen, not me. Good luck to you hardy souls!
Good Hunting,
Craig
..that's pretty cold..
If I was "planning" on hunting in that cold of temps..AND planning on sitting still..ie not stalking..
I'd get a bow I could shoot well that's pretty light in draw.
I've been taking a small thermos of a hot beverage with me this year something I have never done before. Man it is really nice what a small cup of coffee or coco can do to warm you up and keep you on stand a little longer.
Heater body suit...be sure to get one with wind blocker.
A blind with an ice shack heater works. For ground hunters, sitting in a sleeping bag over your hunting clothes will keep everything warm but the head. You just need to expose your arms and lower the sleeping bag when a deer approaches. It helps to have good cover for this.
Not clothing but a valuable lesson I learned from mountaineering - stay well hydrated to help stay warm. Not diuretics like coffee but hot drinks - old fashioned Tang was a favorite.
I'm with Monkeyball on this, I get close to my woodstove. When it becomes an endurance test, hunting ceases to be fun for me, I stay indoors.
I hear some of you about how it is no fun getting cold. And I get cold fairly easily. But honestly, 1) part of the adventure for me is how to beat the cold (not just gut it out). I keep experimenting as I want to stay out in cold temps and stay warm. I have a good system in play right now. 2) There are just times to be in the woods- and all day sits are a must for me. I see numerous bucks throughout the day on KEY days. I had encounters with 2 different 150"+ deer this year around 12 noon on 0 degree days. My two best deer both came in the middle of the day; this year a brute at 130PM on a wet/snowy day with temps in low 20s (chill factor single-teens)
Don't give up too easy.
Dan in KS
Once or twice I have experienced temps that would equate to below zero due to wind chill, and I was ineffective. I just can't deal with that sort of cold, so I don't go out. I admire you northern and western guys who can handle that kind of weather. Do deer move about in that cold?
I cheated.Being in my sixties and getting to be a wimp,while hunting in wis the temp got as low as -11.I stuck a buddy heater between my legs hunting out of ground blinds.Didn't even need glove on tab hand. :campfire:
Here along the coast, 80+% humidity makes for bitter temps. Fresh out of 20 years in Florida, I was stationed in Denver and was not uncomfortable in 20 degree weather-20 degrees in Florida is miserable!!! I have waterfowl hunted in Delaware in -20 temps, windchills -85, I am familiar with cold!!!
Jock, I'm just not that mad at anything anymore. I mean seriously below Zero, we are supposed to enjoy this, that's insane.
I'll second sitting in front of a good fire, give me thre fingers
Of good Irish Whisky and I'm warm inside and out.
:goldtooth:
RW
QuoteOriginally posted by Manitoba Stickflinger:
I did 8 1/2 hours at -37 the other day...toasty the whole time in my HBS!
When is everyone gonna listen to you Ryan?!! Every year the "how to stay warm when it's rediculously cold" threads pop up and every year Ryan tells everyone! Hahah
Actually I like reading these cause it's usually not cold enough in Oklahoma to warrant a HBS, but it still gets dang cold if you don't know how to dress.
As long as you're not in the wind, there are ways to stay warm below 0. Begin with staying dry - don't over dress on your walk in - I often carry a pair of fresh, dry socks and switch out once I'm on stand.
Merino wool long underwear, heavy wool shirt and pants, fur vest, insulated fleece bibs, a wool or heavy fleece jacket, and a beaver fur hat. Fur is the warmest, lightest material I've found. On my hands I usually wear a pair of glove liners under a pair of fleece gloves with leather fingers and keep handwarmers in my outside pockets. On my feet either Danner Pronghorns 1000 gram insulation or pac-type boots.
Since moving to Nebraska, don't see those temperatures as often as when I lived in Wisconsin or North Dakota - a lot of the reason for the move! Pray I never have to move back.
So there's lots of good advice already mentioned as far as clothing goes. My opinion on hunting in very cold temps is to understand going into it that you will not be feel warm. You kinda just have to accept the cold and not let it stress you. Once you accept being cold there are things you can do to make is bearable and be able to enjoy your deep freeze hunt. Proper clothing is a must, a thermos of a warm drink helps, and periodically stretching helps, also doing isometric excercises really helps me, keeps the blood pumping with very minimal movement. And most importantly.....pick a good spot!!! Nothing warms you like seeing game lol
Oh yeah, I almost forgot....those little pocket warmer packs work great, on really cold days I'll get creative and find ways to stash them all over my body. I'll drop a couple in a sock and stash it between my thermal layers, get them in your pockets for your hands and in your boots, but also on your chest, back, in a hat, and around your neck.. Get creative and use a bunch at the same time, I'll stash 8 or 10 of those bad boys all over my body when hunting or ice fishing in really cold weather.
The best way I've found for staying warm below zero is staying between the sheets in a nice warm bed. LOL