Need advice on cold weather hunting gear

[johnnyf]

Hey folks,

I hunt in Delaware county, NY (mostly from tree stands). My feet and hands always get cold (even w/ hand warmers). I've got Rocky hunting boots w/ 1200 grams of thinsulate. I just ordered some heavy polypropylene fleece thermals and socks. I've got some woolrich wool pants and an old refridgewear coat. What is the best gear (boots, layers, outer layers, etc.) that I can get to help stay warmer?

Thanks,

John

[smithwessn]

Do you have a far walk to get to your stand?

edit- welcome to the forum, btw.

[Dredly]

I hear good stuff about these:

http://www.heaterbodysuit.com/

personally I a big fan of waring bibs if that helps :P

[zep_1]

base layer:

under armour, archery through rifle season, I have been most impressed, definitely keeps you warm and the moisture off your skin, especially when you are climbing your tree stand and get so hot.

Midlayer just a pair of jeans or sweats on bottom and t shirt followed by a fleece vest that goes up around my neck to keep the wind out, the vest helps to keep the bulk out of the arms.

Outer layer is Redhead Bone-Dry C.W.S. Parka and Bibs, pretty warm and have been wearing them for about 4 or 5 years now I think and they have held up nice. I'm sure there are alot of nicer outer layers but this one is priced pretty fair.


I wear rocky boots like you 1200 or 1400 grams, feet only got cold in them once, I sometimes put hot pads in my waders when fishing for steelhead and the really keeps them warm, but I think that would be a little to warm inside of my rockys

I useally only wear a baseball hat because I hate my ears covered when hunting bt put one of those spandex skull caps on to help keep some heat in, on really cold days I wears a nice warm fleece beanie

Remember most of you heat is lost though your head so make sure you have a good hat if you are getting super cold, and keep your body moving

[johnnyf]

Do you have a far walk to get to your stand?

edit- welcome to the forum, btw.

no, I drive my atv within 100 yards of my stand.



John

[smithwessn]

no, I drive my atv within 100 yards of my stand.



John

Ok. Don't get all bundled up and then do a lot of physical activity to get to your stand. If you do that, you sweat before you sit. When you sit after sweating, that's when you get cold. Under armor and other similar clothes wick away moisture from your skin, but moisture can still get trapped under other layers. Try dressing light and avoid sweating prior to getting into your stand. Once you are at your stand, put on all of your layers.

When I have a long walk to my stand I put on one pair of socks and carry a spare pair of socks with me. When I get to the stand, I change my socks and put on a second, heavy pair. Dry feet help = warm feet. When I was a kid, I put plastic bags on over my feet before a long walk to keep the inside of my boots dry when my feet sweat. Dry boots, dry socks, warm and toasty.

As for my hands, I wear overalls with zippers that allow access into my inner pants pockets. I keep my hands in my inside those pockets where it's warm.

[45Badger]

Same general advice for sitting in the cold-

Wicking thermal under wear
Lightweight fleece pants (or BDUs) and mock T
wool sweater
filson or woolrich wool overalls
filson double mackinaw cruiser jacket

I wear fingerless gloves, and use a hand muff with a chemical handwarmer on cold days. Warmest boots I've found for sitting are LLBean or Sorel pack boots with the wool felt liners.

Important to keep your head/neck warm. I use tightly woven balaclavas in either wook/silk or synthetic. The loose weave orange ones at Dick's/walmart are useless.

[officer64]

The newer syntnetic underwear is the ticket along with layering. Under Armour is good, but their Cold Gear has one design flaw, it does allow you to get cold if you aren't moving around. This could be an issue sitting in a tree stand. I found a brand that seems to work better when one is motionless than Under Armour and is a lot cheaper. The brand is Wickers and is sold by Sierra Trading Post online. (www.sierratradingpost.com). I bought some on sale last winter and was throughly impressed. I have a set of UA and found myself getting cold just standing outside where the Wickers seemed to do a better job. Moving around, both did well. The Wickers is also a bit less restrictive. UA is tight fitting by design and some might find it uncomfortable.

Any brand of synthetics does a much better job than conventional thermals. They do help prevent you getting sweaty and that's where you get colder and stay that way. Layering your overclothes so you can either add or remove is very important to helping keep comfortable in cold temperatures regardless of what type of undergarments you decide on. Also, checking the weather forecast, often flawed as they can be, to help make your clothing decisions just before you leave is always a good idea.

Also, never underestimate the benefits of a good wool watch cap and well insulated waterproof boots. Don't skimp on these. You'll regret it.

[Dredly]

check this out

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...rkaBibs*101409

[Guns & Glass]

This will be long but it's a subject close to my heart & warm feet. If it helps you stay more comfortable so you enjoy the outdoors more...great. Learn from my mistakes becaues I was ignorant.

Skied, worked in sub zero blast warehouses in Summers, bought what I thought was good gear, and hunted in almost any weather so thought I knew how to dress. Till it real got & stayed cold & humid.

About 30 years ago before we had better clothing & were taught about it I had the best real life lesson while hunting.

Almost froze my feet to the point of frostbite as hunkered down under a natural shelf on a mountain for hours while a rain sleet storm passed over. Next day, again so cold I had to walk just to stay warm. Actually got lost for the very first time while hunting. Interesting experience.

Stopped sat on a stump took off my insulated pak boots w/couple socks and when the air hit my wet freezing glowing flesh that was white as the snow. When the air hit my feet I shook like a leaf in the wind, and cried out in pain since it felt like a torch burning my feet! Squeezed the sweat water out of my socks, and liners best I could, redressed and kept walking.

Best lesson? Yes!!! I determined to learn about how to dress...and NOT believe what I was reading in advertisements or hearing from my Dad or hunting buddies, and even the military. Studied how sucessful mountain climbers, Alpine skiers, cross country skiers dressed, Eskimos, animals, and you'll laugh...even women dressed. Ever hear a woman compalin about cold legs...that's wearing panty hose?

Used to try & compete in Olympic weight lifting so I ran w/3 other guys even in the Winter. they laughed when they learned I started wearing womens thick pantyhose under my sweat pants. But I was warm!

Started to buy & wear, & try (not all works as advertised) different sking underwear & clothes under my camo. Imagine the looks & laughter coming down to the camp breakfast table in purple-pink underwear. But I was warm!

Imagine meeting a hunter in the woods you didn't know, while stalk hunting wearing a Patagonia light red outer shirt and orange vest over it, and camo jacket tied around my waist. But I was warm!

No longer wore white cotton socks. Color didn't matter but inner thin layer was a wicking material w/a thinner wool blend over sock. But I was warm!

Today we're blessed w/materials, and knowledge that only ignorance, and improper dressing still has people cold.

For years I actually fall asleep in my tree stand while others are warm... back in the trucks, cars, houses, or hunting cabins.



#1 Reason our hands & feet get cold is our 'core' (heart-lung area) is getting cold. Brain automatically directs more blood flow to that area by restricting blood flow to extremities.

Heat Loss mainly comes the head, neck, and upper torso. Think of where the major organs are located.

Head & especially the neck, especially the neck, especially the neck (a hint) are major "cold holes". Depending on tempature & wind neck heat loss can be20-30%! Before going outside cover your neck w/a light fleece material, or wear a shirt w/a turtle neck on a cool-windy, or cold day. Take it and only it off later. You'll soon feel a big difference.

Overly tight socks-boot fit will simply restrict blood flow.
Wrong size boots.
Too many socks.
Buying footwear the wrong time of day.

As you excitedly stuff your feet into boots anticapiting the hunt you'll compress boot liner, socks & flesh containing blood vessels, veins & capillaries. Walking increasing blood flow which swells those blood carriers, and as time goes on feet normally swell due to this thing called gravity which keeps more fluids in legs & feet. Unknowlingly that restricts circulation.
Been w/many a hunter who is generally 'warm' but still has cool-cold feet.

Heat travels ONLY from higher tempatures to lower tempatures.

Dressing w/out using wind resistant outerlayers is inviting cold. Wind 'pressure' literally strips the heated outer layers of warmth away causing the body to generate heat. So heat continues move from the body outward. Body can only self generate so much heat. If the heat loss is faster than the generation cold will set in and the core/brain will now start to recover the heat they need to function.

Medications like blood thinners most always leave feet/hands feeling cool-cold.

Learn to dress in creating 'micro climates'.

Later.