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With winter in full swing here in Northern Iowa, it is always a challenge to stay warm on stand or in a ground blind. I’m a slow learner as it has taken me nearly 20 years to come up with a “system” to stay warm. I’m still not sure I’m quite there at times. What has worked for some of you “northern hunters” to stay warm on stand, especially when the temps are in the single digit. Please be specific to type of clothing and what has worked for you.
Thanks,
Ireland
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Just thinking about this myself. Planning for an end of December hunt here in Michigan. Here is what worked for me this week down to the teens in degrees farenheit:
Bottom layers–
1. Poly pro
2. blue jeans
3. Old classic Woolrich bibs.
When it starts to get cold I’ll replace the jeans with fleece pants that I wear under my waders in winter.Top layers–
1. A loose fitting, but long Under Armor shirt. The skin tight ones are too restrictive to me.
2. Thin Filson moleskin vest.
3. Lined flannel shirt.
4. Classic Filson wool vest
5. Scentlock shirt…not because of the scentlock (it’ll take more than a shirt to hide my stink!), but because of the material it’s made from…it slides easily over everything underneath without binding on the draw, it’s quiet on the outside, and as a top layer the sleeve is tight enuf on my arm that I usually don’t need an armguard.
6. Finally, a 1950’s-era Woolrich red and black plaid Mackinaw.Until this week, I left the coat at home and just wore another thin layer of fleece under that Scentlock shirt.
Continued….
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Sorry, the system was logging me off…
Anyway, I am surprised the coat doesn’t impede my draw. Everything is pretty loose fitting, the bibs tie it all together and the Mackinaw over the bibs seals the deal.
Snug as a bug in a rug!
Oh, almost forgot…underarmor socks…best thing ever invented. One pair until now. One pair with big wool socks over them from here on out.
Boots until now are Uggs slip-ons with sheep skin fur lining just because they are so danged comfortable.
As it gets cold, I’ll switch to a set of thinsulate high top, lace-up hunting boots.
On my neck I have a gaitor for the really cold…but that’s almost too hot for me so it stays in a pocket.
Headwear is an old wool hat, Elmer Fudd style, that I bought in Ishpeming, MI years ago. It’s advantage over stormy kromer is that mine has earflaps.
Gloves are rag wool fingerless. I carry a muff around my waist for my bare hands, but it usually ends up carrying things instead…shooting glove, face mask, grunt tube, bow hanger, flashlight…you know the drill.
That’s about it…I know that stuff sounds pretty rich, but it took me about ten years of scouring end of year clearance tables to gather it all for a fraction of retail. And I figure this stuff will last me the rest of my life.
And, as you can imagine, I never go near a sheep farm for fear of hearing ‘daaaaaaaaaaaady’ 🙂
Have fun out there!
Bernie -
Oh, almost forgot. If I am planning on a long walk to my spot coupled with a long sit, I carry another set of Under Armor and change that layer as soon as I get to my spot.
If I were to simply still hunt all day without stand hunting, I would just ditch the Mackinaw and adjust the layers.
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Crookedstick wrote: Oh, almost forgot. If I am planning on a long walk to my spot coupled with a long sit, I carry another set of Under Armor and change that layer as soon as I get to my spot.
If I were to simply still hunt all day without stand hunting, I would just ditch the Mackinaw and adjust the layers.
Bernie,
Thanks for the GREAT tips…How about some other folks…
Ireland -
Where I live and hunt, “down into the teens” is nothing, if it’s teens-above. Teens-below is more like it here Nov.-Jan. Most of the advice has been good, although I’d stay away from the jeans, which insulate poorly, retain moisture, and make noise when you move. (Substitute high quality wool pants.) The hardest part is your hands, since warm, bulky gloves aren’t an option.I too use a fingerless woolen glove on my right (string) had, and push my 3-fingered shooting glove through it. The bow hand is tougher, since most outer fabrics on warm weather gloves don’t grip well. I wear a simple deer skin glove on that hand, and make sure I wear a wool outer coat with plenty of room in the pockets for my hands. Don
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i wear a one piece union type set of under wear. Followed by a second top piece only loose fitting under wear. Both must be good wickers. Then a wool shirt and wool pants. Then a wool sweater with wind stop liner, then a set of wool bibs followed by a wool out coat. A light balaclava m a thick neck warmer and a wool hat. A muff for my hands with a checmical warmer
Two tricks I learned long ago and that is to get a good large pack frame with a big bag. I carry all clothes that go over the first wool layer. I dress at the bottom of my tree. If I don’t get sweaty walking in I am good for three or perhaps four hours if the temp is not below 15 above . Any colder than that and its two hours at best.
the 2 second trick is to have 2 pouches with a chemical warmers on a shoulder strap. You wear one in front and one in back. At about breast bone and between your shoulder blades in between the sweater and wool shirt. This keeps your core warm on the coldest days.
I live in MN
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You guys got it = wool wool wool! My layers are 1st a cotton T, then Poly pro tops and bottoms, heavy wool pants, a wool British “commando” type sweater, a wool jac-shirt, and lastly my heavy wool hunting coat. I don’t do much, if any late season bow hunting here in Mi., but this combo works well right thru the mid Dec. muzzleloader season. Oh, for boots, just 1 pair heavy wool socks and I think my boots are rated for -20? It’s all worked well for me. Just this past Mon. I was in a tree here from 1 pm to dark in blowing snow and cold, and short of my tootsies starting to feel it a little by 5, I was good. I’m weak on gloves I have to admit, had a muff once and probably should get another…
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Agree.. with everything said.. Layers and wool! Also agree with Don Thomas.. here in Northern New York in the Adirondacks they won’t even let you on the Adirondack Mountain Club maintained trails with Blue Jeans on – “Blue Jeans Kill” !!!
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Had great practice here in No Mi as it has been quite cold and windy all Dec, now we have had a major Blizzard 14 inches of snow so far and high winds! here is what I have been wearing: Merino wool baselayer top and bottom, for pants waterproof UA Bibs (insulated) or my Rivers West heavy Hp5 pants, for layer heavy woolrich wool shirt or Polar Fleece Jacket, my main coat is my Rivers West jacket or my old Woolrich Red and Black coat! Headwear I use various types of thin facemasks, shooting hand I use a thin knit glove with my shooting glove over the top or sometimes I use a fingerless Ragwool glove! Handwarmers and a muff are a must for me at all times!Socks are Merino wool and my boots are Lacrosse 1000 gram Alpha Burleys! So far its worked faily well!
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I have been using some old (very, very old) wool pants from from someone’s military, polypro leggings, and my primaloft jacket under a fleece sweater. I was worried about noise, but it seems pretty quiet, and an arm guard keeps the ‘puff’ down on my bow arm. I too have found the advantages of the glove/mitten for my shooting hand. Usually I wear a liner glove as well. For my feet, I found the down ‘camp booties’ you see at camping stores worked really well until there is a lot of snow. You will not be running or climbing a steep hill in them, but they are basically a very well-insulated moccasin.
And lots of hot pockets- wrists, ankles, and I now love the ones that stick to the bottom of your shoe!.
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I just bought a new hunting jacket. It is called “Bowhunter Extreme SST Dry Plus” I think it is a fairly decent jacket, I have only wore it in the L.R. so haven’t really gave it the test outside! I was going to get wool but could not find wool that had a hood. Actually the main reason I bought the jacket was that it was half price at Cabelas. Price is usually the determining factor for me:wink:
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I layer, a good set of long johns, wool bib overhalls, wool shirt, maybe a sweatshirt, CC Filson wool vest, a good wool coat. I wear a kromer style cap with ear flaps, a balaclavia, a pair of wool glove/mittens ( the kind with the fingertips open & a mitten cover that can be folded back out of the way). For my feet I wear a pair of Smart Wool socks, & a pair of Sorrel pack boots.
I have a spare set of golves & socks in my day pack.
Frank
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