How do you keep warm?

[grumpy]

#5222

I’m going out with 3 base layers, a light fleece pull over, a heavy fleece vest (my own design 2 layers of fleece with fluff between), a coat I made (a cross between a barn coat and a fly fishing vest), and long johns (Grampa is wearing red tights again) and snow pants. I felt like the kids in south park, so bundled up I could hardly move, and all those clothes must have weighed more than I do. I did see 2 deer out there snickering, they knew I was too bundled to make a half way decent shot (they stayed too far away anyway). Wasn’t really COLD (COLD is below zero), like in the 30s, but damp. Would have been warm with a lot less if I was moving but I was sitting. I was sitting STILL (which is not easy). Today I was out again it was in the 50s, no wind, no damp, and warm with a lot less.

[Stephen Graf]

#44776

Live in the South 🙄

[Cleland]

#46144

Sounds like me Grumpy. Last year blue jeans, two wool sweaters, a thick wind breaker, and blizzard proof coveralls weathered and shrunk. Just about caused me a 153 in 5-pt. had to draw twice to get the arrow back! Never again, went to bibs and a parka, huge difference, now I can draw back at below 0, had trouble before at 29 degrees! Never again! Don’t feel totally out of it, I’ve missed three bucks this year all high over the shoulder, the best is yet to come with the below 0 weather coming in Dec. anyhow I thought I would throw my 2 cents in, good luck with the rest of your season, and loosen up and stay warm, LOL!

[David Coulter]

#46589

Grumpy, Steve’s taking the easy way. Cold temps cut out the riffraff, at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m shivering. I bought my Gallatin Range pants big so I can put on a pair of Swiss army wool pants underneath. A ragg sweater over a couple merino layers under my wool coat and a scarf and I’m pretty good. The weak link is the toes. I hear that Uggs or the Bearpaw version are the ticket. My Sorel pack boots work well until it gets in the low teens, then it’s tough to last long. I use glomitts with pop tops with good success for my fingers.

By the way, Grumpy, how can anyone who watches South Park be grumpy? Dwc

[wahoo]

#46643

I am always moving so I may be different from the rest plus less humidity with that being said I use layers and wear wool. I wear hiking boots on my feet (lowa) with gaiters snow is about a foot deep.

[arthurw]

#11162

Modern fabric performance base layer. Black Levis, wool socks with goretex hikers. Flannel shirt with a weird camo pullover that was on sale at Dicks over it and a second hand camo wool vest. This is my first year wearing camoflage. Neck gaitor/ face mask and a knit skull cap because my Stormy Kromer brim interferes with my string at full draw. It’s been very warm in Jersey this year. When it’s cold it’s a woolrich Pennsylvania tuxedo for me with 1000 gram thinsulate boots.

[David Fudala]

#17022

Similar to wahoo, I move quite a bit in the late season. Since I do all my hunting on the ground now, I’ll typically only sit for the first couple hours of the day and the last couple hours. Because of this, I layer up quite lite. A thin, moisture wicking set of long johns, long sleeve turtleneck, vest and my snow camo parka which is just a cover up. My wool bibs complete the deal. For extra warmth or emergencies, I carry a wool army blanket cut to work like a poncho in my pack. I got more hats than the average female has shoes so that’s never the same!?!?

[TMS]

#49021

I have a couple of “secrets” to staying out as long as possible in the cold (for me, “cold” is single digits Fahrenheit or below). First, I wear a “performance fabric” base layer. I have different weights for different temps. Second, no cotton anywhere. All of my fabric choices are either poly (warmer temps) or wool (colder temps). Third, at least two layers on my head and hands. Wool knit hat or fleece hat under a camo poly hood/facemask. Poly under gloves, bow glove, and covered by glomitts. Finally, a windproof nylon shell jacket over my insulation layers and under a camo long-sleeve t-shirt. I find I can draw a bow (or shoulder a flintlock) more easily with several light weight layers rather than one heavy layer.

[Don Thomas]

#50994

Lots of good ideas here. We’re really talking about two related but distinct problems: 1. Keeping your core temperature up to prevent hypothermia and 2. Keeping your hands, feet, and head warm enough so that you can function. I do a lot of sub-zero hunting, and find that cold hands and feet almost always drive me inside before anything else. For my feet, I start with a synthetic wicking base layer sock, top that with a loose, heavy wool sock and follow that with a felt liner inside a high quality pac boot. I really need to feel my fingers to shoot. For my string hand, I push the fingers of my shooting glove through the middle three fingers of a medium weight “fingerless” wool glove. I don’t like wool for my bow hand because it slips on the riser, and bulky gloves can push the arrow shaft out of place. So, I just use a light leather glove and keep it in the pocket of my heavy outer woolens. Individual tolerance to cold hands and feet varies considerably, and this isn’t enough for some people, but it works for me. If it doesn’t, it’s too cold to be hunting. Don

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#51100

Here in the Northeast, wind starts in October until sometime in March. Cold wind is the number one factor that makes me go home! Thus, a windproof layer or two are always on me. I own windproof hat, jacket, gloves and pants. I wear the jacket and gloves on above freezing windy days and all 4 on below freezing days. I always wear my insulated pac boots and insulated windproof gloves below 40 degrees.

[grumpy]

#51336

alexbugnon wrote: Here in the Northeast, wind starts in October until sometime in March. Cold wind is the number one factor that makes me go home! Thus, a windproof layer or two are always on me. I own windproof hat, jacket, gloves and pants. I wear the jacket and gloves on above freezing windy days and all 4 on below freezing days. I always wear my insulated pac boots and insulated windproof gloves below 40 degrees.

You are more inland than we are. When I was 16 we moved to Boston and found what we called “Boston cold” the mercury said 40 but it felt colder than -10 back upstate. Then difference was the wind and the DAMP. I was out in fog this morning at 40, and with all my layers I was still shivering, until the sun came out. No wind just DAMP. Penetrated all those layers and chilled me.

[Alexandre Bugnon]

#51470

grumpy wrote: [quote=alexbugnon]Here in the Northeast, wind starts in October until sometime in March. Cold wind is the number one factor that makes me go home! Thus, a windproof layer or two are always on me. I own windproof hat, jacket, gloves and pants. I wear the jacket and gloves on above freezing windy days and all 4 on below freezing days. I always wear my insulated pac boots and insulated windproof gloves below 40 degrees.

You are more inland than we are. When I was 16 we moved to Boston and found what we called “Boston cold” the mercury said 40 but it felt colder than -10 back upstate. Then difference was the wind and the DAMP. I was out in fog this morning at 40, and with all my layers I was still shivering, until the sun came out. No wind just DAMP. Penetrated all those layers and chilled me.

My first experience of American cold was in the Boston blizzard of ’78 during my freshman year in college. I had never experienced arctic cold before, being from the milder Switzerland climate! Me and my roommates lived in the kitchen for 3 days with all burners on!!

[William Warren]

#52555

Down here we can wear just one pair of wool pants a worsterlon shirt, a wool hoodie and knit cap when its “cold” out. 😆

[tuxdad]

#63314

After last year’s brutal winter here in PA, I learned a nice trick to keeping warm after the doors at my job froze open for a little over 2 weeks during single digit temps..

One of my biggest problems was keeping my hands warm(mostly fingers).. I would have on base layer compression winter wear, then heavy fleece, then my work shirt, my heavyweight hoodie and a heavy jacket.. Since wearing mittens was out of the question for the work I did, I was miserable for the first day or so until quite by accident I left one of the handwarmers in the pouch of my hoodie.. Within about an hour my fingers started feeling better.. They were still cold but nothing like before.. After work I went and picked up the largest handwarmers that walmart carried and tried them the next day.. My fingers were a little cool but nothing even close to being in pain as before..

I then tried them out while hunting. It was +10 with a wind chill of about -15.. My bow hand, I wore an extra large mitten and wore a heavy winter glove inside of that. On my string hand I wore a mitten which I could slip off needed. I carried my muff(I think that’s what they’re called) but didn’t use it but once or twice while I sat..

This year I stocked up on them just in case..

As far as winter boots.. If it snows the pac boots come out.. Otherwise I’m in my regular winter loggers… HTH

[TSCHMED]

#29801

Some random thoughts…

Hot Hands brand chemical warmers are the best I’ve ever tried. The 18 hour version really does last from dawn till dark.

Boot driers are a must and my boots go on the dryer EVERY NIGHT. Dry boots also cut down on boot odor caused by sweaty feet.

I always treat my feet with antiperspirant after showering before each hunt.

NO COTTON, ever.

And take notice of how dry base layers feel when you remove them from the washing machine. Some synthetic fabrics come out of the washer feeling wet and cold in the hand…I avoid wearing those against my skin. Some base layer fabric comes out of the washer feeling dry, almost as if they didn’t even get wet in the washer. Those are the fabrics that perform best against the skin. The next time you launder your base layers, remember to notice the difference. If it FEELS wet coming out of the washer, it’ll feel wet (and cold) in the woods.

Ive become a big believer of merino wool against the skin. It always feels dry, even after sweating, and it doesn’t get the nasty smell that some synthetics get.

[grumpy]

#40428

Duncan wrote: Down here we can wear just one pair of wool pants a worsterlon shirt, a wool hoodie and knit cap when its “cold” out. 😆

COLD is below zero (before wind chill factor).

[John Dilts]

#41650

There is a fairly new fabric called ARCTICA that has been tried and test in the far north that works really well for the outside layer for those who make there own clothes. The other thing is almost every hamlet in the northern Canada has a sell and swap page or something of the like on facebook and you can find some really nice light warm stuff that is all home made and your money is really good in Canada right now.

[wojo14]

#49337

john dilts wrote: There is a fairly new fabric called ARCTICA that has been tried and test in the far north that works really well for the outside layer for those who make there own clothes. The other thing is almost every hamlet in the northern Canada has a sell and swap page or something of the like on facebook and you can find some really nice light warm stuff that is all home made and your money is really good in Canada right now.

Yes John! Like a $1.36US/Canada.

Can you give a link to the clothes and fabric?

I always looking for new ideas.

I just layer up, wool mostly. Just got some Cammucks this year. Hopefully they work on my always cold feet!

And I too use the disposable hand warmers in my pockets, they work great!8)

[Brady Murphy]

#22271

dwcphoto wrote: Grumpy, Steve’s taking the easy way. Cold temps cut out the riffraff, at least that’s what I tell myself when I’m shivering. I bought my Gallatin Range pants big so I can put on a pair of Swiss army wool pants underneath. A ragg sweater over a couple merino layers under my wool coat and a scarf and I’m pretty good. The weak link is the toes. I hear that Uggs or the Bearpaw version are the ticket. My Sorel pack boots work well until it gets in the low teens, then it’s tough to last long. I use glomitts with pop tops with good success for my fingers. the way, Grumpy, how can anyone who watches South Park be grumpy? Dwc

I use polypropylene sock liners with Lorpen Heat Trap socks when it’s REALLY cold out. The liners keep your feet bone-dry which is the key to warm feet. I’ll use the liners with just regular wool socks when the temps are above 20F. When I take my socks off, the wool will be damp from sweat, but the liners and my feet will be completely dry.

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