Hunting in November during the rut often means having to hunt in cold weather. Of course, a hunter wants to spend as much time as possible in the stand at that time of the year. I have found that a piece of carpet or heavy felt placed on the platform of my stand helps to keep my feet warm. I don’t know if the heat loss is due to my boots being in contact with the cold metal or exposure to the cold air, but using the carpet makes a very noticeable difference. It also helps to silence the movement of my feet.
Another trick to staying warm during those all day sits in cold weather is to pin a chemical hand warmer to your second layer of clothing. When it is really cold, I use the larger body warmers; those things really give off the heat! However, do not pin chemical warmers where they contact your skin directly as they may give you a burn.
During those long, cold days in the stand, I have found that having a warm drink is surely nice. The new vacuum coffee cups work well, but there is still a significant amount of heat loss from the plastic cap. Placing a doubled wool sock over the top of the cup helps keep the liquid hot much longer.
Another trick is to put an adhesive backed toe warmer on The outside of each boot toe and cover with a sock like you did in the photo of your thermos. I took an old pair of over the calf wool socks that had a hole in the heels and cut the calf section off and stitched it closed. Since the calf section is stretchy it will go over the boot toe much easier. You only need for it to come to your Boot instep for it to work great. Thanks for the tips!
Wet whether the carpet would work as a non slip
….and if you over hang the carpet it would act a buffer between the platform and any weapon hanging off the end of a rope.
It’s a winner!
Jim
Been hunting here in Pa now for 49 years. Used to freeze my tookus off in the days of cotton unders and charcoal stick hand warmers. Been using carpet on treestand platforms since they first came out. When heat packs came out, that was a game changer. I’ve been hunting the last 3 weeks of archery for the last 25 years and if need be, Gun season and muzzle loader. In that timeframe, I’ve learned a thing or two about keeping warm. I hunt everyday all day with the only exception being extreme weather. Some of the things I’ve learned- keep your hands and feet warm certainly keeps you in the woods. Of course heat packs for hands, also used to use a kidney belt with pockets for heat packs to place around your waist with the heat on your kidneys keeping your body fluids warm. Now I use the stick on heat packs which work well. I always carry several extra packs of heat packs in my back pack just in case I need them. So now about the feet, I’ve found through trial and error that wearing a lighter boot with lots of wiggle room with only 1 pair of heavy moisture wicking socks work. Upon getting to my stand, I remove my boots and put them into an arctic shield boot blanket. I then place a large heat pack over the top of the boot just behind the toe area and put them on with my pant leg tucked in. I have found that the muck chore boots work the best for me since they are somewhat loose fitting which allows for great circulation but snug enough for walking in the woods. Using this method not only keeps my feet from getting cold but my feet stay toasty. Another tip is on very cold or windy days, I’ll place a small heat pack in my hat which helps tremendously. Taking warm fluids-coffee or even soup or broth really helps. Several years ago while archery hunting Illinois, it was-5 deg in the morning and 15 mph winds. I was chuckling in my stand thinking about how as a kid I used to freeze but now I’m not cold at all. Hope this helps some of you, good luck
I’m not here to shill for a specific product, but there are multiple reasons not to use a vacuum coffee cup with a plastic lid. The number one reason is not rapid heat loss (which is inevitable) but spilling and leaking. Consider looking at this little number, a THERMOS Stainless King Vacuum-Insulated Travel Tumbler, 16 Ounce. IT DOESN’T LEAK! You can turn it upside down, no leaks. It also keeps the coffee at least twice as hot, certainly more. You can even order a model with a handle! Highly recommend it.
One thing I have found that has helped significantly is using un-scented antiperspirant on your feet. Keep from getting your socks wet while hiking in. Have used this ice fishing as well as deer hunting. I use arm and hammer , it’s cheap and works well.
Has anyone tried Booties, the kind that fit over boots? I only use a thermos BOTTLE, find it better than a cup. I do not advise removing boots but hey do what fits you.