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Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

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Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

Old 06-21-2003, 04:24 PM
  #1  
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bemidji MN USA
Posts: 79
Default Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

I live in Mn and as u all know, its dang cold here during hunting season. What are some tips u have for staying warm and comfortable. Are there certain brands of clothing that u where or layer? Lets your any ideas u have. I am tired of freezing.
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Old 06-21-2003, 06:12 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: wi USA
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

i would say the biggest thing would be DON' T wear any cotton for the first layer. dress light when your walking to your stand. i always layer and when i get to my stand i put on my insulated coveralls. this is very important the coveralls keep the heat in and wind out. a foam seat with beads is great also and light.
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Old 06-21-2003, 07:21 PM
  #3  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Iowa
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

I cut a little pocket in the felt liners of my boots and I put one of those disposable handwarmers in each boot. Nice to have warm feet. And get a better hat, you loose a lot of body heat through your head. I gotta tell you this seems like a silly question, this being the first day of summer. Jim
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Old 06-21-2003, 11:38 PM
  #4  
TJF
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: ND
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

I agree with selway. Cotton is bad for the first layer. I hunt in ND and mostly hunt on the ground. I bought a good pair of snow boots and wear one or two pairs of wool socks depending on how cold it is or if I" m stalking/stillhunting or sitting in a natural blind. I will hunt in 15-20 below weather. Staying dry, warm and dressed to keep the wind out is very important to me. I like boots that are high legged since I will have to walk in deep snow. Getting wet from snow is just as bad as sweating. With a good pair of boots and wool socks, my feet are warm and I don' t need nor use heat packs.

Since I dress once I get to an area to hunt, I move slow and try not to get heated up once I leave the truck. I always have several pairs of gloves and caps to change into once I get to my blind or use that work better for stalking/stillhunting. A backpack is a must as my hunting plan could change at any moment while hunting.

I layer my clothes and keep them loose so they don' t restricted my movement and are comfortable for stalking or sitting.

The last layer is my camo with the exception of the insulated coveralls. Not including the coveralls, the material is light for my camo and I buy it big to fit/slip over my insulated coverall. I like it light materialed and big so I can carry another como pattern in the backpack should that camo scheme work better once I get to a spot or if the plan changes while hunting. I can slip one on over the other or take it off with ease. Fast, simple and I don' t have to freeze in the process of undressing. I don' t need to carry bulky clothing around with me, but can keep my backpack light so I don' t heat up when moving.

Going to the spot to hunt, I wear whites for sneaking in or if I spot a deer that is stalkable. I carry stubble camo (tan/grey/yellow with a corn stalk pattern) for sitting in corn or cattails. The insulated coveralls are tree barked if I set up in a small, thick tree grove. Ground hunting calls for a variety of camo. My way of doing it works well for me in cold weather and how I hunt. No more cold feet, hands or ears. Just the enjoyment of the hunt.

Tim
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Old 06-22-2003, 12:07 AM
  #5  
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

Dress in layers of either wool or fleece. Cotton is a big no no if you want to stay warm. Wool is the best because it will still insulate even if it is wet.

My insulated underware are made of polly propelene, the same stuff that is issued to the military. Works great.

Do not wear boots that are too tight as this will cut off some circulation to your feet. Your socks should start with a persperation wicking liner then one or two pair of wool socks. Merino wool is the most comfortable, non itching wool that I have found.

Wear an insulating hat. You loose the majority of body heat through your head and ears. Another place that you can potentially loose a lot of body heat is your groin area.

Mittens will keep your hands much warmer than gloves ever dreamed of. There are many mittens out there that allow you to use your fingers through a slit in the palm of the mitten. I won' t wear anything else. A wool glove style liner inside the mitten is a great addition. It also helps when you have to poke out your fingers and touch that cold bow or gun.

Biggest thing is to keep your torso as warm as possible. Your body will begin restricting blood flow to your extremites if your core is getting too cold. That' s why your feet and hands get cold first. So do not over exert yourself getting to your stand. If you sweat you will get cold once you stop moving.
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Old 06-22-2003, 12:20 AM
  #6  
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Location: Saskatchewan Canada
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

Layers, wool and fleece. Keep your hand, feet, head & neck warm(take extra of each). Hot hands are great for boots, mits or even in your hat. Polyproplene is the cold climate hunters best friend, I wear 1-piece when it is extremely cold and 2-piece all other times. I also use polyproplene sock liners under a good quality wool sock. Boots thinsulate and gortex. Avoid caffine at all costs, while coffee might make you feel warm it also makes you void and this causes heat loss(think of your void as antifreeze). I drink only water and eat foods like PBJ, granola, oatmeal, etc. Don' t heat your truck up to hot, just enough to keep the windsheild clear and don' t rush to your stand. Wear as light a layer in as comfortable for walking. If your sitting in a blind or in a stand take a sleeping bag to zip your bottom half into. If you feel stiff or sore, stand up, stretch and create some blood flow. I like to wiggle my toes and finger tips when I start to feel chilled.
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Old 06-22-2003, 02:16 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Edmonton Alberta Canada
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

I use a full body underwear suit of 4-way stretch Polartec I bought at cdsportswear.com. Cabelas has similar products. You can slog your way to a stand and sweat, but when you stop you don' t feel cold because the moisture is wicked away. If it is really cold, I cover the Polartec underwear with a layer of heavy merino wool underwear from Filson.

Over the underwear I wear a wool sweater and then heavy pants and jacket. If it is windy I use a synthetic balaclava, a wool head band, a wool neckband, and a wool hat. My hands are rarely cold so I just need to break the wind with something light, and I have a pair of fingerless wool gloves I can add if needed. I use wool insulated Filson boots, with light wool socks inside.

With this setup I can be comfortable sitting still at temperatures well below 0 F.
This stuff is all expensive. On top of that I found that the wool sweater, head band, neckband are especially warm and comfortable if they are cashmere - which really boosts the price. But you asked how people stay warm ...
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Old 06-22-2003, 08:40 AM
  #8  
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Default RE: Question for those who hunt in extreme cold areas?

when i took my hunting couse back in 76 they told me the phrase- cotton kills. once it gets wet it has no real insulating properties. all my favorite gear is wool. i like to use expedition weight polypropolene long underwear but found that it only wicks to a point. i have done some long hikes in to my stands and have found that once you get sweatty your done no matter what your wearing. its hard to convince yourself to wear something lite on the walk out to your stand when its 20 degrees but its worth it. if im carrying a stand and a pack i wear a light shirt because you will sweat on a long walk in the woods and when i get to my area i strip off the shirt and put on the insulated underwear and a wool sweater over that.you feel like your in heaven at that point. be careful of those heat packs. i have a nice burn mark on my foot because one broke open and i didnt realize it.the company that makes the heat packs also makes a lite mesh vest with pockets to put the heat packs in so your back is nice and warm.just ordered it for 20$. that should keep me warm all day.
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