RE: Im through with hunting...
 

CougarMag: You were doing fine until you threw on that pair of jeans. That is a no no from the word go. Cotton Jeans?????? Say it ain't so Joe.

DK: I'd quit too if I were you. You're such a pansy.[8D]:D Take some of that money you spend on Quikspins etc and buy you some good cold weather clothes. You say you're wearing thermal undies. I suspect they're heavy in cotton or something like that. Get rid of anything cotton in cold weather. Oh you can wear an outer layer for camo purposes but next to your skin you want some hi-tech undies. Follow that with another layer or two of similar stuff. I like a light weight set, then a mid weight Smartwool layer. If it's really cold I may follow that with another layer of Expedition weight stuff from Cabelas. Top it off with a wool shirt(OR TWO depending on temps) YOUR FEET must come first along with the head. Sock liners(not cotton of course) followed with good wool and maybe another pair, depending on temps. YOU MUST have room in your boots. If you bought them too tight to put on two or three layers of socks you're sunk. Tightly bound feet will get cold right NOW. I generally go with at least one less layer below the waist than I do above. Chemical warmers can be used to take the chill off fingers and hands if you wear fingerless gloves like I do. Chemical warmers can be used in the boots in EXTREMELY cold temps. DOn't use them in moderate stuff like your 20 degree temps as your feet will probably get too hot and then cold. Other options for cold feet are better boots(MUST BE ROOMY) and/or bootblanket type thingys. Get some of that rubberized wrap for your bow riser to keep your hands from getting cold. Do isometrics against the tree and stand. Pull the bow a couple times every hour or so. Keep your toes moving...wiggle 'em. Don't play with yourself.[8D][8D] Suck it up wimp. 20 degrees is just getting right..it's not cold. Layer it.... layer it ......layer it. You described 2 layers. Not enough. Get rid of the big bulky cumbersome parkas and just get layer after layer of moderate weights. Wool is grand. Wind blocker type fabrics will keep the beast at bay too, but I don't wear them. I just add lots of layers. On a really cold day I'll hae the 2 layers of undies top and bottom, 2 wool shirts of modest weight and maybe a vest. Chemical heater packs and 100 degree below boots with 2 pairs of socks and a pair of liner socks. As a last resort I have inserts for my boots that hold a hand warmer in the insert below my toes. You must have room to wiggle the toes generously to keep the chemical packs breathing. This will keep me well below freezing. Below zero I may skip the heaters and go with boot blankets. They're bulky...but warm. Add a wool vest. I go to termax type balaclava around 10 degrees. Two of them(light and medium)as you dip lower. Keep the neck area and kidneys warm grasshopper.

Dressed for success in late season. Note the added pair of glove liners(thin weight Termax) for the finger tips yet I can still feel. Two wool shirts and all the undies. One fleece lined balaclava. Ready to rock and roll.

RE: Im through with hunting...
 

Well, as everyone has said, Don't Use Cotton!

My cold weather gear is as follows:

Feet:
poly sock liners, wool socks, 800-1000 gram boots and foot warmer packs - there are new ones with insoles that work well. Dont use them in moderate weather or walking to your stand as it will make your feet sweat. I will put them on at the base of the tree. If your feet get wet, your done. If you have a long walk, use one layer of socks and then change at your tree. The 10 minutes that your feet get cold changing will be worth it for the next several hours that they are warm and dry. davidmil has good advice on keeping your boots roomy. Tight fitting boots make you feet cold.

Lower Body:
Underarmour cold gear, mid-weight poly or ECWS thermals, regular camo pants and insulated bibs. Spring for some nice weather proof bibs. They will block the wind and moisture and keep your mid-section from being exposed.

Upper Body:
Underarmour cold gear, mid-weight poly or ECWS thermals, regular camo shirt and insulated parka. Throw some heater packs where your kidneys are if it gets real cold. If your jacket does not have a pocket for this, make one and safety pin it in there.

Head/Neck:
Underarmour cold gear baclava and hat. If it's real cold I'll throw on a fleece baclava over the UA and use another neck gator. You gotta keep your head and neck warm or your sunk.

Hands:
Depends on the situation.
Bow - Usually use a glove liner and throw some heater packs in my jacket pockets. I have one of those hand tube thingies that goes around your waste but my hands usually get stuck trying to pull them out. It does work well to keep them warm though.
Gun - Glove liner and one of those convertable glove/mitts. Put a hand warmer in the mitt part and when you need to shoot, just flip it back.

I also do not wear my jacket while walking to my stand. Try to keep sweating to a minimum. Move your toes and fingers. You can do this without attracting attention. If you get cold, make sure the area is clear and stand up. Just the movement while doing this will help a lot. Once standing, tighten your muscles without moving. (isometrics) I have used this system while hunting in the single digits to low twenties.


I think I am going to spring for some fleece or wool pants/shirt after this season. Hopefully they will be on sale. ;)

Hey david, where is the ASAT 3D leafy suite over that cold weather outfit? I'm going to talk to Len. :D

RE: Im through with hunting...
 

Must keep head warm! I wear a scentlok base layer head mask which covers my nose and mouth. This keeps scent down but also keeps you warm because your breath warms up your entire face and head. On top of this, I wear a wool camo ski mask. It has extends to cover my entire neck. Cold air down your neck or back will kill you.

Also, feet must stay warm. My toes used to freeze because I would cram three or four pairs of cotton socks into a boot that was too small. You gotta have big roomy boots and nothing but thick wool socks. Also, layer with the wool/polyester blend long johns. I like at least three layers - no cotton! And I hunt standing up most of the time because your muscles keep you warmer. I like to hang my bow and keep my hands in my pocket until I see deer. This really helps too.