Best cold weather layering system
09-16-2010, 10:57 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 36
Best cold weather layering system
I'm looking at getting a good setup for cold weather. Cold as in Upper Michigan cold, 0-30F, late season bow hunting. I am thinking a $400 budget. But layers is important for flexibility, since lately the winters have been unpredictable. I have tried on the Cabala's Berber, and I like it, good price, with some sort of "windshear" marketing slogan on it.
So, I'm looking for opinions please
So, I'm looking for opinions please
09-17-2010, 02:24 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
what have you been doing? I'm thinking clothes that dry very quickly and chem packs, a lot of them. Putting chem packs over you kidneys real helps keep your fingers and toes warm.
I did try some silk last year that kept me warm, but I'm puzzled how. They were wet with perspiration when I took them off. They did work.
Loose fitting for all but the base layer especially the socks/ boots/gloves. Anything tight will restrict blood flow and warm blood is a must (why the chem/kidney works. it warms your blood)
Absolutely no fleece as a base layer. I did once, the stuff doesn't absorb moisture and very quickly you feel like your in a swimming pool only very yucky. Great as a layer after an extreme moisture wicking layer and with the extreme stuff you need something to lock in warmth.
Out of everything the chem packs on the kidneys has made the biggest change for me, more than any clothes. With clothes you get warm but cool off. With the chem packs, your sitting there and it suddenly dawns on you that your hands and feet are not cold. Having a pocket in your clothes for the packs is good but a base layer like UA keeps the in place fairly well.
I did try some silk last year that kept me warm, but I'm puzzled how. They were wet with perspiration when I took them off. They did work.
Loose fitting for all but the base layer especially the socks/ boots/gloves. Anything tight will restrict blood flow and warm blood is a must (why the chem/kidney works. it warms your blood)
Absolutely no fleece as a base layer. I did once, the stuff doesn't absorb moisture and very quickly you feel like your in a swimming pool only very yucky. Great as a layer after an extreme moisture wicking layer and with the extreme stuff you need something to lock in warmth.
Out of everything the chem packs on the kidneys has made the biggest change for me, more than any clothes. With clothes you get warm but cool off. With the chem packs, your sitting there and it suddenly dawns on you that your hands and feet are not cold. Having a pocket in your clothes for the packs is good but a base layer like UA keeps the in place fairly well.
09-17-2010, 08:42 AM
#3
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Owensville, MO
Posts: 20
My coldest weather gear consists of the following:
Feet: wicking sock, heavy wool sock, 1000gr boots
Legs: Polypropylene pants, fleece sweat pants, insulated bibs
Torso: Polypropylene sweater, fleece vest/hoody, insulated parka
Head: stocking hat with light balaclava or just a heavy fleece balaclava
Hands: light jersey gloves, hand warmer strapped to waist with hot hand in it
I've hunted in Iowa with snow blasting me and temps around zero and stayed plenty warm.
Feet: wicking sock, heavy wool sock, 1000gr boots
Legs: Polypropylene pants, fleece sweat pants, insulated bibs
Torso: Polypropylene sweater, fleece vest/hoody, insulated parka
Head: stocking hat with light balaclava or just a heavy fleece balaclava
Hands: light jersey gloves, hand warmer strapped to waist with hot hand in it
I've hunted in Iowa with snow blasting me and temps around zero and stayed plenty warm.
09-17-2010, 09:58 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 116
Read up on Merino wool if you really want the best in long underwear. Minus 33 and others make some nice stuff, and it's very warm while not stinking like the synthetics. I also use a Heater Body Suit, and I stay toasty warm on the coldest of days in northern MN, which is saying something. And with the body suit, you don't really need to wear a ton of clothes under it. Check it out...
dan
dan
09-17-2010, 02:58 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,837
Although I have never wore them myself but my brother swears by Under Armour for the starting layer. I personally love the brown Polypropylene pants and shirt underwear. Stay away from the old thermal long under wear aka long johns. They will freeze you to death. Keep your neck area sealed up and covered. I used to wear the biggo thick heavy gloves until I finally figured out that the lighter non insulated gloves worked best for me. Once the big thick gloves are cold they're cold until you get back inside somewhere with heat. The thins ones can be warmed back up just by putting your hands in your pockets with them on. The hand warmers are a nice asset too. 100% wool socks with a wicking liner if you can't stand the wool directly against your skin. 100% wool sweaters like the Army Surplus always sold is extremely warm. Some brand of quality insulated bibs and coat. With the bibs and coat you get double coverage over most of your upper body.
09-18-2010, 07:23 AM
#7
Banned
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 220
The key to hunting in the cold is to dress appropriately.
Layer hunting clothes and use all cotton on the first layer to wick perspiration away from the body. Nothing feels worse then being in damp hunting clothes that has polyester in the fabric.
Some of the best cold weather gear up and until a couple of years ago was the traditional Woolrich hunting outfits. Being from Pennsylvania -you couldn't help but to grow up around the red and black checked hunting suits. Everybody had one and nobody actually ever froze to death wearing one. I still have several Woolrich hunting shirts - which I wear, even though I am allergic to wool. It makes me feel itchy.
Thinsulate and Gortex is wonderful insulators.
But I always try to make sure that I use the proper boots for the occasion. I use hiking boots when I walk, Boots with taller uppers when I walk in deep snow and I have pac boots that I wear when I am sitting. The secret to being outdoors all day is to use the proper boots - because if your feet are cold, the rest of your body will be cold.
The other secret is to carry several sets of gloves. If your hands are cold, your whole body is going to be cold.
If it is cold outside and the wind is blowing, stay out of the tree stand. It is better to stand on the ground and stay warm and stay in the woods all day then to sit in a tree stand for two or three hours and then have to leave because you got cold, only to find out that 15 minutes after you left, someone else shot a nice deer, right under your tree stand.
Me personally - I don't get cold because I have a Kerosun heater in my tree stand. I built a box around my heater and I call this my fire place. It keeps me toasty warm, even on the coldest of days.
I prefer a semi permanent stand over a temporary stand that is not warm. A good hunting spot will produce good deer year after year as long as you take care of your hunting spot and improve the situation from time to time by cutting away brush from shooting lanes and planting food sources in the summertime.
The problem with most people that hunts is that they hunt several weeks out of the year, and the rest of the year, they refuse to invest a single dime into improving their hunting grounds.
They believe that as long as farmer Brown plants corn and as long as the trees produces acorns that there will always be deer.
Then the year comes along where there is no acorns and farmer Brown does not plant any crops and then they do not see anything and then they believe that there are no more deer left in their area.
Most times they just moved down the road to a better situation.
Its not uncommon in my area for a deer to live on 10 square miles of land. They can run a mile in about a minute and go from one hill top to another as easily as you can call your wife on a cell phone and tell her that you are coming home for lunch because you are cold and have not seen anything all day.
Layer hunting clothes and use all cotton on the first layer to wick perspiration away from the body. Nothing feels worse then being in damp hunting clothes that has polyester in the fabric.
Some of the best cold weather gear up and until a couple of years ago was the traditional Woolrich hunting outfits. Being from Pennsylvania -you couldn't help but to grow up around the red and black checked hunting suits. Everybody had one and nobody actually ever froze to death wearing one. I still have several Woolrich hunting shirts - which I wear, even though I am allergic to wool. It makes me feel itchy.
Thinsulate and Gortex is wonderful insulators.
But I always try to make sure that I use the proper boots for the occasion. I use hiking boots when I walk, Boots with taller uppers when I walk in deep snow and I have pac boots that I wear when I am sitting. The secret to being outdoors all day is to use the proper boots - because if your feet are cold, the rest of your body will be cold.
The other secret is to carry several sets of gloves. If your hands are cold, your whole body is going to be cold.
If it is cold outside and the wind is blowing, stay out of the tree stand. It is better to stand on the ground and stay warm and stay in the woods all day then to sit in a tree stand for two or three hours and then have to leave because you got cold, only to find out that 15 minutes after you left, someone else shot a nice deer, right under your tree stand.
Me personally - I don't get cold because I have a Kerosun heater in my tree stand. I built a box around my heater and I call this my fire place. It keeps me toasty warm, even on the coldest of days.
I prefer a semi permanent stand over a temporary stand that is not warm. A good hunting spot will produce good deer year after year as long as you take care of your hunting spot and improve the situation from time to time by cutting away brush from shooting lanes and planting food sources in the summertime.
The problem with most people that hunts is that they hunt several weeks out of the year, and the rest of the year, they refuse to invest a single dime into improving their hunting grounds.
They believe that as long as farmer Brown plants corn and as long as the trees produces acorns that there will always be deer.
Then the year comes along where there is no acorns and farmer Brown does not plant any crops and then they do not see anything and then they believe that there are no more deer left in their area.
Most times they just moved down the road to a better situation.
Its not uncommon in my area for a deer to live on 10 square miles of land. They can run a mile in about a minute and go from one hill top to another as easily as you can call your wife on a cell phone and tell her that you are coming home for lunch because you are cold and have not seen anything all day.
09-18-2010, 08:56 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 1,832
There is lots of good brands. Some alot better t under armour.
Next to skin you want a layer that wicks away moisture.After you want an insulating layer than you want a shell.If you want the best of the best go to an industrial outlet or website that sells clothing to peole that work on the Gas pipelines and oil rigs up north.These guys work in minus 30 to minus 60 below.And are comfortable doing it cause of the clothing.If you got the money don't mess around go straight to these commercial and industrial grade garmats.it's just under garmats non of your hunting buddies are gonna know that you aren't cammoed from the inside out.I only care about how I look on the outside myself.
Next to skin you want a layer that wicks away moisture.After you want an insulating layer than you want a shell.If you want the best of the best go to an industrial outlet or website that sells clothing to peole that work on the Gas pipelines and oil rigs up north.These guys work in minus 30 to minus 60 below.And are comfortable doing it cause of the clothing.If you got the money don't mess around go straight to these commercial and industrial grade garmats.it's just under garmats non of your hunting buddies are gonna know that you aren't cammoed from the inside out.I only care about how I look on the outside myself.
Last edited by Jeff Ovington; 09-18-2010 at 09:08 AM.