I dress in lawyers and my outer layer is the Cabela' s insulated silent sued overalls and jacket. The Maine woods get VERY COLD Thanksgiving week and since I purchased these 2 pieces I am no longer cold. Oh and I have a pair of RedWing 1000 gram thinsulate tracker boots. Glo-mitts for the hands (mittens that fold over) so you can hold the gun with your hand with a pair of insulator gloves on first. And last but not least is a fleece head cover, the one that can be worn several different ways. I bought every thing so I can sit on stand in the coldest of conditions and not shiver.

I too am considering the purchase of a heater body suit. It seems like I freeze no matter what I try. The suit has a money back gauruntee. No risk.

Kristen,

I hunt in northern Minnesota and the temps can get down there. I' ve found that dressing in layers works well. One fabric I always wear is Fleece. I walk in with light clothes on and then pile on the fleece sweats, sweatshirt, Browning Hydro fleece coat, and I' m set for the day. That fabric is so warm that I can' t walk wearing it without becoming soaking wet in sweat. You can' t go wrong buying fleece.

Kevin1, thanks for the heads up on the reasoning....I remembered that clear as a bell....after I read your post!

Anytime Jason N ,
Next week: The Origins of the Universe . There will be a test ... [&:]

I have my notebook ready....

[:-] My work here is done ...

I just ordered a Heater Body Suit. The guy said I coiuld return it if I was not satisfied, up to 90 days.

Yup. Have it. It is a body mitten (as opposed to a body glove). You retain more heat because you are able to keep your body extremities together instead of having them separate and acting as radiators.

The HBS is unwieldy, despite what the ad claims. I take a backpack full of stuff, a rather large treestand (often), a bow or gun, and a few other odds and ends. Carrying the HBS makes for some difficulties, and I cannot wear the thing in because I' d sweat to death. So I use it only in some conditions-- when I am not walking in too far, or when I don' t take a lot of gear. Sleeping on stand in it for 3 straight nights would be a pretty masochistic thing to do in my opinion. But with the HBS one can do it, I guess...

The HBS is also a bit clumsy. I don' t like being completely covered and then being forced to do so much moving when the time comes. Getting out of the thing so that I am sufficiently free to draw is a bit of a chore. It would work better for a gun hunter, I think.

One thing is certain, the HBS is warm - nice and toasty. I should really work with it a bit. I probably could learn to deal with it to make it quiet and fast. Haven' t really had the time to practice.

I don' t really think it is worth $300. But that is terribly subjective. When one is freezing on stand, $300 becomes peanuts. And it feels so awfully nice to be on stand in the cold and yet be dry and toasty.

Two things:

1. Stay (get) in shape
Run every day. If you are out of shape it may take you 6mo-1year to do it, but it is worth it. Even if you are not overweight, you may still not have a fit circulatory system wherein your heart pumps with great efficiency. Running or swimming for about an hour a day will beef up the cardio like nothing else I know. I am a runner (swimmer, biker, hiker, etc...) I have little problem staying warm. Plus, I don' t sweat too much as I enter the woods, unless I am really working steep country.

The guys who mentioned wool are right
Soft wool works nicely. Layer it and AVOID COTTON at all cost. However cold it is, I usually enter the woods verylightly dressed. Then I change into layers. It works.

Here' s to toastiness...