Cold Weather Clothing

[SLIDER0906]

I'm looking into buying some new gear for extreme cold weather. I hunt all year up until the last day of the season and need any suggestions on what you guys find works for you if your in the same boat. Ive been researching both Cabelas and BassPro but most products have mixed reviews of how effective they are. I have the base and mid layers worked out over the years but need suggestions on new exterior pants, bibs or coats to deal with the late season brutal temps and weather. Any thoughts would be appreciated...Thanks

[quackaholic]

Cabelas makes the best. Try the Merino Under wear and you'll be happy. I like wool for late season too

[trperk]

I like wool too but but more so when it's 30 degrees and wet or in Alaska when I need gear that I can wear for a week. I don't think it's as good as Cabelas Dry-Plus, silent hide, thinsulate when the thermometer really drops though. Particularly when it's windy.

[nomad_archer]

I have the cabelas ecwcs polar weight long under wear and I really like them. I layer like a maniac and sometimes have 3 layers of long underwear then mid weight and outer layers. I was warm last year with 10 degree temps and colder wind chill. One thing I want to do is get gear with wind stop to keep the cold wind from cutting through me.

[zachc]

About 5-6 years ago I bought some Bass Pro Redhead CWS pants and parka. I love them. They have lasted that long and are still in great shape. I also usually hunt until the last days of the season, not always by choice but gotta try to fill the freezer, and they have kept me warm in the late season. Don't know how they compare to Cabelas but would definitely recommend looking in to.

[PSE4LIFE]

Cableas has some great options the mt050 is awesome but expensive I recently bought the extreme berber suit and working out great.if iI was to buy anything cabelas the windshear material would be in It for late season its amazing the difference

[mrbb]

well this is a subject I have a ton of money and time invested in, maybe a LOT more than the average hunter, as I know I spent 3+ months a yr for close to 25+ yrs hunting all over, so I logged a lot of hrs in the woods in cold weather over the yrs, and tried my best to find the best gear , and have bought a LOT of gear over the yrs LOL

I have over the yrs tried all sorts of name brands and company's cold weather gear, spent thousands on it! and not kidding on that!

I will say this, Cabala's gear is good, I have there MTo50 stuff, (jacket, bib's and coveralls, I like there coveralls the best if I had to pick one, and IF they fit you well, mine fit very comfortable, easy on and off, easy to pack in/out, and I personally feel the one piece is the warmest set up going) and its OK gear!
its also fairly waterproof, I say almost, I have yet to find dual purpose outerwear that stays waterproof after being in the rain for a day or more, it all seems to bleed thru, as to good rain gear , rather but non waterproof gear and pack GOOD rain gear as a outer layer over it! this was always true hunting in Alaska , where it seemed to rain more often than other places I hunted!

BUT that is also why its NOT the best cold weather gear
I personally find all Waterproof/so called waterproof gear is NOT the best once temps gets VERY COLD, due to all the waterproof membrane's used today, get stiff when temps drop to minus temps
and that makes the noisy
something I hate in my clothing for hunting

Next I have cabela's stand hunter gear, its a wool like heavy weight gear, its WARM< its Bulky, and its HEAVY
BUT if you pack it in and put on once on stand, it will keep you pretty darn warm, or as close to anything out there,

Next and by far the warmest gear I have yet to try will be stuff made by a company called
Raven Wear ( http://www.ravenwear.ca/0 )
This stuff IS not CHEAP, but its the warmest gear I own, I have there jacket, vest and bib's, almost grand right there in gear!
BUT what I like about it is is quiet, soft and warm< I have the wind proof liner in mine as well,and a reversable jacket.
I took my Cabela's Mto50 and this to Alberta and had +20 and lower temps for my week hunt, after day one in the cabeal's, I never wore it the rest of the week there, got stiff due again to the waterproof liner, and was NO where near as warm either!
Raven Wear is basically very thick fleece, with a berber lining(if added) or a wind proof liner) its almost a 1/2 inch thich , and thus its super soft and quiet and well, comfortable, mine gear is almost 10+ yrs old now, and its as good as the day I got it, as all its ever seen was the inside of my pack to a stand, put on there and taken off to be packed out!, so like all gear IF you take careof it, it will last yrs
ALSO< its NOT waterproof per say, but has some coating on the outerlayer added to the fleece, that water kinda runs off it, beeds up like a wax coating on a car's paint
been in the rain and snow many times with mne, and never had water get to me, NOT down pours, but sleet snow and rain mix's, and stayed dry on 12 hr sits(warm too)
BUT it also dry's very fast too, a big plus in my book on some pack hunts where no dryer is about , but the wind LOL


I also personally meet the owners of this company(after I already bought my gear LOL
I actually hunted with the owners Husband,(his wife runs the business)
so, IF I had to pick a Cold weather outfit, for JUST cold weather hunting, Raven wear will get my vote by a long shot!, IF the price doesn't scare you!

second I guess will be the Cabela's Stand Hunter Extreme gear, its also very warm
but again, its kinda on the heavy side, but that also, is why its warm!
I would suggest Strongly, trying on gear as you plan to hunt, to make sure you can shoot a BOW with it, as cold weather gear gets bulky, and that can lead to in the way when drawing or???

Good luck

[mrbb]

also, I have NOT tried a heater body suit or the likes(others make like items)
BUT they might be a great idea, as I personally feel there concept is the right idea, to keep all things under cover, like a blanket in bed
BUT , I do think every time you open it for?? you will loose heat ttrapped inside, and could get cold??
I never tried one, as I already own way too much gear
but I wouldn't suprised if that is a better way to go, than buying bigger havier bulkier outerwear, for most guys?
as NOT bashing you, but Ohio, doesn't really get that Cold, as to a lot of places I have hunted
But everyone handles/is effected by cold differently
for me, 30's and 20's I can sit all day in my regular gear LOL
its when it drops well below the zero mark and the winds fly I need the better stuff!

[trperk]

, but Ohio, doesn't really get that Cold, as to a lot of places I have hunted

Hear yah, I only wear my cold weather gear in OH every few years but when it's in the single digits I am glad I have the stuff!

[mrbb]

I agree, better to have and not need, than need and not have!

[SLIDER0906]

Thanks guys for the info, I'll start peeking around on the web more this week. Let me know if any more thoughts pop to mind about the topic, thanks again.

[MICH]

One thing I love is the hand warms...they go on sale soon.....love them

[nomad_archer]

The matching toe warmers are the ticket as well

[Genesis 9:3]

I have the Cabela's "Stand Hunter" bibs and they are heavy... they are also warm! That said, I typically wear some wool thermal bottoms under expedition weight capaline thermal bottoms under some polar tech fleece pants under my bibs. On the top I wear Under armor cold gear with a smartwool quarter zip with a heavy wool sweater and a cotton camo shirt. When I get to my stand I put on my coat and my bibs. I wear some wool socks and have some nice Shnees packboots (http://www.schnees.com/product/2613/Made-In-Montana-Pac-Boots) as well. I typically wear a double layer face mask my wife made me with a ball cap and a carhart beanie as well... and often times the hood to my coat when the wind blows. I also have some light gloves, but I only take my hands out of my pockets when I'm shooting.

Now the problem with cold feet is that when you feet are cold, you are cold...

Now I am 6'1" and weight about 175... I'm not a skinny bean pole, but I do suffer from low body fat... and by suffer I mean it doesn't seem to matter what I wear, MY FEET ALWAYS GET COLD! Heat packs don't work in those boots. Antipersperant doesn't stop my feet from sweating. I've changed my socks in my stand... no go. I can loosen the laces, they still get cold. I've been tempted to try some of those battery powered insoles with the remote control, but can't bring myself to drop $100 for some insoles.

I've heard of little booties you can put over your boots when you get to your stand, but have yet to try anything out...

So yea... I'm still in the boat - what can be done to stay warm? (Aside from packing on the lbs please)

[mrbb]

well cold feet, what I found works best, is som eof what you have tried but a little more
on super cold days on stand, when walking in, I get to my stand and remove boots, remove socks, with socks I carry in wrapped about my body to keep them warm-ish
I carry in things called "Boot Blankets" there BIG insulated boot covers, , PENDING What type of stand I am in, I will either add two heat packs to each boot blanket, and then leave boots OFF, and keep my feet in just the boot blankets with the heat packs, I like a BIG 24 hr heat packs best
NOW these boot blankets are NOT waterproof, so if your standing in mud or wet snow?? , then the boots go back on first AFTER they aired out some, as if your feet sweated on teh way in, odds are the inside of your boots are moist, and as you sit that moisture turns toes COLD!

But the boot blankets do help a bunch on fridged days, sub below zero days for me, and most times when its that cold out, the ground is frozen, so, no real MUD issue's to worry about, and can just wear good wool socks and heat packs in the boot blankets and sit all day!

as for heat pack's
I also found that duct taping one to each kidney on my lower back helps keep me a LOT warmer on very cold days, all the more so helps keep the back happy from being as sore, as if I place them right, when I sit in my stands and lean back against the tree they put pressure on the heat packs to warm me and keep muscles in the back happier!
so, that works great

as for heated boots soles, and or just heated boots, I've tried a few many yrs back, and they all sucked?? just not enough heat to do much and battery's did fast, same with hand warmers they sold yrs ago!
even tried the old opne's that had like charcoal you light on fire, placed inside them and they would burd for 8+ hrs in a hand sized box??
had them open on there own and burn thru good hunting clothes LOL
then stopped using them , they did make heat, but they also gave off a crappy smell, I am sure deer could smell, and again, not so safe I think, to have a fire in your pocket, as when that case opened in my pocket, it burned a hole from insude bibs pocket to and thru pants and base layer and into my leg before I noticed LOL
riuned a bunch of stuff trying to keep hands warm !!
Now have better ways
HAND Muffs and heat packs work great for hand, also work like a sling to help hold a bow at the ready and hands warm as well!

[mrbb]

here are two types of boot blankets, I have the ICE breaker one's, there a LOT bulkier then the arctic shield one's
I have a few items from Arctic Shield, and that reflective liner in there gear does seem to work as they say,( I have there parka/heavy jacket, and its warm as crap, but it has too short a sleeve for my liking, only flaw I have with it, wear it a lot of the atv in winter time, wind proof and warm in cold weather!)

if I was to buy all over I think I would buy there boot blankets be less to cary in and ?? might keep heat in better too!!

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Icebreaker-Insulated-Boot-Blanket-Overboots/748998.uts

http://www.amazon.com/Onyx-Arctic-Shield-X-System-Mens-Arcticshield-Insulators/dp/B005IAY98G


http://www.walmart.com/ip/22029474?www=true&productRedirect=true

[MJH]

The matching toe warmers are the ticket as well

Also get the back wraps in medicine area! They are same thing as hand warmers they are air activated. Put one on over your kidneys on top of your base layer and you would be surprised the difference it makes!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Thermacare-Lower-Back-Hip-Heat-Wrap-L-XL-3ct/19400252e

Mike

[nomad_archer]

I have thought about trying those. I might next time I hunt when it is extremely cold.

I have hunted with wind chills around 10-15 degrees this year and never got really cold with my regular layering system.

[SLIDER0906]

Genesis, since i started this post i purchased the Thermacell remote activated insoles; the more expensive ones with the drop in batteries. The price sucks and so far im up in the air about how effective they are. I for sure think they improve my foot comfort but the batteries dont seem to last as well as advertised; they claim 5 hours on low heat which is 100 degrees and less on high which is 110. I think ive only been getting about 3 hours out of them. Like you, once my feet are cold because of moisture they FREEZE! I do have the thin Artic Shield covers and they seem to work well, but the key is to get them on while your feet are still warm even if you are sweating, and when really cold ill toss a foot warmer towards the toes between the exterior boot and cover. Hasnt been cold enough yet to try them both together but once the temps drop into the low teens ill let everyone know how they work.

[mrbb]

I do have the thin Artic Shield covers and they seem to work well, but the key is to get them on while your feet are still warm even if you are sweating, and when really cold ill toss a foot warmer towards the toes between the exterior boot and cover. Hasnt been cold enough yet to try them both together but once the temps drop into the low teens ill let everyone know how they work.[/QUOTE]

OK< I'm no expert, BUT I don't think adding a heat pack to the boot blankets with your boots on does anything LOL
as your boots insulate both ways, any small amount of heat the pack gives off, won't get into the boots.
and that's why when I use them I remove my boots lol

the atric shield blankets IF like the jacket I own, works by reflecting body heat back at you, this they SHOULD Work better with boots off, rather than on IMO
I know the boot blankets I have , work like a sleeping bag, and thats hopw they keep my feet very warm in super cold weather, boots off, heat pack in and snuggle up in them with DRY warm wool socks!

and YES battery operated things NEVER seem to work or last as long as they say, I always think the cold itself, causes less battery life
and I guess there maybe best to be use just a little at a time, , like turn on to get warm, and then off, and repeat as needed.
if you just turn em on and leave em on, they will go dead FASTER and odds are not be there for last hr of the day when you maybe need them most LOL

[Genesis 9:3]

OK< I'm no expert, BUT I don't think adding a heat pack to the boot blankets with your boots on does anything LOL as your boots insulate both ways, any small amount of heat the pack gives off, won't get into the boots.

Well technically the heat will go whichever direction is the easiest... very much like water, it goes which ever way has the lowest restriction and highest difference in pressure. They'd work better if you didn't have your boots on, but they MIGHT do some good between the blankets and your boots... if it works, don't let me tell you any different!

I still need to check out some of those boot blankets and the back pain heat packs, but my Stand Hunter bibs have two pockets in the back for heat packs... those make a HUGE difference! It didn't fix my cold toes problem, but the rest of my body was comfy...