Warm weather hunter to go into the COLD!

[BRL]

I live in Florida and am used to temps of around 35 - 55 degrees during hunting season. I have a relative in Maine and a Friend in South Dakota. I plan on traveling to one state next year and the other the year after. I have no clue what kind of material or weight to look at. Living here, I'll probably have to buy online without feeling the fabric. I see A LOT of hunting jackets/pants in different weight and material. How can I find out which weight of a certain material will work for X temperature?

Remember those days when sleeping bag catalogs mentioned a temperature rating? I wish they still did that for hunting jackets, clothes and pants.

Thanks!!

[moxgrove]

the key is what activity you are doing. For late season pheasants with plenty of walking or driving deer, then some good wicking long johns or underarmour are perfect. If you are stand hunting for deer then you have more problems. If you wear your warm gear walking you sweat and then get cold as well as  giving off more scent. In a duck blind or sitting in a tree the wind and cold will creep into you if you don't have your layers. I go with wicking-absorbing-insulating layers in that order. I frequently go with just duofold longjohns walking in in my boots and pants and then add as needed. Goretex is wonderful, but I am partial to good wool as well.  If you are going to be icefishing, then depending whether you are bucket sitting or icehousing dictates .

[BRL]

Good points...I'll be deer hunting in a ground blind and in a tree stand.

Thanks

[EsoxLucius]

I hunt from a ground blind in Wisconsin where it gets as cold as both places you describe.  Here is what I recommend you look into.  Getting clothing that you can layer will allow you to be prepared for anything.

Base wicking layer:  A lightweight polyester long john such as the lightweight Wickers Comfortrel longs from Sierra Trading Post or lightweight Duofold Varitherm polypros from Campmor.  Do not get them so they fit too tight or too loose, they should contact your skin without feeling too tight or binding anywhere.

Warmth layer: Lightweight or Midweight Merino wool long johns such as Terramar Thermawool or Woolskins, Windsor Wear and Stanfields Superwash Wool.  You can go with Smartwool, Filson, Icebreaker or Ibex but it will cost you.  Ullfrotte' Original 200 gm/m³ wool longs are available for $30 a piece from Montana Woolen Shop. Again, not too tight when worn over the base layer.  If the temperature outside is on the warm side you can use just the lightweight base layer described above, if a little colder just these, if colder yet use the base layer under the warmth layer.

Shirt: Woolrich Alaskan wool or Cabelas Worsterlon II.

Pants: Woolrich Malone, Johnson Adirondack Plaid or Bemidji Lumber Jac wool pants.  Get heavy-duty button suspenders.  Consider a lightweight waterproof shell pants to wear over them if it rains or there will be wet snow, however I've never needed such wearing heavy wool pants.

One ragg wool sweater for layering over the above; it must not be too tight or bind when worn over the garments under it.  $35 from Cabelas or a Ragg Henley from L.L. Bean for $45.

Feathers:  A lightweight down vest or jacket for layering over the above. It must fit comfortably over all that is worn under it.  Cabelas Lightweight Down Jacket is the best and probably the cheapest.  You can mix and match the shirt, ragg sweater and feathers to adjust for conditions.

Outer coat: Anything Goretex with a detachable hood that will fit over everything under it.  No more than 200 gram Thinsulate if any insulation.

Hat: Stormy Kromer

Neck Gaiter: Smartwool or fleece.

Socks: Wicking polyester or polypropolene liners under the Wigwam IceSock, Cabelas Wool Boot Sock or Fox River Outdoorsox.

Mittens/Gloves: Cabela's Canadian Stand Hunter Gloves

Boots: Cabela's Polar Cap Pac Boots or something similar; they must not be too tight fitting with your selected socks.  When blood circulation to the feet becomes restricted they will become cold no matter how much boot insulation is used.  You can consider a regular insulated hunting boot and employ boot blankets when you get to your stand.

Hand, body and foot warmers:  The mitts above have a pocket for hand warmers.  Body warmers should be placed over your kidneys.  Put in a foot warmer insole or toe warmers.

Backpack: Somewhere to stow layers when you are not wearing them, good for your other gear as well.

[burntmuch]

Get you a daypack big enough to carry a couple layers, Carry in your heavy bulky layers . When you get to your stand. Put them on. Soething I used to do before I could afford good underwear like polypros or the other high tech base layers. Id wear a  cotton tee shirt, Let it gather the sweat from the long walk in, Get to my stand then take it off & put a new, dry one on, then do the layers.  Some good hand & body warmers help too.  Good luck   Jay

[Graybeard]

Like Jay I've made many hikes way back in and up mountains in very cold weather but worked up a sweat on the way in. I'd wear t-shirt only on my body when possible or a t-shirt and light long sleeve shirt if just too dang cold or too far to stand without it. I'd then use the sweat soaked shirt to dry off as well as possible before putting on dry clothes at the stand. Sure is fun stripping to bare skin and drying off your body with an already wet shirt when the temp is around 20. What an eye opening experience.

I've got some fleece underwear top and bottoms made by Duofold that are absolutely the warmest thing next to my skin I've ever felt. Even when I was just stripped to bare skin and the temps were in the teens as soon as I put that pull over top on it felt like I had just put on a heater.

I highly recommend you see if you can locate some Duofold brand fleece top and bottom under wear and get it. Over that I prefer to wear either wool or another layer of fleece. The on top put on only once at the stand a coverall or bib overalls and parka with lots of insulation. That's the way I do it when it's ugly cold out. If it's really cold enough I have Boot Blankets and a hand warmer by same folks that I use. That keeps me as warm as I'm gonna be in really cold weather.

[burntmuch]

My wife bought me boot blanketss 10 years ago, I looked at them & thought now how am I gonna stand in a treestand with those on. Didnt use them for a couple years . Finally decided to try them on a bitter, bitter cold morning hunt. Wow. They worked pretty good. Something else is fuel. You need to think of your body as a furnace, it needs fuel  ,lots of food, PBJs, Thermos with Hot cocoa What ever you prefer. Wrap your food in some paper towels. Zip locks get kinda loud in the deer woods. Lesson learned there.

[BRL]

Great replys, thank you!

Bass Pro just opened about 45 minutes away. My uncle had already been there the other day and got me an early CHRISTmas present. A pair of Irish Setter boots with 800 grams of Thinsulate. They are the Tamarack model. They are really nice, fit well with a heavy and light sock, etc. So, I'm off to a start.

I'll put together a list based on the replys here and start looking.

Thanks again!

[bilmac]

Some addnl thoughts

I almost never get cold feet. I don't think if is because my feet are unusual, but because my legs get cold. So I keep my legs warm and the blood that gets to my feet is warm. I used to have to sit in the backseat of a supercub in Alaska in the winter for long periods. I learned to carry a piece of heavy blanket 3" square that I draped over my knees. Made a big difference.

Most important. A lot of heat is radiated from your body at your neck. Use it like the radiator on your car works, when you get hot it is exposed and cooling you. When you start to cool off have a hood somewhere in your layers that can go up and you will immediately warm up. This saves lots of putting clothes on and taking them off. The standard wear for cowboys and other people who WORK in the cold here on the prairies is a hooded sweatshirt with a canvas or denium like jacket over that. The jacket stops the wind, the sweatshirt hood operates the radiator on your neck. They usually wear a ball cap, keeps the hood from grabbing your hair and the sun out of your eyes.


A good hooded sweatshirt not the flimsy zippered ones, will be your best friend if you use it right.