Shooting well And Keeping warm A question of BULK!

[Matty]

So How do you guys Keep WARM and Not get too Bulky With Clothing? I wear As little as I can with out sacrificing My Comfort and Shooting ability.... and freeze my @$$ off!  This weekend in 32* I was wearing an Under armour cold gear Shirt (Tight),  Cabelas Middle weight Thermal top and A Camo (cotton) sweatshirt. Which I feel is very bulky (Combined),  then on the Bottom.  Middle weight thermals, and Camo, Cotton/poly pants.  Wool lined boots.
Point it I like to be Comfy & warm When I shoot/hunt.  How do you do it without Adding Bulk?

[RightTrailWrongTime]

I too have spent many years freezin to death, I've tried everything and recently got my hands on some wool clothing. I still wear a merino wool set of thermals as a base but this past weekend I was nice and toasty. What I had on: merino wool base, merino wool socks with polypro liner, wool pants(cabelas wooltimate), wool vest(same wooltimate but with wind shear), predator button down shirt, predator jacket, 600 gram rubber boots(hate these beacause of sweaty feet), wool balaclava, wool hat, polypro glove(one hand), hss vest. The key I think after all this time is to layer and layer with wool of some type. I haven't been able to afford it yet but the predator shirt and jacket I have is cotton which I will hopefully replace with additional wool. Shooting ability with this amount of clothing on can be overcome by practising with the clothes you intend to hunt with on. In the past I felt like I was the abonidable snowman trying to keep warm. I gave up on under armour since it made me feel wet and clammy. So if I can solve the cold feet problem and get away from the rubber boots and replace the remaining cotton stuff I have then I believe I've got it whooped! Good luck, hope this was at least somewhat helpful, I know hunting while freezing cold is not that much fun!

[5deer]

layering     SITKA GEAR -  Core top and bottoms,then Ascent Pants with a Celsius Vest. it costs around $450 for all but it feels so good to be  safe warm and bombproof. I only pay once but it will last for years,check it for your self  

[Matty]

Todd:  sounds like you are wearing A ton of clothing!      I would Never be able to shoot wearing all that.  

Kelly: Seems like an awesome Option. I'm skeptical After all the posts on here If it were that easy I would be all over it.. $$$ is not an issue if it is worth it. But to spend $450 to get the same result would agrivate me.
You would think someone would come up with 1 or 2 layers to keep us ULTRA warm with keeping shootability!

[onewhohasfun]

I have never tried UA as their main ingrediant is nylon, not good moisture transfer. What you feel as cold is the evaporation of moisture on your skin. Too many tight base layers will trap this moisture making you feel clammy and cold. I have worked outdoors for 30 yrs. and seen many guys freeze their butt off wearing 3 layers of cotton. it is the worst, get rid of it. Get down to the Salv. Army Thrift Store and get yourself some WOOL.

[the not so straight arrow]

COTTON KILLS! thats what i was always told by my dad hunting in the adirondacks. layer up with some good long johns and then a techwic t shirt over that, through on my guide series fleece and then my camo fleece, with some thinsulate boots and pants and im warm for quite some time, through in some hand warmers too lol. that and i move around alot when i bowhunt becuase i love to stalk so that helps.

[Jerry Wald]

I use layers, but my Sleeping Indian wools are awesome..pricey, but I don't get cold either.

I was hunting on Sunday and it was minus 18 celsius with a 15 km wind and I was toasty warm. I had to sit for about 45 to 60 minutes after calling yotes, but I was fine.

Stay away from cotton period.

Wool clothing, good tech underwear, Smart wool socks and a wool touque and you should be set

Jer Bear

[cahaba]

I layer too and make sure I dont wear to much clothes for the walk in so as not to sweat. I have found I can get away with less clothes if i carry a few Hot Hands. Of course I live in Alabama so I dont know what cold is. It was 30 deg. this morning with a crisp breeze. it was nippy.

[bobg]

I stopped wearing under armour when it seemed to me it was making me feel colder. I know that sounds strange, but it always felt cold against my skin. I switched to merino wool bottoms and top and was instantly comfortable. My next layer (when really cold-30 degrees or colder) is a lightweight fleece quarter zip top, often times with a thin fleece vest. My top layer is a Sitka gear 90% jacket with medium weight wool pants. This keeps the bulk out of my outfit, allowing me to stay more mobile while staying very warm. You can get all of the upper body layering through Sitka gear, but I already had most of the layering from skiing and only had to buy the Sitka gear jacket. It really is that simple and does work. No need for the bulk. I do believe the real difference is having wool against your skin.
Bob

[Raven]

I use wool and HotPocket hand warmers. You just open the package and sake it up and they get warm (130-140) in about 10min or so. I put them inside my hunting shirt next to my kindneys. Just don't put them next to your skin!  :eek:  I also put one down the front of my hunting shirt and one in my front pant pocket, to keep my shooting hand warm. They last up to 8-10hrs. You can buy them at Wal-mart or any hunting store.

 By doing this I don't have to wear that may layers, and stay nice and warm. Some times I get to warm and have to vent some heat out. Keep your core body temp up and the rest of your body will thank you on a long cold day!

 Good luck!!!      

[Killdeer]

Dump the cotton, boost your thermals. Switch to wool pants and a Polartec 3 jacket or the like.

What's on your head? Most of your heat escapes through your topknot.

If you are out all day, do you change your socks in the early afternoon? The ones you put on that morning are wet.

Use the Grabber Mycoal 12 hour warmers.

Killdeer

[Sticks2117]

check this out I made one and I am going to try this weekend in 30' temps

 http://wibowhunters.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=diy&action=display&thread=685

[bobg]

Killdeer hit the proverbial nail on the head (pun intended) by adding what is on your head is probably the most important article of clothing. I personally use a wool knit cap. Works perfectly.

Bob

[Terry Green]

Didn't read all the replies, so if its been said already...sorry.

Loose the cotton.

Also, a nice vest is a great way to add a layer to the vitals and not the arms.  AND, make sure your vest has pockets as they are great for the hot hands heaters.

Boots not to tight with great quality wool socks, and warm head wear.

[Herdbull]

I see alot of folks out there hunting in very cold weather without enough on their head. I will wear four hats or balaclava combinations if needed. Yes I will have some what reduced hearing, but will not have as much bulk as simply putting on another hat. Mike

[joekeith]

HEATER BODY SUIT..............

[Bill Tell]

Well this is what I have learned from working 12 years in the textile/clothing industry and I have been in weather were literally my eye lashes have frozen together.  

Your two enemies are wet and wind.  You have to manage these two factors.  Cotton as stated above sucks up water.  It will get you every time.

The newer under armor type products work by generation of electro static friction. If you don't move they don't work.  That is why some guys/gals swear by it and some hate it.  Most of the synthetic materials are constructed for sports with a large degree of movement such as skiing or mountaineering.  It looks nice but if you are sitting it wont do much for you.

The way your body stays warm is by trapping air around it and heating that air up.  Wind will steal this insulation from you by blowing the warm air out of your layers.

So what is best.  A system that stays dry and blocks wind.

A bottom layer that wicks away moisture.

A second layer that holds air.

A top layer that blocks wind and wet.

This is what I wear.

Bottom layer of Capline or Wool.

Down filled second layer of about 3 oz fill

Top layer of wool with a wind barrier in it.

If you can wear bibs this helps too as any warmth that comes out the top gets trapped in your top layers.

Don't wear gloves!  Use mittens or a muff.

You must have a tuke to keep your heat from escaping from your head.  Our body knows that the brain is very important so it sends a lot of heat its way.

Don't zip your jacket up over your mouth.  As you exhale you put moisture down around your core.  Use a face mask if it is that cold out.

Push ups will do wonders to help get your body temp back up.  When sitting you need to do this about every half hour.  If you wait until you are shivering the game is up as this is the very first sign of hypothermia and your core temp has fallen.

[WestTnMan]

The best thing I did was get a wind proof polar fleece jacket and a XL goose down vest. The vest is big enough to wear over the jacket and is actually too big to wear alone. Carry the vest when you walk in and you don't sweat. Arms are free to shoot and you are warm. The vest can make a mid-weight jacket into a cold weather coat. I just can't shoot my bow with a big coat on.

[Steve O]

I do not like Under Armor at ALL for sitting.  Heat Gear OR Cold Gear make me "feel" cold when I am sitting even when I know I am not.  Works pretty good when you are moving, but I sit a lot.

I have found only one undergarment that comes even close to my Sitka Gear base layers and that is the SmartWool types.

I bought the Sitka Gear Celsius Jacket/Vest/Bibs this year to fight the warmth/bulk battle.  The next couple weeks will prove its worth and I will be able to let you know if I have found perfection.  It has been too warm to test it out so far.

[Passthru]

I use a Heater Body Suit and layers of wool and synthetics as needed.  I love my HBS.  I got one years ago as a gift.  Last year, I ran across a newer model on sale and bought it.