Attire advice for a northern shooter

[tcw]

I'm in MN and it is just beginning to get cold (30's).  I am a very active, lean guy (6ft, 155) and am freezing out there.  I wore : 2 layers of thermal bottoms, corduroy pants and Carhart insulated overalls.  5 top layers, neck warmer, knit hat, wool socks, big ole' insulated boots and gloves of course.
I'm getting cold and this is just the tip of the iceberg for us.  Any advice, guys?  This is my first season sitting in a stand.

Also, I'm hoping to avoid buying new stuff, so any cheap advice is especially welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[Paul Mattson]

Wow, How were you able to move?  There is such a thing as over dressing.

Avoid cotton, keep the wool.  Have a base layer that will wick away moisture.  Poly pro is great for this.  Then a somewhat heavier layer after that your carharts.

[Larry247]

I second the poly Pro. Good stuff!

[MnFn]

Sometimes the expensive stuff is worth the price. I really like the underarmor brand as my base and other poly, with wool. I bought a new pair of bibs, this year, but I have not tried them yet. I also use a face cover.

But even then after awhile on stand I am forced to move to get warmed up, no matter how warm I am dressed.

[Pinecone]

It's already pretty nippy in ND and I've broken out the "heavy artillary" for hunting.  What I wore Saturday morning (10 degrees plus wind)was the following:

Next to Skin:  Under Armor Cold Gear
Next Layer: Mid weight silk long underwear.
Next:  KOM Bunwarmer Pants, KOM Trapper.
Next:  Filson Mackinaw Vest
Next:  Filson Double Macinaw Cruiser with Bomber Hat.
Feet:  Light wool socks under heavy Thorlo Socks and 1000 gram insulated boots.

Another thing that you might consider is hunting from a ground blind.  It really helps to break the wind and allows you to periodically munch on nuts or other high-energy food.  Remember that to stay warm you need to occasionally eat something.  That elevates your metabolism and helps "stoke the furnace".

Hope this helps!

Claudia

[woodchucker]

Loose layers are the key.....with the emphesis on LOOSE!!!!!  

Many times I have seen people buy everything in a "large" size that fits them.(afterall they are a size "large",and that's the size that fits them best) However,when it gets cold and they start adding more layers,they are actualy just jamming more layers undernieth a "large" top layer and eliminating air space which is critical to staying warm.

I buy wool sweaters from the GoodWill store. I have some in XL,XXL,and even a couple in XXXL. I layer them from smallest to largest as the weather gets colder. BTW,most of my outer layer jackets are XXXL just to make sure I have plenty of room undernieth for extra layers if needed.

Hope this helps some..... Just curious,where did you live before moving to Minnesota,and how long ago did you move there??? (your first winter after moving from say Florida just might be a tough one no matter what)

[ishiwannabe]

Are you wearing all of that to the stand? Overheat, sweat, then sit will make you freeze no matter how well you dress.

[JCJ]

I too am from MN and am snug as a bug in the stand. I'm 6'4" and 235 so I have a little more flesh on my bones. I wear a base layer of mid weight Capilene from Patagonia. Next I wear another layer of the same in heavyweight. Then a Woolrich wool ****-jac in plaid. KOM wool pants, KOM wool vest with windstopper. Wool stocking cap. Couple handwarmer packs in my vest pockets, insulated rubber boots. I'm good for long sits in cold weather.

[Covey]

I have one word, WOOL!!! it's worth its weight in gold! Jason

[FOXXNTROUT]

sierra trading post. com  has some deals on smartwool socks...good socks for the money. Also do a search for wool and see what comes up. Go to Goodwill and search for heavy wool pants.

[Tracks]

The first days of the cold are always the worst, you will acclimate quickly.  

Vests are great for keeping the core warm without restricting mobility.  Keep your head and neck warm as well.  

Also, it is important to stay hydrated, eat frequent snacks, and get plenty of sleep the night before.      

You can always cheat a little and put handwarmers on your kidneys.

[tcw]

I think that I am sweating a little on the way in (wearing too much), and I need to find a way to dress quietly once I get in there.  Good call.

I do have Polypro, wool, and capilene and smartwool.  No cotton except the Carharts.  Thanks for the good feedback.  I'll try some of these tips tomorrow - hopefully I'll not have to shiver.

Also, I'm from N.C., but been here long enough to not use that for an excuse.

[Billy]

I have a Webfoots body sock.
Carol Davis Sportswear is a small company and she puts a really good product out.
Watch cap,'union suit', and socks.
The "sock" and a medium weight layer of wool will get you to your stand...seems that's where I make the most noise!!
I wear a thin wool sweater,wind stop layer, and saddle cloth pants in...then add a jacket and bibs. Sometimes, I change footwear at the stand before I go up.
Good Warm Luck to you.

[woodchucker]

Try to open as much of your clothing before you head in to your stand to help you ventilate,and carry the Carharts. Then button up,and pull on the Carharts when you get there. You should eliminate much of the sweating,and see a drastic inprovement.

BTW, are you using a climbing treestand??? I once had a friend who was always cold on stand. One day I walked in with him to help him get set up on a new(to him)piece of property that I had gotten us permission to hunt.He got buttoned up and dressed,then proceeded to attach his climber and head up the tree. By the time he was up there and settled,he was sweating like a pig!!!!!  :rolleyes:  

Just a thought  

[George D. Stout]

Wool....and it doesn't have to be five hundred dollar jackets and hundred dollar underwear.  Ditch any cotton or heavy bulk....like Carhart coveralls.  You can keep plenty warm without much bulk at all, but layering is a must and wool is the best for staying cozy.

[sweet old bill]

I have one other suggestion and that is get a good large backpack. I dress light walking in and have several items in the back pack that I add as I cool down and sit awhile. I find that when it really gets cold that I got from camo coveralls to wool pants and oversize shirts and a vest...wool will keep you warm in wet or snow and of course just that under 20"s dry cold. Now when it gets down to the zero or wind chill level I sure do not last at all, at 68 it then walk from one stand to another and then sit for about a 1/2 to hour and then move again. got to get that blood moving....

[sweet old bill]

I just picked up thru **** one woolrich plaid shirt extra hvy duty shirt  and one lighter wool shirt from the Gap in green wool for a total price of $49 dollars and that was with shipping.

I do not have any goodwill store in the area, but I have seen several discussion and a lot of folk seem to find very good quality wool items in there stores for next to nothing in price...

Bill

[guzzi2000]

I started using the back pack to carry additional layers out to the stand and they are usually wool and some form of wind breaker.
However when it's really cold the back of my arms still seem to get cold, anyone have suggestions to remedy this without a whole lot of bulk?

[DRR324]

Ditto the posts about poly pro.  Make sure you also have poly pro sock liners as well.  Try some fleece pants in place of the cordura.  The other thing I carry- handwarmer packs.  Place one on each kidney- can be taped in place (outside your polys) and one placed on the back of your neck.  They really make the difference for me on the sub freezing sits.

[joevan125]

I carry all my cold weather gear in my back pack for the walk in. When its really cold i break out the Under Armor which i buy 2 sizes bigger so it want be so tight. I put a wind stopper fleece jacket on over the Under Armor then i have a Drury expedition weight outfit i put on. Most all the base layers on the market will work as long as you dress in layers and make sure all the items are loose fitting. Let me say that again make sure your clothes are LOOSE FITTING. If your clothes are to tight the warm air your body produces will not be able to circulate.