warmest clothes

[TomBow]

I have the "privilege" of living up nort' here in Duluth, MN, which gives me the "pleasure" of enjoying Mother Nature's coldest of days.  I have been a layering fool, numerous Polypro's, insulated bibs, etc.  O' course, now that I am putting down the compound for the most part, I need to do some research on warm bulky clothes.  I apologize if that dead horse has been flogged already but a feller what don't know is a feller that maybe oughta ask someone.  So here you are reading this-here thread.  so I'm a askin':  Is Wool the way to go, is the Polypro polar weight the best I can expect, or do I need to be steered in another direction?  Please help a feller out.

Thanks much in advance,
TomBow o' da nort'

[Terry Lightle]

Wool for me,was huntin in single digit temps last season and made it good in wool

[Roadkill]

Wool with layering is the way I hunted when I lived in AK

[BUCKY]

I have a KOM coat which is very warm.If I lived in MN I would get a Heater Body Suit.I used my friends here in NJ which doesn't get as cold as MN and it was great!If you are going to sit all day look into that.

[Badwithabow]

man last year in Ga we had a cold snap single digits and WIND... but i'm in the woods in my asbell vest, pullover and windblocker vest and UA cold gear.

bottoms Army wool pants, poly and UA cold gear sinched with some mukaluks and that is honestly the warmest i've ever been in temps like that... didn't sweat but farrrr from cold.... In my opinion ASBELL has it figured out!

[Orion]

I hunt 30 miles from Duluth in Wisconsin, dark to dark during the rut in November and a good number of days in December.  All wool for me, in layers, mostly KOM, but any good wool will do.  In addition to it's insulating properties, it's extremely quiet and  doesn't retain body odors and stink like the plastic materials. Only drawback is it won't stop a stiff wind.  A wind stopping underlayer will do that though.

[NoCams]

Fell totally in love last year with my new Gray Wolf Woolens lined and insulated vest in Predator Fall Gray.

Orion said it best when he said layers of wool. We wear Ulfrotte' 400 gr longjohns underneath top and bottom, then a heavy wool sweater and then my vest. Hunted in 10 degrees and 10-15 MPH wind with no problems. Nice thin bow arm sleeve too thanks to the vest. JMHO

[Roadkill]

Swandri from NZ is the very best.  Expensive but great.

[Steve O]

I prefer the warmth without the bulk.  My Sitka Kelvin vest is much warmer than my Hidden Wolf lined and windstopper wool vest at a fraction of the weight.  Look into the Sitka Kelvin as an insulating layer, the new Fanatic jacket and bib as an extremely warm outer layer, or the ultimate in warmth, the goose down filled and quiet gore tex shell of the Incinerator jacket and bib.  I have a bunch of wool sitting in the closet since Sitka started designing gear for the whitetail hunter.  Their original stuff was made for active hunting and it was not warm at all.  Anything with the Optifade Forest pattern is made for sitting.

[Roger Norris]

I am a huge wool proponent. It doesn't make me itch, I layer well so it isn't bulky, I love it.

I use a lot of Asbell, Woolrich, and Filson wool.The Asbell wool is the best value, IMHO.

I'm not disagreeing with those who utilize synthetics (I know that Steve O's Sitka gear is top quality), I just prefer the natural feel of wool.

[BrianH]

I live in Moorhead, MN which is right on the ND border and every December I hunt in temperatures reaching negative teens.  Coldest I ever hunted in was -18 degrees.  And there is always wind up here on the prairie.  Ten years ago I bought a Heater Body Suit, and it is without a doubt the best money I have spent on clothing.  Don't care how many layers of wool you have on, sitting still in a treestand at -10 with a ten mph wind is impossible for more than an hour or two.  I can sit in my HBS with a few chem hand warmers, all day if I want.

[Zradix]

Keep the wind stopper layer towards the outside of the layers.

[Longbow338]

Had Kom now all I use is Sitka Gear it is by far the warmest system I have ever worn.   It is not just a warm clothes issue for me however.   It is about the thickness and the ability to move freely to be able to easily shoot your bow.  For that Sitka is the best great warmth and manuverability.

[Knotter]

How you dress is just as important as what you have on.  Those heater suit things look neet but I would still go with layers.  The less bulk the better.  

On cold days I ALWAYS put wool next to my skin. Period.

A mid-layer like a schoeller dri-wear works great and durable + it cuts the wind better than a woolie.  Then on the outside something quiet and not too bulky.  I switch between a wool hoodie a woolrich jack shirt and a WP camo layer depending on what's in store.

[Longbow338]

Had Kom now all I use is Sitka Gear it is by far the warmest system I have ever worn.   It is not just a warm clothes issue for me however.   It is about the thickness and the ability to move freely to be able to easily shoot your bow.  For that Sitka is the best great warmth and manuverability.

[joekeith]

If your gonna be sittin' you can't beat a Heater Body Suit.  You'll be money ahead in the end cause you won't need much else.  Check 'em out.

[calgarychef]

For really cold temps no amount of layering is practical IF YOU SIT, once you're layered up  it's too sweaty to walk in.  And if you carry your layers to put on at the stand it takes a long time and you freeze while doing it.  The heater suit idea is ideal.  The problem with them is you have to open them up and take them off your shoulders to shoot, not a good idea in extreme cold. And really not a good idea at anytime seeing as how much movement is necessary before the shot.  

 I made my own "heater suit" it's a lot more workable than the ones they sell.  Mine has legs so I can walk a bit in it and great big booties to put over my felt paks.  It also has arm holes so I don't have to take it off to shoot. The arm holes have a flap of material covering them from the inside to help keep the heat inside.  

The coldest I've hunted in was -25c/-13f with a wind while standing on a metal treestand.  For merely cold say -15c/5f layers work and you can move around nicely too. Your feet won't get cold if you're walking but mine kill me if I sit.  The disposable heating insoles work nicely but only for about an hour before they quit.  I like layers of wool and fleece combined, with a Helly Hansen base layer.

The biggest problem with cold weather hunting is once you have enough bulk to keep warm it's much harder to get the shot off with all that clothing on.

I dump most of my wool when it gets cold and switch to down, microfibers and fur.  I know the wool lovers will howl in anguish but wool isn't enough below -20 unless you're moving.  The weight of wool necessary to equal down in warmth makes it way too heavy.  I've experimented with heavy felted wool and have a jacket that's almost an inch thick, it's warm but way too heavy and no where near as warm as a down jacket.....so I've tried but the wool won't cut it for me.

I haven't done it yet but I think a pop up blind is the way to hunt in extreme cold.  Even without a heater it will at least give a bit of a "heat envelope" and will certainly cut the wind.

[cacciatore]

Not all whool is the same try to visit KOM and look for the STANDMASTER,it can handle any kind of weather,you can understand it from the destription!

[kibok&ko]

Originally posted by Roadkill:
Wool with layering is the way I hunted when I lived in AK

same in the alps in winter !

[Tim Finley]

I have KOM and its not warm enough when it gets really cold unless you use the insulated type. Layering gets bulky one thinsulate parka will give you more warmth than several layers of wool.I use a gander Mt. guide parka with thinsulate wind proof and quite ,I stay warm way below zero. Keeping the feet warm is harder than the body....Tim