This hunting season seemed to be the hardest to stay warm. Maybe that I am in my early 50's and I am changing may be the reason. What are you guys wearing to deal with this? I always get it the worse in the torso area!

Get a vest,one of newer types.

I got one for Christmas last and use it when it gets down less that 20.

That and my coat and a gore-tex parka over all to cut the wind,works well for me.

You wear bibs? Since I went to bibs my kidneys never get cold. I took a few tips on layering from one thread here and I was great this year! I even wore Redhead boots with 200 gram thinsulate and my feet were toasty. 11� this week. Last week single digits. I never wear gloves, but did put a hand warmer in each coat pocket just in case.

Lil Buddy Heater!!!!!!

Silk wieght base layer, polar weight fleece mid kayer, light wool pants and shirt. Synthetic polyfil parka and bibs when on stand. I leanred long ago thet wearing heavy bulky clothes made med colder due to sweat. So I carry the pArka and bibs in my pack. I also wear a bandana with the not tied to the front of my neck. I can pull one flap of the fold of the bandana up around my ears and under my ball cap. It's thin enough to allow me to hear well and yet takes the bite out of the wind on my ears.

About a 4 inch thick layer of down when it gets subzero. I look like the tire commercial guy, but I never feel a breeze.

First off, NO cotton.

I use several layers so that I can move, sit or adjust to daytime swings in temperature. It may start out in the 20s and end up in the 50s during early season.

Polypro base layer and wool is what I prefer. On a cold day, I'll also wear a hoodie under my jacket (windproof) with the hood over my Stormy Kromer Rancher. And maybe some insulated bibs. That is a very warm combination if sitting.

A simple goretex cap and just a couple of light layers if moving around.

I like Hot Hands in my gloves, also.

Depending on the temperature, I may or may not use insulated boots, but do always have a polypro liner and Merino wool socks.

And if I'm going to sit all day in cold weather, I get out the secret weapon--Cabela's MT050 coveralls without the hood. These are very warm. I can sit still with temps in the 20s and be warm. You can't walk 50 yards with them on, though.

Move, it keeps the body warm.

Layers and something to block the wind. I hate bulky [bleep].

This. Except I never move hard enough to sweat. Couple of light layers I can remove if I need to work hard enough ton sweat. And always carry extra socks and t shirt in case I do.

But it's rarely below 20 when I'm hunting.

What type of hunting and what temps are ya in? That makes a huge difference. I'm rarely sitting still for very long unless I'm waiting out an animal for a good shot.

Here's my cold weather gear that keeps me toasty when it's 10 or so degrees

ECWS long johns from Cabelas - best I've ever found
Cabelas whitetail extreme MTX 40 coat & bib's
Predator Extreme boots
Clava
thinsulate gloves
thinsulate hat with flaps for my ears

Small thermos for hot coco & Mycoal grabber hot hands

I can pretty much sit through anything in that

A down vest helps a lot with keeping the torso warm...and one piece cover alls are the best!! AND i hunt in -25C. My biggest problem is cold feet.

I wear layers of stuff good long johns and a filson wool vest and carhartt fr jacket.. warmer than standard carhartt. I got my gear before a job in prudohe bay Ak. they sell good stuff in Alaska. hunting I wear a good old army field jacket with issue liner. been wearing that jacket for 30 years. I love the draw string around the waist, makes a big diff. fr jacket has it too. use wool silk or polly pro for layers;
feet are tough to keep warm. best I found is schnaes pac boots (usa made) with wool sock liners. take dry socks and change socks every 2 hrs or so. also whites dry foot work pretty well.

Bibs or a vest, or both if it's cold enough and I'm trying to dress light. And loose if you're sitting, a natural lean forward compresses the insulation at your lower back. You can live with cold extremities but when you feel the cold creep into the kidney area you know you're loosing core heat and will have to do something about it sooner than later. For really cold I have down bibbers and parka that's like wearing a sleeping bag. Ten below and you can't move much without perspiring all zipped up.

I know the cold feet thing, always had them. My boots are a step more insulated than everyone else's just to keep even. Nothing else works.

propane space heater. The deer come right up and push me out of the way to get warm, and that when I pounce. A well placed knife saves me a bullet every year.

Woolrich bibs when it gets cold. I also use stick on body warmers if I'll be sitting a bunch.

What kind of hunting are you doing when you get cold?

Presume stand hunting?


Get a small propane heater as mentioned, or get a heaterbody suit and/or if it's bitter cold do both. If you don't want to spend the coin on the bodysuit. Buy an old sleeping bag and crawl into it while on stand.


Just don't wear too much while walking in so you get sweated up.

I spent Friday am hunting and wading in Big Gum Swamp up in Columbia County. Temp there was 34F, which for Florida is FREEZING!
Wore a light base layer of Polar Tech stuff, old USGI olive drab trousers, a Underarmor Cold Gear double layer shirt, and a Cabela's fleece light jacket. Smart Wool Socks, and Rockey high top Snake Boots. Miller Lite camo ball cap.
Warm as toast.

31 this morning but nice and toasty in here.

31 is toasty

Wicking layer against the skin, then synthetic zip henley type shirt, fleece vest (long to cover lower back) and then my wool coat. I carry another fleece pullover in my pack for when it's really cold and I decide to sit.

I wear wool pants. polypro under if colder or windy.

I still hunt with sitting here and there, so movement helps me keep warm.

it was 72 yesterday.

In bitter cold weather (WI, not NC), hunting out of a treestand, and depending on the gates that are open have a long vs. loooooong hike to get in, I dress light and pack in my heavy stuff. But feet... I've yet to figure out feet. If it wasn't such a bitch to pack in and then change into heavier dry socks/boots once out there, would do it. Never had a hike-able pair of boots keep me warm after sweated up, then standing still on a thermoconductive metal grate for ten hours. Question if it's possible! Tried carpet, boot blankets, fancy insoles, chemical warmers, various boots/sizes/socks.... Never tried the electronic stuff, guess that's next.

Rule one and only REMOVE ALL COTTON FROM YOUR BODY !! ZERO 50/50 BLENDS AND SO ON !! Cotton holds the sweat and the evaporation process cools you..
I bet you had a tee shirt on.. ???

We may sit for an hour or several and then move and do it again. Open, rocky country. We have set up a blind with propane on particularly nasty days. A permanent blind looks better every year. We generally spot the elk and then decide how to handle them. We have never shot from where we spot.

Merino wool or synthetic base layer.

Under Armor sweatshirt.

Wool or down jacket.

Wear a [bleep] hat.

You will not get cold. Promise.


Travis

Not just a hat, a WARM one. It never ceases to amaze me to see dumbazzes wearing ballcaps in sub freezing weather complaining of the cold.

Have not been froze out yet while in a tree stand during Wisconsin's gun deer season or subsequent muzzleloader season.

I wear what I do during ice fishing.

Polypro and merino wool base layer. 60/40 hunting pants, Woolrich wool shirt, Cabela's Thinsulate bibs, Cabela's Primaloft Passage Jacket and GoreTex rain parka.

Feet - polypro, merino wool sock plus the Rocky 400 Thinsulate sock. LaCrosse Iceman boot with 9mm felt liner. The boot is one size larger than normal. That Rocky sock really made a difference.

Cap - Cabela's GoreTex/Thinsulate with ear flaps.

Hands - polypro gloves inside a fleece lined thumb and trigger finger deerskin mitten.

I have a Ducks Unlimited Fudd special. I can go flaps up or down depending on need.

That^^^^^^
Remember the old saying "WHEN YOUR FEET GET COLD, PUT YOUR HAT ON".

W Bill

Or as Flave would say "When your feet get cold, Put your [bleep] hat on".

W. Bill

Well, the wind is your enemy. You have to wear stuff that cuts all the wind or you'll get cold. Learn to use a wind-breaking coat with a hood to vent quickly and warm back up when needed.

Then vests layered underneath. Don't put lots of layers on your arms, or else when you bend your elbows you'll crimp the blood supply and make your hands get cold.

Really warm hat, and learn to use a hood as your venting system.

Boots have to be larger than normal, no constrictions of any kind. Thinsulate insulated. Wool socks with a synthetic liner.

Mittens are warmer than gloves, but a handwarmer muff is better than both. Keep your arms straighter and looser if possible to keep the blood flowing.

A fleece neck gaiter is a handy venting mechanism too. And a facemask to get the wind off your face, but make sure it has a hole for your nose and mouth both.

Mostly, get outside often and you'll get acclimated no matter how cold it gets. It hit zero today and felt relatively warm!

And everyone's personal thermostat is different.

I never get a cold torso because I keep that area warm, fingers, toes and exposed face always gets the coldest.

Keep your chest area warm and generally the extremities will okay until it gets really cold.

Hardest part is averaging out activity and sweating or sitting and freezing your ass. I wouldn't be able to sit still(hunting) in really cold weather.


Nothing $750 worth of work clothes won't do!


These should show up tomorrow. Christmas present to myself.

For sure.

I wear a ballcap and headband and possibly a hood.

Good from -20F on up. Basically all the time.

No hood, thus no ball cap here in a real cold wind.

For me an insulated ball-type cap and a hood. The hood if necessary for the (ever present) wind, cold wind on the back of my neck chills me faster than about anything. I don't draw down the hood so I can still hear, the windbreak effect is what does the trick. When even colder I have this Cabella's insulated cap with an attached knit face mask. Looks pure stupid but it works, and I can roll the face mask part up over the bill if I want just a cap.

With regard to hat's I have three that I use as needed. My orange ball cap if I'm not wearing on my head is attached to the back of my pack to provide a little more orange. Otherwise if depending on temp, humidity and wind could be either a fleece watch type hat or my favorite which is an eddie bauer down baseball type hat with ear flaps.

Another thing with the heavy duty pack type boots I've noticed is that if they are too snug for heavy socks comfortably, your better off wearing a thinner sock and your feet will be warmer.

Carhartt coat, Carhartt bibs, wool sweater, wool railroad cap, silk wild rag, Muck boot Arctic sports.

If it's above about 15-20, no wool sweater and replace the railroad cap with a ballcap.

I just live in Oklahoma. 36 tonight and 62 degrees forecast for tomorrow.

Just be patient . . . it changes on a daily basis. Cheaper than buying a wardrobe!