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How do you guys/gals stay warm?

Ricer2231

Senior Member
How do y'all stay warm in your tree stand? I have never been able to stay warm in my stand. Hell, tonight it was 43 and I was cold. Not cold to the point of calling it quits but cold enough. I was underdressed for sure. I usually wear under armor cold gear as a base layer, a long john top, a long sleeved turtle neck, a hoodie, a fleece jacket. On the bottom my under armor cold gear as a base, a pair of heavy sweats, and regular camo bdus. On my feet I wear two pair of boot socks and my Muck woody elites. When it gets really cold, below 40, I wear a muff with handwarmers in it and foot warmers in my boots. I'm just tired of never being warm and its early in the season. Thanks for your input and ideas.
 

brock ratcliff

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
24,834
247
Heater Body Suit.

I put up with being chilly this time of year, but when it gets COLD, I don't prick around. :)
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,735
274
North Carolina
Don, do you change your so me when you get too your stand? I walk in wearing just tube socks with my insulated rubber boots and then put on wool boot socks when I'm ready too climb up the stand.... Feet are dryer and stay warmer longer.... Plenty of layers and and a good beanie with a baklava too hold the heat in.....
 

Diane

*Supporting Member*
4,715
66
Newark
Hmmm, we're suppose to stay warm? I'm gonna have to try that sometime!!!!

If I can keep my feet warm, then I do okay. I wear several pairs of heavy hunting socks and muck boots. I also wear a couple of layers of UA cold gear, rather than long johns. Makes for a tight fit, but it works. Then I layer sweat shirts, pants, etc. By the time I'm done, I'm as wide as I am tall and climbing into a blind is hard work since I can't lift my legs very high with all that stuff on!

My favorite warm item is an old knitted turtle-neck shirt. I cut the body off of it, but kept the arms. It keeps my neck warm, then I use the arms to wrap around my neck like a scarf, if its extra cold out.
 

teej89

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
In the PA winters arctic shield has been great to me. The key is to wears bibs, for real. The difference between wearing pants and bibs is ridiculous. In the winter I wear an underarmour base layer, then a thermal over it and my coat. Same with my pants I wear a the thin tight underarmour base layer then a fleece pant over that then my bibs. My only problem is my toes. Also another key thing is a neck gator and it works like a mask, I don't use face paint when I have my neck gator cuz I can pull it over my nose. As for gloves I only wear one on my left hand and shove the right hand in a pocket with a hand warmer.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I have dumped a ton of money in clothing over the years and I can honestly say that you get what you pay for in a lot cases. I own a good bit of Under Armour from Cold Gear to fleece layers to a hoodie. Tonight I was comfortable other than my toes and I was trying out some new socks that I didn't figure would work. I had my UA Cold Gear on, a pair of lightweight Rocky pants for the walk in, then a pair of insulated fleece Rocky pants over those once I settled in. Had my UA Ayton fleece zip up on under my UA hoodie and a Cabelas down insulated vest. The one thing I find most important is having my next covered. When it gets real cold, I start wearing my Cabelas waterfowling bibs and my waterfowl layers. If we get a bonus this year, I am buying the Cabelas wind proof fleece stuff.
 

Milo

Tatonka guide.
8,184
157
For me it means keeping the wind off me..i wear clothes with a wind barrier..also i gave up on cold gear and went with wool base layers over my copperhead gear. The wind robs more heat than anything..
 

Beentown

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
15,740
154
Sunbury, OH
Layers.

When it is truly cold...

Polypro heavy weight
Wind stop pant and jacket
Russell apxg2 l5 outdoors
Fleece gaitor
Two beanies (one fleece, one windstopper)
Fleece hand warmer

Needs to be 20 or under or an all day sit in cold weather for me to wear this. I carry the air activated feet warmers also. They work really well.
 

reo

Junior Member
484
68
N.E. Ohio
Scrap the cotton! Polypro, POLY-fleece, wool, thermax, UA all good. Cotton, sweats, socks, sweaters, ALL BAD except for outer most camo layer.
Thin liner type sock and then wool or other not cotton insulating type sock(s). Make sure you feet have ample room. There is a point that more socks, even the right kind will make your feet cold as they restrict blood flow. I am also amazed how much warmer the rest of me is when my head is warm. A good wool or fleece hat and a fleece neck gator work miracles. In addition it is very important to not get overheated walking in and or climbing up into the stand. I under dress on the way in and layer up in the stand. I have a couple buddies that swear by those over boot things when it is really cold.
Hope this helps
reo
 

rgecko23

*Supporting Member*
7,466
0
Massillon, Ohio
I bought a set of rocky socks tonight just for this reason. Once my feet get cold I am done for. They are a two layer system. Almost like a poly sock then a wool sock for over top. I'm hoping this works.
 

Lundy

Member
1,307
127
I close the windows and turn on the heater.:)

I used up all of my available cold tree stand days when I was younger. For me it was always about keeping my feet warm and wearing bibs. Bibs took care of any cold body issues.

 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,720
248
Ohio
When really cold, changing socks at the stand after the walk in is key. Remember a ziplock baggie to put the sweatie walk in socks into. Feet is my issue.

When brutally cold, I have The Warm Bag. Similar to Heater Body Suit but $100 at the Deer Expo a couple years ago. I second what Milo says on the wind blocker stuff. I tried some and it was amazing the difference. I have been saving it but I am ready to pull it out. Last hunt I had base layer, rocky thermals, and a lighter pant on but it did not stop the cold. Needed to have something to stop the wind.

I have a set of Cabelas gear which works well in the cold also. I believe it is called the Revolution Dry plus with windsheer? Something along this lines. Looked on their website and can't find it to verify.

Trying some of the Cabelas Outfitters Wooltimate with wind sheer this year.

I basically build up Cabelas points all year with the credit card, redeem gift cards from Christmas, and then hit the bargain cave in the Jan-Feb time frame annually. I am not dropping $2-300 on pants and $2-300 on a jacket. I think I had $100-150 out of pocket last year on the Outfitters Wooltimate top and bottom. I can justify this.

Another thing I am trying more is the Merino wool. Specifically socks because I struggle to drop the coin on the pants/jacket. Milo turned me onto the merino wool.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Everything is UA or Cabela's from my base layers (UA) to over layers (fleece). I have a pair of Cabela's Dry-Plus bibs that I like. When you buy a pair of cold weather bibs, make sure they have good insulation in the back. Unlike Carhartts they will keep your kidneys warm which goes a long way on a cold day.

If it's REALLY cold, then I have a pair of Predator camo bibs and a fleece Predator jacket. I'm confident that you can't get cold in Ohio wearing those. If it's above 30, it's too warm to wear them, IMO.

On the feet, I'm trying alpaca socks this year. Merino wool is also a must for socks. On very cold days I'll put a hand warmer inside my sock on the inside of my leg - artery is close to the surface there and heats your whole foot. Easier to put in / take out than if it's on your feet and you're not walking on coals if you get out of the stand.

I typically wear a thin pair of UA gloves with hand wamers. I have a fleece hand pocket thing for super cold days. On the head I normally just wear a knit Carhartt hat or a I have a thick Carhartt facemask that does real well.
 
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Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I usually wear under armor cold gear as a base layer, a long john top, a long sleeved turtle neck, a hoodie, a fleece jacket. O

My guess is that if you have any walk at all into your stands that your UA layer is wicking off your skin but then soaking your long john shirt which stays and chills about an hour after you sit down!
 

Shoulder Blade

Junior Member
195
0
I don't do th UA stuff, I buy a lot of clearance stuff from altrec.com.

Not a hunting place but it's great for cold weather gear. Lots of base layers for different purposes.

The key is keeping your trunk warm. Most important is incorporating a quality wind stop fabric a few layers before your shell.

If your trunk is warm, the body dilates the blood vessels in your extremities creating a radiator effect. Take a good walk in the cold, stop and take ur gloves off. U can see the steam coming off of it. If ur trunk is cooler, ur body will constrict blood vessels in your extremities in an attempt to not further radiate heat from them. This results in cold feet or hands. The moisture in boots generated by walking may not be the real contributor to cold feet, although It doesn't help.

If your trunk stays warm you will stay warm.
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Another tip for the wallet. You guys don't have to buy expensive hunting brand fleece and wool. Lots of my layers are common clothes. You can buy fleece pants and shirts from old navy. I buy wool sweaters from goodwill when I find them. Under layers don't have to be camo, why pay for expensive camo brands when you can find the same fabrics at other places for a quarter of the price. That's my tip.
 

bthompson1004

Member
1,238
100
NWOhio!
US Military Surplus Polypro and hand/foot warmers.

I was able to have an all day sit during january muzzleloader with snow on the ground a few years ago because of the ECWS polypro base layer i got from Bass Pro...I thknk they were $20 each and the best base layer I have bought to date!

keeping the wind off of your body is the other key component to having a fighting chance in hell at staying warm...I also think there has to be some kind of external heat source TOO, at least a few disposable or re-useable hand warmers in key locations under your windproof layer works well for me...Was able to handle the the last few day s of the season last year this way, when it was 12deg in the morning with 3deg windchill Wife being home with 3 kids in diapers is what limited my time to only a few hours on stand those days.
 

bthompson1004

Member
1,238
100
NWOhio!
Another tip for the wallet. You guys don't have to buy expensive hunting brand fleece and wool. Lots of my layers are common clothes. You can buy fleece pants and shirts from old navy. I buy wool sweaters from goodwill when I find them. Under layers don't have to be camo, why pay for expensive camo brands when you can find the same fabrics at other places for a quarter of the price. That's my tip.

Warmest wool sweater I ever bought for hunting, I paid $3 at Savers (like goodwill) for it!