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Cold Weather Saddle Hunting

Y

yoda4x4

Active Member
Joined
May 19, 2021
Messages
126
So I know that I haven't hunted out of my saddle alot, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that I don't believe I'll be able to hunt out of one when the weather is cold. My main reason is because if I put all of my layers on before I climb, I'll be a sweaty mess by the time I'm at hunting height. And if I don't layer up, I can't put them on at height because the saddle gets in the way.

How do you all do it?

David

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
 
This weekend it was a high of 30 here in Pa. What i do is i wear full layers from the waist down. Merino wool base layer then my mid and outer and i wear my boots and merino wool socks. On top i wear only what i need to stay warm but not sweat. Then after getting up i put the rest of my top layers on. This worked really well for me, but I didn't have a long walk. for longer walks I'll do the same with the top but pack in my warm socks and bottom outer layer and put those on before climbing.
 
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Jtaylor said:
iwomouterwear.com

IWOM Outerwear | IWOM Insulated Full Body Hunting Suits

IWOM Outerwear offers comfort to those who love the outdoors. IWOM Waterproof Insulated Full Body Hunting Suits for Cold Weather Hunts.
iwomouterwear.com iwomouterwear.com
It seems like they cost a lot but add up costs of coveralls, boots, parka, gloves, face mask, etc.
Click to expand...
I've got an IWOM, they are great. They have all that stuff built right in, and has slots on the side a person could feed a bridge through. Difficult to put on in a saddle though.

edit: wind and waterproof are essentials for cold MN gear, i use my IWOM more for ice fishing than i do for hunting tbf. It still works great and keeps me nice and warm, even when im not in a heated house
 
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@Tknapp gave pretty good advice. I'll loosen my saddle at the bottom of the tree and add a jacket or vest before climbing. Rifle season here opens Saturday, predicted temps are 3 degrees in the morning, warming up to 18 or 19. The best advise I can give is learn to deal with cold--it's (in part) a state of mind.
 
yoda4x4 said:
So I know that I haven't hunted out of my saddle alot, I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that I don't believe I'll be able to hunt out of one when the weather is cold. My main reason is because if I put all of my layers on before I climb, I'll be a sweaty mess by the time I'm at hunting height. And if I don't layer up, I can't put them on at height because the saddle gets in the way.

How do you all do it?

David

Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Wear baselayers on during hike in, wearing backpack and carry bow.
Wear baselayers and saddle while setting up climbing sticks and platform/ROS.
Finish setting up. Climb down. Remove saddle.
Put on outer layers as needed. Put saddle back on.
Climb up sticks, get onto platform, and hunt.
 
I like my Pnuma heated vest. Using with a good base layer and wind barrier on the outside I’m amazed how well I stay warm in my saddle well below freezing.

Once it gets to the teens I opt out of the saddle and use a stand instead to utilize the real cold weather gear. I own an IWOM and HBS but honestly think they would be a real pain to use while saddle hunting. I’ll save them for stand and ground hunting.
 
I walk in and climb cold and carry mid layers in a compression sack in my pack.

Once in the tree, I layer up. Today, I added 3 thin mid layers to my torso. They just get pulled over my saddle a bit. It helps to wear bibs to cover gaps. I even bring side zip down pants in really cold weather and they go on right over the bibs and saddle. Between my top and bottom layers, sometimes you can only see my bridge peaking through between layers.

It's handy to hang my outer jacket from an s-biner while putting on mid layers.
 
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I put my outer layers on in the tree. For example, it was around 30° yesterday. I walked out in pants with 150 gram merino long underwear, a Merino t-shirt, and a light jacket. I climbed like that. As I cooled down, I added layers including my Pnuma heated vest, 150 gram merino long sleeve, waffle fleece, and eventually my bibs and coat.

The key to putting bibs on safely in the tree is planning and going slow. I put them on both legs first, then loosen my waistbelt and pull the front up. Then I stand on my one stick and pull the back up and buckle them.

I leave my layers on when I'm rappelling and then take them off and pack them up for the hike out.
 
raisins said:
I walk in and climb cold and carry mid layers in a compression sack in my pack.

Once in the tree, I layer up. Today, I added 3 thin mid layers to my torso. They just get pulled over my saddle a bit. It helps to wear bibs to cover gaps. I even bring side zip down pants in really cold weather and they go on right over the saddle. Between my top and bottom layers, sometimes you can only see my bridge peaking through between layers.

It's handy to hang my outer jacket from an s-biner while putting on mid layers.
Click to expand...

PS...most of the layers i bring in are high loft goose down because it is the warmest commercially available thing per weight and packability, in a cylinder around 8 or 9 inches in diameter and maybe 12 or so long (compression sack with tightening straps), i can fit a down vest, down jacket, down pants, and windblocking shirt (called a windshirt)

maybe one day aerogel or something will beat high loft goose down, but right now i think it is still the warmest thing that is affordable, practical and not super heavy/bulky
 
Im 185 lbs and in good health, I hunt in Northern MN, my late season is mostly single digits, just for reference.....
What I do is get fully dressed, warm jacket and all on, get to the base of the tree and setup with saddle and tethers attached... then simply zip open my outer 2 layers, pants as well, and leave them open until I feel cooled off again at the top. I do go a little slower and look around more on the way up. I don't worry abt scent cuz I've got scentlok under garments...lol.
 
raisins said:
PS...most of the layers i bring in are high loft goose down because it is the warmest commercially available thing per weight and packability, in a cylinder around 8 or 9 inches in diameter and maybe 12 or so long (compression sack with tightening straps), i can fit a down vest, down jacket, down pants, and windblocking shirt (called a windshirt)

maybe one day aerogel or something will beat high loft goose down, but right now i think it is still the warmest thing that is affordable, practical and not super heavy/bulky
Click to expand...
Where did you get these?
 
If I’m wearing bibs I fold them down to let out as much heat as possible.once I get cool I start adding to layers until I’m ready to fold the bibs over. Definitely not as difficult as it might seem.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
raisins said:
PS...most of the layers i bring in are high loft goose down because it is the warmest commercially available thing per weight and packability, in a cylinder around 8 or 9 inches in diameter and maybe 12 or so long (compression sack with tightening straps), i can fit a down vest, down jacket, down pants, and windblocking shirt (called a windshirt)

maybe one day aerogel or something will beat high loft goose down, but right now i think it is still the warmest thing that is affordable, practical and not super heavy/bulky
Click to expand...

Compare that to my conventional coat and bibs strapped to my backpack... There are additional layers in the blaze reversible panel and backpack. I have a lot of down stuff, but don't use it hunting because typically it's fragile and so loud when you move with the nylon shells.

Screenshot_20221116-182250.png
 
Kayl said:
Compare that to my conventional coat and bibs strapped to my backpack... There are additional layers in the blaze reversible panel and backpack. I have a lot of down stuff, but don't use it hunting because typically it's fragile and so loud when you move with the nylon shells.

View attachment 76084
Click to expand...

when you wear the down in between a base layer and an exterior jacket, then it isn't loud enough for a deer to hear....so long as the interior of the exterior jacket isn't also nylon
 
raisins said:
when you wear the down in between a base layer and an exterior jacket, then it isn't loud enough for a deer to hear....so long as the interior of the exterior jacket isn't also nylon
Click to expand...

Ah, I thought you meant puffy coat and puffy pants on the exterior.
 
Samcirrus said:
Where did you get these?
Click to expand...

not sure if you are talking about the compression sack or the whole system....so here's everything

someone's gonna mug me in the woods one of these days......

seatosummit.com

Evac Compression Dry Bag | Sea to Summit

Perfect dry compression storage for everything from bikepacking to sea kayaking and beyond. Made from a bluesign-approved recycled 70D nylon waterproof main body fabric and a 70D eVent® waterproof but air-permeable base that allows you to push air out while still keeping your contents dry...
seatosummit.com seatosummit.com

Charles River Apparel mens Legend Windshirt (Regular & Big-tall Sizes) at Amazon Men’s Clothing store

Buy Charles River Apparel mens Legend Windshirt (Regular & Big-tall Sizes) and other Windbreakers at Amazon.com. Our wide selection is elegible for free shipping and free returns.
www.amazon.com

www.kuiu.com

Super Down PRO Pant | Verde

The Super Down PRO Pants are purpose built for low-level activity when temperatures plunge. Sized to fit over your mid-layers and insulated with 3.2 oz of 850+FP Quixdown, they are our warmest down pants. Our down is treated with TORAY's DWR, so each individual down cluster is impervious to...
www.kuiu.com



I put them in the stuff sack so that the things on top are what I put on first. In order of what gets stuffed in sack first: pants, windshirt, jacket, vest.

If I stick some hot hands adhesive body warmers on under this, I'm good down to the single digits (and I get cold easily....middle aged, thin, former smoker).

The windshirt over the down is key. I'll sometimes where a Sierra Design micro gridded fleece over the base layer and under all the mid layers.
 
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Kayl said:
Ah, I thought you meant puffy coat and puffy pants on the exterior.
Click to expand...

nah, that is loud and picks easy

the downfall of down under exterior jacket is that the compression does hurt the down's insulation a bit...but i wear a thin/light jacket in/over and it is pretty roomy.....even with a bit of compression, the down is still way warmer than fleece and most other options

one tip is to put the down in a dryer with dryer balls every few hunts...the compression sack makes it not loft up as well....i see a difference in warmth after it has been fluffed up a bit....also, i don't store the down in the compression sack....i put it in the night before when getting my pack ready, but would never leave it for a week or something to really smoosh down
 
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