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Heated base layers?

Knik

Knik

Active Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
139
Location
East TN
Any of you guys use heated base layers while in the saddle? Are there certain brands that have the battery packs out of the way of the saddle? Never owned a set and curious what experiences you guys have had with them while in the saddle. Like the idea of the Fieldsheer ones controlled by the app but still have to do some more research on them.
 
I own the Pnuma heated vest and pants. They work well for warmth, especially when paired with merino fishnet baselayers. The vest battery is easy to turn on and off. The battery for the pants sits on the left hip, right about the location of the waist belt for my saddle. It is a bit of a pain to dig through my bibs and turn on, and the battery kind of sits in the way of the belt. Not a “deal breaker” but not ideal. Not sure where else it would go where it wouldn’t have a fiddle factor though.
 
Exactly the kind of information I’m looking for, worried about buying something with the battery right in the pinch point of the saddle.
 
I’d go outer layers(or at least mid layer) for heating to prevent sweat/balance heat. I keep thinking about a heated vest… so far with layers and a couple hot hands/feet I’m pretty good stationary to teens. Any colder I’m not going in the saddle so I’ve got a heavier bib / jacket I can wear.
 
Interesting, the heated Bosch jacket I have(not for hunting but I wear it snowmobiling) is stiff and boxy/doesn’t fit close to body(I assumed because heating coils), so it’s much more bulky than my base layer+hoody+puffy I put on when I get stationary. Plus the battery is bulky and the whole thing doesn’t fold up small because of the heating element. That single coat is about as big as all the layers I wear top and bottom when hunting. I’m sure the hunting ones are better… I haven’t tried any… a vest is probably the answer if I needed it.
 
I have a Volt vest. The battery is in the right pocket, it is right at the waist of my saddle but never bothers me. I love the vest. I wear woolies under garment, a long sleeve turtle neck, vest, outer wear is a wool button up. Walk in with unbutton and unzipped. That's in the 30*'s
 
LOSTnWoods said:
Charger or just battery?
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I find it best to have a charger for each battery. For the vest I have two batteries, and two chargers. For the pants I also have two batteries and two chargers. (Simple math means yes, I have four batteries and four chargers.). Why? Because for the Pnuma the batteries can take 4 hours to charge. At the end of the day I just want to plug them all in, wake up the next morning, grab them fully charged and go. If I have to remember to switch them out after four hours - I’m going to have to stay up later than I’d like to make that happen, or I’m going to forget at some point or another. Murphys Law. Not needed, but just easier - for me.
 
Maverick1 said:
I find it best to have a charger for each battery. For the vest I have two batteries, and two chargers. For the pants I also have two batteries and two chargers. (Simple math means yes, I have four batteries and four chargers.). Why? Because for the Pnuma the batteries can take 4 hours to charge. At the end of the day I just want to plug them all in, wake up the next morning, grab them fully charged and go. If I have to remember to switch them out after four hours - I’m going to have to stay up later than I’d like to make that happen, or I’m going to forget at some point or another. Murphys Law. Not needed, but just easier - for me.
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Me too, pnuma vest is great!!! I don’t mind the battery location & it’s really great at regulating temperature
 
Another vote for the Pnuma vest. The battery location is kind of in the same area of the waist belt of the saddle, but you can move it above or below the belt when you are tightening it. I haven't found it to be an issue.

It works best for me to wear a thin t shirt, then the vest to get the heat as close to my skin as possible. Then I wear a merino base layer, the furnace, to keep the heat trapped in. Works excellent, I have been thrilled with this system every time I use it. Once I start to get cold I turn it on high & it warms me right up, especially helps with my fingers & toes. I do have an extra battery & charger which is nice but I wouldn't say necessary. One battery can get me through a morning & evening hunt.

I haven't tried the pants yet but would assume they are just as great!
 
Just to add on my comments above. I started out with a Milwaukee heated hoodie and it worked really well for heat. It uses a 12v battery. With a Milwaukee adapter, I used 18v batteries and got ridiculously long life out of it - basically all day. I also managed to find an “extension cord” from the battery pack to the hoodie, which allowed me to put the battery anywhere I wanted That aspect of the Milwaukee hoodie was nice. I didn’t care for the overall bulk of the hoodie though, and having a 18v battery and adapter was a bit heavy and clumsy. That’s why I went with the Pnuma - much lighter and thinner. The Pnuma vest and pants take up less room in my backpack than just the Milwaukee hoodie did.
 
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