Hunting clothes layering question

[Hailey_Phillips]

Hey guys, possibly stupid question for you guys and a long one at that..

I live and hunt in south central Mississippi, so I’m used to hunting and sweating at the same time.. I’m comfortable in a hoody and light base at about 55-60 degrees. I don’t get the chance to hunt ‘cold’ weather very often, and yes, to me, below 50 gets COLD FAST!

Well once it gets down around 40 with more than 5mph wind, I have to dress like the marshmallow man and I feel like I’m gonna freeze. Sounds terrible, I know... I’m a wuss..

So my question is

How should I go about layering? These are my “cold weather” clothes

-2 nice base layers, just got a new cabelas fleece heavyweight base set.

-decent Russell fleece suit. (No wind stop)

-ScentLok all season suit, kinda thin, fleece like lining (no wind stop)

-Red Head Bone Dry bibs(wind stop?)

-Browning Wool Parka with Down vest that zips in (kinda restrictive in the shoulders and no wind stop)

-some old 90’s/00’s parka (thin but kinda warm no wind stop)

-Duluth Trading fleece windproof jacket (Blue)

-Red Head Squaltex rain suit (water/wind proof)

-Sherpa lined fleece shirt (no wind stop)

Now I know everybody is 100% different, but I guess I’m asking what would you do if this was what you had to wear when it’s COLD to you. Next Sunday the high is gonna be around 38-40 with 10-12mph winds, and I ain’t gonna lie, as excited as I am to hunt in the cold, I’m dreading getting in the stand and freezing.

Yesterday’s hunt, 44 degrees, 10mph wind. I had 2 base layers stacked (tight to skin and a looser fleece), and Russell fleece suit. I walked in and climbed slow and stayed comfortable, didn’t sweat much at all. After 30 min or so on stand, I put on Red Head bibs, and Browning parka with down vest. As long as there were breaks in the wind, I was good, when the wind kicked up, I wanted to leave.. not to mention I looked like the Michellan Man.. probably couldn’t have even shot my bow if the chance would have arrived...

Would I do better to dress as thin, yet warm as possible and wear rain gear over everything as a windproof shell? The rain gear is kinda loud but not terrible. Or will the windproof fleece(that’s bright blue) still do good if it’s under a parka of some sort? The old parka that I have is thin but baggy, I can wear a good bit under it, just don’t wanna end up 6 times my size in clothes.. does wind proof have to be done on outer shell or can it be inside your layers? If I was gun hunting I wouldn’t really care how big and fluffy I was, but it’s not good with a bow..

Any help or advice is appreciated, sorry for such a long and drawn out question about something that’s silly to some people. Maybe one day I can fork over the cash for some good quality stuff, but not right now.



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[ImThere]

Put hot hand insoles in your boots under your feet and the adhesive toe warmer on top of your toes. They stick to your socks.

Put the adhesive hot hands over your kidneys, and 1 midway upper back the stick to your bottom most layer. I sometimes put my shirt inside out stick them to it. Turn it back right side out and put it on. They also have them in the healthcare section at Walmart in a kidney belt looking thing for sore muscles

Put hot hands in gloves or hand muff

Put one inside your hat and keep your head warm.

Take plenty of extra hot hands if you get cold all heat where needed.

I wear very thin clothes and artificial heats. I stay the most comfortable this way. It may sound silly but it works. I wear a mid weight base layer suit, scent blocker trinity pants, scent blocker trinity hoodie, uninsulated rubber boots down in the 30s and am quite comfortable this way. If you don’t hunt super cold often and don’t hunt out side your state I don’t see a reason to spend a ton of money in cold weather gear.

You might look in to a Milwaukee heated hoddie or vest.


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[Hailey_Phillips]

Put hot hand insoles in your boots under your feet and the adhesive toe warmer on top of your toes. They stick to your socks.

Put the adhesive hot hands over your kidneys, and 1 midway upper back the stick to your bottom most layer. I sometimes put my shirt inside out stick them to it. Turn it back right side out and put it on. They also have them in the healthcare section at Walmart in a kidney belt looking thing for sore muscles

Put hot hands in gloves or hand muff

Put one inside your hat and keep your head warm.

Take plenty of extra hot hands if you get cold all heat where needed.

I wear very thin clothes and artificial heats. I stay the most comfortable this way. It may sound silly but it works. I wear a mid weight base layer suit, scent blocker trinity pants, scent blocker trinity hoodie, uninsulated rubber boots down in the 30s and am quite comfortable this way. If you don’t hunt super cold often and don’t hunt out side your state I don’t see a reason to spend a ton of money in cold weather gear.

You might look in to a Milwaukee heated hoddie or vest.


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Thanks for your insight! I actually do good keeping my feet, hands, and head warm. I don’t think I could cut it as much as I do if it wasn’t for hot hands! I like to keep about 4 in a hand muff, works wonders for me. I have some of the stick on body warmers but haven’t tried them, I was wishing I had them yesterday and was wondering how my chubby self was gonna reach my back to stick them on, turn shirt inside out and backwards, genius! Ha it’s simple things! I don’t see any need in investing big money in a lot of high dollar gear, but I do want a nice wind proof something, wind is a killer to me.


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[ImThere]

You can also wear your rain suit under a layer of camo
For instance I used a plastic sweat suit for the gym for a lot of years. They really keep your body heat in.

Base layer, plastic suit, outer layer. I used to have to strip down at the tree and put the suit on layer back up then climb because the suit will make you sweat if you walk very far in it.

Seriously works for the cheap.

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[Hailey_Phillips]

You can also wear your rain suit under a layer of camo
For instance I used a plastic sweat suit for the gym for a lot of years. They really keep your body heat in.

Base layer, plastic suit, outer layer. I used to have to strip down at the tree and put the suit on layer back up then climb because the suit will make you sweat if you walk very far in it.

Seriously works for the cheap.

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Thanks! So your wind proof layer doesn’t have to be on the outside, that seems to really open my options up and I believe I can work with what I have a little better, I may just have to carry 83lbs of clothes with me this weekend and change and swap to find out what works best for me ha


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[mattsteg]

Wiand stopping outer layer, covered of necessary by something quieter. Warm baselayer. Some insulation in between.

Sounds like you mostly need to break wind. Insulation inside of your wind blocking layer is a bit more effective, but anything keeping the wind out is critical.

 

[Hailey_Phillips]

Wiand stopping outer layer, covered of necessary by something quieter. Warm baselayer. Some insulation in between.

Sounds like you mostly need to break wind. Insulation inside of your wind blocking layer is a bit more effective, but anything keeping the wind out is critical.

I’m gonna go stare at my closet and see what I can come up with by the weekend, I’m determined to figure something out haha


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[mattsteg]

And a warm head, hands, feet go a long way. The hot hands mentioned are handy when you're cold. Just don't get lathered up, and don't let yourself start getting cold.

 

[Tjraley2]

I’ve got the bone dry gear and it’s not very warm for how thick and heavy it is. I hunt in Louisiana and Alabama so I’m familiar with your temp range. I would recommend considering reducing layers so there’s a little more air space. I learned a while back that 10 tightly compressed layers don’t do a ton of good.

 

[bigjoe]

X2^^^

Trapped air is what provides your warmth. Think of it like this; Just like a wet suit traps water and warms it for a diver. A dry suit for a diver traps & seals in air.


@Hailey_Phillips it takes a lot of trial and error to get down your clothing for outdoor clothing.
I just done reading the thread and posts and saw @Tjraley2 post.

Sweating will kill you as all know. It sounds like you need a fleece with a wind sheer in it. Your first layer of clothing ought to wick the sweat away. If you have to bring in an extra set of underwear for your hike in you ought to do so. Look at using merino wool or under armour for your base set.

A suggestion is to wear a golf shirt that is wind proof or a golf rain suit under your outer clothing. They should be fit loose to trap air and so you can move.

 

[KYHunter]

Something you could look into is mixing in a vest as a layer. I have a nice fluffy goose down vest that my father in law gave me that I layer in when it gets cold(20s) here in KY. It gives me warmth at my core but it doesn’t bind up my arms as much as a full on jacket.

I’m also a big fan of a neck gaiter/buff. I read through the thread pretty quickly and didn’t see mention of one. It’s surprising how much of a difference one can make.

 

[Hailey_Phillips]

I’ve got the bone dry gear and it’s not very warm for how thick and heavy it is. I hunt in Louisiana and Alabama so I’m familiar with your temp range. I would recommend considering reducing layers so there’s a little more air space. I learned a while back that 10 tightly compressed layers don’t do a ton of good.

Makes sense, less number of layers so the clothes can ‘act’ like down, kind of like a bubble of air around the body


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[Hailey_Phillips]

Something you could look into is mixing in a vest as a layer. I have a nice fluffy goose down vest that my father in law gave me that I layer in when it gets cold(20s) here in KY. It gives me warmth at my core but it doesn’t bind up my arms as much as a full on jacket.

I’m also a big fan of a neck gaiter/buff. I read through the thread pretty quickly and didn’t see mention of one. It’s surprising how much of a difference one can make.

Yeah I do have a down vest that zips in a parka, and I can take it out and carry it separate. And yes I have and use a neck gaiter, works wonders!

What’s bad, is , in 25 years of hunting(I’m 34 now) I don’t really remember the cold bothering me as it has the last couple years. Maybe I was just younger and didn’t care haha

I guess I’ve finally realized it’s the wind that’s my biggest enemy over the temp. Like I said in my original post, when the wind would stop, I was fine. I’ve apparently tried to fight the wind with layers, which obviously doesn’t work.

I’ve kinda been thinking that I could go with my base layers and the pants of my fleece suit for the walk in, which is pretty comfortable so long as I don’t completely stop and if I go slow and don’t start sweating. Then when in the tree and settled I will add a couple body warmers and my Sherpa lined shirt. Then when the temp starts to drop, or if the wind starts to bite, I’ll add my down vest and my rain gear. My insulation will be somewhat loose fitting and my rain suit will stop the wind. I feel like that should be plenty warm enough for the temp, and stop the wind from biting so hard without feeling like a big fluffy monster. And of course make sure my hands, head, and feet will be plenty warm.


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[Kurt]

6 degrees here this morning. The key is to stay as dry as you can going in. You should start your walk in cold, as you cover ground you'll warm up. If you sweat to much going in, change your shirt, put the damp one in a zip lock. let your body dry and cool some before you put your dry insulating/ wicking layer on next to your skin, then some more insulation, followed by wind proofing, and cover it all in camo. Keep it as loose as possible. cover your neck with a fleece gaiter.

 

[Ontariofarmer]

A simple thing is wear a warm hat. I don’t see it on your list
You lose 7% of you heat through your head
Good Wool base layers are great too
I wear under armour long underwear and then 400 g minus 33 wool long underwear as a base layer. That with a wind block goes a long way to keeping warm


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[swampsnyper]

No one wants to spend the money and neither did I until I had enough and took the plunge. I started buying Kuiu clothing a few years ago. Buy only when on sale. They have an outlet section with returns or discontinuing products also. I’ve just been buying a piece at a time and I’ve never been more comfortable hunting. Yes it’s over priced but it works. Zippers positioned so I can open to ventilate while I’m active, then close while I’m not. Stretchable material that moves with your body. Thinner layers that do more so you don’t get the Michelin man affect. I’ve got rid of all my other clothes. There are other companies that probably do the same. I just started with Kuiu and never felt the need to try another brand. What I’m saying is you get what you pay for. Clothing is just another gear I take in the woods. I want it to work the best I can have it. Keep me warm, dry, thin and flexible. I don’t have to pack extra layers any more. I just wear them and open/close the vents to regulate.

 

[Hailey_Phillips]

No one wants to spend the money and neither did I until I had enough and took the plunge. I started buying Kuiu clothing a few years ago. Buy only when on sale. They have an outlet section with returns or discontinuing products also. I’ve just been buying a piece at a time and I’ve never been more comfortable hunting. Yes it’s over priced but it works. Zippers positioned so I can open to ventilate while I’m active, then close while I’m not. Stretchable material that moves with your body. Thinner layers that do more so you don’t get the Michelin man affect. I’ve got rid of all my other clothes. There are other companies that probably do the same. I just started with Kuiu and never felt the need to try another brand. What I’m saying is you get what you pay for. Clothing is just another gear I take in the woods. I want it to work the best I can have it. Keep me warm, dry, thin and flexible. I don’t have to pack extra layers any more. I just wear them and open/close the vents to regulate.

Hopefully in the next couple years I can start a collection, but it’s not in my near future ha. Where did you start piecing together? Pants? Jackets? Base? Or go for the bigger items first like a shell, and layer with what you have underneath?


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[MJH]

I have a bit of trouble engaging in "cold weather" dialogue for hunting in MS, but I can offer this simple piece of advice - bring a thermos. Up here, i run a thermos on most "Canadian cold weather" hunts. I know the strict scent control dudes will raise an eyebrow on this, but at some of the temps we get up here I feel it necessary. If you concerned about scent control, run hot water only (ya I figure deer can smell that too, but it has to be better than tea).

When it is really cold, I feel like a half cup of hot water/tea can keep me going for 30 min. Warms up your core, and brings everything else to life.

You probably have a thermos, so this is a 0$ solution - and it works.

 

[Kurt]

I forgot one of the most important cold weather hunting strategies. Every yankee should relate to this. Food, yeah food. Eat a good breakfast, Bring a hot beverage, and bring food out with you, high fat food even better. Freezing is an olympic event. It will suck the energy from your body. I always bring a coffee. If it's real cold and I'm sitting all day I'll bring a second thermos of soup. A couple of sandwiches, some chocolate, trail mix for nibbling.

 

[Hailey_Phillips]

I have a bit of trouble engaging in "cold weather" dialogue for hunting in MS, but I can offer this simple piece of advice - bring a thermos. Up here, i run a thermos on most "Canadian cold weather" hunts. I know the strict scent control dudes will raise an eyebrow on this, but at some of the temps we get up here I feel it necessary. If you concerned about scent control, run hot water only (ya I figure deer can smell that too, but it has to be better than tea).

When it is really cold, I feel like a half cup of hot water/tea can keep me going for 30 min. Warms up your core, and brings everything else to life.

You probably have a thermos, so this is a 0$ solution - and it works.

Yeah, Mississippi and cold usually aren’t used in the same sentence ha, that’s why a silly thing like 30’s and low 40’s are cold to me. It’s nothing for me to hunt in 90+degrees. I’d say we average between 50-70degrees most of the season, with a few days at this time of year that get colder and a couple weeks early season that are 85-95. I thought about boiling some water at my truck and putting it in a Nalgene bottle and keep it tucked in my coat once on stand. I do this when I’m hammock camping and the temps get down low, works really well. I’m not a fan of eating/drinking in the stand, I’ll usually have a bottle of water with me, but don’t usually drink much. I already have to pee a bunch, and peeing through a bunch of layers ain’t fun haha.


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