Late Season~Cold Weather Setup and Gear Hauling

[woodsdog2]

So I picked up an IWOM XT over the weekend. Trying to configure my ONE stick stuff for late season Archery/ML hunting with cold weather gear. What/How are you guys carrying in your extra gear? I tried out the IWOM Saturday AM in a ladder stand and it worked great but want to now go full saddle with it and one stick up. What I like about the IWOM is that you can put it in "parka mode" and "free" modes and basically you have it on but you still have your legs and arms/shoulders exposed for the climb up etc. Anybody been doing this awhile? Any suggestions? How are you hauling everything in? Seems like a challenge when I have ladder stands up I could use but the deer know those stands and are pressured. Maybe just go to four sticks instead of one sticking? Let's hear/see how you guys are doing this??

 

[JasonA1977]

I wanna see this as well, if I pack it all in and get dressed at tree I still sweat to death climbing up with 1 stick so probably gonna try 4 sticks or 3 with aiders cause I can’t put bibs on while hanging in the saddle. I can hardly get my jacket on it’s a pain to tuck it under the saddle standing on the platform.


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[Bigterp]

I have the iwom xt as well & it hasn’t been cold enough to use it yet this season. My thoughts are that it’s probably a lot going on to onestick unless you we’re moving super slow. Don’t know how you’ll keep from heating up in the climb. I could see preset bolts /multiple sticks being easier………

 

[woodsdog2]

I have the iwom xt as well & it hasn’t been cold enough to use it yet this season. My thoughts are that it’s probably a lot going on to onestick unless you we’re moving super slow. Don’t know how you’ll keep from heating up in the climb. I could see preset bolts /multiple sticks being easier………

Yes these are my concerns as well. It's colder than dried snot up here right now.

 

[Bigterp]

Yes these are my concerns as well. It's colder than dried snot up here right now.

I just wore a jacket for the first time last sit……. I need to do some more figuring as well. I wonder if it would be just as easy to pack it in & tie it to you bow/gun & pull up. The good thing is it’s not like hbs & pain to put on at height. Put it on like a pullover once you climb up & just have a secondary bridge on a carabiner so you can thread through those pass through hand warmer pockets & you’re in business. That’s why I sold my hbs it was fussy to saddle hunt with…..

 

[woodsdog2]

I do have some preset locations but those have been used and the problem is once the pressure has been on, they stay nocturnal for another month even though its "late season" Trying to gauge whether to give these spots a slight break and hope they are back on a semblance of a feed pattern again post gun season or not.

 

[JASmith]

@Squirrels hit me up with a place called "volt heating" I bought sock liner and vest. Only got a chance to try it out on a short just under three hour hunt Sunday before church. 25* morning, dressed very minimal. Blew my mind how comfortable I was. I truly am sold out on the stuff.

 

[woodsdog2]

@Squirrels hit me up with a place called "volt heating" I bought sock liner and vest. Only got a chance to try it out on a short just under three hour hunt Sunday before church. 25* morning, dressed very minimal. Blew my mind how comfortable I was. I truly am sold out on the stuff.

I thought about this option too but I ultimately went with the IWOM XT after talking to another saddle hunter and watching some youtube reviews.

 

[slonstdy]

I'm not familiar with an IWOM so I can't help there but I 'll give you a rundown of how I do my cold weather thing.

Depending on just how cold it is, which for me starts near the freezing point, I'll wear my FL Furnace base layer bottom with either my FL Solitude bibs or my Sitka Fanatic bibs. I'll unzip them from my ankles to my saddle for the walk in. My top will be a FL light weight base layer for temps down to about 30* and if it's colder I'll also put on my FL Furnace top with the zipper down. I may wear a fleece beanie for the walk if the wind is blowing hard. My extra layers and outer jacket ride on my backpack on the way in along with my stick.

Once at the tree I'll zip up the bibs before I start one sticking up the tree because they'll balloon off your legs (being they're snapped in place at the ankles) and proceed to get caught/snagged /stepped on during the climb. Once in the tree I'll put on additional layers and my outer jacket and fleece lined balaclava and then pull up my bow. The reason I do the bow last is because with all the movement putting on clothing and getting my jacket tucked in the saddle I don't want to run the risk of accidentally knocking my bow out of the tree. FWIW, I don't notice a difference in one sticking while wearing the bibs compared to early season in light weight pants. I do when wearing a heavy jacket because it puffs up blocking my vision sometimes and it's also got caught on my stick so I never climb wearing it anymore.

I've hiked with temps in the low 40's just under a mile and a half with the Solitude bibs and wasn't sweaty when I got to the tree. I've only hiked about 400 yards with the Fanatic bibs on but the temps were hovering at 33* with a steady wind and I was comfortable and dry when I got to the tree.

 

[Topdog]

I just wore a jacket for the first time last sit……. I need to do some more figuring as well. I wonder if it would be just as easy to pack it in & tie it to you bow/gun & pull up. The good thing is it’s not like hbs & pain to put on at height. Put it on like a pullover once you climb up & just have a secondary bridge on a carabiner so you can thread through those pass through hand warmer pockets & you’re in business. That’s why I sold my hbs it was fussy to saddle hunt with…..

Exactly how I do it, I never wore mine this season but that’s how I do it, it’s not a bad job getting it on up in the tree.

 

[Topdog]

So I picked up an IWOM XT over the weekend. Trying to configure my ONE stick stuff for late season Archery/ML hunting with cold weather gear. What/How are you guys carrying in your extra gear? I tried out the IWOM Saturday AM in a ladder stand and it worked great but want to now go full saddle with it and one stick up. What I like about the IWOM is that you can put it in "parka mode" and "free" modes and basically you have it on but you still have your legs and arms/shoulders exposed for the climb up etc. Anybody been doing this awhile? Any suggestions? How are you hauling everything in? Seems like a challenge when I have ladder stands up I could use but the deer know those stands and are pressured. Maybe just go to four sticks instead of one sticking? Let's hear/see how you guys are doing this??

I carry my Iwom xt on the shelf of a mystery ranch pop up 28, I wrap my platform like an Iwom sandwich and wad the whole mess onto the pop up shelf, works for me. I dress light for my walk ins and get up in the tree, then I pull the Iwom up and climb in, I carry a second bridge with a biner on each end. Once I have it on and before I zip up I switch to the second bridge and then zip up, I’m always hooked up this way.

 

[JasonA1977]

I’m gonna have to figure this second bridge thing out as I have a real hard time getting my fanatic jacket on up in the tree standing on the predator XL. Standing up on it I’m basically touching the tree almost and unless I unhook from the tree or take the saddle and drop it down I will sweat just trying to get it tucked under the saddle lol so I get cool then hot just putting it on. I’m not understanding putting the bridge through the hand warming pocket or the kangaroo pocket or am I missing something?


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[AttackMode]

I 1 sticked last year during late season archery. I was wearing base layers and mid layers with Predator Ambush bibs and jacket. I climbed up the tree a couple different ways and ended up preferring to 1 stick wearing just bibs, lower layers and base layer top. I put the extra top layer and jacket on once up the tree. I still had to go slow between moves and take my time to make sure I didn't sweat but it was alot easier than wearing everything while climbing.

 

[Bigterp]

I’m gonna have to figure this second bridge thing out as I have a real hard time getting my fanatic jacket on up in the tree standing on the predator XL. Standing up on it I’m basically touching the tree almost and unless I unhook from the tree or take the saddle and drop it down I will sweat just trying to get it tucked under the saddle lol so I get cool then hot just putting it on. I’m not understanding putting the bridge through the hand warming pocket or the kangaroo pocket or am I missing something?


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Just keep a secondary bridge handy & either carabiner on both sides or girth hitch on & biner the other but those pass throughs are at the perfect height to wear your saddle & thread the bridge through from the inside then clip in & your saddle is inside the iwom…… I’ll take a pic in a couple weeks when it’s cold enough to use. I typically sit up top in light layers after my walk-in until I start to cool off. Sometimes I don’t get my warm stuff on for an hour or so……

 

[Kayl]

I did my first cold weather sit on Wednesday. I layered up, but kept my parka off for the hike in. I had big mittens and a muff in my backpack along with the parka and definitely felt the weight keeping me off balance while climbing. Waiting to put everything on was definitely the right call though! I was over layered already and got a little sweaty.

 

[woodsdog2]

I carry my Iwom xt on the shelf of a mystery ranch pop up 28, I wrap my platform like an Iwom sandwich and wad the whole mess onto the pop up shelf, works for me. I dress light for my walk ins and get up in the tree, then I pull the Iwom up and climb in, I carry a second bridge with a biner on each end. Once I have it on and before I zip up I switch to the second bridge and then zip up, I’m always hooked up this way.

Awesome!! Thanks!