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Thoughts on keeping warm

The only thing that gets cold on me is (was) my feet. I got it figured out. Just got back from an Illinois trip. Swapping socks is underrated. I got up to the tree and layered up over about 30 minutes. I’m was wearing non insulated tingley rubber boots. I pulled my foot out of the boot and half of my sock was frozen.
I tossed on some heater socks I picked up at academy and was good all day.
 
Myself, I won't buy any clothing or footwear with any membrane either waterproof or windproof anymore. The membranes won't let your body moisture evaporate like it should and I end up feeling clammy, uncomfortable and cold. Not to mention that in the cold they sometimes get crunchy and noisy too. There are some materials out there that greatly reduce the wind but still allow perspiration to evaporate. There is no such thing as waterproof and breathable. If wind or water can't get through it, you can bet moisture can't exit it either. Breathable membranes only exists in marketing.
I fully agree with muffs and some sort of neck gaiter/balaclava. Covering your neck and face is necessary when in frigid temps. If you wear glasses, you'll need to cut out an opening for your breath to exit from your nose and mouth so the exhausted breath doesn't get redirected past your glasses.
 
On the cold topic , maybe someone can help me. This is my second year of wearing eyeglasses and I can’t seem to figure cold hunting with them. If I cover my face and nose it fogs the glasses. Then you try to wipe the fog and hunt blurred for a while. I end up taking them off and just hunting without. It’s doable with a scope but I can’t use bowsights without them. Any suggestions other than contacts?

Have the same problem, I bought a product called Cat Crap, wax on wax off, works pretty well so far, you can also use shaving cream I hear
 
On the cold topic , maybe someone can help me. This is my second year of wearing eyeglasses and I can’t seem to figure cold hunting with them. If I cover my face and nose it fogs the glasses. Then you try to wipe the fog and hunt blurred for a while. I end up taking them off and just hunting without. It’s doable with a scope but I can’t use bowsights without them. Any suggestions other than contacts?

I had this problem for years. Finally got lasik last February and love it. Check to see if it is right for you. There is no other way to avoid fogged glasses that I have found.
 
I will let Nick answer too, but for my feet I have been using Sure brand unscented spray for about 20 years. The spray is just easier to apply. Any unscented brand rollon or stick will work too.
 
Antiperspirant on my feet is a huge part of my ability to stay warm. It also works great if you are hiking. Keeping my feet dry helps avoid blisters on long walks. I use the Arrid spray antiperspirant.

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With all these extra clothes people are adding how much free space in a backpack do you need?
 
I sat in 30 degrees with a 8 MPH wind 2 weekends ago:
Feet: 2 pairs of alpaca socks (one was a light and one was a mid) and rubber boots
Legs: long johns and Duluth trading company flex fire hose
Core: tee shirt and 2 micro fleece sweatshirts
Head: neck gator and stormy kromer
Hands: light gloves and muff
I sat from 9am to 7pm slight discomfort in the feet by the time a got down. I had a tree blocking me from the wind so that helped. The next day was in the 20's and I switched rubber boots for Danner 1200 threw a Cabela's wooltimate coat on mid sit.

I have all ways used to wear a lot of clothes to stay warm but now I walk out with light clothes on and layer when I am done hanging everything. The not sweating is the key to staying comfortable. Since I live in Minnesota and we get a few cold days a year so I like to get cold acclimated so I will work/play outside a lot when the temps start to drop with only a long sleeve shirt. I think it gets my body used to the temps and it helps on the longer sits.
 
Hey All,That used to be me but now I wear whitetail extreme bibs/gortex from cabelas with down mid layer and smart wool base layers and can just barley tolerate high 20s.Im one of those people when you walk into there house you say man it's hot in here,That's what blood thinners do for you but hey I'm still hunting for a little while anyway.
 
With all these extra clothes people are adding how much free space in a backpack do you need?

I was wearing 6 top layers for my all day sit yesterday. It was approx 20 degrees all day with 10 mph N wind, snow showers, and rare, glorious sunshine.

FL merino T (all I wore for the walk in, the rest was in my pack)
FL merino hoodie
FL fleece
Sitka puffy jacket (this layer may have been overkilll, but I hate being cold)
FL Woodbury jacket
Cabelas Space Rain (windbreaker)

That's pretty much my standard rut setup. I drop the puffy if it's going to be over 30, then the fleece if over 40. I drop the windbreaker if zero wind is forecast. The Woodbury jacket is marketed as wind resistant, and wind resistant usually = garbage. Wind proof or nothing when it's blowing cold north winds.

Bottom was just Sitka pants, rain bottoms to keep from getting wet on the walk in, and a Krptek puffy pants I pack in.

Yes, it sucks packing it all in (this was about 1 mile and 600 feet gain), sucks a lot less than being cold all day I figure.
 
When it starts snowing I have a heated vest, good hat, neck gaiter, hand muff, and windproof outer layer for top and bottom. The best thing for feet I've found is boot blankets, but the ones I've had are loud and super bulky.... I may sew some fleece ones up.

I've done the antiperspirant a couple times this year, it helps a little. I didn't know you should do it the night before as well, so I'll try that next.
 
The Woodbury jacket is marketed as wind resistant, and wind resistant usually = garbage. Wind proof or nothing when it's blowing cold north winds.
Monday was my first sit layering packable rain layer (Plythal) over the Sanctuary bibs / Woodbury jacket, due to mixed precipitation. I’ve never felt so invincible. You’re right, if you put a legit windstop over those you’re exponentially warmer. Even when it’s dry I’m going to start carrying that extra layer with me.
 
On the cold topic , maybe someone can help me. This is my second year of wearing eyeglasses and I can’t seem to figure cold hunting with them. If I cover my face and nose it fogs the glasses. Then you try to wipe the fog and hunt blurred for a while. I end up taking them off and just hunting without. It’s doable with a scope but I can’t use bowsights without them. Any suggestions other than contacts?
I have the same struggle. I have gone to contacts. Now I can not see far without binocs, it's a burden. Investigate verifier and clarifier. I have no experience with them but they may be an option. Contacts are a pain, but better than glasses for me.
 
@Nutterbuster I am most interested in what brand of antiperspirant you use on your feet? Do you buy something special?

I actually thought for a while now to do a write-up on deodorant.
I don't know what he uses but I use Almay hypoallergenic gel. I'm a firm believer in antiperspirant/deodorant on feet from the knees to the toes. I've used a bunch of different brands and Almay is the very best of the ones I've tried.
It has zero odor. Even some of the "unscented" varieties of other brands has a smell. Dry Idea is one that is fragrance free but it still has a smell. Almay has none.
Almay also goes a long way. Just a little spreads well and covers a lot of surface.

Another reason to use deodorant from the knees down is that it helps to keep the inside of rubber boots a bit more fresh. IMO, reducing odor on the inside of rubber boots is as important as the outside. Barry Wensel taught me years ago, that the action of walking in rubber boots is like an "odor pump"...with every step, we "pump" a little odor out of the tops of our boots. I believe that.

I want to preserve the lowest level of boot odor as I can. Antiperspirant/deodorant helps. It doesn't completely eliminate foot sweat or boot odor, but it does reduce it. When I'm done wearing boots for the day, it's a 100% requirement that they go on boot driers. Anyone not using boot dryers is making a mistake. I pump O3 into the air intake of the boot dryer so I dry and deodorize the insides at the same time. I've been getting away with murder when it comes to odor busts where I cross deer trails.
 
Wind wind wind. Wind is the killer! Its typically warmer when its snowing, so hunting the storm fronts isn't that big of a deal, except the wind. Walking in, I don't worry about being cold, at all. My blood is pumping so I only make sure that I don't have exposed hands. Beyond that, I'm typically almost down to base layers. I have a relatively high cold tolerance, I can handle cold temps, that's provided I dont have exposed skin. I wear a thin carhart facemask, and I cut the top off of a pair of knee high military boot socks. I usually wear old military cold gear layers that I've been issued and it works good enough for me. Thing is with all of this is that like your hunting style, how you stay warm is completely personal. It all depends on how tolerant you are, biggest thing you need to do is find what works for you, it doesn't need to cost you hundreds of dollars it just needs to work for you. If wear socks on your hands works use it....
"Hands, feet, neck, balls, extra socks warms them all!"
 
I've used a bunch of different brands and Almay is the very best of the ones I've tried.
It has zero odor. Even some of the "unscented" varieties of other brands has a smell. Dry Idea is one that is fragrance free but it still has a smell. Almay has none.
Almay also goes a long way.
I wish you had posted two weeks ago because I just bought Carpe... works great and my feet are nice and dry, but man it has a strong menthol smell, especially when it’s first applied. Seems to fade after a bit, but I gotta make a change. Buyer beware!
 
I wish you had posted two weeks ago because I just bought Carpe... works great and my feet are nice and dry, but man it has a strong menthol smell, especially when it’s first applied. Seems to fade after a bit, but I gotta make a change. Buyer beware!
I thought about trying Carpe until I read about the scent.


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