Staying Warm Hunting

[paco97]

Yesterday was the first time that I hunted in my traditional clothing and have a few questions for those of you who hunt PC.

The weather conditions were mild in the mid-40s in the morning and warming to the 50's by lunch with 15-20mph winds all day.  I wore Underarmor and fleece long underwear underneath my traditional clothes that included the following:

wool knickers with wool leggings, wool stockings (with wool treestand socks by bass pro underneath), linen shirt, wool westkit with linsey woolsey lining, linen hunting shirt, wool fingerless gloves, deer leather mocs,  and a longhunter wide brim hat.

I was actually pretty warm, but did get a little chilling around 10am.  I sat on the ground on top of a pair of waterproof camo pants.  However, I don't think that this would be sufficient for really cold weather in the 20-30's and below.  I did put some toe warmers in my mocs around 10am.

I was wondering how do you stay warm  in traditional clothing?  Do you guys still hunt or stalk?  I prefer to still hunt and its tough to stay warm sitting still all day.  Once I got up and stalked in a thicket, I warmed up and was fine, but I prefer still hunting.  Is it possible to still hunt and be warm in traditional clothes?

[rollingb]

I lived in interior Alaska, for years, without freezing to death,... and I hunted in PC clothing.
As long as I layered my clothing I was fine. I wore cotton long handles, a thick cotton shirt, long heavy wool shirt, wool leggins, and a long elk-skin coat (that reached down to my knees) to break any wind.
I wore muklucs on my feet, over cotton socks and heavy wool socks.
I wore a sheep-skin hooded hat (skin-side out), and heavy wool mitts over cotton gloves.
If I didn't remove the elk-skin coat before starting to walk, I'd work up a "sweat" at -20-30 degrees below zero,... and in cold temps, "sweat" is definitely your enemy. :rt th

HTH

[paco97]

and a long elk-skin coat (that reached down to my knees) to break any wind.

Do you have a picture of the coat or plans to make one.  I don't have elk skin but do have several deer skins in freezer.  I might be able to improvise depending on how the coat is made.

[halfdan]

PACO!!!!! haven't seen you around for a coon's age. How you doing? Good to have you back.

Dave

[rollingb]

I'm sorry, but I don't have a picture of the coat,... and I gave the coat to a friend (in Alaska) when I moved back down to the lower-48.

[paco97]

PACO!!!!! haven't seen you around for a coon's age. How you doing? Good to have you back.

Dave

Hey Halfdan,  things have been going real good.  Been very busy at work with a new promotion this year, but with the slumping economy its hit my industry pretty hard, so things are slowing down, but I'm thankful to have a job still.

I've been enjoying my clothes that you helped me make with lots of advice and my breeches that you made for me as well.

[Eric S Campbell]

Well down here in the south east we did have very cold weather for  while, but it has since warmed up and has gotten wet. But while it was cold this is what I wore.

   I had on an osanburg shirt, an osanburg pullover smock, a wool waistcoat, najecki canvas french fly breeches( made by half dan!), my normal underwear was under that lol, Cotton stockings, wool leggings, buckle shoes, I also had a cotton neck scarf around my neck along with a strip of tartan around my neck, a flop hat, my bess and other accoutrements, and over all that a nice blanket wrapped around me.

   When it got hotter I sat on the blanket. The tumpline I had to hold the blanket coul have been used to help drag a deer out of the woods had I seen one lol.

   But it is very mild now, the temp is 49 degrees now.

[Chairslayer]

Last Friday temp was  about 18 degrees. I wore under armor long johns, merino wool socks and pac boots. Over that was canvas knee britches with wool leggins. On top was a wool blanket shirt, linen shirt over that, canvas waistcoat and a wool blanket coat overall. Had to move slow to avoid sweating.  I use a silk scarf for a face mask. Hides my face and keeps it warm, also doesn't seem to fog up my glasses when I exhale as bad as everything else I've tried.

[Minnesota Mike]

Key to cold weather hunting in PC clothes or not is to avoid sweating while getting to hunting spot and then having something to trap your body heat while sitting still.

Dressing in layers is best idea. I will take along a wool blanket or heavier wool coat with me to put on once I get to where I want to set up.  Will also take fold up canvas stool to get up off cold ground if I'm going to sit vice climb up into a tree. Worst thing you can do is sit down on frozen ground, that will suck the heat right out of you.

When I get to good sitting spot, if I can, will clear away a good base area to get to bare earth - that way I can move or shift quietly if need be. If I forgot to bring stool, then will cut some pine boughs and lay down to sit on - they give you some insulation from ground.

My biggest challenge was making sure I had good coating on moccasins to make sure they did not get wet and soak thru to my feet. Once your feet get wet, you got problems.

Also found that a wool muffler or scarf wrapped around the back my neck made a huge difference in keeping me warm. Seems like if the back of my neck stays warm, the rest of the body follows as well - but that might be just me.

But yes you can hunt in traditional clothes and stay warm.

r/
MM

[Eric S Campbell]

For me if my arms get cold my body gets cold. That could just be me. I think everyone is different.

[paco97]

I hunted all day today in 30ish degrees and when I got chilly I wrap my wool blanket around me.  This is the trick for me.  It warmed me up real nice.

[butterchurn]

Hey PACO,
Did you ever finish the Jackie Brown fowler you got In-The-White?

[paco97]

Umm, the short answer is no.  I got the barrel browned and it turned out alright but not great.  I'm just not a good craftsman, so I got a little bummed and its sat in my gun closet ever since.  However, I just contacted Jackie a couple weeks ago and he is going to finish it up for me.  Said he would give me a deal since the barrel is finished.  It still needs the lock polished and tuned, and some minor inletting on the lock and the stock sanded and finished. I'm hoping to get it sent back to him this coming week.

Hey PACO,
Did you ever finish the Jackie Brown fowler you got In-The-White?

[PJC]

Also found that a wool muffler or scarf wrapped around the back my neck made a huge difference in keeping me warm. Seems like if the back of my neck stays warm, the rest of the body follows as well - but that might be just me.


I agree with you on that one Mike, of course you would expect a guy from Minnesota to know a thing or two about staying warm in the winter. This Canada boy agrees with you 100% on the scarf. This is something that is so simple and can not be outdone by new technology or material. The old ways are in fact sometimes the best and this is one of them.

[butterchurn]

OK, Paco!  I'm sure you will like the finished product.