I carry some chemical hand warmers with me, and I will toss them in my boots at night. They won't dry out a water logged boot completely, but it works good on damp boots.
I have the Kelvin vest, it is very light, and is very warm. It is made for layering, the shell material is not very durable, and would not hold up as an outer layer.
I would definitely go with some good rain gear, last year, we had 2.5 days of steady rain, my wife's Prois gear didn't last 1/2 day, made for a miserable experience. I had a Bass Pro Gore-Tex lite and was good for the most part. Upgraded to Sitka downpours for this season.
I like my Minus 33 stuff, you might want to look at Duluth Trading for a light weight merino wool shirt, I got one last season, good price and comfortable, not sure if they are available in short sleeve though.
My first major injury was a torn rotator cuff. I had a SLAP repair, and a biceps tectomity (sp). I was in a sling for 2 weeks, did a good job with the PT, and was shooting my bow at #50 3 months later. Made back to # 70 by the start of deer season.
Second was a fracture of my tibial plateau. I...
Out west I will have a total of 10 days this season, but that includes a total of 3 days driving. For whitetail here in IL, it is a 20 min drive from my weekend place.
Next season, I am going to try and save up my vacation so I can spend an actual 10-14 days in the back country.