Extreme cold clothing suggestions

[dwills]

I will be doing an Alaska snowmobile moose hunt in December of this year. I am an eastern whitetail hunter mainly so will have to buy all new gear for this. Can someone help me with load out suggestions for this type of cold who has experience with it, from headwear to glove/mitten suggestions, to shell/down suggestions, to boots if you had to buy all over again. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I already have plenty of merino base layers, mid layers (Sitka ambient and aero light jacket/Kelvin down 3/4pants), if that helps.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

December? Wool, synthetic and down-filled. GI surplus Bunny Boots.

 

[Dennis]

I have two pair of U.S. G.I. extreme cold temperature boots. One black set and one white set. Also have some other cold weather gear. You pay shipping. PM if you are interested?

 

[Northern-Nomad]

On a snowmobile the biggest battle you’re going to fight is blocking the wind. I would highly recommend that whatever you settle on you make sure you have a completely wind proof layer that can go over the top of everything else, whether that be an anorak or zip up shell. The next thing is whether or not you plan on hunting strictly off the snow machines or if you’re going to be moving around on foot/snow shoes/skis a fair bit as well. I say this because if you’re moving around at all wearing the gear that will keep you warm on a snow machine, you will be sweating immediately. If you’re just hunting off the sled, no big deal. But if you’re moving on foot some, focus on getting outer layers than can be put on and taken off quickly and easily. Last but not least, absolutely make sure you have either sunglasses or snow goggles so you can keep blowing snow, sunlight, and just raw wind out of your eyes.

Getting into more specifics:
Footwear - USGI bunny boots are pretty well loved up north so I don’t think you could go wrong with those. I also really like pac boots like schnees or kenetrek. Mukluks are pretty solid too. Mostly though I would recommend something a removable felt liner to keep your boots dry. That said the arctic rated muck boots are fairly common and good if you plan on getting wet.

Headwear - brand doesn’t matter just have something that’s fairly warm and a little wind resistant. I would highlight having something for your neck though. Neck warmers and scarves are great, stay away from balaclavas though because the condensation from your breath will freeze on the fabric and then you’ll have ice just sitting on your face. Ask me how I know.

Gloves - I would highly recommend a mid-weight pair of gloves you can easily shoot in and then a good pair of overmitts to actually keep your hands warm. My experience with gloves has been that “do-all” gloves just suck at everything.

Base/mid layers - wool or synthetic, no cotton. That’s pretty much it. Personally I like the army ECWCS silkies and waffles and then throw a wool sweater over the top but there’s a million ways to skin that cat and what you have already will probably work.

Outer layers - this will depend largely on what I mentioned earlier but make sure it’s wind proof. For bottoms I would recommend bibs so there’s no gap between the pants and the jacket to let wind in. Then it just comes to budget. The army ECWCS level 7 gear is pretty solid and can be pretty affordable, there’s a huge range of ice fishing gear that works really well, carhartt and mountain hardwear are solid, and then premier brands like Helly Hansen, KUIU and such will have great stuff but it’ll cost you.

Apologies for that being essentially a short novel but hopefully it helps some.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I use smartwool layers, white bunny boots, a pair of fxr bibs and a Kifaru LPP.

Alaska gear company is making a new bunny boot which should kick ass.

I use klim snow machine gloves, Oakley goggles and a thick fleece balaclava. I also stuff my tunnel bag with down mitts, another down pullover, extra socks, tools and shit for an emergency shelter.

Snow machine hunting rules.

 

[CharlesF]

I second the Klim gear, forget camo, they don’t care.. it’s cold and dark, camo is the last thing they worry about. Minus 33 expedition weight merino wool, puffy pants, klim or ski gear shells. Definitely get a good face mask & goggles! Don’t leave any skin exposed or you’ll end up with frost bite. If you can’t find bunny boots, several outfits here stock Baffin boots for the cold, they work just fine.


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[stv117]

the kuiu super down pro, comes in a complete pair for about $300 and should get the job done.
and for your feet muck boots are my goto..

 

[vavaroutsos]

Northern-Noman nailed it. Mittens over gloves is highly recommended. I use a pair of wool gloves with water proof shell/membrane mittens that have a removable insulating layer. This works well for most conditions.

 

[medvedyt]

what i can add? some alaskans summed up your needs.

as written earlier if you do not move get a very warm down parka or an anorak like the one i have made in nunavut with wolf fur collar no zip can be tricky but helping a lot in case of wind.
you need to protect your eyes with very good googles as the wind might be a killer.

for over your good gloves im using home made black bear mittens with fleece inside.
make sure your over mittens have a lanyard of any kind you will thank me.

i do like poly and merino for underwear and im using in winter on skidoo but im using a 2 stroke 550f so not a race one very often helly hansen with fleece liner and even at -40c which equal -40f i never been cold but i doubt i have any piece of skin not protected lol ...

 

[CBar]

When running lions here in Wyoming, I've always got a Mad Bomber fur hat over my Icebreaker balaclava, combined with goggles that have a nose guard for the wind it's kept me safe at -30. The exhaust from the sled will keep your feet warm while riding, but having a pair of heated socks you can charge each night will allow you to wear pacboots you can get around in easier perhaps than the heaviest cold weather ones. I have a set of Schnees Hunter Its with 800g insulation and they work well on the coldest days here when combined with a battery pack from Hotronics. Gloves for riding the sled, overmittens for anytime off the sled.

 

[jaydoc24]

That sounds like a solid setup for those harsh Wyoming conditions! The combination of a Mad Bomber hat and Icebreaker balaclava with goggles is a great way to protect against the wind and cold. Heated socks paired with pac boots for mobility and warmth is a smart idea, especially with the exhaust keeping your feet warm while riding. Schnees Hunter II with 800g insulation and a Hotronics battery pack must really keep your feet toasty. Overmittens for off the sled are a nice touch too. Thanks for sharing your gear tips!

 

[bpietila]

Headgear- homemade version of #6. I have a marten hat and beaver. Beaver is warmer, but marten is lighter.

Alaska Fur Exchange - Unique Alaska Gifts and Keepsakes - Anchorage Alaska

CAMAI! Alaska Fur Exchange specializes in unique alaska gifts , keepsakes and alaskan art. We also carry a wide variety of alaska made jade , ivory , arctic opal and alaska gold nugget jewelry fur hats , Fur accessories , fur coats , fur Mittens , earmuffs , fur slippers , fur mukluks , fox fur...

www.alaskafurexchange.com

Beanie cap under fur hat or to put on when the fur hat is too warm. I like the headlamp function, but also carry a separate bigger headlamp. Good for short daylight in winter.

Men's Winter Hats and Beanies | Clothing at L.L.Bean

Find the best Men's Winter Hats & Beanies at L.L.Bean. Our high quality Men's Accessories are thoughtfully designed and built to last season after season.

www.llbean.com

Face mask- depending on how cold it is your face and nose will freeze in short order. Sunglasses will NOT be good. https://www.mc-powersports.com/scot...pa6qOdyzEyh6RbkZFtuly7OULM2Q_ZRkaAj45EALw_wcB

Balaclava or neck warmer- normally use a light neck warmer unless it’s colder than -20. https://www.buff.com/us/original-ec...w-ustir-multi-multi-134703555.html?size=16675

Then use the face shield style like this.

https://www.denniskirk.com/klim/black-glacier-balaclava-3089-000-000-000.p3429652.prd/3429652.sku?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD5PFDnRKp_LR45mIZmKfAhEx36g2&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0MG5BhD1ARIsAEcZtwSQVYekPvGPAX8u29zjQQaBmcgBJWj77wKM4VmR_r2hps96q3E5j2IaAmu_EALw_wcB

 

[bpietila]

Gloves- I am not dialed on gloves, but driving a snowmachine with heated grips and sleeves helps.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/kolpin-geartector-cold-weather-handlebar-mitts?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas%7CShopping%7CPMax%7CAutoATV%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA0MG5BhD1ARIsAEcZtwRRH_61ZAfe91VTs-bL2-8keXvGHhTJJ2Al5RUlg3a5lCZzD6VDvcIaAulrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I wear a lighter pair of gloves most of the time https://www.duluthtrading.com/hestr...8az1oU9wpz5-gLPIe-L5fDOyaQ4WSk5gaAiY3EALw_wcB

But if it’s colder then I wear mittens. Mine are the Cabela’s version before bass pro merger. These look similar though https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/red...DArmCf-qo-9PUTAs3xMaAktFEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[bpietila]

Jacket- kifaru lost park anorak under Cabela’s anorak similar to this that they don’t make anymore. https://poshmark.com/listing/Cabela...n-Winter-Coat-Size-L-6508883d17e49cecc726d455

Anorak by these folks would work as well

Alpine Anorak | Apocalypse Design

Ski pants- klim keweenaw bibs

Boots- camuks mukluks if I know I’m going to be doing some walking. https://mukluks.com/products/camuks...0PLQQvTtwykDhAx6hwwqzxkokDRrvVDUaAvd2EALw_wcB

Cabela’s pac boots if it’s cold and don’t plan to do much walking. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cab...Pv0FTAa7rtNiqkIE-WgaAh6dEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[aussiehunter]

In Kazakhstan this October we had -5 C to -6C as max temp but with the wind it felt as -15 C. On the horse it was also colder due to being stationary for long periods but i was toasty warm with the clothing i had on.

I wore the below at all times until it got hot while walking. All my base layers, mid and outer layers had hoods and i used all the hoods.

Kuiu merino 145 top and peloton 200 bottom
Strongfleece 280
Guide jacket
Guide pants
Chugach top and bottom and had them on all the time due to snow.
beanie and a balaclava
Gloves had three pairs - kuiu merino , peloton and guide
Yukon gaiters

Boots- Kenetrek Mountain Extreme 400 but you should look at getting 1000gram insulated ones. Wore two pairs of socks merino liner toesock made by injinji. and kenetrek alaska heavyweight socks. I hunted for 8 days and had more pairs of socks than hunting days but i like fresh socks for bed. Yes it is added weight but i did not mind.

I packed extra clothing but never used - 2x extra pair of merino tops and 2x peloton bottoms , kenai jacket and a heavy wool jacket.

I believe this would have seen me go to -20c. If it got lower would just add another layer.

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

I will be doing an Alaska snowmobile moose hunt in December of this year. I am an eastern whitetail hunter mainly so will have to buy all new gear for this. Can someone help me with load out suggestions for this type of cold who has experience with it, from headwear to glove/mitten suggestions, to shell/down suggestions, to boots if you had to buy all over again. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I already have plenty of merino base layers, mid layers (Sitka ambient and aero light jacket/Kelvin down 3/4pants), if that helps.

The absolute best wool pants and half zip hoody I’ve found is from a company called Skwala. It’s a fishing company and I’ve been using them almost daily at work and even going to the store in them. Wore them hunting in snow and also under my waders fly fishing. It’s their Thermo 350 line.

Thermo 350 Pant

The Skwala Thermo 350 Pants are constructed using 95% New Zealand Merino wool, performance underlayers that you will still be wearing after you're out of waders.

skwalafishing.com

 

[AKBC]

I just ordered the Allta Polar L8 based on Tyler Freel's review here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-winter-jackets-for-extreme-cold/ It was only ~$200.

I am not sure you need this much though; depends on where in AK you are headed.

 

[Short Track]

5 hours of day light, sub zero temperatures.. and you're hunting.... ok, enjoy your hunt.

 

[TaperPin]

My extra cold gear is a little different and it’s been worn for decades working outside, riding snow machines, skiing, and whatnot. I really like insulated work bibs, that have zippers and snaps down the legs, and a hooded parka, both sized to fit a good amount of insulating layers. Against the skin, regular generic poly pro hugs the legs and feels great. Then slightly larger polyester athletic warm ups hug the poly pro well without being tight, then heavy fleece over that. The warmer you keep the legs, the warmer your feet will be. I’d have to stop hunting if all that were available were bunny boots - at least for me, double insulated packs with felt liners are what I’d want to ride around wearing on a snowmobile. There’s something relaxing about being wrapped up in correctly sized bibs. Anything worn on the neck, face or head has to be wind stopper.

 

[akcabin]

Probably be doing guite a bit of just slow cruising around. I like to wear a mutton hat. With good goggles. Layers. I have found that the light weight stuff really benefits me weight wise. Wearing a few extra pounds of clothing adds up. I have spent a lot of hours on a snogo wearing Muck arctic boots. Lighter n higher up on legs. And more traction than bunny boots.
One thing not mentioned yet was safety gear. I like to keep a military down sleeping bag with a fire starting kit and extra warm clothes. In a waterproof bag. Bungy cord it behind you for a backrest. But not too securely. In case of emergency like breaking through water you can grab the bag easily n get to safety.
A water purifying pump is nice, lightweight and you don't have to carry water. Or for if something happens to your water. You may want to bring some tin foil n your favorite 22 cal pistol for ptarmigan or spruce hens. You could cook them on your muffler for a snack.
Hey have a great time. Cruising around Alaska on a snogo is a great day. Beautiful country and chance to harvest a moose. It would be great if more folks had an opportunity like this