Help me with treestand layering

[PAhntr91]

I have gone back and forth with the exact same question for awhile now. A few years back I was using the FL catalyst softshell jacket and pants and would wear puffys under it when it got cold. It worked ok, but was likely held back by no windproof. The thing about this that I didn't like was that it was just hard to dump heat with all those layers so id get sweaty and stay damp.

I'm hoping to use the stratus with light base layers until temperatures dip, or for still hunting when it's very cold. For cold stand hunting then I'll add in the fanatic bibs and midi. For heat management I'm hoping the leg zips on the bibs will help. If I was packing in on public I'd probably throw the bibs in a pack and just wear the stratus in.

You can tell I am clearly not speaking from experience when it comes to the Sitka pieces, so will just need to prove it out in the field, and tweak accordingly. But I have had the same questions as you, primarily hunting in NY and PA.

I’m thinking the same way you are. I had the catalyst. It wasn’t that great. I’m leaning for the stratus. Could use with just a light base layer and be fine in mid season and at insulation for later into November and December.

 

[Whitty]

I am a born and raised SC skinny guy who hunts Illinois every year for the last 12. I hate being cold and have pretty well dialed in my system to stay warm on stand in November/December. Black Ovis merino boxers, Cabelas Mountain Bear socks, Black Ovis merino base layers (top/bottoms), any standard pants, and a fleece half zip sweatshirt. The key is this is all I wear to the stand to not sweat. At the bottom of the tree, I put on Predator Ambush Bibs (Primaloft), then a Sitka Celcius Jacket (Primaloft), then a Sitka Fanatic Vest (more Primaloft). This creates no "seams" for cold to get in and the Vest has windstopper. Walmart fleece head warmer/balaclava, thin gloves in combination with the Fanatic built in handwarmer, and a hat completes my setup. Completely bomber, not bulky, and I can bowhunt with no issues in single digits. Pack some snickers to keep the body fueled up and you are good to go.

 

[Valkyrie]

I hunt western PA. It gets pretty cold later in the year and by late flintlock it’s brutal most years. I too got tired of cobbling together hunting clothing. I bought a set of gear from Cabelas some years back, their Whitetail MTO or something. It was ok but bulky and very heavy. I still have it and use it occasionally but last summer I just hit the bullet and bought a Sitka Stratus jacket, bibs and pants as well as the Fanatic jacket and bibs. Also picked up some of their mid layer stuff and a good pit of merino long Johns.

I’ll never go back to the old way of hunting clothes. Having a modern system of cold weather clothing has been eye opening. Yes the gear is expensive but it lasts for years if you take care of it. And I didn’t get cold last year from November to mid January. Not at all.