Iowa mid November

[kythunter]

I'm going to Iowa mid November for 1week bow hunt. Going to be cold. Low's in the upper teens.
I just bought Pnuma Waypoint jacket and pants and looking forward to using them. Have merino base layers and Pnuma heated vest. Should be in good shape. Any tips for cold weather bow hunting?

 

[dtrkyman]

Foot warmers, the one that look like a full size insole are great. I like Artic Shield boot insulators so I don't have to wear big giant boots!

Bring food and water and hunt all day!

 

[Trackerbacker]

november cold, is a damp cold. keep dampness away from your heat. 14 day outlook has it barely dipping into the 30s for highs and barely into the 20s for lows.

stalking or still hunting? camping or walking in daily?

for me, thats my asspad, thicker than sneaker socks, thermals and fall pants, thermal and long sleeve and 1/4zip top. maybe some jersey brown gloves, maybe a cap if its windy.

where you going in iowa?

 

[WI Shedhead]

Sitka fanatic hand muff and neck gaiter. I have knee high boots for the trip in, put chemical foot warmers in when I get thier and then put boot blankets on after that. Good to ten below all day. That Sitka incinerator jacket is hard to beat

 

[Mosby]

Don't over dress going in. I pack in clothes and jacket and put warm stuff on when I get to my stand. I'm deer hunting in Iowa in December and expect freezing temps. Don't underestimate the importance of a really good hat. Most of your body heat goes out your head.

 

[BigCountry49]

Foot/hand warmers and a hot thermos. Also patience

 

[TSAMP]

Don't over dress going in. I pack in clothes and jacket and put warm stuff on when I get to my stand. I'm deer hunting in Iowa in December and expect freezing temps. Don't underestimate the importance of a really good hat. Most of your body heat goes out your head.

No it doesn't. Cmon man. Mythbusters handled this already.

 

[Mosby]

No it doesn't. Cmon man. Mythbusters handled this already.

I admit that I have never watched Mythbusters. I googled it and what I read said that the US Army manual use to state that a person lost 40 to 45% of your body heat through your head. That is what I was always told growing up hunting and not surprisingly by family that were in the US Army. A 2008 scientific study evidently said that was incorrect, so it would seem that you are correct.

Regardless, when I'm sitting on a tree stand all day in freezing temps, I have found that covering my head and neck adds a lot of value to my warmth and comfort, which was my primary point. YMMV.

 

[kythunter]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll be tree stand hunting and already have 2 lock-on's hung. I've done all day sits in this kind of weather but it's tough. I usually walk in just a t-shirt and pants with bases layers and outerwear in my backpack. I get hot easy I've learned that you do not want to sweat when it's cold. One problem I have is my backpack weighs a ton with all the clothes, gear, bottled water etc. But there's no way around it. I wear real thin merino sock liner to the stand and take them off and put on thicker merino socks. When I get to my stand it takes me a few minutes to put on base layers and outer layers. It's a process but again I can't walk 300 - 500+ yards with all hunting clothes on. I've looked at Artic Shield boot insulator before just never pulled the trigger. May do that this year. Yes food and water are key too. May look at putting coffee in a thermos? Be first time trying that. I have good head and neck gear so I'm covered there.

 

[Mosby]

Coffee or hot chocolate in a thermos is an awesome way to get your core temps up in freezing temps. It has gotten me through some awful cold mornings but is a bitch to carry in. If I am hunting in single digit weather, I take one with me. My brother made fun of me the first year I carried one in and within a few hours he was under my tree stand begging me for a cup.

 

[Trackerbacker]

one thing i, albeit anecdotal for me, is i try to avoid the temptation of big hot meals. my theory is it pulls blood to the guts for digestion, thus pulling from extremities, thus making me feel colder.

right or wrong, i still practice that on cold cold sits.

 

[WCB]

Something warm to sip on....soup in a thermos for lunch.

Also, my dad and I sat in non heated blinds wolf hunting in Alberta in -30 F for 5 days straight. When you get into your stand loosen your boots and throw in a couple hand warmers if you want. If you go with heated insoles make sure you take out the insoles in your boots as they will make them uncomfortable. But again untie your boots and loosen them.

My dad also took his boots completely off and stuck two handwarmers in each of his boot insulators (artic shield maybe) and said his feet were way warmer than in his boots.

 

[Midwesterner00]

Good luck and be ready. Make sure your willing to be mobile, whether that means moving stands or setting up on the ground where the deer are. Don't fall in love with a spot, let the movement tell you where you should hunt. Hopefully the warm weather now in Iowa makes mid November that much better!