Staying warm when glassing

[Idagnome]

Don’t be too manly for hand warmers. They are awesome and depending on length of hunt you can bring a few without adding too much weight. I also have raynauds and it’s sucks.

I use almost any glassing session to boil water for hot drink/soup. Big fan of the 1/2 liter Nalgene as my hot water bottle. Beer coozie fits perfect around it and keeps liquid hot longer. Also always put inside my layers once water is hot. All heat goes back to my body.

If noise isn’t that much concern, I will usually do push up/ squats every few minutes to increase HR. Boosts focus and feels good.

 

[43.6N]

Pretty much any foam bleacher pad or gardening pad will work. They all weigh basically the same. I use mine to cushion my optics while hiking.

The only thing I’ll add, is to make sure your down has the ability to loft. Putting your bino harness on over your down will compress the loft, taking away its insulating ability.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Right now, the Kuiu super down parka is rated to 29 freedom units to -38F. There’s a lot of other non hunting brands too.

Where do you see these claims? 5oz. of 850 fill is what I see. Hardly enough to be anywhere near that temp. MAYBE they are rating it for active movement at that temp? Seems pretty close to the Grumman in the table below.

I posted this table in another thread. Nunatuk is probably the “best” out there but you pay for it. They give realistic comfort ratings and even with almost double the down in 900 fill they give 10F comfort for static (not moving).

 

[Seeknelk]

There are some cottage down shops, Timmermade, Z packs, goose feet gear they can make coats with far more down than the hunting brand ones which for the most part are just a fraction of the insulation at a higher price.
Something like the feathered friends Volant has 11 oz of top quality down vs a kuiu super down Pro only has 5oz.
Also, Shoot 2 Hunt seems to be working on a very warm down piece with hunter friendly design(access to bino harness,etc)
On a different note,maybe look at some of the heated garments, vests, socks etc. I haven't used them myself.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

Honestly most hunting brand down jackets dont do well in single digits. Rab makes some nice down jackets. The Positron and Neutrino are made for single digit temps. I have never been cold in either one. Dont forget a good wool beanie. Tons of heat loss there. Look at other mountaineering brands. They are better suited for single digit and colder conditions.

Agree with this. I just posted the table that led to my decision. Also posted in the thread “which puffy to get?”

I went with the Rab Mythic Ultra as I got a good deal on it, if I was paying full price I would have probably saved up for the Nunatuk. I am finally able to stay warm for a good bit while glassing/sitting in cold weather.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

The only thing I’ll add, is to make sure your down has the ability to loft. Putting your bino harness on over your down will compress the loft, taking away its insulating ability.

@Formidilosus and @Ryan Avery were working with an undisclosed manufacturer on a dual zip puffy to address the bino harness dilemmas. Any update on when it will be released or specs? Seems there was a post from some prototypes on the S2H lessons learned thread last I saw but maybe missed an update.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

There are some cottage down shops, Timmermade, Z packs, goose feet gear they can make coats with far more down than the hunting brand ones which for the most part are just a fraction of the insulation at a higher price.
Something like the feathered friends Volant has 11 oz of top quality down vs a kuiu super down Pro only has 5oz.
Also, Shoot 2 Hunt seems to be working on a very warm down piece with hunter friendly design(access to bino harness,etc)
On a different note,maybe look at some of the heated garments, vests, socks etc. I haven't used them myself.

The Volants back is too short, designed for climbers with a harness IIRC. I really wanted that jacket and considered it for over a year lol but ultimately realized when sitting it would expose a few inches of my back.

 

[Seeknelk]

The Volants back is too short, designed for climbers with a harness IIRC. I really wanted that jacket and considered it for over a year lol but ultimately realized when sitting it would expose a few inches of my back.

Ok, that's very good to know! I suppose that's because it's designed for some sort of climbing situation. Oh, and you mentioned Nunatak
, that is one who's name was slipping my mind. Their website doesn't even show any coats anymore and their site isn't as easy to even find as it should be. Maybe all their coats are custom only?

 

[missjordan]

Usually when it’s that cold I’ve worn two down jackets. Synthetic first followed by the down. Then base and mid layers under them. And I’ve finished all that off with my rain gear for the wind.

I’ve played with the heated vests and socks and those are nice too. I have a hard time staying warm when I’m not moving


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[EHoffman]

Wool base layers are a must with a high quality puffy mid/outer layers. I use Kuiu gear and when in single digits I layer to the max. Don't forget, keeping your feet, hands, and face/neck warm. Again good quality, boots, socks, gloves/mittens, neck gaiter, and beanies are my choice in weather. Bring a bunch of hand warmers to put in your gloves and boots.

Lastly, take a brake from glassing when needed and get out of the weather and wind for a few minutes.

 

[LongWayAround]

Most of the hand warmer brands have a "body warmer" patch with an adhesive backing.

Stick one of those against your base or mid layer with the puffy, etc over it and you'll be plenty warm. It's way easier than the hot water bottle method.

If I expect it to be a really cold night I will throw a regular hand warmer into my sleeping bag. I almost always end up pulling it out and having to open my bag because it gets too hot.

You can wear all the puffy gear in the world, but you still have to be generating heat for them to trap. There is probably nothing is going to beat eating/drinking warm food/beverage.

 

[anonymous22]

Where do you see these claims? 5oz. of 850 fill is what I see. Hardly enough to be anywhere near that temp. MAYBE they are rating it for active movement at that them? Seems pretty close to the Grumman in the table below.

I posted this table in another thread. Nunatuk is probably the “best” out there but you pay for it. They give realistic comfort ratings and even with almost double the down in 900 fill they give 10F comfort for static (not moving).

View attachment 1073834

Here.

Science-Backed Warmth

With the Institute for Environmental Research (IER) at Kansas State University, we tested the thermal insulation on our Arktuk and Burner Parkas. Learn about the results.

www.kuiu.com

Keep in mind, there’s more to down performance then “fill power.”

 

[*zap*]

Do sets of push ups. Much easier to create body heat than try to keep it.
You can get a belt that will hold a few body warmers next to your kidneys. They last 12 hours+.
Dry feet-dry socks+well insulated booties.
Woobie.
For sure-adequate+ insulation under your azz.

 

[bryan79]

Where do you see these claims? 5oz. of 850 fill is what I see. Hardly enough to be anywhere near that temp. MAYBE they are rating it for active movement at that them? Seems pretty close to the Grumman in the table below.

I posted this table in another thread. Nunatuk is probably the “best” out there but you pay for it. They give realistic comfort ratings and even with almost double the down in 900 fill they give 10F comfort for static (not moving).

View attachment 1073834

I think he was talking about the super down burner parka not the super down pro

DETAILS​

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• 30D Stunner Stretch Nylon 3-layer
• Dermizax Waterproof Membrane
• 850+ FP Water Resistant Quixdown
• 3DeFX+® insulated wind flap
• Fully waterproof seams
• YKK Aquaguard® zippers

QUIXDOWN INSULATION FILL WEIGHT PER SIZE:​

• M- 8.3 oz / 235 g
• L- 8.8 oz / 250 g
• XL- 9.3 oz / 265 g
• XXL- 10 oz / 283 g
• 3XL- 10.7 oz / 304 g
• 4XL- 11.5 oz / 326 g