Staying warm while glassing ridgelines during Oct-Nov

[Muley Buck]

For those conditions you need a true cold weather down parka and pants with a waterproof jacket and pants over them.



This is what has proven to work for me and those I work with-



Wicking base layer top
Light to mid weight fleece top with a hood
Some kind of active insulation top (Polartec Alpha) while moving if it’s single digits
Expedition weight down coat with a good and 10 plus ounces of high quality down (or equivalent synthetic)
Rain coat big enough to fit over everything else

Wicking base layer pants
Whatever normal pants you like (Sitka Timberlines)
Medium weight base layer (preferably with zippers or buttons)
Expedition weight down pants with 10 plus ounces of high quality down (or equivalent synthetic)
Rain pants big enough to fit over everything else

Good toboggan or hat
Glove liners or light leather gloves
Mittins with flip off fingers
Extra pair of socks
Hand heaters

Puff jacket and pants in the pack, wear only what is absolutely necessary to avoid sweating. When you get to the glassing spot, immediately put on all of your layers with the rain suit over everything. Do it immediately- do not wait to cool down. You want to trap the heat that your body is producing, and use it to cook your clothes dry of sweat. Change socks to dry ones (place wet socks inside coat). Then pop the Jetboil out, heat water and get something hot to drink- bullion cubes, coffee, tea, whatever. Eat something. In really cold weather we average no more than 30-45 minutes between eating, or drinking something hot.



The above above works for most people until around 0 degrees. After that, eaithwr a true arctic weight down suit or sleeping bag is added.

Some need more, a few will need less.

I do this almost exactly the same. Only difference is I run the First Lite Tundra balaclava for head gear. This system is the most efficient and effective I've ever used.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

Lots of good advice here. My system is wearing the proper amount of layers, and carrying a puffy jacket and pants and a good rain suit. I put on the puffy and rain suit while sitting. My rain suit is big enough to fit over the layers and puffy. I’ll wear up to 7 layers of what most people would call base layers on top and 3 layers on bottom. If the level of activity is too high to wear in without getting covered in sweat, they have to be packed in. I’ve worked outside and have tree stand hunted my whole life. I’ve never been out in the cold and have been completely comfortable, or been around anyone who isn’t cold when it’s cold outside. Putting up with discomfort is part of the deal, no matter how much you spend on gear.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tdhanses]

Have you ever considered a small nylon tarp to keep the elements off? I have a 5x8 that weighs nothing I use.

 

[RAPTOR]

Sitka has a new Kelvin Jacket with windshear

 

[Jordan Budd]

The top 3 things for me that time of year is:

1. Kifaru sheep tarp - solid wind blocker and to keep the elements off of you. One time especially we pitched it last year and were able to stay on a ridge for another 3-4 hours.

2. First lite puffy pants - speak for themselves. If your worried about them getting wet sitting, be sure to bring a glassing pad. Then just put rain pants over them if needed. Even if they are compressed a little they’ll be one hell of a lot better than nothing.

3. Sitka coldfront jacket and pants - I have a review of this set on here. The jacket especially for the later seasons is heavenly.. the pants are top notch as well and both take the place of rain gear. They’re a little bulky and pricey but they are absolutely awesome later season.

Throwing another in for 4. Kifaru lost park parka - that thing goes with me mid September onward.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WV Mountaineer]

How warm is the Lost Park Parka Jordan? Been eye balling one and was wandering. Temp ranges you use it would be fine. Thanks and God Bless

 

[Lawnboi]

This year in the place of puffy pants I'm bringing a kifaru woobie. I'll see how it goes.

 

[Whaledriver]

I am a big fan of the climbing belay type jacket. When it gets truly cold down is the way to go. A good wool hat with down hood. Put them on before you get cold. Stay hydrated too. Try to stay out of wind somehow. It sucks the heat right out of ya.

 

[Jordan Budd]

How warm is the Lost Park Parka Jordan? Been eye balling one and was wandering. Temp ranges you use it would be fine. Thanks and God Bless

Oh lord. Warmest puffy I have personally ever had on. I used it last year multiple days below -10 and it was great. It blocks wind extremely well. I break it out October through the end of the season. It’s tried and true by many.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

It wouldn’t be a good option for backpack hunting, but when you’re hiking in for a day hunt I’ve been wanting to try one of the 12v heated jackets that tool companies like Bosch and Milwaukee make.

Bosch PSJ120L-102 Lithium-Ion Heated Jacket, Large

I treestand hunt down into the low 20’s, but hike close to a mile in, so you end up having to put extra clothes on, then deal with taking them off under an orange vest and treestand harness as it warms up throughout the day. The heated jacket seems ideal to wear on the hike in, turn it up as you start getting cold, then turn it down or off completely as it warms up.

I agree that a tarp would make a huge difference, if you want something inexpensive and lightweight a tent footprint and a pair of trekking poles will do the job.

Also, if you’re getting cold after 1 1/2-2 hours of sitting, get up and move around a bit. There was one day it was so cold we started doing jumping jacks in a spot the sun was hitting for 5 minutes. It feels wrong while hunting, but it’s not likely to mess anything up if you’ve been looking through your binos for an hour and are sure nothing is close enough to get spooked.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

Heated jackets are okay, but not as good as they seam. The batteries don’t last long enough, and they’re not as warm as you’d think.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ElkElkGoose]

I went ahead and grabbed a doobie from Kifaru and tried it out scouting this weekend. I think this setup works great for me. Wore base layers in and then sat down and glassed until the underlayers dried and I got cold them threw on a puffy and wrapped the doobie around me and I was very warm. It also negated me having to figure out some sort of puffy system for my legs as well. Only downside is the compressed size but I'm ok with that, doesn't weigh much.

I think a small silnylon tarp is a great option to add on if the precipitation gets heavy.

 

[Dukslayer26]

After all these years I’ve learned that it’s all about having WINDPROOF jacket and pants. If you layer properly, you shouldn’t get cold unless it’s below 10 degrees. Another key thing that helps are the adhesives body warmers that you can stick to your very first layer!!

 

[widnert]

No one has mentioned it yet so I will.

Pnuma Outdoors has a battery powered base-layer heated vest you can buy. Had been thinking about it for myself but, it really has to be cold for me to get cold myself. My wife on the other hand, gets cold at the drop of a hat. We ordered her one and she tried it for the first time last weekend. She loves the thing. Just left it off while hiking in. Then, once you get to a spot and stop moving, she turned it on. She said it was amazing. We were there for about 4 hours and no issue with it running down. Extra batteries are available too. We also got her one of those lightweight pads to sit on that holds your body heat.

Consider this as an option for those that get cold: IconX Heated Vest | Heated Hunting Vest | Pnuma Outdoors

 

[Stid2677]

I use Thermacare heat wraps "the large ones for backs", they last 12 to 16 hours. I also keep one in my bag on cold nights. For glassing I keep one over my stomach, this keeps my core warm and allows me to warm my hands too. These and a piece of Z mat to keep me insulated and dry from ground wicking.

Steve

 

[MontanaMarine]

I usually put the Silvertip shelter in my day pack. And a stove to make something hot. It's fast to put up and get's you out of the wind and precip.

Also an insulated bibs/parka for serious cold.