By Brandon Wikman
By the looks across the Midwest; snow, ice, and nasty cold weather looms. As a hunter, you need to know how to stay warm and alert during this time period.
First things first, you must obviously check the weather to get an accurate read of what exactly you are up against. It could be wind, snow or a sunny day with freezing temperatures. If you're going to be out in the extreme cold, sport as much warm clothing as possible. If it's mid-cold, try to dress in layers so that you can add or remove clothes throughout the day. The most important aspect of dressing warm is bringing enough layers and being able to shed them when needed.
Thermal Underwear. You can purchase thermal underwear in any clothing and underwear store across the country, whether it’s a sporting good shop or Wal-Mart. Thermals are great for layers and extreme cold.
Fleece Lined Jeans. Fleece is general is very warm and prevents much of your core heat from escaping. Fleece lined jeans are an exceptional way to keep the heat in and cold out.
Long socks or leg warmers. These will keep your legs warm a bit more, rather than just wearing pants and ordinary socks. You may want to prefer wool socks or even alpaca, which is the ultimate cold weather sock!
Jackets. A good, thick zip-up jacket is perfect for cold weather. It's warm, but also easy to put on and off. Get rid of those cotton jackets; buy a wool or a good polyester jacket instead! Don't wear hoodies in extremely cold weather as this allows the wind to go through the fibers. Without the wind chill, you will be a lot warmer, so make sure you have a windproof jacket. Try synthetics like Goretex that let your sweat escape if you are doing vigorous activities like walking to and from your stand.
Other accessories such as gloves, scarves and beanies. All of these items can add an extra warm flair to your outfit while also keeping you alert and on the ready!
The most important aspect of trying to stay warm in cold weather is to prevent your body from overheating, which leads to sweating. Many people jump into a snowmobile suit and walk to their stand. Unfortunately, by the time they arrive, climb the ladder, and get settled in, it’s far too late. Sweat is moisture. Moisture is our nasty cold enemy that will drastically drop your body’s temperature. Be sure to take your time walking to your stand and even yank off a few layers to prevent the sweat factor. I typically carry in most of my outer layers, which helps me out a ton.
Stay warm and be safe!
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