Mid Layer Clothing
General Topic
Going on a late season deer hunt in northern Missouri. I have some lighter weight morino wool long handles and ordering some polar weight that Cabela’s has on sale. For my outer I have the Cabela’s MT050 parka and bibs.
But I don’t have a good mid layer for shirt/jacket and pants to wear under the parka and bibs. I’m 6’1 and 192lbs and 58 years old and find myself not tolerating the cold like I used to.
What y’all recommend?
Thanks!!
Fleece sweatpants and sweatshirt.
A good puffy that is made to be layered over. Remember it doesn't have to be camo that way you can save yourself a buck or two.
Cabelas wooltimate sweater or gerbing heated vest are my go to mid layers
Check out the Sitka “under waders” pants on their Waterfowl section! Toasty! Also, in the Sitka, Elevated 11 check out the Fanatic Hoody! Good luck on your hunt.
Good timing Charlie, my fanatic hoody is supposed to be delivered today. I'm replacing an older Sitka piece that doesn't have the polygene technology. After three weeks my older piece was getting a little funky. I hope the hoody is as good a piece at trapping body heat.
I like a down vest because it frees my arms up from additional bulk.
Traverse hoody with heated vest
Midweight fleece jacket/pullover, maybe switch that to wool if it's wet or humid. Maybe a primaloft or down vest over that if it's really brutal. If you are wearing insulated bibs I wouldn't expect to need any additonal insulation, I wear polyester brush pants or sitka ascents for the walk into the stand before I put the heavy stuff on.
What's the purpose of your midlayer? Add maximum heat? If so I'd go for a good puffy. I add my Kuiu superdown as a midlayer and it is rediculous how much warmth that adds.
Alpaca sweater. Very warm.
APauls +1. I wear my superdown underneath a sweatshirt and I've yet to really get a chill. I bought mine used online, but it is worth every penny.
I wear a Sitka gear kelvin vest. Very warm. Very light weight. A bit expensive but what price do you put on keeping warm so you can stay out in the field longer.
I wear an older North face wool sweater over two base layers, either silk under merino or both merino. This is under my Cabelas wooltimate jacket. On the bottoms either merino or like Nick, duofold fleece long johns or heavier polar fleece pants if it's real cold.
Here's my "system".
First Lite merino shirt over my regular every day merino undershirt (I wear Icebreaker daily) Covered with a Gerbing heated vest. Ulfrotte Woolpower 600 weight merino shirt Then a Sitka Kelvin puffy (sometimes) Sitka Fanatic
This will keep me plenty warm into the teens. When it gets around 0 I can still sit, but I'm not as comfortable
Wool bibs for your pants will also cover your chest and allow air/heat flow around your body instead of being cut off by a belt. Second choice fleece lined pants/jeans using suspenders, 2 sizes larger than normal in the waist, same reason allow heat circulation. As mention insulated vest. If you sweat or it is going to be damp, down is not a good choice as some of the down will collapse do to the moisture and if anything over that vest is a snug fitting, it will not allow the down to loft which will decrease its isolative properties. A good heavy sweater, wool or acrylic, over the outside of the wool bib and a vest over that. If that vest has a wind barrier the better especially if it is windy when hunting. It will be under your outer garment and won't make noise. As mentioned Fleece is a good choice and they make fairly heavy fleece button/snap up shirts. I have gotten them through Sportsmans Guide. A good fleece neck gaiter is worth its weight in gold especially one that will cover your neck well and can be pull up over your head if needed even with a knitted hat on. Don't forget your feet, thin wicking layer sock on first then isolative socks. Make sure your boots DO NOT fit tight with the heavier socks and tie your boots as loose as your can, again allowing heat circulation and blood circulation. If you can get your mid layer pants leg in your boot top it will help keep your feet warmer. DANNY
Thanks Guys
I started wearing a neck gaiter 3-4 seasons ago and wear them all the time now. It’s like the silk scarves that cowboys wear. Keeps the chafing and rubbing on the neck from coat collars.
I have merino base layer along with polar weight base and a heavy fleece wader pant and add my bibs. So I was in the right path there. Just need to work on the upper body and core to add warmth and not bulk.
In MN I sit about 20' up, completely exposed to the north looking across an open slough.
Skivvies, light long underwear, heavy long underwear, heavy wool stag pants, heavy wool bibs, tight weave homemade wool shirt, heavy vest, heavy jacket with 300 weight polar fleece added to above my shoulders and upper arms. Full face stocking cap, wind bloc hood that tucks into my jacket. Bunny boots with hotheads, boot blankets over the bunnies, wool mitts under leather mitts, hotheads in them, 7' long full bag wind bloc . Sit on a piece of caribou hide and fur.
Still get cold after 3-4 hours.
I've experimented and the wool shirt beats any fleece.
Someone touched on it for the pants....look at the wader liners you can get light weight ones all the way up to 400 gram fleece for a unbelievable price. They also have some really nice wool sweaters in the Waterfowl section.
I like the light goose down mid layers. Last two years I have been wearing while on stand and been more than comfortable in them.
25 this morning, I have merino base layers, down long John bottoms, kuiu super down with additional down vest, and topped off with heavy fleece pants and jacket. Would prefer bibs but have not found the right set.
