best cold weather treestand jacket
Equipment
whats your best cold weather jacket for treestand bowhunting. looking at sitka coldfront but price is way on the high side.
top of the line wool. sleeping indian or king of mountain
I have a lot of Sitka gear and I wouldn't recommend it for long sits in cold weather on a treestand. I haven't used the coldfront line, but I would still think that there are better options out there for the money when it comes to treestand hunting. If you are doing quite a bit of hiking or want something for dual purposes (i.e., elk hunting)...now that is a different story!
I just bought a vest powered by a lithium battery pack from Coreheat. No need for big bulky clothes any more. I hunt Illinois until the end of late bow which is January. Very nice ! Check out thier site! Charlie
Quality wool, not bulky, quiet and really warm. I especially like the wind proof feature!
Stay well!!
I purchased a Scent Blocker jacket from Bass Pro. It is windproof, waterproof, and very quiet. It also has a removable vest liner. I've been very pleased with it. It kept me very warm in Illinois last year, and the wind block is excellent.
Charlie, can you tell us more about your experience with that vest?
Thx Bill in MI
Bill: Check out the web site for how it works! www.gerbing.com
It is a Lithium battery pack which easily recharges and has 5 heat settings. The heat is focused on "core" areas on your back and chest. This will be my first season using it as it just came to market but I think this kind of heat is definetly the future. I believe Sitka is out with a version as well!The company originally got thier start is creating heated gear for Motorcycle riders. They also make gloves! Pricey of course!!Charlie
Thx Charlie,
Checked out the link and am thinking about it. I HATE being cold.
Bill in MI
I love my Cabela's MT050 Gore-Tex Thinsulate parka and bibs. If money were no object, I would drop the coin on top of the line wool like SI or KOM.
Day One (Bowsite sponsor) has some terrific wool in ASAT. I also have a Grey Wolf Woolens jacket that is really good.
I got some Cabelas Super slam insualted elite fleece and love it.
I have a heavy North Face wool sweater that I layer under my wind blocker fleece jacket. That keps me as warm as anything I've tried. I like to layer to be able to add or remove layers as I need and I never wear all my layers while walking in.
I got the heated vest by Gerbing, great product, $150, lighweight and warm without bulk.
Charlie, how did the sizing run, was it true to form or no?
Don't buy ANYTHING until someone tells you HOW cold, and HOW LONG their gear is good for.
Ex.: Sitting in a tree stand for ___ hours, I can expect to be _____ warm in ____ degrees.
Me: Sitting in a tree stand before light till after dark,, I will be warm enough to sleep in 15 degrees F, 25 mph wind.
I'll be in light wool, inside a heater body suit knock off (0 degree sleeping bag with a camo cover).
I spent last week end sitting in a tree with temps from 27° to 35° and winds as high as 30 mph and rain.
Had military surplus wool pants, Woolrich wool shirt and Browning's Hydro-fleece Gortex Parka/Hood and Bibs and a wool full face mask with a Hoyt cap. Stayed warm and dry.
I use Cabela's Medium or Heavy weight Thermastat under wear (depending on temp.) when it gets colder.
I wear Irish Setter Pack boots with Moreno Wool Socks on my feet for temps. as low a -15°. If your feet get cold with this put more on your head, sounds funny but it works!
I do not like to be cold and will spend as much as required to keep warm while on my stand for hours at a time.
I don't like a heavy jacket[ they seem to impeed my shooting] but stay plenty warm with layers of wool and a shell to stop the wind...
thanks charlie i checked out heated vest and i am going to order one. bowshot i have a heater body suit and it works great but i want something thats not a pain to lug in while carrying a treestand and climbing sticks. i cant leave anything in the woods because the socalled bowhunters around here think anything they see belongs to them. but thats another thread.
understood pa10point.
I hate packing in stuff too, but its the only way I can keep from getting soaked (sweated up) on the way to my stands. Usually up steep and nasty territory.
I use a Filson waterfowl/upland coat. It is not very bulky, windproof, waterproof, and warm. It has plenty of room with the built in game bag to carry most of my hunting gear also. I switched to it out of necessity in an emergency one morning when leaving to go hunting and have stayed with it ever since. I would like to get a new one but can't fine that style in camo anymore. How ever I think the otter green would work.
To me. it's not the jacket...it's what you wear underneath it. I wear the thinest jacket possible for the conditions. I have lots of other stuff I wear underneath depending on the cold. Right now my favorite is browning fleece jacket liner I picked up from the bargain cave lined with down in XXL to leave plenty of room for the stuff underneath. I really love the down lined fleece idea. wish I would have thought of it.
Gamehide makes some great winter jackets.
One layer to wick moisture.
next layer heavy poly-pro or polartek or other lofty insulation in full body suit if possible.
Next light windblocker vest with elastic around arm openings.
Next wool bibs. I use SI and am happy with them.
Next layer Wooltimate fleece or wool sweater with wind blocker.
Final layer, if needed, is a stretchy knit vest with a heavy sheep's fleece wool lining.
Balyclava and neck warmer also.
For those days of sub-freezing weather, I like to add a layer of down long johns between the poly-pros and the wool bibs.
Pack as much of the stuff in and put it on at the tree stand as possible. Avoid sweating.
Sleeping Indian for sure; always keep in mind if something is"windproof & waterproof" then it won't breath and trap moisture and then you'll be...you guessed it cold. Was always cold until I invested in quality wool. Not the cheap stuff!
I use Cabela's stand hunter bibs. They are truely the warmest thing going. They are heavy. The matching parka is too bulky for me to shoot my bow but I love it for gun hunting. For bow hunting I have a XXL Gray Wolf wool coat with a windliner. My normal size is large so the XXL give my a lot of room to go over the bibs, vests, fleeces shirts etc.. The cut of the coats allows for good string clearance even when it is that large.
I like to use a lightweight quality breathable rain gear. Then I can layer depending on the weather. If I get to warm or cold I can just add/subtract a layer. It also does a great job stopping the wind. Seems to be much easier to wash layers of fleece and polypro than it is to keep a heavy weight jacket scent free.
I like my ScentBlocker Expedition Hunter gear, has a removable vest, its wind and waterproof, and keeps me warm when I really layer up in the coldest january mornings. Its also got zippered vents for when you have a long hike with lots of base layers on to help regulate your temp.
I'll add that something to stop the wind is SOOOOO important once it gets below 35F if there is anything more than a faint stir (always is where I hunt).
Here you are, generating heat like a littel furnace, and the wind is constantly driving it out of your clothing. It just isn't fair!!!!
Unfortunately, now you are a tad noisy...
I avoid the moisture build up under wind/rain tight gear by wearing a tyvek suit over wool or xscent LJs.
Will be seen as foolish by some I'm sure. It works perfect for me. Probably not for everyone, I'm sure
In my experience, the bibs and vest are more critical to staying warm than the jacket is.
Here is what I wear when the temps get below 30 degrees:
Under Armor Duofold turtle neck Fleece coat with windproof lining
I find a good meal goes a long way in keeping warm. I will also draw my bow back a couple times to get my blood pumping again. Drawing the bow also helps wake me up after the good meal. I live in north Arkansas so I know it doesn't get as cold here as it does up north.
I just got a Browning Hydrofleece parka this year and have been wearing it in 40 degrees with rain this year with nothing under it but a medium weight long underwear shirt and I've stayed plenty warm. When it drops in the 20's I'll wear a fleece vest and pull over under it and that will keep me warm as long as I need to.
I got one of the wool sweaters in mossy oak from cabelas. I paid extra for the wind proof lining in mine. You wouldn't beleive how warm it is.
anyone try that columbia wool hunting set-up that cabelas sells?
I got the fleese vest from Gerbing which uses Lithium batteries! Charlie
Charlie,how about a REVIEW!I'm very interested in hearing what you have to say about your heated vest.
