Tips on dealing with the extreme cold

[Iron Cowboy]

Hey all, I am planning on getting back into ice fishing. When I was younger the cold didnt bother me much but as ive gotten older its harder to be comfortable and enjoy myself with weather like forcasted for the weekend. I will be fishing out of a hub shelter, no floor just a piece of carpet (with the best socks and boots) for traveling light. Any clever, out of the ordinary random tips out there you guys have found over the years that help? you know besides the obvious "right gear" stuff? Any help is appreciated,,,, getting older sucks

[20lbSloughShark]

If you have a good heater, you won't get cold in a hub. My best tips, get good gloves, and layer them too. Always stay dry. One thing thats overlooked is stay hydrated. Even if its cold water, water will warm you up. Beer has the opposite effect.

[Dylan8351]

I never stop moving and I don't get cold. I will second the points on drinking water and keeping your feet off the ice.

[servocam]

Taking this straight from the clothing section from Chapter 1 in my ice fishing book for beginners:

Wearing the proper clothing is one of the most important things when ice fishing. Layers! Layers! Layers! If you’re too hot, you can peel off layers. If you are getting cold, you can add layers back on. Wear moisture wicking under clothes as your first layer, followed by your pants and shirt. Next, I suggest a hoodie or sweatshirt, then your snow pants/bibs and winter jacket. Don’t go cheap on gloves. Get a nice pair of winter gloves. You may want to bring an extra pair along in case they get wet inside. You will also need a stocking cap to cover your head and ears.

Socks and boots are important as well. Purchase high quality, moisture wicking socks from the sporting goods store. Keeping your feet dry will keep them warm. If you don’t have well insulated boots, you may consider adding a pair of wool socks. It is very important to have waterproof boots. If you get your feet wet, they will get cold quickly and ruin your day of ice fishing.

I suggest you purchase a few air activated heat packs. If your feet or hands get cold, these work well to warm them up. If you have kids going with you, these are very important to have. Cold kids means your ice fishing day will be cut short.

20lbSloughShark already said some:

- Don't drink alcohol on the ice

- Stay hydrated

- Bring something warm to drink (Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa).

- Heater to warm yourself with

- Shelter to get you out of the wind/elements

[BoxMN]

Keep your core warm - so that may mean trying out a vest, it works well for me - and your head warm and your body will stay warmer. The vest also allows your arms to move freer, making it more comfortable than bound up arms.

I also tried the whole foot warmer (not just toes) and found to my amazement that they really work well, and are not uncomfortable.

I just picked up a couple Zipper hand warmers, but have yet to try them out. I know my Dad used to have one looong long ago and he used it often.

I also do any of the "Active stuff" like drilling holes, putting up shelter, lifting, etc. with my main jacket OFF and my 1/4 zip open, to let body heat escape, and then start to zip it up as I start to cool. Keeping the sweat off you is half the battle. Agree 100% about wicking underlayers.

Last, I wear those thin gray gloves with the rubber on the "handside" when fishing. They work great and you can bait a hook and take a fish off with them on, keeping your hands dry and they are comfy - they don't block wind, but are great when a full glove is too much, but bare hands are too little. Good luck!

edit - oh yeah, the part about no alcohol, that might work for some, but not in my playbook. Ice fishing and beer is like... summer fishing and beer... it just fits haha

[OnAFly]

Everyone hit on all my normal stuff. But, for my hands I use mittens. The cheap Fleetfarm deerhide ones work very well. They are soft enought to let you hold a rod and reel with them on. For taking fish off, I just slip them off. Much better system than the gloves I used to use.

For my feet, just keep them off the ice or move around a bit.

[Iron Cowboy]

LOL, Yea box im not that hardcore either, if I cant have a beer or two Im not trying to be a survivalist on discovery here. the vest tip is just what I was looking for, I always wondered what those goofy things were good for but that makes perfect sense. All great points though guys! keep em coming

[hamms-scooter]

You could get a scrap piece of 2" foam and have that under your feet if they cant keep warm. you will notice huge difference. I'll bring a piece for when my bride comes out fishing with me.

[bobbymalone]

Looks we got layers covered, so I'll add the "right" layers.

If you really want to stay warm, don't get those cotton waffle long undies for 5 bucks at walmart. I look at long undies like raingear -- Spend the money and you won't regret it. Lot of options out there.

Same thing with mid layers, choose the right stuff. I like fleece.

And get some good boots, cold feet will make you feel cold no matter how well bundled the rest of your body is.

Last thing I recommend and seems to be often overlooked is some sort of face cover. I can't handle a scarf, but I have a facemask/hood. I used to have a fleece one but lost it. It was also a PITA with bungee drawstrings and cord locks. Just bought a UA one after I noticed all the NFL players wearing one under their helmets.

[servocam]

Last thing I recommend and seems to be often overlooked is some sort of face cover.

Grow a beard! Also helps collect snotsicles!

[th64]

Fleece neckwarmer no beer but something to keep your hot tea from freezing! Oh and all that other stuff people were saying(that foam is a good idea)

[Walleyehooker]

I use a buddy heater in my hub and it works well. A cheap facemask that tucks around the neck really helps in the wind or colder days.

[bobbymalone]

Grow a beard! Also helps collect snotsicles!

Really depends on the look you are going for. Bearded bad arse vs. ninja.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Lotion your face and hands. Lip balm too. IDK why this all helps but it does for me.

[deerminator]

I have an insulated hub and it stays plenty warm inside with a Mr. Buddy heater. I like to run tip ups around the hub and help the kids fish inside while watching a movie (yes, a movie on the ipad). Anywhoo, I like to wear a cheap muff around my waist as any type of gloves bug me while ice fishing - and working tip ups in particular. So, I throw a handwarmer or two in the muff and am good to go while walking around and checking tip ups. I also have an old Gatorade towel stuffed in my overall pocket that I use to dry my hands when necessary.

Also, I agree, the adult beverages may no help you stay warm but its nice to have an "edger" or two when relaxing on the ice. It's all about doing so responsibly and knowing your limits.

Definition of "edger" - A drink that takes the "edge" off on a Friday night or Saturday after a long week of work or even busy week of retirement.

[20lbSloughShark]

What you drink probably wont make a huge difference when fishing, especially in a shelter. It can really make the difference between staying out all day in the deer stand, and heading in for lunch though.

[BoxMN]

Just bought a UA one after I noticed all the NFL players wearing one under their helmets.

Agree 100% !!! I have used one for about 5 years now, and now have 4 of them because I would forget one at the cabin and would not be without it, so would buy another! I wear it just under a ball cap, all winter long. Not thick and comfy. Use it under sled helmets, when ice fishing, when duck or deer hunting, early season chilly open water fishing. Anybody even thinking it might be something you will like, you will LOVE it! And I am normally a "buy U/A knockoff stuff" guy, due to cost, but this U/A baclava is just awesome. Also have a Cabelas brand one, not as warm but still does the job, and is a bit different as it has two layers over ears when the "face" part if covering mouth, but only one layer when you have face open. Also a bit "tighter" to put on than U/A.

[ice_medic]

I am a firm believer in the vest and fleece and no cotton. Wool gloves or mittens. I really like the glomitts. The best of both worlds. Mittens for when I am outside but they flip on back when I need my fingers for doing stuff. Fleece and wool will still have insulating properties to them when they are wet cotton will not. And if you are enjoying some barley pops or what ever your preference is make sure to drink double that in water the same can be said with drinks with caffeine in them. Makes yellow ice a lot faster that way but you will stay hydrated and warm. Have fun and be open to learning from your mistakes

[Portlis]

Just do what I do. Don't fish when the weather is THIS cold lol. I'm by no means a wuss about the cold, I actually enjoy being out in the elements, but when it's literally negative degrees without even factoring in windchill, it's not worth it. You'll see me out there after this cold spell is done with when it's closer to 10 or 15.

[Chad Holst]

So your saying you will be in a Hub style house... Let's go from there.

All the comments above are great if fishing outside but a hub can be a very warm place to fish in a light sweatshirt and jeans. A few tricks for yah... (You said for COLD days like we have coming)

Pack the house in with a light amount of the slush from drilling your hole. There isn't any heavy snow yet, so use the watered slush to put SMALL layer of freeze on the skirt. Wind is your enemy and this will keep it out. You don't need much. Too much and you will have a hard time pulling it up. I use one small shovel per side and then spread it out with my boot and step on it.

Next is the heat. Use a regular sunflower on a 10-20lb tank. But here's the trick... You need to get the air up high to the circulate to the floor. Don't waste your time with carpet or foam or cardboard. Get yourself 20 zip ties, 1 12v computer fan ($10 at radio shack) a 10 foot (when extended) piece of drier tubing and 10 male/female plastic clips.(fabric shop) zip tie the male ends to your hubs poles going up one wall and up to the center of the ceiling. Then zip tie the female end to the tube, 1 ever foot or so. Secure the round computer fan into the bottom of the tube with a couple zip ties. Hook the ends to a flasher battery. The $10 fan will run on a standard flasher battery for about 36 hours. Problem solved. For about $35 you will have a hub that you can wear a long sleeve t shirt in when it's zero degrees out and your heater will never need to come off low. It will pay for itself in saved propane. Your feet stay warm and it's not a sauna when you stand up. When done fishing unclip the clips and store the accordian tubing in a small duffle. It's all set up for next time. The clips on the poles won't interfere with folding up the hub.

If you're new to hub fishing... Another great idea is to get a bit that fits the ice anchors for your hub. This bit is priceless! A regular cordless drill is all you need.

Tight lines

[Early Riser]

Wow "Iron Cowboy," another blast from the past! Good to see you pop in. So many have come and gone, "Jiggle Stick," "Wastewater Guru," among others. I guess all of us around here since the early 2000s are all getting older aren't we?

To me, extreme cold is anything approaching -30 to -50f, including wind-chill. Before the portable fish houses available today were an option, I used to leave our home inland from Grand Marais in the dark, mornings when it was -20f without wind-chill, or even colder, ride my snowmobile up to 12 miles, getting to my spot just after daybreak, and just fish outside. If it was windy and the fish were a little slow, I would sometimes tuck in on a shore, set out some tip ups and build a fire. It really helps, ice shelter or not, to have a thermos of hot liquid to keep flowing. I prefer sweet coffee with creamer and sugar, or sweetened condensed milk for extra energy.

For fishing outside in the cold, I start with a wicking base layer, wool bibs, 2 wool shirts, and covered by a snowmobile suit to seal out the wind. I still use my old green Lacross Iceman boot. They are still working for me, as they have since 1989 and few replacement liners later. They were such an improvement over my old brown Sorel boots.

I got a small Clam shelter in 1993 or so, and would sometimes take it to fish out on the lake to escape the wind, but the thing I didn't like about it was having to pack up after an extended time, because I wasn't acclimated to the cold like I was when out in the elements fishing without a shelter. I found that I preferred to fish without it up there, and still do, unless I am spearing.

Now, living in the metro, I am not usually too far from the truck or 4 wheeler, so I don't consider any weather down here as too extreme to go ice fishing….unless it is getting too warm and raining on already compromised ice.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I'm a fan of wool. Wool socks, wool snow pants, wool coat.

It keeps you warm even when wet. Much better than cotton ever will.

[island guy]

Layers and cotton never touches my skin.

[Dogzlife000]

Just a simple tip that hasn't been mentioned. Spray your feet with antiperspirant before gearing up.

[Lusid]

I'm sorry if this was mentioned, but I always bring a square or rectangle piece of carpet where I can place my feet on..

Helps keep a barrier under my boots and cuts down on heat loss. I might actually put some reflectix type barrier on the underside and see how it works.