Tips For Keeping Warm This Winter - Let's Hear 'Em!

[Hotspotter]

This post was originally from the Women/Angling forum, but upon request I'm putting it here. Interested to hear what everyone else out there does!

Keeping warm is always a challenge, and even moreso for women, who for several physiological reasons get colder faster and stay colder longer. It has nothing to do with being "tough" or "used to it."

That said, I can only offer the male perspective, though hopefully it helps and is applicable for women also.

1. Know your body - Experience might be the best judge here, but you really need to know what temperatures you can withstand, for how long, with how much wind/precipitation. All the fancy clothing in the world won't do much at all if you didn't bring enough of it. Under-dressing is one of the biggest reasons I see for folks getting cold quickly.

2. Eat something - Your body and metabolism is like a furnace, keep it well-fed, and it will supply more heat.

3. Core heat is key - it's one thing to get cold fingers/feet. These are annoyances we must all deal with, or cover them. You can usually ride this out a few hours unless it gets extreme. However, if the central part of your body gets cold, the trip will be over in a hurry. Use layers....see next.

4. Layering - Everyone says, layer, layer, layer, but that doesn't mean much to most folks; especially if we're piling on sweatshirts. At that rate, you get bulky, uncomfortable, and immobile. Start with a high quality pair of long underwear.....silk, underarmour, some poly blend for wicking purposes. Then move to another lightweight/medium-weight set of long underwear shirt. Next, if it's really cold, I'll put on the army weight poly, top and bottom. Then, it's a windproof shell to protect your investment in long underwear. The Arctic Armor works so well as a shell, I doubt you'll need the third layer of poly. Think lightweight in many layers, not bulky. It'll keep your core temp much better off.

5. Something warm for your head - So much heat loss is out of the top of your head; in fact, I'll put on a baseball cap to thermoregulate when I'm too hot out on the ice. I really like wool or fleece when lined with a wind-stopper material.

6. Other exposed skin - This is tricky, because for many folks, it starts in the hands/face. If it's windy and outside for awhile, you'll need some sort of facemask. It doesn't need to be much, but it'll save you from windburn and cold. For gloves, as much glove that will permit you to be flexible and dexterous.

7. Boots/Socks - The newer Sorel and LaCrosse pacs are pretty nice. However, I think it starts with a quality sock or two. Poly base, then to a smartwool or other high quality merino wool or wool blend.

8. Tricks - Hot chocolate, coffee, or tea works well for many people, but not all. Booze is no good to keep you warm (physically). Handwarmers are great, especially when used in unison with a handwarmer muff. Do yourself a favor and use the great big pouches in one of these, rather than two smaller ones, one per glove. The bigger ones put out much more heat, usually longer. For deer hunting, I don't even wear gloves......barehands with a warmer packet in a handwarmer muff. I use a snowmobilers facemask also....it's some stretchy windproof material that works great. I win no style points, but stay warmer longer. Which brings up a good point, esp. regarding women's winter clothing. Much of the stuff I've seen women in our family buying or looking at over the years is junk. "Cute" sells but it rarely seems built for doing anything but walking to the car from work. Even much of the fancier REI or high-buck gear marketed towards active women in the outdoors; "pretty" sells before "practical." Keep that in mind I'd say when purchasing serious cold-weather gear.

I spend quite a bit of time in a deer stand, then ice fishing, and finally, pre-season and early season scouting for turkey hunting. The best advice I could give is truly point #1. It's your body, and you have to know it better than anyone. If you start to get cold, you need to know what to do, and have the materials/means necessary to do something about it. Otherwise, it's a shorter, less enjoyable trip.

Good luck!

Joel

[prov1900]

Exercise is one of the keys to maintaining that core body temp, not only in winter, but during the heat as well. I am a firm believer in that. With exercise, like previously mentioned, that body needs fuel. So eat well.

[Thunderman]

I second that what jnelson says I have a Motto You cannot take off what you don't bring .Eating something and drinking something is a must.

[BoxMN]

#4 and #5 are key for me. I was duck hunting yesterday, lots of wind and fairly cold morning. The under armor style mock tee I have (knock off Gander Brand, "Silk Weight" thickness) is awesome, then I just had a fleece and then my jacket. For winter I will use this same shirt, then a thin fleece and then my Arctic Armor jacket.

For my head while duck hunting or ice fishing, I usually use just an Under Armor brand baclava (sp?) under a baseball cap, and it works great for all but the brutal cold days, and even then I will maybe throw up my hood. But yesterday duck hunting my hat blew off on the boat ride, and the Under Armor without a hat over it was very noticibly colder than when a baseball cap is over it. I threw on a spare tassle cap I bring and then fine again.

Good luck!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great post brother!

[toughguy]

propane works well for me

[dairyman]

i always pull a couple of old walmart plastic bags over my feet before i put my boots on----works great!!!!!!!!!!

[Snake River King]

Lol me two, thats how I like to fish tea shirt in my portable with the heat on high Great post thou good tips!

[CNCMike]

I am all over the layers deal. Each layer should, IMO, be slightly heavier than the previous. It is possible to get all bulked up and uncomfy, but my theory is, I can always remove a layer or 2 if I am not comfortable or am too hot. Which beats the alternative of not being warm enough.

[charliepete2]

Everyone knows to layer, but not everyone knows that you shouldn't layer so much that you bind and constrict. If you've got you're feet absolutely wedged into a pair of boots, you'll get cold feet quicker than if you gave yourself some room.

Not getting sweated up is another thing. Wearing too many clothes on the walk in will keep you chilled the whole time if you sweat.

Sweat is your enemy...spraying your feet with antiperspirant (sp?) will keep you warmer.

You lose more heat from your head than anywhere else. Sometimes you'll catch me wearing 3 wool hats at once.

Breathing in cold air lowers your core body temperature. I've got a face mask with copper coils over the mouth. Your breath heats the coil and the coil warms the air that you draw in. When I plan on being outside all day when it's below zero, I bring it along. A dog racing guy turned me on to using it.

[Mr.Seaguar]

I find my nether regions need extra protection. I wear thick coaching shorts over my undies and that helps a ton. I use good gloves also.

[CNCMike]

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I use good gloves also.

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On your nether regions? That's weird...

[Shack]

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Booze is no good to keep you warm (physically).

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I do not know if this really does work, but it seems to.

a) A nip from a small flask of strong alcohol substance. May it be schnapps or whiskey? It sure feels warm when going down the hatch.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Bring your woman and snuggle.

And wear a hat.

[fishinJohn]

I think I heard that caffine is not good for the cold so I would take the coffee off the origional post. Bathrooming on the lake isn't fun or warm so I try to avoid dehydrating liquids. I think the copper coil thing sounds cool. Wicking long underwear and socks are huge to me.

[looneyducer]

I dress sensibly for the weather, drive to the lake, and don't put on my packs and bibs and parka until I get there. It's amazing how big of a difference that makes.

[Shack]

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Bring your woman and snuggle.

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Are you talking about ones wife? I have a hard time getting my wife to come with. Even after offering, she elects to stay at home. I figured I offered at the least. Then she can not complain when I am heading out the next time.

[Fisherman For a Lifetime]

Oh Man, I ain't touching that post for nuthin'.

One of the best things to wear is a "RABBIT FUR MAD BOMBER HAT" !! It keeps the head sooooo warm...

[captainshane]

YEP, MAD BOMBER HATS ARE GOOD. IT'S TO BAD MY DOG RIPPED IT TO SHREDS LAST YEAR...MUST OF THOUGHT THAT RABBIT WAS STILL ALIVE!

[caseymcq]

One little tip that I can offer that might be obvious.

If you gotta go, go. Holding all that excess fluid takes heat away because it is more to keep warm.

Somebody mentioned not sweating. I have found that to be my biggest enemy. If I have a bit of a hike I usually just walk in a base layer (silk weight or poly) and a sweater or a fleece shirt. I pack the other stuff and an extra base shirt incase I do sweat I can change into something dry.

[jigginjoe]

did a tour in fairbanks alaska and during our cold weather training they said its simple just think C O L D.

Clean

avoid Over heating

Loose layers

Dry

Seems to work for me

[Ragenald]

Great Post. I want to second the idea that you need to know your what your body can tolerate. I fish with my uncle and he can stand the cold much better than I can. I used to think that if I just toughed it out, I would get used to it. Then I froze the fingers on my left hand and now if I go out with out hand warmers those finger tips are instantly in pain. Now, I dress much more smartly and, even though I get dump from my uncle for putting on so many layers, I can outlast him on the lake every time. Rage

[DuluthMedic]

Keep peeing! Your body uses more energy (which could be used for keeping you warm) trying to keep the fluid in your bladder 98.6.