AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
Up here in interior Alaska it is cold...way below freezing.
Ten tips for keeping warm:
1) I always have a thermos of hot water or hot coffee.
2) Most body heat escapes thru the head so I like a hood and mad bomber hat.
3) To avoid sweating, I strip down to a t-shirt if I have to walk more than 100 yards...even when its below freezing, then I layer up once I am in the blind. If its in the 40s I often walk in with no t-shirt, just bare skin above the waders to prevent sweat.
4) Also I always carry an extra t-shirt just in case I do sweat and switch to a dry t-shirt as soon as I settle down in the blind.
5) I camp out for 2-weeks so wear neoprene hip boots inside my size 15 breathable waders. That way my feet are dry for 2 weeks since I turn the stocking foot hip boots inside out to dry completely at camp.
6) When its super cold, my waders freeze at camp overnight so I put 2 chemical hand warmers in the bottom of the wader boots first thing in the morning and sleep with my stocking foot neoprene waders so they are near body temperature when I put them on then the waders.
7) Most of my cold weather layers are from Walmart...fast wicking polyester t-shirt, polarfleece shirt, polar fleece hoodie, swiss gear puffy, all under a windproof/waterproof shell with a hood. I do stay warm on a budget...
8) The second I start to feel that I am getting cold, I get up and move...go out and move a decoy for example, then drink some hot water from a thermos.
9) If the birds are working consistently from one direction and its super cold I wear XXXL mittens with chemical hand warmers that I can slip off when the birds are approaching. I sewed my super large mittens from an old pair of breathable waders...they are waterproof, and windproof.
10) I keep a reliable chainsaw and fire starter in the boat, just in case need to build a warming fire if someone trips and falls in the ice cold water.
Duck hunting is a 15-day expedition, so I think camping in the cold helps the body get used to cold.
It always seems like the first few days are the coldest, by the 15th day it feels warmer.
For the 60 mile boat trip back to the ramp, googles and 3 hoods, 2 pair of mittens and hand warmers with my XXXL breathable wader mittens.
Ten tips for keeping warm:
1) I always have a thermos of hot water or hot coffee.
2) Most body heat escapes thru the head so I like a hood and mad bomber hat.
3) To avoid sweating, I strip down to a t-shirt if I have to walk more than 100 yards...even when its below freezing, then I layer up once I am in the blind. If its in the 40s I often walk in with no t-shirt, just bare skin above the waders to prevent sweat.
4) Also I always carry an extra t-shirt just in case I do sweat and switch to a dry t-shirt as soon as I settle down in the blind.
5) I camp out for 2-weeks so wear neoprene hip boots inside my size 15 breathable waders. That way my feet are dry for 2 weeks since I turn the stocking foot hip boots inside out to dry completely at camp.
6) When its super cold, my waders freeze at camp overnight so I put 2 chemical hand warmers in the bottom of the wader boots first thing in the morning and sleep with my stocking foot neoprene waders so they are near body temperature when I put them on then the waders.
7) Most of my cold weather layers are from Walmart...fast wicking polyester t-shirt, polarfleece shirt, polar fleece hoodie, swiss gear puffy, all under a windproof/waterproof shell with a hood. I do stay warm on a budget...
8) The second I start to feel that I am getting cold, I get up and move...go out and move a decoy for example, then drink some hot water from a thermos.
9) If the birds are working consistently from one direction and its super cold I wear XXXL mittens with chemical hand warmers that I can slip off when the birds are approaching. I sewed my super large mittens from an old pair of breathable waders...they are waterproof, and windproof.
10) I keep a reliable chainsaw and fire starter in the boat, just in case need to build a warming fire if someone trips and falls in the ice cold water.
Duck hunting is a 15-day expedition, so I think camping in the cold helps the body get used to cold.
It always seems like the first few days are the coldest, by the 15th day it feels warmer.
For the 60 mile boat trip back to the ramp, googles and 3 hoods, 2 pair of mittens and hand warmers with my XXXL breathable wader mittens.
