Finding a way to carrying cold weather gear.

Z

zerowolf

New member
I have very warm bibs and coat for hunting. The problem I have is it would need to be -20 for me to wear them while walking into/out of the woods.

The bibs I wear if its under 30 or there is a lot of snow(keeps me dry) and just unzip as much as I can. The coat is far to heavy to wear even unzipped and it is really bulky so I can't fit it in my backpack.

I thought about getting a big hiking pack or something like that but even then it would be hard to fit so not sure if that would work. I also thought of using a mesh bag (or making one) and adding some straps/clips so I could hook that to my bag.
 
you're probably going to be better served by adjusting your gear to the environment here in michigan than trying to pack in gear that's rated for much colder weather and then putting it on once you get to your stand.

going big (super cold weather gear) isnt really practical for most of our firearms hunting season, unless you're a muzzle loader hunter. it may shine for deep winter predator hunting, but not much else. In recent memory a "cold" deer hunt here for me (central michigan) has been in the low 20's.


i find its better to layer properly and wear lighter weight outer gear. I dont have a huge walk from my parking spot to my deer stand, but if i overdress i still work up enough of a sweat to get uncomfortable when i dont dress right.

i found that getting good moisture wicking base layer stuff helped a ton. I have since added to my gear list some merino wool socks for that very reason.

Two years ago i hiked about 1.5 miles in my hunting gear helping track a deer and thanks to the base layer i had no idea how much i was sweating until i took off my coat when we stopped and realized my outer layer was SOAKED, but i was still dry down at skin level.

HTH
 
Layers. I walked almost 20 miles in two days deer hunting a couple weeks ago. In steep, rough mountain terrain. Temps and conditions from sitting still in low 20's to climbing a thousand feet of elevation in high 60's. Never got too hot, or cold. And when it got the warmest and all my layers were in my pack, it was still just a very small load that weighed little. My outer insulation layer was a 800 fill down jacket that packs as big as a grapefruit and weighs 9 oz. The fleece under that is bulky and heavy for what it is at another 9 oz., but for short walks (I was only going 5 or 6 miles at a time and going slowly), it was not any burden and a welcome layer for much of the days. Down vest at another 7 oz. Synthetic quarter zip base layer that when it was warmest and I was working the hardest, is the only layer I wore with it unzipped and sleeves rolled up. All the other layers only added 25 oz. to my pack but allowed me to be comfortable sitting still for a couple hours are well under freezing.

Layers.

- DAA
 
Originally Posted By: DAALayers. I walked almost 20 miles in two days deer hunting a couple weeks ago. In steep, rough mountain terrain. Temps and conditions from sitting still in low 20's to climbing a thousand feet of elevation in high 60's. Never got too hot, or cold. And when it got the warmest and all my layers were in my pack, it was still just a very small load that weighed little. My outer insulation layer was a 800 fill down jacket that packs as big as a grapefruit and weighs 9 oz. The fleece under that is bulky and heavy for what it is at another 9 oz., but for short walks (I was only going 5 or 6 miles at a time and going slowly), it was not any burden and a welcome layer for much of the days. Down vest at another 7 oz. Synthetic quarter zip base layer that when it was warmest and I was working the hardest, is the only layer I wore with it unzipped and sleeves rolled up. All the other layers only added 25 oz. to my pack but allowed me to be comfortable sitting still for a couple hours are well under freezing.

Layers.

- DAA

This is the way...
 
Originally Posted By: Plant.Oneyou're probably going to be better served by adjusting your gear to the environment here in michigan than trying to pack in gear that's rated for much colder weather and then putting it on once you get to your stand.

going big (super cold weather gear) isnt really practical for most of our firearms hunting season, unless you're a muzzle loader hunter. it may shine for deep winter predator hunting, but not much else. In recent memory a "cold" deer hunt here for me (central michigan) has been in the low 20's.


i find its better to layer properly and wear lighter weight outer gear. I dont have a huge walk from my parking spot to my deer stand, but if i overdress i still work up enough of a sweat to get uncomfortable when i dont dress right.

i found that getting good moisture wicking base layer stuff helped a ton. I have since added to my gear list some merino wool socks for that very reason.

Two years ago i hiked about 1.5 miles in my hunting gear helping track a deer and thanks to the base layer i had no idea how much i was sweating until i took off my coat when we stopped and realized my outer layer was SOAKED, but i was still dry down at skin level.

HTH

Last year (and probably this year) I had more trouble during the normal rifle season because it was so warm during the day. Dawn/Dusk I had 20s-30s reaching into the 50s and 60s mid day. I got full on screaming through the woods busted by a doe last year because of the heat. I have had them bust me in the past but never like that. Usually I get the 'I should probably leave' treatment... she put on a show for every deer within 400 yards.

Striped as much as I could and opened all the windows/door and still couldn't stay cool If I am hunting on private land its not as bad because I leave warm gear at my blind so I don't have to worry about it.

Anyway... later in the winter is when i have more trouble. Waste deep snow doesn't help the situation. I never get cold if I can prevent sweating and have my coat with me... its just that carrying the bulky thing causes problems. It probably doesn't help that I am very sensitive to cold and can overheat really easy. I keep an orange shirt and skullcap with me just for deer dragging because if I have anything more than that on even in 10deg weather I drip with sweat.

I think a wool shirt would help a lot. My wife found a cheap pair of woolrich pants and so far using them this year even when it gets up into the 50s they are not to bad. Don't sweat much and I stay warm when the temp drops.
 
I have a Eberlestock Team Elk back pack and I just love it. I had a Eberlestock gunslinger pack but it just would not hold enough stuff (2100 ci) as you have stated. So I traded it in on the Team Elk. (3100 ci) Now I can carry all my calling stuff (cs24c) some safety stuff some extra layers, knives,binos, poncho,etc. and when it gets hot I can still have room to stuff in my jacket, or hang it on the back. It has an internal frame and makes the load very manageable. I weighed it the other day and it weighs 23# fully loaded, if I put the rifle in the scaberd its now up to about 30# but still easy to handle. I like to walk a bit and walk from stand to stand and this pack has worked out great! I still have not fully loaded it yet. I have skinned a coyte and put his hide in the pack and still had room for more, check it out it may be just what you are looking for.
 
23 lbs, whoa!

When I go on a three night, four day backpacking trip, my starting pack weight is usually not more than 27 lbs. That includes my tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, clothes including the insulation layers mentioned above, rain gear, stove, all my food, camera, gps, binocular, knife, multi tool, rope, water filter, repair kit, first aid kit, two liters of water and a fifth of whiskey.

That's everything I need to eat well, be comfortable, safe, stay warm and dry for four days!

When I come off the trail after most of the food and all of the whiskey are gone, the pack usually weighs about 17 lbs.

I can't imagine finding a way to carry over 20 lbs of stuff just to go calling.

- DAA
 
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