Freezing my Can in my Stand

[WhitetailSlayer]

Hey folks.

Been hunting for a long time (deer, turkey and elk on occasion) and one thing remain constant.

I go out at the crack o' dawn and freeze my kiester for 45min-a few hours before the oppourtunity for a good clean shot on a good buck and then I'm soo darned cold that I gotta fight to get off the shot steady.

I've done everything from full coveralls during turkey season (actually thawed the dusting of snow that refroze my butt tothe ground one time!) to hhand warmers and electirc socks.

Anyone find anything that works well? most of my hunting is done on the edge of a cornfield for turkey and deer, and across a clearing for elk.

let me know...

[gary c.]

I think I'd try hanging those electric socks inside my pants. One over each cheek
Gary C.

[DocHolladay]

The only tip I can give is layers. Be sure you have enough. I usually take and put a couple in my backback to put on after I get to my stand. If you have them all on at once and walk to the stand or blind, you end up sweating and you will never get warm. Avoid sweating while on the way to the hunt, wear plenty of layers and you should be alright.

[progers]

That's one of the best tips you will ever get. Pack it in then put it on.

I like wool socks. And Thinsulate insulaters and liners. Get something with interior pockets and stuff some Hot Hands in there when you first start getting chilled.


I don't have far to walk to my stands but, I leave my laces loose and when I get to the stand I will throw me some Hot Hands under my toes and tie my boots up. The Hot Hands get warmer that the Hot Feet.


Oh yea, and keep your head and ears warm. When it's real cold, I like a mask that covers most my head, ears and mouth to where when I breath out it goes down inside the jacket. Keeps you from fogging the scope when you get buck fever as well.

[Kaiser Hirsch]

Just a very quick question for you. In what part of N. America are you hunting? The I could maybe help you.
Kaiser.

[WhitetailSlayer]

I hunt Northern Illinois, Washingotn and Oregon state.

And of the three, Illinois is the coldest (hunting on a farm just on the widward side of a cornfield)

[Kaiser Hirsch]

Whitetailslayer.
Now I can help you. Heres what to do. Yeah they say layering. But this is what I do when I know its gonna be cold morning (below freezing) Wear just enough clothes to keep you warm while you walk to your stand, Your body will generate enough heat while you walk to keep you warm. Have your long underwear extra socks a towel and maybe a shirt in your backpack. Once at your stand get undressed. Dry yourself off and spray youself with what ever scent eliminator. Then put on your long underwear and the rest of your clothes. Climb into your stand and happy comfy hunting. This may sound dumb but it works. You are most likely getting cold because you are sweating, even maybe so little you don't notice it. But what happens your clothes get damp and the moisture on your clothes gets cold. So when the body is cold it pulls blood and heat from the extremeitie ie. hands and feet to keep the internal organs warm and functioning properly. When this happens no matter what you do you will always have cold hands and feet. I've been able to sit hours at below freezing by doing this Try this method it works for me and let me know. Good luck.
Kaiser.

[Tenpoint]

Well I don't know about getting completely undressed like Kaiser suggests, but if that works for you Kaiser, more power to you.

As a skinny Canadian lad, with little fat to keep me warm, I have tried a variety of things to keep me warm in the stand. As long as you wak into your spot with minimal clothing on, you should be ok. Make sure your under layer does not hold moisture well (cotton bad, wool good), and let your under layers dry a bit before puttin your outer layers on. It is also important to have a good outer layer that breaks the wind.

It's very important to not sit directly on the ground, but have some sort of insulating seat. I have one that clips to my belt for when I am walking/stalking.

Also focus on a couple areas where you can loose alot of heat. My hat is ugly as sin, but keeps me warm. I don't like covering my ears, but when it's really cold, I'd rather have those ear flaps down and be warm and alert than be cold and miserable. Alot of heat can also be lost at the back of your neck. I like to bring a snug neck warmer (we call them dickies here) that pulls over my head, so I can put it on and take it off easily.

I find electric socks irritating because of the heavy batteries, but heat pads slipped into pockets are a great idea.

One last thing, eat some high carb foods before you hunt to give your body the energy it needs to keep you warm. Bacon and egg bagels are a good start to the day.

Cheers,
Tenpoint

[WhitetailSlayer]

You guys won't believe what my dear old Dad found in Illinois.

He (and by default me when I hunt his land) now have a SniperWagon.

It is the wildest thing you've ever seen!!! It looks like a old grain wagon with, for lack of a better term, a house on top!.
The thing is AWESOME!

He got the plans off the web and sent them in and built the darned thing while I was away.

From now on, I'm hunting in a t-shirt!!!!!

[progers]

Well there ya go. If you can't beat the cold, get out of it.

That's why I have heated box stands. For them cold and rainy days!

[WhitetailSlayer]

Yeah, I've seen box stands too but you wouldn't believe how cool this is.

Proger, this is too good, can I send out link so other folks can see what it is?

Too sweet to keep to myself.

[progers]

Well, is it a place that is selling them or what? If you don't work for the place then, I guess that it wouldn't be considered advertising.

Post it and we will take a look. If we have to I can copy the pics and post them.

[WhitetailSlayer]

No, they don't even sell the thing it's self. More like a plans type of things, since I guess you can customize it with a few options depending on what you hunt and how you hunt it (my old man's is six foot three inside so we can stand and use bow).

You ain't gonna believe how sweet.
sniperwagon.com




let me know if it works!

edited by progers

[progers]

Pretty kewl.

I edited to add the picture and break the link.

[magnum]

3 words for ya heater body suit look them up on the net

[yellodog1]

Hunting in style, I like it. You might as well put your food plots out of the camp window, below your bedroom. That way, no wagon involved.
Friends of mine in Maine hunt from a converted fishing shanty, complete with a heater, they get deer every year.

[WhitetailSlayer]

Heater body suit? Heck no, SniperWagon and catalytic heater so I can hunt in a t- shirt!!!

If I buy a full 12V heated set (jacket, vest, pants and socks) heck I've already justabout paid for the materials for the SniperWagon and then it would only help me (Not my wife, buddies and family that will all use the SniperWagon that my dad built).

It's style and economy all rolled into one!!! (and I never will get wet or have to shoot out of a waving tree ever again!)

[rogo]

Up here in Vermont it gets pretty cold at times. I used to freeze on stand. One day a hunter i was talking to gave me a suggestion. He said go to the Army-Navy store and buy some military long johns and try them. I did. Have not been cold on stand since. They work great. They absorb any sweat you create walking to your stand and have a zipper that turns the neck into like a turtleneck sweater. They are extremely lightweight and not bulky. I love them and recommend them to anyone who gets cold on stand. Costs about $90 per pair but are worth it.

[MIBuckSlayer65]

Layers, Layers and more layers...if that don't work, hunt from Whitetailslayer's Sniper Wagon...Aka "Deer Hunter's Hilton".

Faux Under armour is the stuff that I start my layers with, then wool long johns, then, my BDU pants, on top I throw on a turtleneck shirt I got at "Wally World" for $5, then put on a Camo Long Sleeve tee or my favorite Ragg Wool Sweater...the shirts and sweater don't go on until I leave the house. Get to the parking area and I get those shirts on, throw a hot pack in my fleece hand muff, got my fleece skull cap on...fingerless gloves with Shooting gloves under them...I pack in my Bibs and my coat, I also have a Camoskinz full face hood mask and a fleece full face hood thingy. I keep a couple of extra hand warmers in my pack, and another pair of gloves 100gm Thinsulate if things get really chilly...I found if I Can keep my fingers warm and the drafts out of my lower back and around my neck I"m good to go.

I just can't get my arms around that Taj Mahal that the Sniperwagon is...kind of "city boy" to me, you got a brass pole in there and some strippers spinning around for you or are you getting manicure and bikini wax while you hunt? Not really hunting to me...but, that's just me, I still build ground blinds on State Land out of dead trees and branches, I guess I'm still into tradition. I think that is why I love deer hunting so much...tradition.

Tomorrow is the last day of firearm gun season in Michigan so that means there is only 366 days til opening day! I think I have as much fun planning and preparing for Deer Camp as I do being at Deer Camp.

Thank god for Golf to break up the time during the summer months.

[buckybuck]

3 words: HEATER BODY SUIT, i agree with magnum. they just work, no more layers! you dress light for the walk and climb into the heater body suit once you get to your spot. simple as that! no more batteries, wires, heat packs.

[DocHolladay]

I have been using a "heater body suit" long before they were ever advertised or thought about.... it was called a sleeping bag . I like the military ones since they are green.

[johnstonab]

I don't get naked at the stand like Kaiser, I do however ware the bare minimum for the current temps when walking out to my stand. PolyPros, Military long johns, and a camo shirt and hat on top and if it's cold enough my insulated pants. My mom croshaed me a pair of heavy hunting mittens with trigger fingers for ML/gun season. once i am in my stand I will wait about 10 minutes and then put on my fleace hood mask thingy, my coat and scarf (matches the mittens mom made me). that helps, if ground hunting, as stated before, make sure you have insulation between you and the cold ground.