Looking to buy sum new cold weather geare looking for opinions

I bought some stuff last year from Midway USA it was there branded gear and it's light quiet and warm and comfy and lot cheaper than the other stuff of I were to go any higher end than that I would look at skre gear

Sitka hands down, made in alaska

Merino wool base layer, something like Sitka or Cabela's Outfitters Wool with windshear on the outside . Whatever you put between them really doesn't matter.

First lite is best followed by Sitka. Find a good merino base layer. Badlands makes a good set.

I really think ALL the 100% merino wool base layers are the same, some might just have better cuts to fit your body. I have woolrich, first lite, sitka, and some cheap midway USA stuff and besides the fit, I can't tell a difference in anything except the price. So, get you several different layers/weights of merino wool base layers wherever you can find them on sale (black ovis, camofire, ebay, midway USA, etc...) then get something wind and waterproof for the outside layer. Sitka is expensive and is usually cut for thinner guys. I love their stuff and their warmth to weight ratio is hard to beat.

It'll be July in less than 2 hours, nobody should even mention anything other than air conditioning

That MidwayUSA stuff on sale is hard to beat...

My personal cold weather setup, when I lived in Montana I wore a lot of Sitka and its good stuff, but I have found that the gear from Natural Gear suffices excellent here in the not so cold Alabama climate.

https://naturalgear.com/natural-stealth-hunter-grand-stand-bib/

https://naturalgear.com/natural-stealth-hunter-grand-stand-parka/

I wear a mid level weight maybe 600 or 800 g Wolverine 8" insulated hunting boot, with TCK Prosport Performance Tube Socks, if I am going to be doing a lot of hiking and foot exposure to mud and water I will wear a thicker wool sock over tube sock, a basic good quality knit sock will suffice decently.

Usually I wear a thin wool or microfiber layer under that, like skiing undergarments, good wicking undergarments are important. If I am going to be in a tree stand on a windy day I go a little heavier on the under layers.

Personally I wear this on my head https://www.rothco.com/product/rothco-polar-fleece-balaclava now on a very windy day I will wear this and pop the hood of Natural Gear Parka up.

Gloves - Hot Shot Igloos Men's The Sentry Mittens ------ now these are great for sitting in a stand etc..... but due to them being knit gloves they are prone to snagging if you are hiking through the brush, at which point I stick to a basic insulated work glove from Lowes or TSC

Now if you need a warm dry glove practically regardless of the conditions Hestra makes the best in my opinion.
https://hestragloves.com/sport/en/gloves/outdoor/38600-hunters-gauntlet-czone/861/

In a tree stand on a cold morning nothing beats either of these stuffed with a pair of hot hands packs:
https://naturalgear.com/fleece-handwarmer-muff/
or
https://www.sitkagear.com/products/incinerator-muff

And I pack water of course but I also pack a Stanley thermos filled with this.... 50% black coffee, 50% beef broth, cuz who doesn't need coffee, and the beef broth has just a touch of calories and some good salts that help your body stay warm, something I learned from an old Elk & Moose hunting outfitter in Canada. Of course his was more like 40% black coffee, 40% beef broth and 20% Canadian Club Whiskey....

with cold weather stuff you get what you pay for. The old cabela's brand was top notch but now that bass pro has bought them out I wouldn't touch it. Sitka is what I will buy when I have to replace all my Cabela's gear. I currently run under armour bases with Cabela's outer wear and never get cold.

Nomad makes some pretty good stuff as well.

Their ESW line is top notch as well for the early season, with the mild winters you could probably wear it the length of the season. I would add a base layer as it gets a little cooler and leave it at that.

I just use carhart stuff. It's cheap, you cant wear it out after 10 years and its actually made to work, hunt or go out in public with. Camo colors. I live in bama so i think the worst it gets is about 20 degrees.

11 posts and no one has said they hunt in a Fruit of the Loom white short sleeve undershirt, with blue jeans all year.

My vote is for Plythal. It doesn't advertise like Stika, but it's been good. https://www.plythal.com

Flannel and a pack of pall malls

I 3rd that ... Merino base + Sitka

Have you specifically seen a decline in the quality of the Cabela's apparel since the purchase? If so, in what way?

Or are you just assuming that because BPS owns the Cabela's brand now it's not as good?

Non insulated jacket for Bama weather

BP dropped the Outfitter line of men's shirts, they were my favorite. BP has a "similar shirt" they offer, but it isn't as nice IMHO.

Cabela's is going to be just like Herters. in 7-8 years they'll have about 7-8 items in their BP catalogue branded "Cabela's" and it will be cheaply made POS like the rest of what they sell. They just need some time to make some changes at the "corporate level" without running off whoever is around that came from Cabela's.... until they have fully integrated it into their cheap POS philosophy.

I got the sitka fanatic lite bibs and jacket last summer. Picked up a stratus vest for the really cold days.worth the coin imo . It's a lot less bulky and doesn't restrict your movement like my other cold weather stuff does. If you plan on buying any you better get on it. That stuff will be on back order by the this gun season starts.

Possible, for sure. I haven't bought any Cabela's or BPS clothing in a while. I'm just legit curious if anyone has and can compare to their prior Cabela's apparel for quality issues.

IMO BPS would be stupid to take something people like - Cabela's clothing - and cheapen it to save a few pennies when if they kept it the same or improved it could make more. And I've never liked the Redhead stuff, either. I always preferred Cabela's gear.

Agree on the Fanatic stuff. Quite warm.

Sitka

Yes I’ve personally seen two examples of lower quality. One in their 800g rubber boots that my buddy purchased last fall. They started coming apart at the sole so I told him to take them back to Cabelas because of the lifetime warranty. He was notified that they no longer honor the Cabelas warranty.

Second example was I had seams come undone on a set of ECWS base layers. In all the clothing I’ve ever owned from Cabelas I’ve never had anything come unstitched.

Duck Oven has to be one of the warmest to weight ratio jackets on the planet.

Jeepers. That sucks. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the input guys I guess Sitka is in my future

Arctic Shield.Sitka might be good but it aint nowhere near worth what the ticket price is

Dollar for dollar the Artic shield stuff is hard to beat. Natural gear bibs and parka with a good base layer is good enough for 95% of the days in AL. The Sitka fanatic bibs and jacket is better than both but also cost more than both put together and with a good base layer is good enough for 100% of the days in AL.

Modern Cabelas gear to me pretty much falls into the same category as Walmart gear and decaff coffee. There is a time and place for these things.... never and in the trash.

been in sub zero with chill factor, layer my shirt & pants, my main cover is a bib rubber rain suit w/hood, hold heat blocks wind, when on my 4 wheeler ,short walks then sit.

It is when it's below zero with a -13 wind chill and you're not cold.

I can take the $1000 I save and invest in base layers. Not many -13° days in Alabama coldest ive ever hunted was maybe 15°and thats extremely rare its usually at or above freezing . Is the OP going to be clubbing seals in the Arctic circle or deer hunting in Alabama?

Whatever works for you. It was worth it to me and many others.

I have grown to love the Sitka gear for many reasons. It’s the best clothing I’ve ever owned when it comes to quality, functionality and warmth. I also really like the new subalpine pattern. I own several different sets of Sitka from the fanatic series down their lightest series of clothing. I wait for sales as much as possible or look for deals on the Sitka Facebook group page. Some pretty good deals can be had from time time on this group. If you are on Facebook you can request to become a member.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1068274743189074/?ref=share

I don't deer hunt everyday anymore. As I've gotten older I've learned it's quality over quantity. Limit your pressure, hunt when conditions are more favorable. I'll be damned if i'm going hunting when it's zero or below wind chill. I have some older Cabela's M0t050 gear that is really good stuff. It will have to be during the rut for me to get out there below the teens.

^^This^^. There's nothing like sitting there in the bone chilling cold (which to me is anything below 29 degrees) and wearing just a few layers (base, light mid layer, outer) and being warm as you want to be. I thoroughly enjoy that feeling.

Nobody has mentioned Kuiu and that is a good thing. I am a hater. So much so - that I did the responsible thing and purchased some Kuiu to wear last season. How can I hate and not own. That's not my playbook. I dropped the $800+ to see if I like it. BTW - I have climbed the Eiger twice... don't try to school me on layering. Know your role. The Kuiu stuff is too thin and not made for the style hunting we do here in Alabama. I am sure it works well in the places they are hunting in their advertisements in the pictures Rocky Mountains, Canada, Uzbekistan, etc...wherever they are playing Bowhunter Barbie. I don't care. It is ripped off hiking clothes. Most of us are not deer hunting like that.

I am coming around on Sitka. Between the two there is no contest. Sitka clothes are the same layering concept, only, they are more substantial and fee more well made because they are not trying to layer 5 paper thin pieces. The Kuiu stuff is overboard. After 5 layers I would rather just wear my Hydro Fleece then I know for sure I am not getting cold.

Sitka is going to get the nod from me. Or the Cabela's MT050 if Bass Pro ain't ruined it yet.

All that being said I haven't got cold in a set of lined Carhartts yet in Alabama either.

I have a set of fanatic lite bibs I’d get rid in size large if you wanted em. I wore them twice last year. I like my first lite a lot better.
Not knocking Sitka gear I have a lot of it and love it..

Let me help brother Kelly out since his reading comprehension skills are lacking today. The question in the op was "what is the best cold weather gear"? You thought he asked "what's the best cold weather gear for the money "? Fify no need to thank me..
It happens all the time..

The MT050 is my go to. It hasn’t let me down yet but it’s old school cabelas. Not BP wannabe stuff.

Whatever has the least amount of cold transferable mass and dries the quickest.

If it has been laying in the cold and feels cold to the touch, too much mass

Price or brand is irrelevant

I decided to hop on the 'premium hunting clothing' bandwagon last year. Spent a bunch of money on First Lite gear since it is cheaper than Sitka. Regret not making the purchase much sooner!

I ended up with two sets of Merino baselayers. The 200g set (Fuse) and their heaviest 350g set (Furnace). Like the Merino WAY better than synthethic base layers. The odor control really amazed me. Having both sets kept me comfortable from archery season through the coldest mornings.

Obsidian pants. Found out quickly these merino blended pants aren't meant for southern brush busting. BUT, they are extremely comfortable and regulate temperature well. Mid-season I got to where I'd wear them when I knew I wouldn't have to battling briars. I had to get a seamstress to sew up a few small tears post-season. Love the pants, just can't bust thickets with them. They just introduced a new pair of pants (the Sawbuck) that should be munch better suited for southern whitetail hunting.

Woodbury jacket. Absolutely LOVE this heavy jacket. Best I've owned for cold-weather stand hunting. Extremely warm, well-thought out pocket design, form-fitting sleeves for bowhunting.


Hope I don't sound like a fanboy, but I've tried a ton of gear over the years and really like the First Lite. My next purchase will be a pair of bibs to replace the Drake bibs i've been using. I expect the bibs to be just as warm, less bulky, and much quieter.

I bought a pair of cabelas Bibbs last year and they are hands down the best I’ve ever worn. Thermal layer under them and I’m good to go. Now the top I wear thermal layer and my hells canyon jacket and I’m good. Temps get below 20 and I’ll wear a wool pullover on under my jacket but other than that is overkill.

Might I add I hardly sit in a shooting house so I’m always in the wind and the bibs and jacket work perfect.

Sitka

I have the full line of Sitka gear it cant be beat for cold weather.