Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Serious Deer Talk Forum Best cold weather gear

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.