re: Warmth while hunting in a Tree Stand

I have to agree with you on the merino base. They do feel like they stay wet if you sweat.

my feet and hands get very painful and lose circulation when they get cold. I got some lithium ion heated gloves and socks and I can sit there all day. Otherwise, got some UA base layer thermals that are great. All else fails, get a lil buddy heater.

Those that wear bibs and have to hike to get to where you hunt, you just pack them in? Seems like a ton of bulk.

Body warmers, toe warmers, medium weight base layer, windproof outer layer, silk sock with wool socks over it.

Need a good base layer and insulated/wind proof jacket along with insulated boots with thick socks.

You're pretty much good to go from there.

Deer hunting is fun but it quickly becomes a nightmare once you settle down from the walk/climb and start to freeze your ballsack off.

Lots of good advice in here. I pretty much strictly bow hunt and I struggled for a long time to find something that worked for me. I’m a lock on hunter and hunt private land/permanent sets now. System was a lot different when I was hunting in climbers and it was more work. My current cold weather (sub 40) system is this:

Top:
merino light base
merino quarter zip heavy base
First lite quarter zip synthetic insulation layer
My walks are about half a mile and I leave QZ unzipped on the walk then zip up once I get to the stand and I pack in a First Lite solitude jacket. If it’s below freezing I’ll wear the jacket in.

Bottom:
Merino heavy base
First Lite sanctuary bibs. These things are toasty. I have to leave them unzipped walking in or I’ll start sweating.

Other:
Merino gaiter/balaclava
Heavy merino beanie or Sitka beanie if it’s windy
Heavy smart wool socks
Muck woody sport boots

One thing I’ve learned is to wear boots a size bigger than normal for cold weather. I wear Grundens ankle boots for pretty much anything above 50 degrees. Once it gets colder, I wear Mucks, but if you are wearing thick socks and your boots are too tight, you’re going to get cold. Circulation is key. If I’m making long sits and it’s below 40, I’ll try to stand up every 45 minutes to an hour and move my feet around to get blood flowing. It helps a lot. I also keep powder in my boots to try to keep them dry.

This setup keeps me warm down to the 20s. Probably lower but I only hunt south Louisiana so I haven’t experienced long sits in teen temps.

I bought some alpaca hiking socks that I like, but I need to take my boots off to not sweat. Not that sweating matters a lot to alpaca socks but I don't like it. So I go foot commando till they get cold. Never get wet that way. Base polypro handles most things in Louisiana. Even up here on the northern border.

Firstlite has a good sale right now on merino base layers. 40% off
LINK

Keeping your head and neck well covered is very important to keeping warm. I remember reading that you can loose something like 30 % of your body heat from your head.

When I walk to my stand location, I only wear a T-shirt. Even in 30 degree weather because I will still sweat some. After I get settled in my stand and cooled off a little, I put on several layers of dry clothing.

Keep you base warm. Wear an extra insualred vest