I will be going to the Northeast Mountains in New Mexico for a late season cow hunt the middle of January. We will be hunting in the Urraca Wildlife Area. The gentleman I'm going with said it would be really cold that time of year.

I have plenty of warm shirts, a "wooly-pully" commando sweater and a fleece wind blocker vest. I plan to use the layered approach. I feel the only thing needed is a topcoat or parka. I don't think a big insulated waterfowl parka is the way to go. I have been looking in the Cabela's, Bass Pro & LL Bean catalog so I can pass my list on to Santa. Is wool the way to go? Or would this be too heavy? LL Bean has wool parkas and a shirt-jacket that has the wind blocker. I looked at the Gerber fleece jackets from Cabelas but are they too light? I want something that will keep me warm that is packable. What would you guys recommend?

Also, I have 1 pair of wool trousers but I want to pick up a couple other pair of pants. Should I stick with wool or go with something else? What about leg gaiters? The snow could get deep, are gaiters a worth while investment or a waste of time and money?

As far as socks are concerned, I plan to use a moisture wicking liner with wool, any suggestions on socks?

Being a deer hunter from the Carolinas this is something I have NO experience with.
Thanks.

C-ROY

I'll let some of the western hunters suggest types of clothing, I'll suggest this:
Make sure you plan on wearing layers. 2 or 3 instead of 1 makes for a more comfortable hunt. You can strip one or two layers off and stuff them in a day pack for a quick climb up a ridge and then put them back on(Dry) when you get to the top.
It gets cold here in Ohio so during the late season I wear thermal underwear(if it is cold enough) jeans or sweets over top of these and my camo's(I bow hunt) over these once I am where I can start hunting. An additional long sleeve tee-shirt or sweet shirt if necessary and maybe a down vest.
Don't forget the knit hat and scarf to keep your head and neck warm. This is the most important part of staying warm.

[ 10-29-2002, 20:26: Message edited by: amosgreg ]

C-Roy,

Wool is great as long as it does not get too wet. It soaks everything up and adds weight. Layering in fleece is the way to go. It's light, it's packable, and it's warmer than wool. Top that off with a waterproof shell of some sort that is quiet enough to hunt in. Thinsulate-lined boots are also a must, as are polypropylene thermals, and fleece glomits (mitten/finger gloves) but the biggest consideration is matching everything to the type of hunting you'll be doing. One thing you want to avoid in the winter is sweating too much. If you're primarily glassing and stalking, then you can ditch such things as insulated bibs and a few upper layers. They'll just make you overheat and tire you out.

I don't really consider the area you'll be hunting to be all that cold, probably due to the fact that I grew up in places where the temperature would freeze solid the snot inside your nose, but that's not to say that you couldn't be in for a very uncomfortable experience if you don't dress properly. Don't forget to get yourself a good hat and/or facemask.

I don't like gaiters because they gather everything together tightly. The key is having an airspace between your clothing and skin. If you're worried about getting snow around the tops of your boots, pull your pant-legs over your boots and tape them in place.

Not only do want your socks to wick moisture away from your skin, but you want everything you put on to both wick perspiration away while providing breathability. Wool is no where near as effective in wicking moisture as are the various synthetic insulation materials that are available today. If your hunting conditions are going to be bone dry, then wool will work well, but you have much better options out there.

Good luck.

Multiple layers, 3-4 should get you through with little problem. The final layer on top would be something like Beretta's Reversible jacket. It has two diff. Camo patterns (not a biggie for your hunt) but it is lighter than a 'Quad' parka or even one w/ the removable 'second' or 'inner' coat.
As for the final layer on the pants, I've hunted in some cold/deep snow in Idaho and I just wore powder pants over the other layers. These are somewhat like a windbreaker, just a bit tougher.

Start your layers off w/ the polypro undies along w/ the water wicking socks, next comes a layer of wool/fleece pants w/ a wool or flannel shirt. Above the pants comes either another pair of insulated pants or the powder pants. On the top, I usually put a fleece vest or fleece vest w/ windstopper and top that off w/ the Beretta jacket.

For me, the boots/socks combo and the gloves are the most important one's. My feet seem to get cold at anything below 50 degrees!

Get the 1200 Gr Thinsulate variety of snow pacs or quality hunting boot and get them a size large. Then, BREAK THEM IN !!!!!

For gloves, I use two different one's The first is a standard poly pro glove that helps keep my hands dry. The second is a pair of insulated gloves. When buying the insulated type of glove, test it out in the trigger guard to make sure you don't have to cram your finger into the guard. Could make for some really poor shots!

Anywho, this is all my opinion.

Best of luck on your hunt and most of all, HAVE FUN!