Gentlemen,
I need to get some warm clothing for a late November whitetail hunt.

Could you please recommend a good source and products? I've been looking at the Cabelas MT50 cold weather stuff but it is quite pricey. Is there anywhere else I should look for good quality clothing at reasonable prices?

Thanks,
Jimno

Jimno
Try Raven wear www.ravenwear.ca . They have several different clothing lines specifically designed for Canadian hunting and they are a top notch product. They also will deliver your clothes to the Nisku Inn in November if you are flying through Edmonton.

Lonny

if you are looking for cold weather gear that is the best available, go to NORTHERN OUTFITTERS in Draper, Utah

I live in Alberta and hunt Alberta and Saskatchewan every year.I use a polypropelene underlayer followed by layers of fleece for insulation,then an unlined gore tex shell to break the wind and keep me dry.I just add or remove layers to match the conditions.The gore tex shell is made by 10x the rest I bought from work wearhouse.

I know my outfitter will get me this information, but will I be required to wear white, orange, or can I go camo.

I'll be blind hunting so I guess it won't matter that much, but any suggestions on patterns would be great.

They tell me it could be +20F to -20F so layering is a must. I've never hunted in -20F but I would think that would require quite a few layers of fleece. What should I pack?

Thanks,
Jimno

If you are rifle hunting in Saskatchewan,you must have a complete outer layer of orange,red,white or yellow.You can have pants and jacket and cap of different colors,as long as they are of the colors above.However your cap can't be white.
For blind hunting,I would pack a pair of pac boots and both mitts and gloves.Take both a toque and a cap for warm or cold.For an underlayer,I recommend helly hanson.For fleece,I have both a light and heavy fleece jacket that can be worn one over the other if necessary.If you are in blind,you might just want a pair of white or orange coveralls for an outer layer.

Stubblejumper,
Thanks so much! I will be getting a white cover-up, already have orange hat.

I've also been told to buy the boot-insulators. When on stand, take off walking boots, put a few of the air-activated handwarmers in the boot-insulators and put feet in, they apparently stay toasty that way.

What do you do for drinks and what come AFTER you drink? I'm not used to sitting in a blind for 9+ hours.

Thanks again, you are a great help.

Jimno

I don't use an enclosed blind myself but I do sit on stand for a few hours during the morning and again in the evening.I do carry the disposable hand warmers myself in extreme cold.The ones that I use last six to eight hours.Since I don't sit on stand all day,I don't worry much about food or hot drinks.

Jimno
I have a complete Ravenware outfit and a pair of Northern Outfitter boots I'd sell reasonable. I have used them on two hunts in Sask. and the gear works great. The color is white on the pants and jacket. 435-755-6842 or 435 753-2367

Go with the MT050 from Cabelas. Yes it is expensive but WELL worth it. I have 2 sets of Parkas and Bibs. Hunted Colorado with it for years in some reaaly nasty weather. If I had the need, I would buy it again. Excellent stuff!!

Another vote for Raven Wear from a Northern Alberta Hunter, Everyone I know who uses it swears by it.

Chris

Jimno,

I too recommend Raven Wear. Susan is great to work with. I also have a "body bag" that I used in northern Manitoba. It is a great help for long hours on the stand. Email me at ajeffreysX@nc.rr.com if you are interested. Drop X from email address. One tip for cold weather hunting, if you stay on stand all day, carry your liquid (water, soda etc) in a thermos. Otherwise it will freeze and you will find yourself very thirsty. Also plan to change socks if you have to walk very far to stand. Once your socks are damp it is next to impossible to get your feet warm


Good luck hunting and be sure of your choice before pulling the trigger.

Jeff

I live/hunt in saskatchewan. Helly Hansen Polyproplene undergarments are what I wear(feet and hands includes). For feet I top my poly sock liners with varying weights(condition and hunt situation dependent) of merino wool socks and leather gortex boots with 800 gram thinsulate boots. Loose enough fit to wiggle the toes. When on stand I untie and place handwarmers inside, when cold. My body gets layers beginning with fleece or wool, gortex shell and topped with a yukon white fleece pant and top set. My head gets a fleece toque of varying weights and I also have a fleece pull over for around my neck for when it gets really nasty. Hands get the poly prolene liners and wool/thinsulate pull over fingerless mitts. When really cold i where trapper mitts and my poly liner instead. Also have the handwarmers just in case. Although I rarily sit all day in one spot when extremely cold I use a body bag for additional comfort. For drink I do only water and sip it rather than guzzle..trying to minimize the void. If you must have hot beverages cup of soup or hot water are better than those with caffine(for the above reason). I like snacks such a s trial mix(unsalted), PBJ's, cereal or granola bars, bananna's to keep up my energy level. I avoid chocolate at all costs it give me a very shallow lift.

Have you inquired if the blinds are heated? Most outfitters are going this route now, might save you some worry and expense by checking this out first. You'll still need good layers but maybe not everything.

Good luck and enjoy your hunt!!!

"...a late November whitetail hunt..." Where? Late November isn't always terribly cold everywhere. Nor is there always snow on the ground everywhere. Although it'll very likely colder than you're used to in KY. Your hat(preferably wool. No baseball hats.) plus good thinsulate insulated boots and a pair of gloves are more important than the coat and pants. Then a set of cotton coveralls over a winter coat will cut any wind.

Where? Late November isn't always terribly cold nor is there always snow on the ground everywhere up here. Your hat(A wool or acrylic watch cap is ideal. No baseball hats), thinsulate insulated boots and good gloves will do. Inexpensive cotton coveralls over a winter coat and insulated pants will cut any wind, but wait until a week or so before you go and call the outfitter for a weather/snow report. Otherwise any grey or green coveralls will do the same job. You really don't need to spend the money on cammouflage coveralls.

It's around Mosquito Lake?? north of Saskatoon.

Mr. Echols is sending me his outfit to see if it fits.

I should be getting "the list" from the outfitter to start accumulating stuff I need.

Thanks for the replys, guys.

Jim

jimno;

lots of good advice above.

you may have noticed that the canadians like and recomend the ravenwear and the americans recomend the northern outfitters. you would be fine with either one, the ravenwear is quieter and i beleive a little cheaper. get a set of fleece overwhites.

the secret to the feet being warm is not to wear any boots, as said above.

if you don't have to walk and the outfitter drops you in the dark by a.t.v. at or close to the blind as most do and then re bait the bait pile. then your feet should not be wet. take the boots off and put your feet into a pair of overboots with an extra pair of your boots removable felt liners already inside them. as the day goes on, everytime you feet get cold, drop more disposable heaters into the boots and you will be warm and comfy all day no matter the temps. i have hunted in -43 f 20' up a tree and been real comfy. i wear ravenwear and look like the michelin tire man, but i am warm. i only hunt in exposed tree stands regardless of temp. inside a blind with the wind cut for you you should be fine. i would not get the cabelas stuff. n. saskat' is no place for cabelas.

the body bag or a sleeping bag is another good idea. as stated, above i picked my ravenwear up when i overnighted at the nisku, as most guys do.

+1 on susan. she put a longer double zipper on my bibs to easier facilitate draining the snake.
a little for thought will keep you from peeing on yourself.

personally, i drink very little all day and try to limit peeing into a gatorade bottle or a plastic urinal purchased at a medical supply house, like they give you in a hospital bed so i limit movement and it is a pain to take all that stuff off. drink a lot when you get back to the camp. no cooffee with your breakfast. if you are going to drink make it hot soup out of a thermos. when it gets cold, no more drinking for the rest of the day. get a good thermos. keep your food inside your coat or it will freeze. some guys get a kick out of watching their piss bottle freeze within minutes.

good luck, stay warm.

let us know how you made out.

quote:

some guys get a kick out of watching their piss bottle freeze within minutes.

YIKES!!!! that's got me cold just thinking about it.

I'll certainly let you guys know how it goes.

JImno

OK, I've got most of my needs filled, the only question I have now is gloves and mittens.

I'd like to get some thinsulate mittens and have lighter gloves as liners, what do you guys recommend?

Thanks again,
Jim

what works for us in saskat' is a hand muff around the waist with 2-3 disposable hand warmers in there, so then you can just wear a polypro glove liners.

if cold out or you see movement, then a windproof fleece mittens with a slit for the trigger finger is good with a hand warmer in each one, or if not that cold, then just gloves w/ liners.

bring at least one box of hand warmers and a box of toe warmers is good too.

i know this because i met a guy who stayed at a holiday inn express one time and hunted elk in the lower 48. so i know this will work.

stay warm....

quote:

Hands get the poly prolene liners and wool/thinsulate pull over fingerless mitts. When really cold i where trapper mitts and my poly liner instead. Also have the handwarmers just in case.

Previously stated post. The waist hand warmer is a good suggestion/sub for the trapper mitts I mention above. Hot hands/handwarmers are a must have in your pack and they fit perfectly in the flip over mitt portion.

Went to Bass Pro and dropped 5 bills on clothing. Got home and found two of the packages were screwed up, should have checked the actual article of clothing, not the tag.

Got my RavenWare from D'arcy, boot insulators, muff, poly prop britches, ragwool glomitts, balaclava, (isn't that a food?) Polartec layers 1 and 2, socks, hand and foot warmers, and bum bag. Only thing they didn't have was the 3rd layer of fleece. They only had the 200 weight, and I wanted the 300. Came home and washed everything in the scent free soap and dried on low heat. Man that stuff dries quickly!

What kind of bag should I put this stuff in to keep the scent to a minimum? Also, do you guys use Scent Killer in the field or does it freeze and become useless? How important is scent control and what is the best way to keep them scent free on the way there?

Thanks a million!

JIm

Sure would be nice if every hunter came as prepared as you,Jimno. Mark

jimno,no matter what you have on you will feel very cold when you are not moveing for a few hours.Let's start with your head.You will need a tuque(get a woolen one that becomes a mask if you can find).Get some long underware(anything but cotton).Bring along any pants(have spare handy to change when wet).Buy a couple pairs of thick wool socks).Buy a pair of sorel caribou winter boots.Buy a "snow suite" that is a thick insulated winter parka or coat with matching pants.You may even want to try a "ski-doo suit" that is a one peice insulated suit (like the kind inmates wear).I never tried that but I believe that is super warm.Buy a pair of the big insulated gloves or mittens and a pair of smaller and thinner gloves to wear inside the other gloves.That's all,but carry a dry bunch of matches and a lighter with you in case you have to start a fire to warm up in a emergency.

Mark, thanks for the kind words. I don't want to be a burden to the guides, that's for sure.

Shootaway, good advice on the matches, I'll bring some for sure.

Regards,
Jimno

You need to find some Autumn Woods Wool put all other to shame Like sleeping Indian , Rave Ware and King of the Mountain.

quote:

You need to find some Autumn Woods Wool put all other to shame Like sleeping Indian , Rave Ware and King of the Mountain.

Raven wear is made of fleece,not wool.

Are you required to wear orange in Alberta for deer hunting?

Sprig

There are no color restrictions in Alberta with the exception of special hunts like Camp Wainwright.

Hunted Manitoba last year. Swan River area Rocky Boots, advertised to protect to -150F, failed at -20F. Don't buy rocky Boots.

I had to come in.

Had all the other stuff and was warm as toast, but no feet, no hunt.

You could also get reimbursed on your clothing purchase and bring along a babe with big melons.I remember on a canoe trip to the NWT on the first day a big titted national park employee was showing us a slide show of Nahanni national park.I was day dreaming of being in the sleeping bag with her.But really when I am out there freezing I find myself thinking of big breasted babes.Can you imagine having such a baba by your side sipping a glass of cognac and shooting the Hanson buck!

thought I would chime in here. I will be making my 8th trip to SK on Nov 20th. I started with Cabelas gear, moved to Ravenware (great clothing), and eventually ended up with Northern Outfitters Cold Weather System. I hunt in treestands (not elevated box blinds) in SK and sit from dusk to dark. The Northern Outfitters Gear is the only outfit that could keep me warm. If you plan on making the trip back to SK or anywhere else where you might encounter sub zero temps the Northern Outfitters Gear might be worth looking at.

stew;

makes some good points. notice he shit canned the cabelas gear.

although, it is personal preference the northern outfitters stuff is noisier and more restrictive than the ravenwear. however, it may be warmer as well.

if going the morthern outfitters route. the move to make is to buy the package they offer in the summer time for half of what the coat and pants would cost during the cold months. a whopper of a bargain.