Staying warm on cold Alaska hunts

[buck_master_2001]

Meh, cold is easy.

Not as easy as heat. I’ve worked in the Middle East, gulf and south East Asia. I’ll take that over stupid cold. Anyone can hunt in the heat. Not everyone can hunt in real cold. Not south cold but actual cold. The kind that freezes your beard and mustache almost instantly.

 

[Josh carpenter]

Bethel is "unique". I've been there.

Doesn’t surprise me a bit

 

[Grif]

Doesn’t surprise me a bit

 

[Josh carpenter]

Excellent tips i fair way better in the heat hottest I’ve been was Iraq it was a dry heat still sapped you coldest negative 20 s that was beyond brutal a man actually died that night from exposure

 

[buck_master_2001]

Excellent tips i fair way better in the heat hottest I’ve been was Iraq it was a dry heat still sapped you coldest negative 20 s that was beyond brutal a man actually died that night from exposure

Exactly. Hunting in the brutal cold absolutely blows. Everything hurts. Everything is frozen. But man is it fun when the birds cooperate. A little brandy or fireball help as well.

 

[bill cooksey]

LOL

 

[#1WATERFOWLER]

Up here in interior Alaska it is cold...way below freezing. Ten tips for keeping warm:
1) I always have a thermos of hot water or hot coffee.
2) Most body heat escapes thru the head so I like a hood and mad bomber hat.
3) To avoid sweating, I strip down to a t-shirt if I have to walk more than 100 yards...even when its below freezing, then I layer up once I am in the blind. If its in the 40s I often walk in with no t-shirt, just bare skin above the waders to prevent sweat.
4) Also I always carry an extra t-shirt just in case I do sweat and switch to a dry t-shirt as soon as I settle down in the blind.
5) I camp out for 2-weeks so wear neoprene hip boots inside my size 15 breathable waders. That way my feet are dry for 2 weeks since I turn the stocking foot hip boots inside out to dry completely at camp.
6) When its super cold, my waders freeze at camp overnight so I put 2 chemical hand warmers in the bottom of the wader boots first thing in the morning and sleep with my stocking foot neoprene waders so they are near body temperature when I put them on then the waders.
7) Most of my cold weather layers are from Walmart...fast wicking polyester t-shirt, polarfleece shirt, polar fleece hoodie, swiss gear puffy, all under a windproof/waterproof shell with a hood. I do stay warm on a budget...
8) The second I start to feel that I am getting cold, I get up and move...go out and move a decoy for example, then drink some hot water from a thermos.
9) If the birds are working consistently from one direction and its super cold I wear XXXL mittens with chemical hand warmers that I can slip off when the birds are approaching. I sewed my super large mittens from an old pair of breathable waders...they are waterproof, and windproof.
10) I keep a reliable chainsaw and fire starter in the boat, just in case need to build a warming fire if someone trips and falls in the ice cold water.
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That’s bada$$. How many years it take you to figure all that out? I’m gonna call you Heimo.

 

[Woodduck31]

After my wife and i moved back to Kansas from Fairbanks I determined I'd never be cold in the midwest again. There is just no need to be unprepared. 40 years ago when we lived in Fairbanks the coldest we saw was 52 below. We had a lot of trouble with the block heater in our little car losing contact in the night and having a froze solid car in the morning and I'd have to walk my wife to work a mile in the morning and 50 below does get your attention. We were dressed for it, but didn't have all the hand warmers and perspiration wicking clothing. What we did have was wool mitten liners and leather mittens over them. We had bunny boots and I've still never had anything better for super cold. We both had good down parkas, but as said, you must manage perspiration. We didn't do much outside until it warmed up to 25 below and then would run traplines and do some ice fishing. One new years week the temps went from 40 below to 30 above overnight and we spent the afternoon on the river having a cookout on the Tanana. It felt balmy that day.

We would walk a trapline for mink and marten when temps moderated a bit. One day it was 25 below and my buddy couldn't get his truck started, so we took my little two door colt. I had to drive around the block a few times to round out the tires, thunk, thunk, thunk and finally they would smooth out. We caught a mink that day, but that was it. We had a big bull ruffed grouse hanging out on a limp at one point, so I took the 22 bolt action and tried to fire a shot, but nothing. My buddy pulled the bolt and stuck it in his armpit and finally got it warmed up enough to shoot. The bird wouldn't fly, unwilling to give up the insulation of his wings I suppose. I mounted that grouse and gave it to my dad who kept it for the next 35 years. Super cold is tough, but I'd take it over heat any day. I pulled off my down insulated hood long enough for a photo. We always carried survival gear in the car, but fortunately never had to use any of it.

 

[Fowler267 RIP]

Not as easy as heat. I’ve worked in the Middle East, gulf and south East Asia. I’ll take that over stupid cold. Anyone can hunt in the heat. Not everyone can hunt in real cold. Not south cold but actual cold. The kind that freezes your beard and mustache almost instantly.

Unless it is salt water ... Water freezes at the same temps anywhere.... I find it fairly easy to keep warm. Biggest challenge is fighting to keep equipment working. Tough to get drain plugs in and out with a layer of ice. Gloves sticking to cold metal, Lots of crap that works fine at Summer Waterfowl Festivals fails at below freezing temps...

 

[Grif]

Unless it is salt water ... Water freezes at the same temps anywhere.... I find it fairly easy to keep warm. Biggest challenge is fighting to keep equipment working. Tough to get drain plugs in and out with a layer of ice. Gloves sticking to cold metal, Lots of crap that works fine at Summer Waterfowl Festivals fails at below freezing temps...

Gloves? Never heard of them.