Once you’ve set yourself down in your tree stand and you’re practically dug in to wait the few necessary hours until the perfect shot happens to come across your path, the last thing you want to feel is Old Man Winter getting aggressive. It’s important to stay warm in cold weather hunting, not just due to common sense, but because you won’t want to ruin your preparations by having to go home early from the cold. Here are some suggestions to help keep you warm this season:
EAT THE RIGHT FOODS
While eating healthy is obvious for a multitude of reasons, specific nutritious foods have been shown to work the best in cold weather situations. Having oatmeal for breakfast, peanut butter for lunch, and pasta for dinner will help sustain you. Since these foods are rich in complex carbohydrates, they break down slowly and keep you sustained.
STAY IN SHAPE
Much like the previous suggestion, this is kind of a no-brainer, but staying fit can help you in more ways than the obvious. First, you don’t want to start sweating while in the tree stand, as many people believe the scent will keep the prey away. Second, the perspiration will eventually cool and dampen your underclothes, and if you’re sitting somewhere with a high wind chill then you’re risking your health. Keep your underclothes dry by avoiding perspiration while getting to your spot in the first place.
LOOSEN THE BOOTS
You might think that you should strap your boots on as tightly as possible, but in actuality, once you’re set up in your stand, the opposite would be more beneficial. By loosening your boots you can improve blood flow and keep your feet warmer. Wear heavy socks and loosen the strings, then you’ll start to see the difference.
HAVE THE RIGHT GEAR
Invest in camo made specifically for cold weather hunting. Cabela’s has a wide selection to choose from. As you know, think about layering up so you can adjust temperatures as needed. Look into fabrics that are moisture wicking. Looks for fabrics like wool to keep you warm and dry. Also be prepared to get snowed and rained on. Cabela’s also has a large selection of wet weather camo.