Tip 1: The Basics.
Dress in layers, and stay dry. This is simple, but vital. If you get too warm, open up so you don’t sweat. If you get cold, add layers. Take extra clothes, hats, socks, insulating pads, and blankets with you. If you don’t use them, there’s no problem; but when you are a mile in the woods and the wind kicks up and you start to get cold, it will save your hunt.

Tip 2: Plan for the Worst.
I’ve got a duffle bag in my vehicle all year with spare clothes and things to keep me warm. Sometimes I go months and never open it, but when the weather changes suddenly or I get soaked from a storm cell, it’s nice to have extra dry clothes. Without that duffle I would have been driving home early many, many times.

Tip 3: Warming Devices.
I always keep with me a decent fire starting kit, sealed and ready to go into the woods. A pair of Zippo hand warmers are my new favorite gadgets, and I always have a can of fuel and lighter for them. There are also disposable hand warmers, in zip-top bags, in a variety of sizes. Plopping my butt on a cold surface (even worse if it’s damp or wet) will make me miserable fast, so I leave my Hunt Comfort seating pad in the truck year-round. A cheap closed-cell foam pad works, but the Hunt Comfort pad is much more comfortable and keeps me on the stand or ice longer.

Tip 4: Don’t Stick Your Neck Out.
A cold face, neck, or ears will make you miserable, fast. I’ve found that the people who really know how to stay warm are hard-core ice fishermen. Hats, gloves, and outerwear from the Ice Armor line at the Clam ice fishing company work as well in the woods as on the ice, and can’t be beat. My Ice Armor Neck Gaiter was just over $10, and more than once I’ve had to liberate it from my thieving buddy’s truck. It keeps my neck, chin, and lower face toasty warm, and is easily adjusted.

Tip 5: Keep Those Dogs From Barking.
Once you stop moving, your feet will start to get cold. Keep extra socks to change into if your feet get wet, and always have heavier boots available. I’ve used the Thermacell electronic boot warmers for two years: hunting, ice fishing, and at a cold, cold game at Lambeau Field. I first thought they were a little costly, but they work great, and have improved my life on many cold days. The new ProFLEX models are more comfortable, especially if you have to walk very far.

Tip 6: Handy Solution.
I have tried a hundred styles of gloves and mittens, and never found the perfect ones. I’ve found that a good option is to wear a pair of huge Army mittens on a cord that goes through my sleeves and across the shoulders, with a thin pair of gloves inside them. I can quickly drop the mittens without losing them or shocking my bare skin. The mittens are also large enough for hand warmers.

Tip 7: Core Temps.
If even more insulation is needed, a blanket or sleeping bag may work, although a Heater Body Suit or the new Thermal Cloak from Slumberjack Tactical Hunting may be the ticket. The Heater Body Suit is thicker, but I usually don’t need that much insulation, and I really like the way the Thermal Cloak lets you free your arms quickly to move or shoot.

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