Tip 1: Respect Your Enemy.
Getting cold on a deer stand can make you miserable, but worse yet, being too cold for too long can lead to hypothermia, which is actually the number one killer of outdoor enthusiasts. And it doesn’t have to be bitterly cold — the majority of cases of hypothermia occur at temperatures from 30 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tip 2: Be Flexible.
Dress in layers and adjust your clothing as your activities change. The physical exercise of hiking to your stand in the morning will keep you warm with light clothing. Sitting for the next four hours requires heavier clothing. Bring extra clothing and raingear in a backpack and add or subtract layers as your activity level changes. New fabrics like Under Armour wick moisture away from your skin and dry quickly.

Tip 3: Sit On It.
Having insulation underneath you is very important. Sitting directly on cold metal or damp ground will chill you no matter what you wear. Use a closed-cell foam pad or other device that will insulate as well as keep you dry.

Tip 4: Bring on The Heat.
Stock up on disposable hand warmers, and use them! They are cheap, sold everywhere, and come in a variety of sizes to fit in boots, gloves, and pockets.

Tip 5: Stay Dry — Inside and Out.
Being wet practically ensures that you will be miserable, and greatly increases your risk of hypothermia. Regardless of the forecast, always bring rain gear, and if getting wet is a possibility, be sure to bring, and use, a complete change of clothing. Also, stay “dry” with your beverages — no booze. It will actually increase heat loss and hamper your judgment.

Tip 6: Fingers Freezing?
Layering is also a good technique to keep your hands warm. Use thin silk, neoprene, or nylon gloves under heavy mittens for those long stretches on the stand. When you take the mittens off to shoot, scratch, or adjust, your skin is still covered. Those huge mittens with fur on the back have a very practical purpose — when your nose is running use the fur to wipe, and when it freezes in a couple of minutes just rub the fur against the grain and the goobers shatter and fall off.

Tip 7: Your Mother Was Right.
Put on a hat, and use a scarf. You can lose a tremendous amount of heat from an exposed head, or any exposed skin. Keep your neck covered as well. Heatmax even makes a line of watch caps and fleece accessories such as a balaclava, neck gaiter, headband, and mittens that are designed to hold HotHands 2 hand warmers to provide heat directly to the head and hands.

Tip 8: Be Safe Out There.
If someone is cold and miserable, and chooses to stay in the field, they must stay alert for the signs of hypothermia: mild - shivering and loss of fine motor function; moderate - violent and uncontrollable shivering, slurred speech, and loss of gross motor functions; and severe - confusion, pale rigid skin, dilated pupils, and a slow pulse. If you notice signs of mild hypothermia get to somewhere warm. Moderate and severe cases require medical help. Hypothermia is a real killer, so be warm and safe.

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