the best way to start dressing for the cold

DRESSING FOR BOW HUNTING

This past week a new customer told me he was a bow hunter in the humid S.E., specifically, Mississippi. He said in the 30-to 40-degree F temperature range it was not so cold except because of the humidity it would penetrate his clothing.

I explained to him his enemy was his own sweat and that was causing him to chill. I told him the only way to avoid this is to wear fishnet underwear. I them told him he should get a Lamilite liner vest to wear over the fishnets and a Lamilite liner jacket over the vest. At this point he will realize his sweat was not building up on his skin, he would also find the two Lamilite layers, the liner vest and liner jacket were not retaining his perspiration, so he was warm and dry. The final layer in my opinion should be the Alaska Ranger Parka. He would also realize his movements were more fluid.

I told him not to wear any fleece or other knitted fabric garment. these knitted fabric garments would number one stifle the movement of moisture which would cause staying moist which causes chilling and number two will restrict movement. Obviously bow hunters need greater freedom of movement that rifle hunters.

All of you hunters or outdoorsmen/women look in your closet(s) at the array of garments you have purchased for years that you were told will keep you warm by wicking away your sweat. And how many of these close knitted synthetic or merino wool have actually worked to all ow this to happen; NOT A ONE OF THEM. If you want to get rid of your sweat you must wear fishnet long underwear, nothing else will work. The only time you want to wear a wicking shirt specifically is if you wear a cotton shirt during the summer. Cotton allows wicking action to take place as will wool and no synthetic material will wick anything.

The general public has been misleading and deceiving the general public for many years even though the information about fibers, fabrics etc. have been available for years. The motivation to learn and make garments accordingly has never existed. The motivation to make sales regardless the cost as has been the case with gore and all of the followers wanting in on the waterproof breathable market as we have seen. The over riding aspect of this motivation has been fashion. If the garment looks good on you it does not matter if it actually work as the advertising claims.

I no longer hunt but I do know from my years of spending vacations during the winter months when I was selling insulation to the ski and general outerwear industries, I learned what works and what does not. I learned how best to dress for the cold conditions that we have on earth and the one thing I learned that was the single most important thing was that body produced moisture MUST be moved away from the skin surface first. What I further leaned way the importance of wearing clothing that did not restrict movement. My ski parkas always rotated around my body in the opposite direction of my movements. The parka had to be loose fitting. During those years of working with the ski industry I learned from so many skiers that they were cold because they were wearing close fitting parkas, so the insulation was compressed, and they were further wearing close fitting knitted garments from their base layers up.

Hunters are especially susceptible because as a rule they are not moving around. They are in a stand of some sort like a tree stand. Many hunters this hunting season have benefitted by buying my socks, and or over boots or mukluks. Now the need to further increase their staying warm is to ignore the fashion aspect of the clothing that they buy.

Have a happy winter season by watching what you buy and wear.