IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Dressing for ice fishing => Topic started by: me854x on Dec 29, 2017, 11:27 AM
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I'm a reporter for the Associated Press doing a national story on the frigid weather. I want to get some ingenious tips for staying warm outdoors and I figure ice anglers have got to be experts at that. Do you have any good ideas you can share with outdoors newbs who plan to stand in Times Square for 8 hours on New Year's Eve? Post here, or email me if you want to be quoted by name ([email protected]). My deadline is the end of day today. -- Mary
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Get a striker suit, nuff said !
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Avoid alcohol since it thins the blood. Dress in layers and no cotton. Merino wool socks. Make sure your feet, especially your toes are not cramped in the boots that you are wearing. Keep your head covered,
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Merino wool long johns.
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Most of us are not Neanderthals...
Gas heat, electric lights, just like home, only safer...
No woman with wooden club..
<°)))>{
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Layers! At the least, Start with Some sort of thermal base layer that will wick moisture away from body (no cotton), then an insulating layer or two like shirts, sweater/sweat pants, then top off with a wind/water blocking layer like a good jacket. Don’t forget the gloves, scarfs, hats and ear muffs. In the type of cold we’re facing in the NE for this week, leave as little exposed skin as possible. Also, it really helps to keep your back to the wind or to have some short of wind block or shelter.
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Hand warmers, but not just for your mittens or gloves. If you put them on your wrist and secure them with the cuff of your jacket, your hands will stay toasty warm. Also, insulated mittens with wool liner gloves inside offer the best option for warmth. Like boots, you need room to keep the heat circulating. And as mentioned earlier, dress im layers.Lastly, merino wool socks.
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Place a hand warmer in the toe area of each boot & over each kidney. I can sit still for hours ;)
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My basic warmth system. Don't wear cotton. Don't button up tight, moisture evaporation system is essential for warmth as with a layering system.
I choose polyester fabric clothing. This includes underwear. Polyester nylon type compression clothing to help the moisture evaporation off skin. If you move around, you sweat, moisture will chill you. Next up fleece type clothing, I think polartech. It puts air in between you and the cold. Air as your insulation and evaporation system. Now the outer shell that stops direct cold air blowing on you. Typically nylon type fabric is great. Good water resistant and durable for years of use. Think ski/snowboarding types. Even snowmobiling types of outerwear. Yes definitely ice fishing suits.
Wool type of clothing is great, but I find it to be heavier in weight.
For odor control, silver lined fabric is awesome. Polypropylene type also resist odor.
Moving onto feet and sock system. We all have a different variations for as keeping from getting cold. Again I avoid cotton. Wool type socks, I like merino polyester blend types of sock. There is one thing about walking around and sometimes it pulls the socks down. That's where the knee high type of polyester nylon soccer socks comes in and I wear those over my wool socks. It also extends the life of your wool socks, preventing direct wear from motion between socks and footwear.
Footwear. Everyone has their preference. With my sock system it works on a variety of footwear for myself. From standard no insulation to felt/wool lined pack boots. In dry environment, I'm comfortable with just wool socks in no insulation footwear. On ice fishing, sled dragging, hole punching conditions, the insulation footwear is beneficial. The colder the temperature is the more insulation I want. In temps above 30 F 200 grams of insulation is fine for me. Down to 25F 400 grams of insulation. Anything colder I will go with 1000 grams or more. In addition I don't lace up tight. I still desire moisture evaporation.
Headwear. I sort of choose appropriate thickness based on temperature. Neck gaiter or scarf, again polyester fabric type is my preference. Beanie type or cap with ear flaps, polyester fabric type again. Sometimes I wear the Balaclava. Most useful of all is a ski snowboarding type of google for wind and sunburn protection.
That's my system in a nutshell. And a blanket or poncho can go a long way in combination too.
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spray antiperspirants on feet to avoid cold causing moisture from sweat.
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I've heard of guys lining their boots with newspaper to keep their feet warm. I haven't tried it yet, but probably will soon. My toes always get cold. It's worth a shot if it keeps my feet warm.
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Striker climate suit pretty much can keep you warm no matter what temp it is. The key is to unzip to not sweat when moving spots
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A shanty and heater.
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Buy an insulated shelter, get a Strike suit, and if need be run a heater. Also if you keep your feet off the ice as much as possible it'll help keep your feet from getting cold.
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Bourbon :tipup:
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Most heat loss is through the head- a hat, hood, and a buff head scarf to cover as much as possible.