Fighting the cold

[unforgiven83]

Just wondering if anyone has any experience some of the cheaper brands of the under armor compression style thermal base layers?

I've looked at the under armor brand and some others in the big chain outdoor stores and frankly I can't really afford most of it. I did find some starter brand at stores like wal mart but are these any good?

I'm not a fan of the old style long johns just don't like em. Or if anyone knows of any other options I'd like to hear em. Seems as I don't take to the cold weather like i used to.

[WisconsinDeer]

I wear under armor style long johns, not sure what brand they are but they were $15 each. I wear regular long johns over top of them and it seems to keep me pretty warm. Some heavily insulated overalls is a must also.

[hunt NH]

look for polly polypropalen. when i was in the army we did not have under armor. we had polly pros and they worked just as good if not better than under armor. just without the fancy name or high price. i was stationed at Ft Wainwright AK, average winter tems were - 20F. so if its good enuff for that it should be more than enuff for anywere elce.

[unforgiven83]

Thanks for the suggestions. I may check out the local army surplus and see if they possibly have any of that. Last year I scored some of their leather gloves with the removable liner which are very warm.

[buckfever]

I got some remtech. Just cheap under garments from Walmart. They work decent.

The under armour cold gear is a little thicker and may work a little better than the remtech but there is not that much difference.

I get cold easy so I usually have both the remtech and the under armour on for days that are in the 20s.

If your on a budget look at wal mart. Dont know if they still have it or not. Made by remington. 80% poly 20% spandex

[deerless]

Originally Posted by hunt NH

look for polly polypropalen. when i was in the army we did not have under armor. we had polly pros and they worked just as good if not better than under armor. just without the fancy name or high price. i was stationed at Ft Wainwright AK, average winter tems were - 20F. so if its good enuff for that it should be more than enuff for anywere elce.

I agree with you huntnh polypro is the way to go it wicks the moisture off your skin quicker than standard long jons keeping you warm. Buy the best that you can afford. Many of the long jons offered for hiking, skiing and such also come designed for what activities you will be performing in them. Good luck and stay warm!

[tator]

Me personally I buy the NIKE pro warm gear. They are generally $15-$20 cheaper than Under Armour. They work just as well too, plus I think they are alot more comfortable. I also have bought the wal-mart cheapies too, they work well too. Having been in the Army, I have the polypros that you all are talking about. They are alot warmer than long johns. I typically wear my nike pros first then the polypros then my insulated overalls (that's if it's above 15 degrees) it it's below 15 I have a pair of heavy sweatpants I wear over the top of my poly pros. I also stagger my tucking in of my pants and shirt(s). That way there is no skin exposed in my midsection.. that's the WORST place for air to get in! Good luck to all

[gargoyle]

The best info I could offer is stay away from anything with cotton.
It gets wet (sweat) and takes forever to dry.
The new techy clothes are made from synthetic (spandex, polypro, etc.) and don't hold the moisture. That's the wicking property that they usually talk about.

Thin layers work best. Add and subtract layers as activity and temps require.

A big mistake I used to do was bundle up in all my layers, then hike back to my stand. By the time I got there I was a sweaty mess. And then sit still for an hour and be cold.
Now I dress for the walk in and stay comfortable. Once in my blind or on stand, I'll add a layer or two and sit all day.
Stay dry = Stay warm

I did find some under armor styled shirts at my local dollar store (Dollar General). I figured for a few bucks I'd give them a go. I love them. I wear two layers of this style and some polyester fleece, and a wind shell (in camo) and it works great.
Extreme cold, I add a down jacket.
All this packs small and is lightweight.
Fleece or wool on my head and feet and hands.

[tator]

Yeah I use a large storage tote to put all my hunting stuff in,,, I always drive to my property that I hunt in just my nike pro's and boots and then when I get to the field I add layers on. I always wait to put my heavy camo coat on though until I get to the stand b/c I get too hot walking. I also wait on the gloves, cap, neck warmer as well until I get to the stand. I sit in my stand when I get there for a little bit too and let the temp/wind/weather decide what I need to add on. Sometimes I put a camo fleece sweatshirt on instead of the heavy coat.

[hunter177]

I used Under Armor Cold Gear. It keeps you warm while moving but when I sat on stand I froze. Now all I use is Cabela's MTP, (Maximum Thermal Protection). I have the black and the blue weights. They're color coded to match the activity level. I use them in layers depending on the temp and how much I'll be moving. I just wear my heavy bibs and jacket over top.