Dressing properly-It is winter!

[Capt Sal]

With all the new lite weight clothes on the market today there is no reason to freeze your bum off.More than once this "fall" we had customers so under dressed they they were so cold they lasted one hour.The guys that hunt are always dressed properly.Remember years ago we fished thru the winter for whiting and ling and the clothes then were woolrich.It was heavy and very restrictive.With gortex and thinsulate our clothes are warmer and weigh ounces instead of pounds.Even the slickers have come a long way.Remember you only get what you pay for so buy the best and it will last for years.Having the proper clothing will extend your fishing season!The blackfish are chewing so dress warm and get out there and have some fun.:)

[milhouse]

stormr makes some nice stuff

[Jay]

stormr makes some nice stuff

Agreed!

[tombanjo]

That under armor stuff is great too. Don't have to wear the old style bulked up long undies.

[Super]

If I could only keep my spool thumb warm :o

[Seamus]

This year I picked up base layers from Minus33. Great stuff.

[Fin Reaper]

Got a Stormr jacket last Xmas , OMG you gotta get one of these!

[NJ Dave]

A good base layer I use is called mysterioso. Blows UA away. Composed of Polartech. Sold at The Kayak Fishing Store in Fairfield. When Jon reads this he will comment on it.
Patgonia makes some good thin stuff. I just bought the Nano puff sweater jacket. 800 down fill. It is verry warm.
LL Bean makes a similar jacket.
Yesterday it was a high of 25. On the water with the wind and minimal sun it felt like 15.
I had on my mysterioso, a t shirt, ll bean wool sweater, patagonia jacket and my guy cotton top.
I won't say I was sweating hot but I was far from cold.
Don't forget a good hat. You loose much heat from your head.
Gloves I can't fish with but yesterday I went with some wool fingerless as it was real cold.
Any other reports on gear that people have found good quality and warm should be brought up here.

[Capt. Lou]

Many of these new Polartec products or similar type products very overrated ! I recently purchased the very best thermo under shirt Due to its advertised qualifications !
Nada nothing but hype ! I believe in wool products with additional good quality down !
All fleece used in really cold conditions with wind should be wind proof lined!
I like my neck area shut & good headgear top this off !
Down is still best with wool where applicable !
Footwear I like Kamik with felt liners , best I've ever seen in cold weather ! One insulated sock & warm as toast. !
Insulate wind areas head. , neck & feet u can fish comfortably all day long !

[johnesniper]

great post.

I use Cabela's expidition weight fleece base layer, a Patagonia heavy fleece haf zip pullover, Cabela's heavyweight hoodie & a WT Tactical High Loft 1.0 jacket. I bought the WT Tactical last year & it's easily the warmest jacket I've ever owned. It's made with Primaloft insulation, which is used by the military in thir cold weather issue gear. In fact, WT Tactical make the USMC issue cold weather suit. I use the jacket hunting, fishing, on call-outs, winter range training, you name it. Plus, the stuff is made in the USA.
Check out WIld Things (civilan mountaneering clothes) or their military/LE line which is WT Tactical

[HydraSportsPT]

http://www.mysterioso.com/detail.php?g=m&c=5&p=175

$40.00 - on sale , pretty good price for neoprine.

[Fin Reaper]

Check out Arborwear double thick sweatshirts, nice to put in between base layer and outer layer.
I've been wearing Atlas insulated gloves with the dipped palms. Keeps your hands clean and dry, pretty warm and the back is cloth so you can wipe your nose :D Kinco makes the frost breaker line which work well also
For da feet I just bought the Muck boot / Extrtuf hybrid boot which I plan on wearing with merino wool sox. My previous muck boots cikanas were plenty warm but the tread left something to be desired, these have the neoprene like the mucks, the Extrtuf tread and a 12" height so it shouldn't cut into my calf when I walk.

[shrimpman steve]

Love my kamic goliaths. My feet are never cold! I am a big believer in layers. First layer is the three inches of blubber around my body:eek: next layer is a tightly woven fleece Lycra set of tops and bottoms. It's like stuffing five pounds of shit in a three pound bag, but keeps me warm. I then throw on my hoodie. I'm not talkin a crappy thin hoodie but a nice thick one. Over that a polar tech fleece and finally my guy cotton lobster coat. I can fish in this get up all winter long.

[Fishfish]

Capt Sal, thanks for the thread! And thanks for all the replies. Good info and sources and that's what this site is about. And Johnesniper thanks much for the source WT! Awesome stuff. Am an old guy who gets cold and this weeks weather stopped me "cold" from my favorite Tog fishing. Now I just got to figure out my hands / finger tips.

[Fishfish]

Capt Sal, thanks for the thread! And thanks for all the replies. Good info and sources and that's what this site is about. And Johnesniper thanks much for the source WT! Awesome stuff. Am an old guy who gets cold and this weeks weather stopped me "cold" from my favorite Tog fishing. Now I just got to figure out my hands / finger tips.

[NoLimit]

Layers of wool - the miracle fiber

[tropics]

Capt Sal, thanks for the thread! Now I just got to figure out my hands / finger tips.

Same problem I am having, I have glove liners and my hands hurt when its cold, I do have a pair of Ice Armour Gloves, but they are to bulky to bait hooks with, they are super warm.They have hand warmer pockets on the top of your hand.

[SplitShot]

If you're not layered up right, you're not going to have a fun day fishing... start with my super warm skiing DAMART insulated underwear, top and bottom, LL Bean Flannel lined jeans and Aquaskinz bib (the only one I found with a full front zipper, so bathroom trips are quick and easy). Then insulated HD Hoodie, my Stormr neoprene jacket (to completely block out any wind) and topped with my Grundins Lobster Jacket ( just like the Shrimpman). Wool Socks and Sorel Boots (rated to -25) and Stormr neoprene gloves which are skin tight so I can do everything without taking them off. And now with frigid temps, an alaclava around my face. TOASTY!! :D

[Pete]

Funny how this topic surfaces every year, yet, it never gets old. It is always interesting to me as what the other guys are doing/weaing and finding out what the latest innovations are.

There are two distinct enemies of the winter fisherman. Wind and moisture. And, when both combine in concert it could spell doom of any trip, to even the hardiest anongst us.

Keeping the surface of your skin dry will go a long way to maintaining warmth. There are many so called state of the art fabrics, materials that claim miracles in the wicking features. The Under armor coldgear stuff seems to be the popular choice and from what I hear is certainly adequate and works as advertised. There are many other manufacturers using the same or very similar materials and can be had for less than half the price. Shop around read reviews then get a set of tops and bottoms. This is your base layer.

Mid layers can be of wool, fleece, polypro and to a lesser extent cotton (sweatshirt) Cotton isn't as breathable a fabric as the aforementioned so it is my least favored mid layer. Wool maintains warmth even when wet, or damp and is a fabulous insulator.

The outer layer should be windproof. NOT WIND RESISTANT!!! Wind resistant will eventually allow seepage of cold air, which will zap your body of heat quicker than you can say fish on.

Bibs, can shed the wind like no other but, they aren't breathable. In extremely windy conditions I put the bibs on. But, most days I use wool hunting pants, They function great, keep me warm and I don't have to jump through hoops of fire to take a leak.

Socks. This is one item of clothing that I have dedicated most of my loosely conducted research. Finally settling on one pair of good (wigwam) merino wool/polyester blend socks. Tried all the hi tech fabrics. Sock liners, two pair, toe heaters, electric (battery powered) you name it. The merino wool, for me, has been the perfect choice for balancing heat and moisture.

Boots, another cold weather must that could make or break a trip. I used to use kamiks with the wool felt liner. They were adequate and served me well for six years till my buddy lucky Bill told me about his bogs ultra boots. I snared me a pair of Bogs mid ultra's for under 70 bucks and have never looked back. These boots are the cold weather shezit rated to 40 below, but, never too hot. Side pull handles, and heel kick for easy on and off. Also, the siped sole and heel add grip on a slippery deck.

Gloves, glomitts made of wool. You know the kind with the flip back mitten, thumb covers. No personal heaters needed.

That is what I use and can get through a fairly windy, cold 20's - 40's, 8-10 hr. day with ease.

[BCinerie]

I swear by my filson wool! It is even warm if you get wet! I wear a filson wool sweater, wool pants and some heavyweight wool socks under my rain gear and I am always warm down to about 15/20 degrees, below that the line freezes anyway!