Cold Weather waterproof clothing?

[mikehende]

I don't have much money, I would like to purchase the cheapest good stuff there is for outdoors in the "cold" weather and the snow. What can anyone recommend please in regards to a waterproof Jacket w/hood, Pants, gloves Boots, ear protection and under-clothing like long johns e.t.c? Thanks.

[BILLY D.]

kind of hard to make a suggestion when you don't know where the other party is from. your definition of cold is probably much different than mine.

cold here starts at 0*. when it's 30* with a 25-35 mph wind it's nippy.

please define your definition of cold.

[mikehende]

I live in NY but spend a lot of time Outdoors, I coach Football so I am in the open wind in November/December, also spend some time close to the water in the winter but because I am out there I need winter gear that is windproof and also waterproof. I don't know how to answer your question concerning the "degree" of coldness but I am guessing that maybe anything under 30 degrees with wind/wet-snow?

[Steverino]

I am personally, a firm believer that if you are planning on spending alot of time outdoors in the wet and cold months of Winter, your choice of clothes will largely determine the degree at which you will enjoy your outdoor activities.

With that being said, what is the intended use of your outdoor clothes Mike? Will you be using these to hunt? If so, what types of hunting and style of hunting? (deer, upland, waterfowl, etc.) Clothing requirements for an upland hunt where you are trudging through briar patches will probably differ from sitting in an enclosed duck blind on a marsh or up 30' in a tree stand waiting for Bambi's grandpappy.

Your activity levels naturally also tie into this to determine layering that will keep you comfortable. The key is to stay warm and dry. Many folks make the mistake of getting the warmest down-filled artic parka that they can find and find themselves chilled after hiking a good distance to their destination to hunt or whatever their planned activity is.

Based upon your requirements for windproof and waterproof clothing, I would look at the GoreTex material on your jacket and pants. This breathes and will protect you from wind and water as well while allowing perspiration to vent, keeping you dry.

Try looking at Bass Pro Shop at their Redhead line or Cabelas own namebrand goods. They both make pretty good stuff and their websites offer frequent "basement" or underground advertised sales.

Don't forget your base layers either (these are the ones next to your skin) I'd stay away from cotton even though this will probably be your cheapest option. Look for polypropylyne and or polyester blends for your underlayers including boot liners under a good pair of wool socks.

You may want to buy items in stages as you can afford them with as much as you can afford at each stage-it is money that you will never regret having spent when you are in the full fledge furry of Mother Nature.

Good luck!

[fabsroman]

The only way to get the best, cheap gear is to find it on sale like I do. Last winter, Galyan's was being bought out by Dick's and they were clearancing a lot of stuff which included Under Armor Cold Gear. I bought 2 long sleeve and 2 short sleeve shirts for cheap. One thing that I didn't get on sale was my fleece leggings and top from Cabelas, but those aren't too expensive. So, now I have my under wear covered. Over my fleece, I usually wear an everyday pair of jeans and a sweater, which aren't too expensive unless you want to go designer on them, and then on top of that I wear my Columbia outerwear which can be pricey, but well worth it. Of course, I got it all on sale. I buy most of my winter gear after the season closes out. The Columbia wading jacket cost me a little over $200 from Cabelas and I found a set of Columbia bibs on sale at Dicks when the season ended. I also bought a set of icebuster waders on sale from Cabelas. Now, what I find to be the most important is the hands and feet. I have several different types of boots depending on the weather and the hunting I will be doing. If it is really cold out and I don't have to do a lot of walking, then I use the heavy boots with the insulated booties in them (i.e., Pac Boots). If I will be doing a lot of walking, I use heavily insulated boots that are light. In the gloves department, I have some icebuster gloves from Cabelas along with a set of camo Mechanix gloves. If it is really cold out I'll use both. Over my face, I use a face mask when waterfowling along with the hat from my Columbia parka.

Essentially, here are the activities and layers:

Waterfowling in 30* or below weather:

Under Armour Cold Gear
Cabelas Fleece
Everyday jeans and sweater
Columbia Wading Parka and bibs, unless I am hunting in water where I will use the waders
Cabelas Icebuster gloves on top of Mechanix gloves. I can usually see the birds a head of time to take the right handed heavy glove off to feel the trigger.
Facemask
Pac Boots with two layers of socks.


Upland in 30* or below weather:

Cabelas Fleece
Everyday jeans and a sweater
Columbia upland hunting jacket that is a lot lighter than my wading parka
Boots with 1,000 grams thinsulate
Gloves same as above but I will never wear the heavy one on my right hand.


For everyday use, I have a non-camo Columbia parka and black bibs.

Essentially, buy the good gear on sale, and buy whatever pieces you can afford every year. That is how I accumulated my collection of winter wear and I enjoy outdoor activities now in the cold. Don't get me wrong, I still hunted in the cold before I had all this stuff, I just looked like a snowman and/or the Michelin man.

[Steverino]

I agree with Fabs about hitting the post-season sales hard. I too made out like a bandit during the Galyans-Dick's transition and picked up a beautiful Hush Hide 3-tier reversible camo parka for a fraction of the original cost. It was my deal of the year!

Fortunately (or unfortunately $$$ ) it is right on my way home from work so I was able to stop in every few days to see what was marked down. It's a little work but you can make out pretty well if you're persistant and willing to search through the racks and discounted clothes bins.

[justwannano]

Don't forget Mil surplus.
Places like" Cheaper than Dirt" or" Major Surplus and Supply" are good places to look.

[fabsroman]

Mike,

Just thought I would post on this thread again because I made a trip to Dick's today to pick up some slugs for me and some .308 Win for a friend.

While I was there, I noticed that most of the hunting clothing is on sale. I saw a Columbia waterfowl 4 in 1 parka for $180 that normally sells for $300. Wish I needed a new parka, but the one I have is 5 years old and it still works great. They had other clothing there marked down to about 50% off. You should really check the stores out as we get closer to the end of the hunting season.

There was one set of bibs and a 4 in 1 parka from Winchester that I was interested in purchasing, but they didn't have my size. I wanted them because they were of a lighter woods color that would probably be good for bow hunting out of a tree stand. It sucks being a small guy (i.e., I wear medium and small clothing and almost everything on the racks was XL or XXL with a couple of larges here and there).

[M.T. Pockets]

I second the military surplus store option. I visit one a couple times a year and there are a lot of bargains there from socks to pants & shirts to parka's. I recommend wool anything, in layers. Best clothing material since sheep were invented. It's quiet and will keep you warm even when wet. Last visit I saw parkas in the $30 range, shirts in the $10 - $15 range and I bought a pair of wool pants for $11, wore them all fall. The store owner said he got a buy on them because they were French military pants and they don't use them, (really). He said the only flaw in them is that they've been crapped in twice. (his idea). Anyway, check out an army surplus store in your area.

["yote"]

Lookat the Military ECWCS. (extreme cold weather clothing system). Multi-Layered system usually available at a good
surplus price from good surplus dealers. I have used it and it works very well. (Military experience).