This will be my first winter foxhunting and I’m thinking ahead to cooler temps. What are the things you have found most necessary to have? I don’t want to drop a ton of money on things like winter boots unless I will be miserable without them. So let me hear what you use: lined gloves, majikal socks, baselayers, etc!
Depends on wear you are located and how low temperatures will go. For me, I’ll hunt if the temps are in the 20’s but no lower. I have Under Amour Heat Tech shirts and shorts. I have SSG Winter Rancher gloves. I have an Under Armour hood that fits under my helmet. Obviously good warm socks are a must.
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Battle Creek in MI goes out all winter --to the last we members have Mountain Horse Ice Riders or Rimfrost riders (I prefer Rimfrost as there is more toe room for socks). Personally I wear Farm and Feet Wader Socks —a tall wool sock designed for fishermen standing in waders in cold water --warmest sock I’ve found. I have tried sock liners and other winter socks, but Farm and Feet (amazon) work best for me. I wear UnderArmor long leggings Rated 4 (I think) that are designed for being still in the cold --like sitting and waiting for a deer. Then regular breeches. Because I wear a safety vest, upper body cold is not a problem --but I do wear shirt, vest (wool) stock tie over my safety vest. Hands continue to be a challenge --I wear winter gloves and glove liners --but at times have resorted to heated gloves. They are clumsy, but warm. I wear a “helmet hoodie” that goes over my helmet and around my neck. One thing I did learn from this BB is to wear a white Polar Fleece stock tie! Over all my clothes goes my heavy weight hunt jacket (I have a frock --not seen so much, but I do prefer the length in winter) jacket --wool and wool lining. Before I wore the safety vest, I used to wear an Under Armor shirt under my hunt clothes --too warm now.
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Thanks! I’m in Maryland, so it gets pretty cold, but not Michigan cold! I am thinking winter boots are a must and I will def be ordering some of those socks! I would have never thought of a polar fleece stock, that is brilliant!!
Mountain Horse boots for sure. They have insulation, a larger footbed (which allows for bigger socks, but also may require a larger stirrup).
I have found cashmere sweaters to be not bulky, but warm, under my hunt coat. My warmest hunt coat is not tight fitting. I can layer with a down vest, or a cashmere vest or a v neck cashmere sweater and be plenty warm up top.
Varying types of under armor, cuddle duds etc under breeches that have plenty of stretch or are not too tight work great. It is not good when you wear an extra layer under tight breeches and then they put pressure on your knee.
For cold windy days, ear muffs or helmet cover that also covers your ears are the way to go. Especially if you can pull down, flip up the ear covers if you’ve had a hard run and are now overheated.
A white polar fleece or white wool stock tie will add another layer of warm for sure.
I have started using exam gloves under my cold weather riding gloves. On especially cold days, I will double up on the exam gloves. My hands stay warm and if I need to I can still remove my bulky glove and have dexterity, but not be completely exposed to the elements. Be forewarned, your hands will sweat under the exam gloves, so if you take them off on a super cold day, your hands will be super cold and its almost impossible to get exam gloves on wet hands. Bonus, exam gloves and cell phones work.
I would say wool socks and a fleece lined shirt! I know Equetech do them.
Change of warm, dry clothes waiting for when you finish?
Wool knit gloves. You can make an easy stock tie from white polar fleece. No sewing required. Insulated canary vest and good wool Melton coat. But I live in Georgia! Why do I get so cold! It’s the humidity!
