Protection from the elements

[pepperj]

Great post up a bit ago on how cold one would detect in and a voters poll. It seems that I read many times one has ended their hunt short because of inclement weather being the factor. The main reasons being the extremes that we go out in, or caught out in is the problem. Dressing for the weather is one thing and this is where I'm going with this post up.

What clothing/gear/drinks/food has worked well for you? My main problem is my hands and I am cursed with the fact that the right one wants to go to the ambient temp or below. So even with the inside temp being 68-70F the hand feels cold. Hand warmers are my friend, and started using them a month ago already, and usually buy a case lot of 100+ pairs to get me through the cold weather season that being Oct-May.
So my first question is does anyone use heated gloves? Have a chance to get them supplied through a clothing allowance (through a work place injury) something that I never knew I was eligible for the past (40yrs). So I would like hear of any reviews on the product, battery life, and comfort level.
This goes for the foot warmers also as we all age things pop up that need addressing in life, and one of those things is to stay comfy.
So what ever has worked for body protection (guns excluded-whole different subject) post up your review.

 

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[relic nut]

I use the "Hot hands" hand warmers a lot at work and sometimes when detecting. I have found if you put them in your gloves, on the top side of your hand they work much better. They will heat the blood going to your finger tips and because they are on top of your hands, they don't get in your way.

HH, RN

 

[Johnnybravo300]

I've done some winter detecting around Gunnison and in the river.
The best part of winter is the solitude but the ground is frozen hard as a rock.

 

[mike b]

A friend and I decided to go wading here in the north east a few years ago. I'm not sure what year it was but it was cold, wind chill factor was 17-19F. It sounds crazy but we both were wearing very warm dry suits and we couldn't have been more warm and comfortable up to our armpits in the water. This beach had a large parking lot with room for over 2000 cars- we were the only car there. Well we got tired and decided to head back, a 1/4 mile walk. I commented to my friend that he was covered in ice from top to bottom and he pointed out I had a eighth inch of ice on me also. The water froze on us as soon as we walked out. We were crunching as we walked. The fun and games ended on the way back as the cold creeped through the suits and we were absolutely freezing by time we got to the car and worse the zippers were frozen closed and the keys were in his pocket under the suit. My gloves were part of my suit so my freezing hands were almost useless, I was about to break a glass bottle to cut my way out of the suit, that's how bad it got. Uncontrollable shaking, couldn't speak well etc. At last I was able to help him get a glove off him , as it came off, his hand turned blue. In the end we got his suit open enough to get the key, open and start the car. We sat in the car melting the ice before getting out of the suits and getting home. We speak about that to this day as the one time we were seriously (and for good reason) worried we made a bad miscalculation that could have cost us.

 

[Dr. Witty]

I got the Cabela's Herter's brand hunting boots for detecting 2 years back for around 55 dollars. They are incredibly warm and water resistant. They took the place of my Sorels for shoveling the driveway and general wear in the winter as well. I still cant believe how warm and durable they are for the price and that they are still going strong after 3 years of wear. As for hands i wear scuba gloves when i dig in the really cold weather. They don't always keep my hands totally warm, and they make me clumsy when trying to find my target in the hole, I have yet to find a solution that keeps my hands warm, yet allows maneuverability in the hole.

 

[pepperj]

I use the "Hot hands" hand warmers a lot at work and sometimes when detecting. I have found if you put them in your gloves, on the top side of your hand they work much better. They will heat the blood going to your finger tips and because they are on top of your hands, they don't get in your way.

HH, RN

I've always put the hand warmers in the palm of the hand. It really doesn't make a difference for impediment in handling items. Then again I can pick up a coin wearing gloves-40yrs of wearing them always helps. Never thought about putting them on the back of the hands.

 

[pepperj]

A friend and I decided to go wading here in the north east a few years ago. I'm not sure what year it was but it was cold, wind chill factor was 17-19F. It sounds crazy but we both were wearing very warm dry suits and we couldn't have been more warm and comfortable up to our armpits in the water. This beach had a large parking lot with room for over 2000 cars- we were the only car there. Well we got tired and decided to head back, a 1/4 mile walk. I commented to my friend that he was covered in ice from top to bottom and he pointed out I had a eighth inch of ice on me also. The water froze on us as soon as we walked out. We were crunching as we walked. The fun and games ended on the way back as the cold creeped through the suits and we were absolutely freezing by time we got to the car and worse the zippers were frozen closed and the keys were in his pocket under the suit. My gloves were part of my suit so my freezing hands were almost useless, I was about to break a glass bottle to cut my way out of the suit, that's how bad it got. Uncontrollable shaking, couldn't speak well etc. At last I was able to help him get a glove off him , as it came off, his hand turned blue. In the end we got his suit open enough to get the key, open and start the car. We sat in the car melting the ice before getting out of the suits and getting home. We speak about that to this day as the one time we were seriously (and for good reason) worried we made a bad miscalculation that could have cost us.

Now that's messed up and a lesson on how a good time can turn on a dime. Never been in a situation where one couldn't get out of the survival gear/clothing to save one's self. Scary when I think about it something that is designed to protect you turns into the opposite. Great to hear things worked out ok for you in the end.

 

[pepperj]

I got the Cabela's Herter's brand hunting boots for detecting 2 years back for around 55 dollars. They are incredibly warm and water resistant. They took the place of my Sorels for shoveling the driveway and general wear in the winter as well. I still cant believe how warm and durable they are for the price and that they are still going strong after 3 years of wear. As for hands i wear scuba gloves when i dig in the really cold weather. They don't always keep my hands totally warm, and they make me clumsy when trying to find my target in the hole, I have yet to find a solution that keeps my hands warm, yet allows maneuverability in the hole.

Thanks for your input on the what gear works for you. Never thought about scuba gloves, have you ever put in a hand warmer also? What I find with a hand warmers is if left for 10 minutes or so inside the glove and then returning the hands to the glove it can burn the skin as they heat up higher as the oxygen/air is greater around the warmer. Bulkiness is an issue when wearing two pairs of gloves with a double set on hand warmers inside.

 

[Dr. Witty]

The Scuba gloves are too tight for the hand warmers. I have a pair of winter gloves that have a zippered pouch for hand warmers on top of my hand. I only used them once and they didn't seem to help, as my fingertips were still cold. When it gets that cold to enjoy the digging and possibly cause frostbite i know it's time to quit.

 

[dts52]

The Scuba gloves are too tight for the hand warmers. I have a pair of winter gloves that have a zippered pouch for hand warmers on top of my hand. I only used them once and they didn't seem to help, as my fingertips were still cold. When it gets that cold to enjoy the digging and possibly cause frostbite i know it's time to quit.

Good point, Dr.Witty. PLUS, if circulation is part of the cause for cold hands, tight gloves are the WORST thing to wear. When I go ice-fishing, I wear very loose wool gloves which I take off when I need to handle my gear. I always have an extra pair. Sometimes I keep handwarmers in my pockets as well. If I put on a tight glove, even in 40 degree weather, my hands get painfully cold. Just a thought, good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for you.
HH
dts

 

[pepperj]

Good point, Dr.Witty. PLUS, if circulation is part of the cause for cold hands, tight gloves are the WORST thing to wear. When I go ice-fishing, I wear very loose wool gloves which I take off when I need to handle my gear. I always have an extra pair. Sometimes I keep handwarmers in my pockets as well. If I put on a tight glove, even in 40 degree weather, my hands get painfully cold. Just a thought, good luck, I hope you find a solution that works for you.
HH
dts

On the body one can dress like an onion(in Layers) but with the hands its almost impossible to achieve this. I've done the insulated dipped glove with the hand warmers. Then stuffed in an extra large insulated long cuff rubber glove. It works great but the mobility sucks, then pulling the hand out will sometimes pull the insulated inner liner back out of the finger sockets on the extra leg. glove, rendering it useless getting it back on the hand. Easy fix shoving a wooden spoon handle into the finger sockets to push the insulated liner back into place.(But who carries a wooden spoon out detecting)

 

[Dr. Witty]

That seems like too much work to extend the hobby a couple of weeks. My advice is put the detector away for the cold days and find a nice winter hobby. I build R/C planes in the winter, then when spring comes i take a couple of days to crash them into the ground and its off detecting again.

 

[RGINN]

I don't detect much here in the winter, but I still get out and about in the woods. I believe in layers, pretty much year round. Due to the low humidity, you don't sweat that much up here, and that helps. I have some low temp rated gear, Eddie Bauer, Colombia, US military, but I think they kinda exaggerate a little about how low they go. I tolerate cold better than most folks it seems, and no problem with my hands, but if my feet get cold, I'm goin to the house. Couple of tips I can give you, do not fall into the water. If you're far away from your ride, don't have dry clothes or a way to start a fire, you most likely will die. Stay very far away from alcohol. Most of the people they've found dead out in the woods up here in the winter time were under the influence of alcohol. And learn to recognize the signs of hypothermia, which they always tell us, but I wonder if someone getting hypothermia would be in the state of mind to know what those signs were!?

 

[P.ALLEN]

I have light silk gloves, the kind that museum curator's/antique dealers/jewelers use then I have my cut proof gloves over that, then there are the gloves that are mittens that have the cut in palm to remove your fingers, when using, then you slip them back into the mitten when done. Still with all that being said, you're gonna have cold hands and feet no matter what. It's just the way it is, I will recommend this. Don't put the hot hands/warmers on your hand, put them right at the base of the wrist/hand and inside of the ankle right by the foot, that way those big arteries get nice and hot, this way the blood going to your hands and feet is nice and toasty.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Something to keep in mind, cold temperatures makes plastic brittle so watch bumping your detector if your hunting in real cold temperatures.

 

[Dr. Witty]

i just ordered a Zippo hand warmer from Amazon for 10 bucks.

 

[pepperj]

i just ordered a Zippo hand warmer from Amazon for 10 bucks.

.

Hope they're better than the ones made back in the 70s, never could get used to the lighter fluid smell on the hands. Besides the smell it wrecked the fishing as the smell got transferred onto the bait, no bite.

 

[Dr. Witty]

i think they are. I think the filling part is better designed now that reduces spills and overfilling. I wont know till i try it though. Still it's kind worrisome to have a hot thing like that in my pocket.
I mean an second hot thing.

 

[pepperj]

i think they are. I think the filling part is better designed now that reduces spills and overfilling. I wont know till i try it though. Still it's kind worrisome to have a hot thing like that in my pocket.
I mean an second hot thing.

Something like a 9volt battery and some change. Always heard of it happening and one day I decided I'd better remember to take a spare battery along for the carrot as I hadn't changed it for awhile. I wear insulated jeans most of the yr it seems (8 months) So I start to feel this really weird sensation along my leg as I walked, it would be there than not. Then I realized that the battery was heating up in the pocket. Now that's a heat source right quick! Though it doesn't come close to a canister of pepper spray discharging in the pants pocket, now that was too hot-like hrs later the boys were telling me stories.