How to keep warm in a high seat?

caorach

Well-Known Member
I know there are lots of clothing solutions to keeping warm but no matter what clothes I wear I still get cold after sitting for an hour or so. By two hours I'm shaking too much to shoot at anything.

Does anyone have any non-clothing related suggestions as to how to stay warm when sitting up there in the cold? Now to people who do it for a living keep themselves warm when sitting, or lying, out in the cold for long periods?
 
Given that its 3.30am and I am just about to set off to drive to my patch to sit in a high seat for a few hours, the only thing I have found that works for me is plenty of layers! Depending on distance to high seat, it can be a bit of warm walk at times.

ATB

Tom
 
I once sat in a high seat in Germany that was -15 and had a 25 MPH wind speed so after that I thought that is was important to be able to keep warm. So my advice first is a good hand warmer, not these charcoal stick things but one that runs off lighter fuel, they are very good. Put it in your breast pocket near your flesh so it heats up the blood from you heart. Layers are important but not too tight, fleece is very warm, with thinsulate hat & gloves. Also you must keep dry.
 
Do you use a cushion? If not, heat will be sucked out of you faster than a vampire sucks blood. I use one of these; http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/sear...hForm&N=0&Ntk=AllProducts&Ntt=fat+boy+cushion

It gets carried in my roe-sack, along with latex gloves, plastic bags etc. I also bought a stupid coat from the USA. I call it "the stupid coat", because it has to be so cold you have to be stupid to go out in it! It is an LL Bean waterfowling jacket, with a zip out liner. Nothing like the fleece zip out liners in the Deerhunter jackets et-al, this makes you look like the michelin man. Or in my case, more like the michelin man :) It is a hollow fibre filled zip in liner, and the outer is not that breatheable, but it is very waterproof. With cushion, waterproof trousers, thermal underwear and plenty of layers I was fine at minus 17 degrees C last year, all apart from my fingers. I need better gloves.

ft
 
Sitting on something warm is important to me, so when I have climbed into the highseat I open my gunslip, remove rifle and
unzip the gunslip full length so that I can sit on the inside surface which is fleece lined and very heat reflective.

This leaves the rest of the gunslip length hanging free and this is pulled over my lap leaving me quite cosy.

Very simple and very effective !!

Brianm
 
A really good way that i and a friend use is a form of building insulation. Cellotex or polystyrien excuse the spelling, you can get it in different thicknesses and cut it in to a seat shape you want and then put it in a water proof cover. You will feel a lot warmer.
 
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when its really cold i use pac boots, lacrosse i think. they have rubber foot leather laceup top and a big thick removable thermal liner. i also use a head over type of scarf to stop draft getting down neck and as someone else says layers starting with a thermal or norgie type top. my brother bought me a fleece body warmer with electrically heated pads on the chest (i think the kidneys would be better) which is not as good as i had hoped, maplins sell them along with heated hats and socks.
I find i get coldest with wind rather than absolute temperature so if you have a choice of seats this may be a consideration
 
You must have a warm base to sit on. I use a felt roll up pad from http://www.hubertus-shop.de/
Then wrap my felt gunslip also from the same shop, around my waist to protect my kidney area, I have a loden rucksack bought cheap which carries my stuff to the high seat then as it is now empty I lay it over my upper thighs where the tension equals getting no insulation from my trousers and finally, after 10 years of trying everything I have found that an old green sheepskin full length coat that cost me only 15euros its the only apparal that really cuts the cold winds and provides warmth the fold up collar really helps too and it is also quiet when moving about on the seat.
Dont believe just my word but try a sheepskin coat of any colour first to prove this out before buying one but not if it is likely to rain.
Make a hand muff out of and old wool or sheepskin coats arm, it looks like shite but who will see you up there anyway stuff it in the rucksack on the way to and from the seat.
Martin
 
Get one of those canister gas heaters we have them installed in ours, mind you we also have full brewing up facilities . no I am not joking:D
 
3 or 4 layers of thin clothing,base layers that trap air between them.this will insulate you as the trapped air warms up.thin and thick pairs of socks will do the same.
a good woolly hat will stop the heat loss from the head as 80% of your body heat is lost via the head.
moving the toes will circulate the blood so toes should be warm.
polystyrene will conduct heat away from the body so avoid this as a friend of mine nearly died from laying on some of this whilst kipping rough.
if ur feet are that bad then you can get sock warmers,they run on a 9vlt battery and will keep toes well warm.
plenty of warm liquids will keep the core temp up.
its not all about looking the part but being warm,id sooner look a **** and be warm than cold and look good.
women's tights are also a good way to keeping your legs warm
 
Stu, always remember, no one loves a smart @rse! Only Jealous ;)

ft

I know no one loves me any more:D
We installed a urinal as well last year comprising of a funnel and hose pipe for those of of us who need to go on a regular basis we have drawn a line on installing a crapper though. My stalking mate reckons we could always squat in the corner with a rug wrapped around us ,not tried it mind i will bow to his expertease on the matter:rofl:.
 
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I were neoprene wellies thick tweed breeks and i sit on a foam ass pad.top hald i have teeshirt tight fit with a gortex lined wool jumper then my tweed coat. I have fleece gloves and a thin face mask i dont were a hat i can stand them but i still have more than enough hair.;) I can sit for three hours easy and were i am is really cold
 
A "head over" makes a huge difference, it's like a "snood". It keeps your neck well insulated, when you think about it there's a lot of blood passes through there at a very exposed point . It can get chilled on the way up and back down again, straight from and to the heart to via the brain . A standard scarfe can be too thick and also bulky. The head over is an elasticated tube that can be doubled to suit if long enough you can alter the thickness and use as a face mask too covering your konk ! Or just wear two ! Also Browning Arctic boots are awesome, not sure if they make them any more though. Mine are 8 years old now, they are a wellie with a removable insulated liner you can wash when they get funky. Very, very warm. There's an fur insulated hat similar to a traditional stalkers one in Army surplus stores, they are like a scalp toaster. Too hot to walk around in it's that good. Then there's "click heat", www.clickheat.eu. Sodium acetate heat packs that work when you click the little disc inside, you can get hand and foot sized ones. Small, lightweight and can be carried around for when you need them, they only work when when you want them too. If you get the folding slip over mitten type gloves you can pop one in the mitten at the back and still use you hands, sorted.

That should take care of you "most" of you extremities mate !!!!!
 
In scandinavia when sitting at posts lots og people use a type of poncho which has insulation attached on the inside which are both windproof and water proof.

Helsport make one called the Fjellduk X-TREM which comes in different types of camo:
http://www.helsport.no/en/product/HIKING_GEAR/Hiking_Gear_products/Fjellduk

The insulation has a reflective surface so on the really cold days you can have a grave candle, (the ones with the metal top to protect you from the flame) lit under you stool/chair which fills the poncho with warm air and reflects the heat back towards you. Then you just have to worry about staying awake ;)

Works a treat in Norway so i'm sure it'll do for you lot in the UK :D
 
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A lot of the high seats I have seen in northern Sweden have a wood-stove installed. Must be cold work hunting moose!
 
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned an "ansitzsak". They sell them a lot in Germany, Basically, it's a doss bag with arms or arm holes that you can sit up in.
 
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This kit is the dogs ,I used a old type German sleeping bag which had arms and legs warm until it rained then I use to sit inside a gortex bivibag keeps the wind off .
 
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I have two of them of different sizes as they cost only 5 euros each here on floebay. Only downside to it is the snaps used to attach the outer waterproof cover as they rattle a bit so I hammered them flat. The lower part has a cross zip so it is possible to hang it up behind your back and walk to your seat as if it was a jacket then drop the back down step into it and ziip it up. With the seperate arms it must have been designed for sentry duty. I then put a fleece sleeping bag cover over the outside to up the tog value if it is really cold but that would not be the case in Blighty.
Martin
 
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