Clothing choices and Winter

[Knoll]

We are in St Louis area. While temperature is bit milder than our days in the upper midwest, we regularly have near-freezing and some sub-freezing weather.
I've not come up with satisfying clothing choices for the torso that keep me comfortable AND minimizes bulk on arms to avoid strikes by bowstring.
Have you folks experienced same challenges? What have been solutions you've adopted?

[PEARL DRUMS]

I wear a tight fit UA mock turtle neck and a 25 year old wool sweater that also fits snug. Then I toss my Asbell pull over on over that and Im good into single digits. The Mackinaw version of their pull overs is very nice. That extra layer over the shoulders and chest really help. I don't wear an arm guard and the string doesn't hit me.

[Pappy]

The key for me is several thin layers, starting with silk long Jons  [military] then some thin layer's of wool either sweater/shirt or jons and something toward the last layer that will block the wind, I want each layer to fit nice [ not tight to cut off circulation] Sometimes when it gets really cold which it does here from time to time, single digit and below I will have as many as 5 or 6 layers on. I do wear an arm guard just in case but never fill bulky, and a good hate is a must.  The last layer must have pockets and that is where I keep my hands warm. For my feet I am lucky and don't have a real problem, if it is really cold, like single digit or below I wear a couple of pairs of army wool socks and my Muck boots, just need to be sure they fit fairly loose, again nothing to slow circulation. I never use hand warmers but that is a pretty good option for some I know. I love the cold weather. 
 Pappy

[JW_Halverson]

Dressing for cold weather starts early in the season, far as I am concerned. 

1) don't turn the heat on in the house until you are desperately cold
2) get as much time working and goofing around outside wearing just jeans and a tshirt until you are forced to wear a bit more, and then try to wear as little as possible.  Excercising in cold weather acclimates your body to the cold, but also improves the efficiency of the body that is burning the calories.
3) keep sucking it up buttercup, because the human body WILL acclimate wonderfully to cold if your brain will just quit whining!
4) Do not focus on the conditions, focus on the situation.  Know how you forget the cold when a twig snaps in the forest and every hair on your body leaps to attention? Yeah, focus on the thrill of being out there doing it!  Get excited, be utterly in the moment, "cast your net" of consciousness around yourself seeking to hear every bird, squirrel, or leaf falling through the air.  Breathe in every scent, notice every color, revel in the texture of the treebark or soil....You paid for the ride, enjoy every bit of it. 
5) When sitting still and you begin to feel cold, stop tensing up! Relax the muscles to get blood flow, especially your belly and back.  Tensing your core decreases blood flow and contributes to increased heat loss.
6) you CAN stand to be cold. You CAN stand to be wet.  You CANNOT stand to be wet and cold, so don't be stupid as you are trying to acclimate.

Some people also swear by isometric muscle exercise to keep the blood flowing, try those too.  Clothing is only insulation, it does not create heat (unless you buy the expensive electric heater and battery pack clothing), it comes from within.

All this comes from a guy that whines like a crybaby over any temps over 75 degrees!!!

[Knoll]

That's a bunch of cool viewpoints, JW.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Damn J-Dub. I do 1-3 all the time, but never knew it until you just told me. I seriously broke out the first jacket of the year last Wednesday.

[DC]

My journeyman always told me that an extra spoon of sugar in your morning coffee would keep your feet warm all day but he was a jerk

[bradsmith2010]

I like the layers and wool too,,
if your string is hitting,, you need to practice with what you are going to wear,, wrap a piece of tape,, or arm guard,,
ok here is the controversail part,,,,, I only draw to about 26 inches,( i can still hit anchor) I face the target a bit more,, I call it a hunting stance,, it opens the stance and degreases the amount of string slap you gonna get,,, when hunting with warm clothes on,,   when I am making bows for someone else, I can shoot a longer draw just fine,, but when hunting, I am more comfortable faceing more toward the target,, it wont keep you warmer unless you get something,, then you will warm up nicely,,

[jeffhalfrack]

J--Dub,,,,,very well put. JeffW.     That's the way I roll

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

A nice Kentucky Bourbon doesn't hurt, unless you partake too much, lol.

[Mo_coon-catcher]

I'm usually better off in the opposite end of the spectrum than JW. I'm perfectly fine and comfortable working int 100+* and 80% humidity all day as long as I sip on water all day. I'll even do my 10K runs at noon in the middle of the summer and be fine when done. Though I am of a light frame build and sweat profusely for my size so I radiate heat very well. Which causes my trouble with the cold.
 I'm perfectly fine and comfortable with a few light layers down to about 35*. Below that and my feet are what take the first hit. I still havent found a perfect fix but have found a combo that works pretty well for me. And can still put on a pretty decent stalk with if necessary. It's a pair of knee length socks that go over my under armor base layer, battery powered heat elements that I put over these socks and hold them in place with heavy wool socks over the top of them. Then I top it off with a pair of soft rubber boots. This combo keeps my feet happy for sits down to about -4* so far. That's as cold as Ive sat in, and my feet were just starting to get cold again. Though without those warmers my feet are done after a couple hours at 20* if I don't move. For lower body its usually under armor, sweat pants, and denim jeans, with cover all bibs when it gets below 10*. For my upper body its the under armor, a fleece vest, long sleeve shirt, sweat shirt, another long sleeve shirt. This works for me down to about 30* for sits and about 10* when chasing bunnies, Then I throw a coat over this and I'm good to about 0*. Though it does get very warm if you do much moving around in this many layers. Though it does start to get a bit bulky at this point. I'm still working of collecting some garb that is less bulky while maintaining the warmth.

Kyle 

[mullet]

We have a wet cold down here and can be miserable when the temps the day before were in the 80's. Layering is a must as it might be in the teens in the morning but steady climb into the upper 70's as the day goes on. I start out with military long johns, then thick pants and a wool sweater over a long sleeve shirt.A good hat is a must, then a fleece vest as the last layer with pockets. For the feet and sitting in a stand I use ThermalCell's remote control feet warmers in my boots. After getting frostbitten on two toes, (thank you, Canada) , I do have a problem with them stinging, now. The warmers keep the temperature at or just a tad over natural body temperature so your feet do not seat.

[Knoll]

Appreciating the several comments re vests. Had forgotten how effective these are.
I dug out several that accumulated over years, but had been relegated to near inaccessible recesses of household storage!
Keeps core warm and no add to arm bulk.

[DV IN MN]

I like layers of silk and don't wear my outer layer and under vest until I am to the tree. I'll have 3-4 layers of under layer silk and then a medium layer of fleece and a wool vest and a wool jacket for the outside. Was down 7 this weekend and was plenty warm for 3 hours. Only thing that even got cold were the toes and I think that is due to the metal stand platform. I try to avoid perspiring on the way in, that ends a hunt in a hurry if there is any kind of wind. I wear a silk sock layer than a knee high pear of heavy wool socks. One layer of heavy under armor for the legs and wool pants.