Staying Warm During the Winter with Under Armour, Thinsulate, and Gore Tex

There are more and more anglers and hunters taking advantage of the cold weather season every year. No matter what your preference, you need high quality cold weather gear in order to enjoy the cold.

If you are properly dressed you will be capable of staying out all day long in the cold in relative comfort. Dressing for the cold is not difficult, but it does take some knowledge of the proper attire and an upfront investment in some high quality cold-weather gear.

The first thing you need is the clothing that will be closet to your body. Under Armour makes a complete line of undergarmets that will wick the moisture away from your body and at the same time keep the heat close to your body. The Under Armour Men's Coldgear Base 1.0 Crew shirt is meant to be worm underneath a sweatshirt and a cold weather parka.

The Under Armour ColdGear UA Base 1.0 Legging also will wick the moisture away from your body. This undergarmet is also very lightweight in design and is meant to be worn under your pants in extreme cold conditions.

Gore Tex is a far cry from the rain gear of my childhood. It is breathable, flexible, and 100% waterproof. Gore Tex is coupled with Thinsulate to make an outstanding winter parka. Nowadays, all high quality parkas and bibs contain both Gore Tex and Thinsulate.

Under Armour also makes a complete line of socks as well. My personal favorite is the Men's Heat Gear Boot Sock. These socks will come up over the boots and will keep your feet, ankles, and calves warm. The good thing about these socks and all other Under Armour products is that they wick the moisture away from your feet. Damp feet will ruin even the best of fishing or hunting expeditions.

Boots are an essential part of any winter expedition. Boots also insulated by thinsulate. Thinsulate is measured in grams, which means grams per square inch of insulation. The general rule is that you want less grams if you are a very active hunter such as a pheasant hunter. You want at least a 1,000 grams if you are an ice fisherman. This table was taken from the 3M website and is very helpful to an outdoor sportsman who is attempting to decide what boots he wants to purchase.

Recommended grams of 3Mâ„¢ Thinsulateâ„¢ Insulation for footwear:

• 200 grams* for cool conditions or high activity levels – Recommended for work boots‚ hiking boots‚ rubber bottom boots‚ hunting boots‚ snowboard boots‚ alpine ski boots‚ or athletic winter boots.
• 400 grams* for cold conditions or moderate activity levels – Recommended for rubber bottom boots‚ hiking boots‚ PAC boots‚ hunting boots‚ or work boots.
• 600 grams* for very cold conditions – Recommended for hiking boots‚ work boots‚ hunting boots‚ or PAC boots.
• 800 grams* for extremely cold conditions with light activity levels – Recommended for hunting boots‚ PAC boots‚ or work boots.
• 1‚000+ grams* for extremely cold conditions with light to minimal activity level – Recommended for unique applications requiring additional insulation.

Winter is my favorite time of the year to be outside. I enjoy waterfowl hunting, deer hunting, pheasant hunting, walleye fishing, as well as ice fishing. All of these activities take place out in the cold and you better believe that I have an entire room full of cold weather gear.

Under Armour Coldgear can be purchased at http://astore.amazon.com/infobarrelc050b-20