Cold weather gear that works.

By Rod Luke

The blistering cold seemed to slice through my layers of clothing like a sharp broad head. With temperatures in the single digits and winds clipping along at speeds that had to approach mach III, it was a huge surprise to see a handsome eight pointer enter the field in front of me. As the buck walked to within 10 yards of my makeshift ground blind, I remember raising my bow in anticipation of the shot. As I tugged on the bow string, something went terribly wrong! My left wrist gave out under the pressure and I realized I couldn’t feel either of my hands. Repeatedly I attempted to draw my bow, but to no avail. I’m not sure which was more troubling, the fact I had to watch this snow-covered buck walk away unharmed, or the fact I couldn’t feel my limbs, face, ears or toes.

I remember trying to unbutton my pants to relieve my bursting bladder back at the truck, but muscle failure and numb hands forbid it. Oh the humility of losing bladder control and knowing there is nothing you can do but let it go and hope you don’t have to stop anywhere on your way home. Those hopes were dashed once I started my truck and saw the red light indicating “low fuel” blink on my dashboard, and of course my trip home was more than 30 miles. To make things worse, the attendant at the gas station just happened to be the Prom-Queen from the year I had graduated high school. She was still as stunning as I had remembered her. So you can imagine the horror that flooded my still numb body as she stated, “what the hell is that smell”! I can only imagine what she was thinking as I tried to respond but due to the fact I could not feel my face and had no control of my lips, the words that came from my mouth sounded more like the words uttered by a toothless drunk… with a speech impediment! Twenty five years later, I have yet to step foot back in that gas station for fear she still works there.

Ask any Northern late season hunter what his biggest obstacle is to late season hunting and he’ll tell you, “COLD WEATHER”. Nothing is more miserable than enduring harsh weather in the late season. For bow hunters, bulky clothing just isn’t an option, but neither is toughing out the elements. The body just doesn’t function properly when you’re approaching hypothermia. Hence, the reason for this article, I wanted to talk about a product that is proving to revolutionize the fine art of staying warm while on stand. The product is Under Armour. I promise you, this isn’t your Grandpa’s “Long-Johns”! This space age product is getting some great reviews from outdoorsmen. The product actually wicks moisture away from the skin no matter how much you sweat on the way to your stand. Once on stand this gear continues to wick moisture and retains much of your body heat keeping you warm and dry even while you are inactive. I can’t help but wonder how things with that eight pointer may have been different had this product been available 25 years ago.

I’m not one to give a pat on the back unless it’s well deserved, so it should warrant your attention when I tell you, Under Armour is almost too good to be true! Before I made my purchase, I did some research by calling some close friends and fellow bow hunters that use the product. I contacted 18 people and not one of them had a negative report. My first call was to good friend and co-owner of Awesomeantlers.com, Tony Korfage. Tony doesn’t just hunt in extreme weather; he works in it as a landscaper and snow removal contractor. When I asked Tony about the Under Armour products, he said, “Bud, you have to try this stuff. You will never hunt in cold weather without it again! Not only does it keep you warm and dry, it isn’t bulky or restrictive”. Now all of us bow hunters know that bulky clothing and bow hunting don’t mix, so Tony had my attention. Another call I made was to a friend that runs a dairy farm in Central Wisconsin. “Rod, he said, you have to invest in this product before you come back up here to hunt this year and you won’t believe how well it works”. Hmmm, two calls two thumbs up. After another dozen or more calls I spoke to my hunting buddy Captain Mark Bennett, who had just returned home from a Michigan deer hunt. Now Mark, like me, is a Florida resident, so I was eager to hear whether or not Under Armour even works for a thin blooded Florida boy. His response made my decision; he said “Rod, I hunted all day, everyday I was there. The temperatures dipped into the teens and low twenties and I never once got cold”! Now it’s important to understand that Mark and I get cold here in Florida when the over night temperature dips down to 50 degrees, so for Mark to sit all day and not get cold in those temperatures is simply amazing.

Because I wanted to order on-line, I wasn’t sure which products to buy for the weather conditions I’d be dealing with back in Wisconsin. So I decided to contact professional hunter for the Outdoor Channel, Tim Harald. Tim is also a fellow outdoor writer and the outdoor marketing manager for Under Armour. I asked Tim if he would detail for me which Under Armour products he wears depending on the weather conditions he is hunting in. Here was Tim’s response.

Above 50 degrees, I wear UA Base 2.0 sitting or limited movement all through the 50’s.

20 to40 degrees, I wear Cold Gear Mock and bottoms with Armour stretch ¼ zip and Derecho jacket and pants.

0 to -20 degrees I wear Metal Cold Gear with Base 3.0 over it (if below 15 degrees) then Derecho pants or fleece pants under Armour Stealth Bibs. On top, over the Base, Armour Stretch ¼ zip under the Armour Stealth Extreme Parka.

35 degrees and below – I always wear a UA Cold Gear hood – UA gloves – and a fleece or knit cap with a UA liner.

“The key is getting layers that all wick (all Under Armour does) and that don’t have a lot of weight or bulk while keeping you really warm. That is what we strive for at Under Armour – dry, light, non-bulky and warm”.

With all the praise I’m hearing about this product via trusted friends and internet chatter, I’d say Under Armour has succeeded at achieving their goals. I can tell you I love mine and I’ll never be on stand in cold weather without it again. So if you plan to hunt, work or play in cold weather, you owe it to yourself to try this product. You won’t be disappointed.

If you have a comment, question or just want to talk hunting with Rod, you can contact him at