Rain/cold weather gear

[brgbassmaster]

Hey guys looking for some advice on cold weather gear. Since being active duty 14 years of being stationed in warm areas i havent needed anything warm while fishing. My military gortex suit was enough. Now that im moving to North Dakota im needing something for wet/ultra cold weather. Especially for late fall fishing but something i can throw on in the summer if it decides to dump on me. Whats is your recommendations?  Thanks! 

[roadwarrior]

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-guidewear-xtreme-late-season-parka-with-gore-tex-for-men

[throttleplate]

52 minutes ago, brgbassmaster said:

Hey guys looking for some advice on cold weather gear. Since being active duty 14 years of being stationed in warm areas i havent needed anything warm while fishing. My military gortex suit was enough. Now that im moving to North Dakota im needing something for wet/ultra cold weather. Especially for late fall fishing but something i can throw on in the summer if it decides to dump on me. Whats is your recommendations?  Thanks! 

wife and i lived in the philippines for last 10 years Grew up in ND and had to adjust and buy all new winter clothes. When i fished this week locally in the red river i layered my top half and wore a pair of my military kakis bottom half and rubber snowboots and fingerless gloves.

 

My hands got cold and my pole guides all had ice built up and line on reel iced up as it was 28 F outside. I could have worn my arctic jacket and snow pants but wanted to tough it out.  When its real cold i wear an gortex waterproof jacket with built in hood and zip up neck and wear snow pants over khakis.

 

The jacket is designed for extreme cold weather and it retails for $200.00 but i only paid $16.00 for it as i found it at a goodwill store on the jacket rack brand new. Wearing the jacket is like nothing i have worn before growing up in the midwest as its toasty warm and fends off all wind. I will also wear a face covering to keep the wind from freezing my face off and the wind here is what really can make a nice cold day 10x worse.

 

I wear water proof hunting gloves with a rubber palm and if hands get cold and they do i put those hand warmers in each glove which are just packets that you shake to mix the contents and the salt and iron inside chemically reacts and creates warm heat. They can be put in your shoes, gloves....anywhere you want and they are cheap and easilly disposable.

 

The wind here in ND and Minnesota blows hard in spring soft in the summer and strong again in the fall. I have froze my ..... off  fishing in may and early june because of the wind.

[jimmyjoe]

   I've got one word for you: LAYERS.  And I don't mean hens, either. The outside should be a rainsuit that breathes. It will also stop the wind. If you're in the military, you have access to info on cold weather underwear. Trousers and a warm shirt or shirt-jac complete the bill of materials. By the time those aren't enough, you're definitely not going to be out there fishing ...... unless it's in an ice hut.    ??     jj

2 minutes ago, throttleplate said:

I wear water proof hunting gloves with a rubber palm and if hands get cold and they do i put those hand warmers in each glove which are just packets that you shake to mix the contents and the salt and iron inside chemically reacts and creates warm heat. They can be put in your shoes, gloves....anywhere you want and they are cheap and easilly disposable.

 

   I forgot about those! They are an EXCELLENT idea!    jj

[r83srock]

If you want something for year round, I think layering is best. I purchased a Gill insulated suit and it has been one of the best purchases I’ve ever made, can’t believe I’ve gone all these years without a good suit. It was 29 this morning and 37 yesterday and I was good to go! I did wear it with my insulated bow hunting boots. 
 

I have a cheaper frogg toggs suit for warm weather and it does a good job for that. Makes a nice spare set too.

 

I would look at Guidewear, BPS 100mph, Gill, Simms, Aftco. All of these brands carry a good reputation. Frogg Toggs has high end suits as well. I have heard that frabil has good suits for the money as well.

[Jig Man]

Best one that I have ever had is the Bass Pro 100 mph suit.

[FishTank]

I like the stuff from Arc'teryx and they too make military gear (for Canadian troops and service).  Layers like mentioned above is the way to go.  It can be complex and difficult to nail all the right stuff.  Each type of weather presents its own challenge. 

 

Guide from Arc'teryx below.

 

https://arcteryx.com/us/en/shop/mens-layering-guide/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwxNT8BRD9ARIsAJ8S5xbZjfMG5cz32TXZyPRl0UYJE1Pnhk5eiep3EV0zY_8BHXZ5UUWSDaMaAl_-EALw_wcB

 

What I use for Indiana cold weather.....

 

Pants> REI Gore-Tex Rain pants with Smartwool base layer or fleece lined jeans

Shell Jacket> Arc'teryx Beta AR over one of these...

Shirt> Smartwool Base Layer and/or Arc'teryx Delta LT Fleece Pullover

Jacket for 30 Degree weather> Arc'teryx Atom LT

Jacket for below 30 Degrees> Arc'teryx Thorium AR

Neoprene water proof gloves

Wool sock hat 

Muck boots insulated and Smartwool hunting socks

 

[throttleplate]

when i was younger i was alot tougher when the cold hit.

[gim]

Don’t buy insulated if you want to use it in the summer humidity when it rains. You’ll roast.

 

Buy uninsulated and layer underneath if you need to in the cold. Unless you want to buy two sets which could get very pricey.

[GaryH]

Strart with a good base layer like UA. Then a light cotton vest. Have pockets sewn on the inside of the vest. 2 on the chest, 2 on the back at shoulder level and 1 at each kidney. Place a hand warmer in each pocket and then layer over with your outer layers.

With this I sit in the freezing cold for hours. Sounds like your good for hands and feet. Good luck on your new move and enjoy.  Thank You for your service...

[A-Jay]

4 hours ago, brgbassmaster said:

Hey guys looking for some advice on cold weather gear. Since being active duty 14 years of being stationed in warm areas i havent needed anything warm while fishing. My military gortex suit was enough. Now that im moving to North Dakota im needing something for wet/ultra cold weather. Especially for late fall fishing but something i can throw on in the summer if it decides to dump on me. Whats is your recommendations?  Thanks! 

I am all about layers as well.

But know that rarely will any single gear be very good for either extreme, hot or cold.  

I use two sets, one for cooler temps that I can also use for warmer temps. Think May & September in Michigan.  The second set is actually medium insulated.  Layers make it warmer.  I do not like heavy bulky gear that limits mobility while fishing.  Columbia makes Omni-Heat, great stuff.  Light form fitting without constriction and moisture wicking.  I never wear cotton anything in the cold.  Look into sock liners and over size your cold weather boots at least one size up.  Your warm feet will thank you.

A-Jay 

[Bluebasser86]

I have a Frabill F3 suit I like really well, but it's a tent on me now that I lost so much weight. My BPS 100mph suit still fits pretty well, but the quality of those things is pretty bad for the money your spend. My cuffs are super glued together because the adhesive they use just wears out and they come apart so you can get a good seal around your wrist. The seams are coming unsewn in places and on the velcro in my pants pockets. This is the second suit it's happened to after I returned the first one for the same issues. I wear mine a lot, but it's the flagship suit and not cheap, it shouldn't have these issues. I would not buy another if I was doing it over again.

[gim]

11 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I use two sets, one for cooler temps that I can also use for warmer temps. Think May & September in Michigan.

Are they the same brand?  Or do you have two completely different brands, one insulated and another uninsulated.

 

I don't do any extreme cold weather fishing.  Our climate is probably very similar to Michigan, and I fish a lot in May and September, but rarely am I out there in the extreme cold/conditions to the point where I wish I had an insulated version.  90% of the fishing I do is above 50 degrees and I rarely fish in big wind so the idea of spending another 400 bucks on an insulated version doesn't appeal to me.  My parents fish in walleye tournaments on big lakes starting in April and through September so they both have two sets.

[A-Jay]

7 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Are they the same brand?  Or do you have two completely different brands, one insulated and another uninsulated.

 

I don't do any extreme cold weather fishing.  Our climate is probably very similar to Michigan, and I fish a lot in May and September, but rarely am I out there in the extreme cold/conditions to the point where I wish I had an insulated version.  90% of the fishing I do is above 50 degrees and I rarely fish in big wind so the idea of spending another 400 bucks on an insulated version doesn't appeal to me.  My parents fish in walleye tournaments on big lakes starting in April and through September so they both have two sets.

My HUK rain gear is basically just a shell; nice stuff.

Decent wind blocker for blasting across open water once the temps dip.

Second set is Cabelas guidewear and is insulated.

It's a few years old now but you'd never know it.

Stuff is pretty tuff and get the job done for me.

 

Finally, I am not a huge fan of fishing in super cold or cold wind.

Hate fishing in gloves and rarely do it.

Line freezing in guides is a PIA.

Sounds like your parents have this deal dialed in.

A-Jay

[gim]

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Sounds like your parents have this deal dialed in.

I think they use the Cabela's Guide Wear too

[throttleplate]

if you are wading like i am here in september in minnesota  i use non insulated frogg togg hip waders with light pants on.But when the water turns cold starting at 50 degrees And downward WOW what a shock because when in the water the waders with the surrounding water pressure make the waders wrap around your legs tight like reynolds wrap and gets d**n cold fast on your skin.

 

The insulated waders are too d**n heavy, the boot part itself weighs a ton and would make walking through sloggy underbrush a real challenge and wear a guy out fast. I walk alot in the water, i will walk a mile down a shoreline casting while i walk and reel in. I dont even look at the water ahead of me as i walk so slow letting my feet tell my brain its safe to take the next step.

 

I have gotten stuck in some real mushy bottoms where i had to twist myself out and balance myself with my pole and so far only fell once in 3 feet of water as my foot got tanged in a underwater tree limb. I got a very little bit of water down one leg that my sock soaked up but my arms were soaked and so was my gear but i pressed on.

[TnRiver46]

North Dakota??? Can’t help ya there! 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

For rain gear just get a set of frog togs, they work great and aren't too expensive.  Get a good pair of bibs (not pants) and a parka with a zipout liner.  Make sure that they are both water proof, Goretex is the best material as far shedding water goes.  I use the bibs often with just some layers and a light windproof jacket.  The last thing you want to do is sweat, so be careful not to get a parka and bibs that are to heavy.  Its far better to layer then to just have a really heavy outer layer.  Its far better to have multiple layers so you can add or remove layers as needed.  The base layer is important.  Avoid cotton base layers that touch your skin.  Cotton has refrigerating properties when its wet, so it will soak up sweat and pull heat out of you fast.  Light or silk weight polyester base layers like under armor or thermal gear is the way to go, if you do sweat it will wick moisture away from you skin.  Over the base top base layer I will wear a T-shirt and a Henley or fleece over the T.  Over the fleece I wear a hoodie and over the hoodie goes my parka.  The other option is to wear a heavy merino wool sweater over the T shirt or Henley and then wear the shell of the parka over the wool.  You don't need to have many layers for the bottoms, just the lightweight base layer, jeans and the bibs over the jeans.  The hardest part is to get a pair that fit you really well.  If you have a any local dealers that carry them try them on.  Its better to have the parka be a little big that way you can add layers under it.

Theres so many good parkas, jackets and bibs on the market.  I have some of the Cabela Guidewear and if you can get it on sale its a good buy.  Sims, Huk, Aftco, Gillz, Frabil, Grundens, Stormr are all great.  Honestly I think you get more for your money with hunting clothes.  Drake has an excellent 3 in 1 parka and wading jacket for $300.  Neoprene cuffs, goose down zip out liner, excellent hood with a face mask integrated into it, plenty of secure pockets, heavy duty zippers that are hard to break and they are extremely warm.  

Make sure you get a good neck gaiter, stocking cap and or balaclava .  Good merino wool socks are must as well.  One of the most important is a good pair of gloves.  Rag wool fingerless gloves and glomits are great but if you have to handle a fish they get wet.  IMO the synthetic fingerless gloves are the way to go.  They dry quickly and wont absorb fish slime.  Again there are many good ones, glacier gloves, Simms, Cabelas Guidewear, Fish Monkey and so on.  Good gear is pricey, but the day is so much more enjoyable if you are comfortable.    

[brgbassmaster]

Thanks everyone! Great responses appreciate all the info. 

[GreenPig]

BPS 100 MPH Suit for 40 and under

Frabill F1 for warmer days