Layers is the key to staying warm and dry. The first layer of clothing next to your skin should be able to wick moisture away from your skin. Some of the newer synthetic fabrics will do this better than others. Cotton gets wet and when that happens it looses it's abilty to insulate you. Polypropylene plastic fibers can't absorb moisture so they stay dry as compared to cotton fibers. A mixture of polypropylene fibers and other synthetic fibers works best for the long underware. Check out the new Cold Gear underware that is on display at Dick's Sporting Goods Stores or in the BPS or Cabelas Catalogs.

Next layer I like to use is the new thinsulate pants and long jacket. Under the jacket I wear a thinsulate vest that can be removed or left under the jacket. A wool shirt under the jacket and onto of the long underwear helps.

I also have used a thinsulate coveralls at times.

I wear a thinsulate stocking hat and gloves. My boots are insulated with Thinsulate as well. Until last year my feet were always getting cold. My new boots with thinsulate insulation kept my feet warm last year when I fished in cold weater in Dec.

Thinsulate is composed of plastic fibers that are screeded lenghtwise which causes them to trap air between the fibers. If you look at the material under the microscope you will see how they work. Air is the insulator. This works as well or better than Goose Down Feathers which was what was used in the past. But goose down does not breath like thinsulate and once down gets wet it's going to let the cold though.

I also plan on using these small chemical heat packs to keep my hands warm. It's very hard to keep the hands warm with fishing. Getting minnows out of frozen water is hard on your hands.

Some guys that I know keep several pair of cotton gloves with them and when one pair gets wet they just remove them and put on a new dry pair of cotton gloves.

I plan on trying to use a 5lb propane tank and a catalytic heater in my boat this winter. I am looking for one of those plastic milk crates to hold the propane tank so it won't tip over inside the boat.

Regards,

Moose1am