dbltree
Super Moderator
I recieved a Heater Body Suit as a gift and tested it out yesterday morning. The temp was minus 7 when I got out of the truck and the forecast called for minus 11 by daybreak but anywhay you call it, it was COLD!
I read somewhere that somebody walked to their stand in one of these so since I was able to walk down a snow covered back road with only a 40 yard walk into a ladder stand I decided to give it a try.
Not real easy to get into one of these things only because my boots tended to catch on the material and once on and the shoulder straps in place it won't stay zipped up while walking. Still I was able to walk to my stand but then found it nearly impossible to pick my legs up high enough to step up to each step, so I wouldn't advise wearing in to a tree stand.
Once in the stand however, it performed as advertised and kept me comfortable. I did wear all of my standard heavy cold weather clothes and boots and had chemical toe warmers on my feet.
One doesn't actually have to unzip it to shoot, simply push slightly with you hands and it easily unzips. It unzips almost too easily and once in a while I had to pull the zipper up again but not really a major problem.
About 9:30 I saw a buck coming my way and was able to easily open my "cocoon" and reach for the muzzy and put the crosshairs on the animal.
Thankfully it wasn't a shooter cause I wasn't looking forward to gutting an animal in this brutally cold weather.I stayed til about 11:00 a.m. at which point my feet were getting a little chilly but not extremely uncomfortable by any means.
Getting out of it was a little like getting in and one wants to be safely strapped in to get in and out of one of these things in a tree stand. The harness and strap that comes with it is perhaps functional but beyond that IMO impractical for most hunters.
Walking out I pulled my face mask down and within seconds my skin was burning and it was even difficult to breathe so were not talking about a "chilly morning and without the HBS I would never have ventured out.
I couldn't carry my backpack and the HBS so one would need a small pack frame to carry both perhaps but I just put all of my "junk" in my coat pockets.
The HBS isn't for everyone and I would rather not have to monkey with it duing normal fall weather but in brutally cold weather it is an awesome tool!
Heater Body Suit
The only problem I see is that I no longer have an excuse not to go hunting this time of year...
I read somewhere that somebody walked to their stand in one of these so since I was able to walk down a snow covered back road with only a 40 yard walk into a ladder stand I decided to give it a try.
Not real easy to get into one of these things only because my boots tended to catch on the material and once on and the shoulder straps in place it won't stay zipped up while walking. Still I was able to walk to my stand but then found it nearly impossible to pick my legs up high enough to step up to each step, so I wouldn't advise wearing in to a tree stand.
Once in the stand however, it performed as advertised and kept me comfortable. I did wear all of my standard heavy cold weather clothes and boots and had chemical toe warmers on my feet.
One doesn't actually have to unzip it to shoot, simply push slightly with you hands and it easily unzips. It unzips almost too easily and once in a while I had to pull the zipper up again but not really a major problem.
About 9:30 I saw a buck coming my way and was able to easily open my "cocoon" and reach for the muzzy and put the crosshairs on the animal.
Thankfully it wasn't a shooter cause I wasn't looking forward to gutting an animal in this brutally cold weather.I stayed til about 11:00 a.m. at which point my feet were getting a little chilly but not extremely uncomfortable by any means.
Getting out of it was a little like getting in and one wants to be safely strapped in to get in and out of one of these things in a tree stand. The harness and strap that comes with it is perhaps functional but beyond that IMO impractical for most hunters.
Walking out I pulled my face mask down and within seconds my skin was burning and it was even difficult to breathe so were not talking about a "chilly morning and without the HBS I would never have ventured out.
I couldn't carry my backpack and the HBS so one would need a small pack frame to carry both perhaps but I just put all of my "junk" in my coat pockets.
The HBS isn't for everyone and I would rather not have to monkey with it duing normal fall weather but in brutally cold weather it is an awesome tool!
Heater Body Suit
The only problem I see is that I no longer have an excuse not to go hunting this time of year...
