Burrr!! on Cedar Valley Saver Inc.

After having spent three very cold days on the water fishing, ice fishing in the future and the bulk of hunting season still to come I thought this was a good time to pass on a few cold weather preparation tips.

Mom was right those times when I was growing up and told me to dress in layers and stay dry. Start at the top by layer your hats. For my first layer I have a thin cotton balaclava. The hood by itself is not very warm; its purpose is to wick away any perspiration and keeps you dry.

The next layer for my head depends on how cold it is. For extreme cold I have a second balaclava but this one is made of fleece and is incredibly warm. Most of the time I wear just a plain stocking hat as my second layer, this way I can start the morning out with my first two layers plus the hood of my coat, as the day warms I can remove the coat hood.

There are some unbelievably warm coats on the market but they tend to be bulky and restrict movement. You also can’t remove a layer if activity increases or the day warms up.

The first layer I wear is an old-fashioned style cotton union suit. My wife chuckles every time I put one on but they are great! There is no gap between the top and bottom so they hold my body heat in and more importantly they wick away any moisture, which helps keep me dry.

The next layers on my upper body are a short sleeve t-shirt and then a sweatshirt that I've cut down to be short sleeve. The reason for the short sleeve shirts is mobility, the union suit and my outer coat are both long sleeve and as long as I keep my body and hands warm my forearms don’t tend to get cold.

If I'm fishing from the boat when it's cold my outer most layer is a lightly insulated rain coat that's made with extra room in the under arm, shoulder and elbow areas so that it's not restrictive when casting. For ice fishing or hunting I wear an insulated canvas coat that I've treated with spray-on water repellent.

For my lower body I have the union suit and regular blue jeans. As my outer layer I have bib overalls – a lightweight nylon pair or an insulated canvas pair depending on how cold it is.

The first later on my feet are sock liners made of 80% silk and 20% stretch nylon to wick away any moisture. For socks I normally wear just regular weight as opposed to insulated ones. If I'm hunting or ice fishing I have quality pair of waterproof boots insulated with Thinsulate.

When I'm fishing from the boat in the cold I wear the sock liners and regular socks and just my everyday shoes with slip on rubber covers over them. This keeps my feet warm and if I'd happen to fall in I'm not trying to swim to safety with 5 pound boots on.

My hands are the only things that I don't cover in layers - it's a hassle and the insulated gloves available today are great. I have several pairs of gloves and choose which ones to wear depending on how cold it is. Until next time keep you lure wet!