Photo: Ron Miller poses with a nice 10-pointer he took on top of a hard-to-get-to hill in Montana. The tip he shares about reducing sweat will help hunters keep dryer, warmer and sit still longer.
Here in Montana, getting to my hunting area usually involves hiking steep hills in frigid conditions.
One of my favorite spots is on top of a small mountain that takes a good hour and a half of hiking to scale.
By the time I lug a rifle and heavy pack up those hills, I am drenched in sweat. We all know what happens when you stop moving in the extreme cold — sweat freezes!
I always bring an extra shirt in my pack and change into it as soon as I stop hiking. Taking the wet one off allows me to cool down for a moment, and I stay much warmer once the dry shirt goes on.
The wet shirt now becomes a dual-purpose item of clothing. The last time I hunted in a heavy snow, I used it to protect my riflescope and bolt.
Editor’s Note by Tim H. Martin
Here’s another similar tip for staying warm. This is a fundamental, yet vital piece of information.
Perspiration is your enemy for two reasons: odor and warmth.
If you wear heavy clothes while walking to your stand, sweat will cause your body to cool quickly and dramatically once you’ve settled in. Not only will you end up much colder than if you’d left your jacket off, but you’ll also smell stronger since bacteria loves perspiration.
To prevent this, remove your jacket before you hike, even if it is quite cold out. You’ll only be chilly for a short while, until your blood gets pumping.
Strap your jacket to your backpack and have it ready to slip on just before you climb into your stand. You’ll stay much drier and warmer, and you’ll stink less.
— Photo Courtesy Ron Miller