November 04, 2010
By Chuck Adams
By Chuck Adams
In my experience, bowhunters often wear too many clothes, or not enough.
As a general rule, you're wise to dress in several thin layers rather than one or two bulky garments. The layers give you versatility to add or shed clothing to achieve a perfect level of comfort. You can carry a daypack or fannypack to hold extra duds.
Stand hunters often dress too lightly. If you'll be sitting for long periods, you're best off to start out too warm. After you settle on stand, surrounding air robs body heat over time. Clothes that were too toasty at first quickly become just right.
Hiking hunters typically overdress at the start of a hike. You're wise to begin your hike lightly dressed so you feel a bit chilly. A little leg-stretching exercise will warm you up and prevent the aggravating need to shed layers of clothes.
For most accurate shooting, snug clothing layers make sense. They hug the bow arm and chest, where bowstring collision can be a genuine concern. An insulated wool or synthetic vest plus tee-neck sweater or scarf will trap body heat without smacking the string and sending your arrow wild. In bowhunting, you should always dress for success.
