Heated Vest

[mtns2hunt]

Has anyone tried using a heated vest when hunting? Seems it gets harder and harder to get up in the morning and go our in the cold and staying warm is getting harder. So I started looking at heated vests.

I am looking at a vest by www.ewool.com  which is made in Canada. Hunting in Montana I really got cold and had to start a fire. My core temp dropped and I was shivering uncontrollably.

Thought it was a fluke but this year in Virginia (of all places) I was in the mountains and again got really cold. My thermos of hot coffee sitting next to me was cold and I was again shivering almost uncontrollably. Started a fire and soon warmed up. The walk out was not to bad.

Having to start a fire and getting hypothermia is time consuming and dangerous. So to keep my core temp up I thought a Heated vest might work. It can function as a regular vest and when getting real cold can boost the core temp. Anyone use one?

[Sir-diealot]

Avoid greenbobs they are a scam. Tried to buy my GF a heated jacket from them and it never came. They provided me a tracking number that never left China. I was lucky I used Paypal and they covered me and got me my money back. So avoid the place like the plague.

[owlhoot]

Sounds like you need some of those body- handwarmers and a little backpacking jet stove .
Proven stuff

[Sir-diealot]

Sounds like you need some of those body- handwarmers and a little backpacking jet stove .
Proven stuff

The ones with the tape to stick to your clothes can work very well. Easier if you have somebody put them on your clothes as you are standing there so you can direct them to where the best place is. I have done it a few times and when they are on right they do help to loosen my back a bit, if you are wearing an insulated coverall they really help because all the heat gets trapped inside. If just sticking to a shirt while wearing pants then be sure to tuck you shirt in to help trap the heat some.

[Greg Massey]

Sounds like you need some of those body- handwarmers and a little backpacking jet stove .
Proven stuff

x2

[Marc]

I know nothing of heated vests (living in California)... 

I could only find one review for the eWool, and it was a 1-star rating.

I would do a google search on heated vest reviews...  Here are a couple results I found.

https://topmostreviews.com/best-heated-vests/

https://www.digitaltrends.com/outdoors/best-heated-clothing/

As a related side note, what are you wearing for your under-layering?  Synthetics and wool are the only way to go, and even in California, duck hunting in the winter can get chilly...  AVOID cotton. 

I prefer Merino Wool over synthetics (less produced odor, more comfortable, and I feel warmer).  With good Merino Wool layering, I rarely even wear anything but a thin jacket while duck hunting... 

[Southerngobbler]

I have used the Pnuma Icon heated vest for one deer season and it performed flawlessly. I mostly only bow hunt and it allowed me to shed a few layers and still stay warm. On med or high the batteries only last two or three hours so get a couple batteries. I get cold easy especially if the wind is blowing and this vest is pretty incredible, it will warm you up no matter what.
The only thing I don't like is that you have to hand wash it.

[rifleman]

I am very cold natured.  I did by an Ororo vest and it is warm but not very a very long period of time.

[bbcoach]

Take a Buddy Heater along with you and invite a Buddy to warm his TOES!  Sorry I couldn't resist!

OLD THREE TOES!!!

[mtns2hunt]

Sounds like you need some of those body- handwarmers and a little backpacking jet stove .
Proven stuff

x2

I have tried those and they work but not well enough to keep me warm. The idea is to stay warm and not need a lot of extra hand warmers or a stove. I do think a stove is faster than a fire but I would prefer not needing either.

Motor cyclists use heated vests and seem to like them a lot. I frequently hunt in the coldest weather possible in Va. and yes it does get cold here. As my preferred method of deer hunting is sitting and  temps in the teens are not uncommon. Plus I do hunt in Canada and Wyoming. Gets real chilly in Canada even in a heated blind.

I have seen the reviews for the different vests and do like the e-wool vest and the material it is made of. There are not many reviews for it and I attribute that to its being Canadian. I have seen this vest as a customer came in wearing one and was very pleased. Expensive yes but there is a return period if I do not like it. As a base layer I have been using a heavy polyester style for sitting and a lighter polyester when hiking. I sometimes use both when it gets really cold. I have an assortment of shirts of various materials along with regular vests and sweaters for layering. Generally I do wear cotton pants but they are covered by Gore tex bibs and I have a parka from Cabelas. I have boot packs when it gets really cold or mushy. As is common I dress in layers and carry extra in a back pack when hiking in. Much of this gear is way to heavy to carry long distances and the last thing I want to do is sweat. Thus the heated vest. I was thinking I could dress lighter but stay warm with a vest. Sorry for the long post but appreciate the feedback.

[jwm1485]

Milwaukee tools makes some heated jackets and stuff that might be worth checking out.

[Bearcat1997]

Milwaukee tools makes some heated jackets and stuff that might be worth checking out.

I second this. I have a camo heated Milwaukee jacket that I got for Christmas a few years ago and it rocks!

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

April at 10000 ft in New Mexico can get mighty cold.  Really hate it when those shakes kick in. Only gets worse when you start working a tom. I have a vest from Gerbing and it has worked very well for me. I also bring coffee in a wide mouth Swell bottle. Stays hot for hours.

[Dtrkyman]

I have two, gerbing and a mobile warming.

The gerbing is 10 plus years old and still going, the mobile warming is 2 years old and connects to your phone to control temp, they also have socks.

They are really nice bowhunting in the fall and winter, i have used both at the same time a few times.

They do not exactly make you all warm and fuzzy but definitely notice the difference when I don't use one.

[mtns2hunt]

Appreciate all the feed back. I will look at some of the recommendations offered.