Keepin' warm

[Crossbar]

I would like a few(hunerd)ideas of how ya'll keep a warm area for the shooters. Just a small portable heater(propane), a small fire on wheels(all precautions taken), etc.

[Flashpowder Hal]

First we have a portable roof area,

 

Then we use some of them catalytic propane heaters

 

Many shooters keep them hand-warmer packets in their pockets too

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I would like a few(hunerd)ideas of how ya'll keep a warm area for the shooters. Just a small portable heater(propane), a small fire on wheels(all precautions taken), etc.

 

 

Depands on how big yur range is. Ifin' it's small, say like 6 stages, put up a 3 walled car port wif a portable heater in it.

 

 

At a club I shoot at, (ders so many..I can't keep track !! ) we close off a stage dat has a small bulidin' on it, put plastic on 3 of da 4 winders and close da door !!!

[Willie Wheelgun]

You can put foot warmers in your boots - made by the pocket disposable hand warmer people.

[Assassin]

Crossbar, how cold can it get in Louisiana? I have not lived there in many years, can only recall freezing temps once or twice. Come on up to Wyoming or Colorado and you can shoot in some real cold weather. But it's a dry cold. I remember hunting near St. Francisville LA in 1977-78, coldest I've ever been when hunting, cold damp wind coming off the river. Best thing for cold weather is to dress in layers, heavy socks, warm boots, gloves, and a pair of heavy insulated pants. Wear a long coat and it will keep your pistols warm. Cold pistols will freeze your hands immediately. Outside heat source will only make you sweat on one side and you'll eventually get colder. Also, get some of those hot hand things for your gloves. I've worked in the elements for years and the only thing worse than being cold is being wet and cold. Only got down to 14 last night and up to 33 today. That's pretty normal here until March. And, we had up to 40 mph gusts all day today. Keep busy doing stuff and you won't think about the cold as much.

 

 

LL'

[Oklahomabound]

We have store fronts with windows and doors, front porch has a roof, and the backside of the store fronts are covered as well to begin with. Then we have two wood burning stoves built from 55 gallon drums and each is on wheels and a support frame.

 

...looks like this one only has wheels: http://www.northlineexpress.com/itemdesc.a...;kw=5SV-BSK1000

[Deja Vous]

I do not know what is local laws are like... but when I use to do team penning in AZ we had fire cans that we would light up. I know people in the snow country find it hard to understand, but when you are use to 110 degee days 40's is cold.. lol

[Grizzly Dave]

Keep moving around, don't put your pistols in the cart between stages, found that out the hard way last month. Make sure you have gloves, I thought I had gloves in the car, found out when I got there I didn't, bummer for me. Think I'll just find a pair to leave in my shooting box.

 

Layers really help until you need to use the outhouse

 

Grizz

[Greeenriver SASS #38681]

Back when I was spending my winters in MI still, the club I shot with ocasionaly in the winter had a fire ring at each stage, with charcoal and wood burning in it for the winter shoots. They have built more props since then, and a couple of covered shelters between stages, so I don't know how they handle things now. Thought of driving down there and shooting Sat., but I sent my shotgun belt to NC in my travel trailer and don't have any way to carry my shotgun loads this month, LOL!!!!!

 

Maybe I can borrow one for the day.

 

Greeenriver

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

Crossbar, how cold can it get in Louisiana?

 

LL'

 

You know that if it gets below 60, them folks thinks it's Freeeeeezing

[Brother King, SASS #69031]

Staying warm is really pretty simple... yes, it's layering, but the truth is, of course, bigger and more specific than that old cliche. It's layering with the correct fabrics. We've forgotten some simple truths because in the US we live in a thermostatically controlled environment.

 

Simply adding two, three, four sweatshirts and two, three, four pairs of jeans won't make you any warmer. WHY? Because those who make a living in cold climates will tell you that COTTON KILLS. It kills absolutely and before you die you'll be miserable for a long, long time as it sucks the heat right out of you.

 

Polypropylene (known now as UnderArmour, Thermax, etc. etc.- look at the label) does a great job of ignoring moisture. To quote an often misunderstood line, "IT WICKS". That's as much true as it is wrong. Moisture passes through it without attaching to the fiber and your body heat continues to drive it to the outside. This maintains dry skin.... and that's the secret to staying warm:

 

The #1 cause of body heat loss is water evaporating from the surface of your skin.

 

If it's driven by wind and filled with its own humidity (40 degrees in LA, TX- etc.) it's colder feeling than 10 degrees on a calm sunny day in CO, WY. WHY? Because in CO/ WY the humidity is about 20% and the sun is radiant, which FEELS warm. So we shoot year around here.

 

There is only one truly radiant fabric- wool/ hair. That's why it covers every living mammal. It works because it absorbs radiant heat and radiates it back to you- the wearer. If you combine wool over poly it works double time. DO NOT! do that if you may be in any kind of fire exposure! Poly melts to the skin and electrical utilities, fire, oil and gas etc. and even FINALLY the US MILITARY no longer allow synthetics of any kind next to the skin for that reason. 3rd degree burns are the result and the disfiguring is horendous as the sythetic has to be removed from skin and muscle with a die grinder.

 

Most all of our cowboy duds are cotton. You can go to the Goodwilll and find big Pea coats or wool dusters. LL' has a great one. The synthetic fibers (LOOK AT THE LABEL) are not as good and never will be. They don't radiate... they do provide loft. But loft isn't as warming as radiant heat.

 

HOW TO DRESS: Simple, poly or (to me) even better merino long underwear on the skin. Put whatever cowboy duds (a pair of cowboy cut wool pants is great and they're cheap) WOOL socks and a nice wool vest and wool frock coat or big wool overcoat with a felt hat or fur hat.

 

You'll never be cold again. If it gets colder than that PM me for more details. It's what I do for a living.

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

..... why don'ch'all come over here ..........

 

 

yesterday was tha first day of SUMMER ! ....

[Brother King, SASS #69031]

I'll bet if you started another thread about "How to travel to a cowboy shoot in Australia with GUNS" you'd have quite a few takers. Got room?

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

I'll bet if you started another thread about "How to travel to a cowboy shoot in Australia with GUNS" you'd have quite a few takers. Got room?

 

 

If we know that you are comming, and when, we can organise some loaner/shared "sporting utensils" and the "consumables" needed to feed them.

[Grizzly Dave]

"sporting utensils" LOL

[Grizzly Dave]

I need to find a one piece mucho largo union suit. Found lots of thermal undies, but all two piece, I want the one piece.

[Crossbar]

I'd sure like to thank ya'll for your input and ideas. I reckon it sounded funny to the Northern folk about what to do on a cold day in So. LA. Lousiana Lightnin' had it right, it is the dampness and wind that gets to us. The temps do manage to get down to the 30's/20's along about Jan/Feb. I sure appreciate Brother King's reminder of the right clothing in layers and all. The wood heater on wheels idea from Oklahomabound sounded best for now and we have the barrels for settin' up around the range to have a few fires like Deja suggested. Sure is nice to have a bunch like ya'll to ask the right 'dumb-newbe' questions to get the straight answers. Thanks a heap, x - (Crossbar)........ the name is an old cattle brand by the way and my scratch mark on my tools so as not to be confused with someone elses tools, came in handy more than once.

[Subdeacon Joe]

That's why the good Lord gave us wool to use for cloth. And felt hats. And fleece gloves.

[Grizzly Dave]

and facial hair for the menfolk

[Noz]

Shoot black powder then love on your guns.

[J-BAR #18287]

"When an eskimo's hands get cold, he puts on a hat."

 

...because most of your body heat is lost from your head.

 

Leave the raffia hats at home and wear an honest-to-Duke felt hat.

 

And coat.

 

And gloves.

 

And a red union suit with button-up trap door...

[Matthew Duncan]

Blasted Yankee winters!

 

What I have found that works the best for me. While posse is shooting I stay in the heated club house.

[Grouchy Spike]

I grew up duck hunting from the age of 8 between Lafayette and Lake Charles. My dad didn't quit hunting until we had two limits, so I know about damp cold.

 

We used wool as Brother King advised, and Jon E hand warmers. Dad strapped a belt around his waist containing two hand warmers that were positioned over his kidneys (he said). I carried one for my hands.

 

Try a Jon E. When my hands are cold and fingers are white, those thermal packets won't create enough heat to warm up my fingers. I need HEAT from a Jon E. I've found gray woolen work gloves which work well to keep fingers warm while shooting. They're a little slick, so extra care is needed to avoid losing control of a gun. Old military glove liners work well too.

 

If you buy a Jon E, I suggest buying the large size. It's big enough to warm BOTH hands quickly.

[Deja Vous]

Staying warm is really pretty simple... yes, it's layering, but the truth is, of course, bigger and more specific than that old cliche. It's layering with the correct fabrics. We've forgotten some simple truths because in the US we live in a thermostatically controlled environment.

 

Simply adding two, three, four sweatshirts and two, three, four pairs of jeans won't make you any warmer. WHY? Because those who make a living in cold climates will tell you that COTTON KILLS. It kills absolutely and before you die you'll be miserable for a long, long time as it sucks the heat right out of you.

 

Polypropylene (known now as UnderArmour, Thermax, etc. etc.- look at the label) does a great job of ignoring moisture. To quote an often misunderstood line, "IT WICKS". That's as much true as it is wrong. Moisture passes through it without attaching to the fiber and your body heat continues to drive it to the outside. This maintains dry skin.... and that's the secret to staying warm:

 

The #1 cause of body heat loss is water evaporating from the surface of your skin.

 

If it's driven by wind and filled with its own humidity (40 degrees in LA, TX- etc.) it's colder feeling than 10 degrees on a calm sunny day in CO, WY. WHY? Because in CO/ WY the humidity is about 20% and the sun is radiant, which FEELS warm. So we shoot year around here.

 

There is only one truly radiant fabric- wool/ hair. That's why it covers every living mammal. It works because it absorbs radiant heat and radiates it back to you- the wearer. If you combine wool over poly it works double time. DO NOT! do that if you may be in any kind of fire exposure! Poly melts to the skin and electrical utilities, fire, oil and gas etc. and even FINALLY the US MILITARY no longer allow synthetics of any kind next to the skin for that reason. 3rd degree burns are the result and the disfiguring is horendous as the sythetic has to be removed from skin and muscle with a die grinder.

 

Most all of our cowboy duds are cotton. You can go to the Goodwilll and find big Pea coats or wool dusters. LL' has a great one. The synthetic fibers (LOOK AT THE LABEL) are not as good and never will be. They don't radiate... they do provide loft. But loft isn't as warming as radiant heat.

 

HOW TO DRESS: Simple, poly or (to me) even better merino long underwear on the skin. Put whatever cowboy duds (a pair of cowboy cut wool pants is great and they're cheap) WOOL socks and a nice wool vest and wool frock coat or big wool overcoat with a felt hat or fur hat.

 

You'll never be cold again. If it gets colder than that PM me for more details. It's what I do for a living.

 

 

Great tips.. but I have to tell ya there Brother Kings.. all that keeps me warm in the winter is a fire, hot tea, a pile of blankets, and the chattering of my teeth.. lol...

 

When I was little we had a coal burner for a couple years while Dad installed water radiant heat that used bottle gas out on the farm. Those few years I spend my evenings sitting on the floor registers praying for the furnance to fire up.. Gravity heat.. brrrrrrr... lol. The barn was pretty warm with the cattle and horse body heat going on.. but working out side was so cold. My toes got so cold I thought they would break off.. lol.. One winter I rode my figure skates to a defeat at the river ice and walked home soaking wet..I was cold and I complained and Dad just said complaining will not make you warm.. you did what you did because you wanted to have fun, you had fun.. now just get warm.. and ready to do it again.. lol.. He was right.. I just keep being cold, or hot and doing it over and over cuz its too much fun not to.. lol

[Marshal Chance Morgun]

Blasted Yankee winters!

 

Just think how cold it would be if we DIDN'T have Global Warming?

 

Tuesday and Wednesday 20's, cloudy, and windy. Felt bitter cold. Today, same temp, cloudy, but no wind. Didn't even need the heater on in the car.

[Deja Vous]

Just think how cold it would be if we DIDN'T have Global Warming?

 

Tuesday and Wednesday 20's, cloudy, and windy. Felt bitter cold. Today, same temp, cloudy, but no wind. Didn't even need the heater on in the car.

Gosh..... now look at who has found a silver lining.. loll

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

I grew up in Montana and the coldest I have ever been was at FT Polk LA.

 

34 degrees windy and rainy. Damp nasty cold.

 

I have hunted at 10 below in Montana, moving I would take off the jacket and be ok with just long johns and a flannel shirt, gloves and a warm hat when the sun was shining trudging thru the snow. But that is a dry cold, the damp LA cold goes right thru you.

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

As for hats, use what ever cowboy hat you have, let it hang off your back by the stampede strings and keep your head warm with a watch cap, tuuk or stocking cap they are all the same

[Crusty]

We don't have a problem at our club. Somebody shows up early and stokes the wood stoves in the stage buildings. Then Pards show up with food, somebody makes chili and we bullshoot for a while. Stages are made up on the fly and if'n there's snow on the ground we shoot .22s.

 

The Frostbite Falls Invitational is just around the corner!

[Apache Hawk 60642]

I need to find a one piece mucho largo union suit. Found lots of thermal undies, but all two piece, I want the one piece.

 

 

River Juck-tion down in Iowa had'em on sell last month.

 

 

 

Got a couple of pairs of dem "Red" 'ins !!