How not to freeze in the high seat
Walking in to the high seat keeps you warm. Sitting still for three or four hours in a high seat, or standing on your peg through a driven hunt, does not: you hardly move, the cold comes up through the seat or the ground, and your body pulls blood back from your hands and feet to keep your core warm. That's why hunters usually feel the cold in their toes and fingers first.
Staying warm comes down to four things: a hot drink, hot food, an extra source of heat for your hands and feet, and something between you and the cold seat. This collection covers all four: vacuum flasks and insulated mugs from Thermos, SIGG and YETI, food flasks, single-use warmers from Thermopad, battery-heated clothing from Lenz and Alpenheat, and seat cushions. We deliver across Europe for €10, or you can collect your order free at our range in Riga.
Vacuum flasks: how long they really keep tea hot
A good steel vacuum flask keeps a drink hot for a whole day. According to the makers:
Makers measure these times with the flask closed. Every time you open it at −10 °C you let heat out, so expect less. Three habits help: warm the flask with boiling water for a few minutes before you fill it, fill it right to the top so there's less air inside, and keep it in your rucksack rather than on the frozen floor of the high seat.
Which size? 0.5 l is enough for one evening in the high seat. For a full day's driven hunt or a night in the high seat, take 0.75–1 l. For two people, take a 1.2 l bottle or two flasks.
Insulated mugs: for the car and short outings
An insulated mug is quicker to drink from but holds heat for a shorter time than a flask. The Thermos Stainless King mug 0.47 l and the Thermos insulated mug 0.47 l keep a drink hot for up to 7 hours, and the SIGG Travel Mug 0.3 l for up to 2 hours, so it's for the car journey, not the high seat. YETI Rambler mugs (295, 591 and 709 ml) and Rambler bottles are built to take knocks; the YETI HotShot lid turns a Rambler bottle into a leak-proof coffee bottle you can drink from any side.
Food flasks: hot soup in the high seat
A warm meal does more against the cold than another layer, and a food flask keeps it hot for most of the day. The Thermos food jar 0.71 l keeps soup hot for up to 14 hours and has an extra-wide opening and a folding stainless spoon; the 0.47 l version keeps it hot for up to 10 hours, and the Thermos Stainless King Food Jar 0.47 l for up to 9 hours. All three are stainless steel without an inner coating, so they don't taint the food.
Warm the jar with boiling water first, then fill it with food that's properly hot and close it straight away. Thick soups, stews and porridge keep their heat better than a little food in a big jar.
Hand and foot warmers: single-use or battery?
- Single-use warmers start heating as soon as you open the pack and they meet the air. Thermopad toe warmers last up to 8 hours, sole warmers up to 9 hours, and the all-round set has hand warmers for up to 12 hours plus toe and back warmers. They're light, cheap per hunt and need no charging.
- Battery warmers cost more up front but last for years. The Deerhunter Heat hand warmer is a lined pouch you wear on a belt, with three heat settings.
Toe warmers stick to the outside of the sock over the toes. They need air to heat, so a very tight boot makes them work less well. Body and back warmers (Thermopad body warmer, heat belt) reach an average of 42–55 °C, so put them on clothing, never on bare skin.
Heated socks, vests and mittens
Battery-heated clothing gives the most even warmth, and you can turn it up or down.
- Socks: Lenz heated socks 5.1 Toe Cap warm all around the toes for up to 14 hours; the 4.1 Toe Cap costs less. Both can be machine-washed at 30 °C with the battery removed.
- Vests: the Lenz heated vest 1.0 (men's and women's) heats the lower back and kidneys for up to 11 hours; the Lenz vest 2.0 has heating pads you can move. Alpenheat vests such as the Fire-Fleece AJ4 heat for 2–8 hours depending on the level. A warm core also helps your hands and feet, because the body has less reason to pull blood away from them.
- Mittens: the Lenz heated mittens 1.0 were made for hunting: the finger cap folds back to free the trigger finger and is held by magnets, and the outer is waterproof and quiet.
- Trousers and insoles: Lenz Heat Pants 2.0 (up to 11 hours) and the Alpenheat HotSole wireless insoles (4–5 hours).
Lenz socks, vests and mittens are sold without a battery. Add a Lenz rcB 1200 lithium pack or the rcB 2000 pair; the same packs fit all Lenz heated products. Wear heated clothing over thermal underwear, not instead of it.
Seat cushions: the cold comes from below
A wooden or metal bench in a high seat draws heat out of you all evening, and a seat cushion is the cheapest way to stop it. The Parforce needle-felt seat cushion (49 × 40 cm) and the JAKELE felt cushion shrug off damp and dirt; the Rascher loden seat cushion and the Waidgerechte Jagd loden Thinsulate® cushion add Thinsulate® insulation for long waits in the high seat; the Vanish by Allen seat cushion is waterproof foam and weighs 230 g. For the coldest nights, the Rascher loden blanket goes over your legs.
What to take on a cold outing
- A flask of hot drink (0.75–1 l for a full day's driven hunt) and a food flask with soup or stew.
- Toe warmers on the socks, or heated socks with a charged battery.
- Hand warmers or heated mittens; a spare pair of dry socks if you walk in.
- A seat cushion, and a warm hat.
- Thermal underwear under everything, and boots that aren't tight: a tight boot squeezes the blood flow and the warm air out.
Prices
- Under €25: Thermos insulated cup 0.35 l (€20.99), Thermopad heat belt (€13.99), body warmers (€18.99), toe warmers (€21.99), Parforce seat cushion (€21.99).
- €25–55: vacuum flasks and bottles from Thermos, SIGG and YETI (€30.99–50.99), food jars (€36.99–37.99), Thermopad sole warmers (€30.99–36.99) and all-round set (€45.99).
- €55–200: Deerhunter Heat hand warmer (€62.99), Lenz heated socks (€82.99–108.99), Lenz vest 1.0 (from €143.99), Lenz Heat Pants 2.0 (€152.99–174.99), Lenz mittens (€162.99–166.99), Alpenheat Fire-Fleece AJ4 vest (€154.99–173.99).
- Over €200: Alpenheat Fire-Air and Fire-Performance vests (€254.99–266.99), Alpenheat HotSole (€217.99), Lenz rcB 2000 battery pair (€227.99).
Shop by brand: SIGG, YETI, Thermos, Lenz and Thermopad.
Looking after a flask
Rinse it after every hunt and let it dry with the lid off, or it will start to smell. Don't leave milk or coffee with milk in it for days, and don't fill a vacuum flask with fizzy drinks: the gas builds pressure under the lid. Many of our flasks and jars are dishwasher-safe; check the product page. If a lid stops sealing, it's usually the rubber ring: take it out, clean it and put it back.
Our advice
For most hunters, start with a 0.75 l steel flask, a pack of toe warmers and a seat cushion: that covers most cold outings for well under €100. If you're out in the high seat every weekend from November to January, add heated socks or a heated vest, and a food flask for the long days. Not sure what suits your hunt? Message us and we'll help you choose.
