In short
- Walk in cool and dry. Carry the warm layers and put them on at the seat.
- Layer for sitting: merino base layer, warm mid layer, insulated outer layer, and a packable down jacket for the coldest hour.
- Close the gaps at the neck, wrists and waist, where warm air escapes when you sit.
- Sit on something that insulates and put a mat under your boots.
- Eat before you go and take a hot drink. Leave the alcohol at home.
By Henrik Larsen · Updated 3 November 2026
You stay warm on a high seat by arriving dry and putting most of your warmth on after the walk, at the seat. Sweat from the walk in is the main reason hunters start freezing after the first hour, so carry the insulation in the pack and dress once you have cooled down.
On a driven-hunt peg the same rules apply, with less time to change.
Why do you get cold on a high seat after the first hour?
Because you stop making heat. Walking warms the body well, while sitting still in wind produces only a fraction of that warmth, and any sweat from the walk now starts to cool you. Many hunters who freeze at dawn were dressed right for sitting but wrong for the walk to the seat.
How should you walk to the high seat without sweating?
Walk slower than feels natural and wear less than you will need later. Start in your base layer, a light mid layer and an open shell, with the insulated jacket or down layer in the pack. Stop a little before the seat, let your body cool for a minute or two, then dress up quietly.
Open the front zip and any vents on the walk, and carry your hat and warm gloves rather than wearing them. A cold first five minutes is normal and much better than a damp back for the next three hours. Our guide on how to dress for stalking, driven hunts and long waiting covers days when you do both.
What layers should you wear for a long winter sit?
Most winter sits need three or four layers: a merino or wool-blend base layer next to the skin, a warm mid layer such as a wool fleece hoodie, an insulated windproof jacket and pants on top, and a packable down jacket for the coldest hour. Each layer should fit over the one below without pressing on it.
A rough guide, assuming a sit of two to three hours:
- Around 0°C with little wind: base layer, mid layer, insulated outer layer.
- -5°C to -10°C: add the down layer under or over the shell, warmer socks and gloves.
- Below -10°C, or four hours and more: clothing alone gets heavy, so add a high-seat bag or a heat source.
How the layers work together is explained in how to dress for hunting with a layering system and in building a clothing system around your jacket.
Where does your body lose the most heat when you sit still?
At the gaps and wherever you touch something cold. Warm air leaks out at the neck, the wrists and the waist when the jacket rides up as you sit, while the back and the seat lose heat into a cold backrest and bench. Closing those spots often helps more than one more layer on your chest.
A neck gaiter or a high collar, cuffs that close over your gloves and pants with a high waist stop most of the leaks. A foam seat cushion and a mat under the boots deal with the cold boards.
What should you eat and drink to stay warm on a long sit?
Eat a proper meal before you go and take something warm and sweet to drink. The body needs fuel to make heat, and a flask of tea or soup halfway through the sit does more than another layer once you are already cold. Skip alcohol: it makes you feel warmer while you lose heat faster.
Unwrap any snacks before the hunt, so they make no noise on the seat.
Layering system vs heavy winter suit vs high-seat bag: which keeps you warmer?
For hunts with a walk in, a layering system works better because you control sweat. One heavy winter suit is simpler and fine if you park close to the seat. For many hours below -10°C, a high-seat bag usually beats both, because it keeps the legs and feet warm together and costs less than new clothing.
| Option | Works well for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|
| Layering system (base, mid, insulated outer, down) | Walk-in hunts, changing weather, stalking then sitting | Costs more, layers to carry and change |
| One heavy insulated suit | Short walk, seat close to the car, very cold mornings | Sweaty on any longer walk, bulky on the ladder |
| High-seat bag or sitting sack | Long sits in deep frost | Only for sitting, one more thing to carry |
| Heated vest or heated insoles | Hunters who feel the cold easily, very long waits | Batteries, charging, weight |
| Wool blanket over the legs | Cheap backup on a closed seat | Slips, gets wet, not for open seats in rain |
A closed high seat that keeps the wind out is often worth more than any single piece of clothing. Wind takes heat faster than still frost.
Which Hillman gear works for long sits on a high seat?
Our winter layering starts with the 2BL merino-bamboo base layer and the 3ML merino hoodie as mid layer. The insulated AlphaShell 6OL jacket and pants form the outer layer. The packable 4IL down jacket goes on at the seat, and the XWP40 Chairpack carries it all and gives you a seat wherever you stop.
- 2BL merino base layer, long sleeve: bamboo on the inside, 15.5 µm merino on the outside, deep front zip to vent on the walk. Rated from 5°C down to -30°C with more layers over it.
- 2BL merino long johns: the same fabric for the legs, rated from 5°C down to -30°C as a base layer.
- 3ML merino hunting hoodie: merino-bamboo fleece mid layer with ventilated underarms and a hood with a high front collar. Rated down to -30°C as a mid layer.
- AlphaShell 6OL winter hunting jacket: Matrix insulation (40 g/m²), DryHunt membrane, 11,000 mm water column, fully taped seams, pit zips, merino fleece on the back and quiet Durasuede fabric. Rated from 20°C to -20°C on its own and to -25°C with layers.
- AlphaShell 6OL winter hunting pants: high waist with detachable suspenders that seal drafts at the waist, Varilock waist that adjusts by plus or minus one size for extra layers, zipped wide cuffs. Rated from 20°C to -25°C.
- 4IL down jacket: 1000 fill power goose down, 377 g in size M, packs into its own pocket. Rated from 0°C to -30°C under an outer shell.
- XWP40 Chairpack: waterproof 40 l backpack with a built-in chair frame rated to 129 kg and a 55 cm seat height.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature is too cold for a high seat?
There is no fixed number. Wind and the length of the sit matter more than the thermometer. Many hunters find that around -10°C with wind, clothing alone stops being enough and a high-seat bag or a heat source is needed.
Is merino better than synthetic as a base layer for sitting?
For sitting, merino and merino blends feel warmer when slightly damp and smell less after several days. Synthetics dry faster. The full comparison is in merino vs synthetics for hunting base layers.
Should I wear my insulated jacket on the walk to the seat?
Not if the walk takes more than a few minutes. Carry it and put it on at the seat, once your body has cooled a little.
Does a closed high seat need less clothing?
Usually yes, because it keeps the wind off. Still take the down layer: the last hour of an evening sit is the coldest.
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