Iwom Hunter Suit

[elknut]

Has anybody used the Iwom hunters suit. I was looking at purchasing one. Would appreciate any opinions good or bad.

[drkeenan]

Have heard good things. I have a warmbag (out of business) which I love but will try an IWOM!!

[BryanOney]

I got my IWOM suit 2 seasons ago because my body and especially my hands and feet get cold since I have started taking high blood pressure meds. My IWOM suit will let me sit for 6 hours in conditions that I would only be able to sit an hour and a half with my regular cold weather gear on. I use a climber with my IWOM suit on even. I love it. Have not used it this year yet because it has een so warm in Ohio.

[TheBig1]

I have to be honest, I've never heard of such a thing so finally I just went and Google'd it. I WANT ONE!!! That is really nice. I was considering getting a set of boot blankets but this is even better.

Chad

[Green380]

Oh man now I wish I hadn't got those insulated coveralls I got from Cabelas. This looks awesome. I get cold much to easily once I'm not moving.

[luckymike]

heard they work great.like to get one eventually.definitely don't need one this year,2 weeks left in season.

[artifact]

Also had to check them out, never heard of their product, and made in PA!
Haven't seen this mentioned in years, but remember reading about guys up in Canada using -0 rated sleeping bags, in addition to warm clothes, while on stand in sub zero temps.

[Shotnbeer]

a lot of guys buy a -0 sleeping bag on sale. I would think that it works as well. Put your slippers on first. lol

[Trigger1212]

Saw this thread and had to jump in. As time goes on the "cold" sets get a bit harder, on top of that the last few years of deer rifle season have been c-o-l-d. Over the years I've seen the adds for the Heater Body suit?, almost bought one 3 years ago but then talked myself out of it as I thought I was being a wuss, suck it up buttercup! Next year rolled around and yep I was a wuss, time to buy me a Heater Body suit! Went looking for one (actually can't remember if it was the Heater Body suit or the Warm Bag) but could not find it anywhere, as stated earlier the company went out of business. I was pretty disgusted with myself for not buying it the year before. In the process of trying to figure out what happened to the suit I was looking for I was on some archery forums and someone mentioned the IWOM and how they had tried it out side by side with one of the above suits. Going into the test they did not think they would like the IWOM but by the end they hands down loved it. I checked the IWOM website, youtube,, google etc and took the plunge and bought one.

First thing I will say is they have EXCEPTIONAL customer service. I talked to the owner of the company prior to purchase to get a better understanding of how the suit worked, he was very accomidating and the explainaitons really helped me understand the features of the IWOM. He had a new size bag coming with the pattern I wanted and he did back flips to find it and ship it to me (even before I had paid!) got it the day before leaving for my hunt, my fault as I only started looking into it a few days before season.

Impressions:
1. WARM! Allows you to wear fewer clothes, I usually wear mine to blind, you can put it on then pull up the bottom and cinch it around your waist. works well but don't walk too far or fast or you will be HOT.

2. They show putting it on like a sweater, PITA, I just step into mine and pull it on like a pair of pants.

3. Pockets out the wazoo, takes a while to find them all.

4. VERY good handwarmer pocket, if your hands are in there you only need light gloves, even when very cold. The openings of the hand warmer pouch are kind of small on mine. I talked to them about that and they said they had new warmer inserts that will have larger openings (they are replaceable and can be swapped out) I have not got around to doing that yet. Mine is 2 years old so if you buy one now it will probably have it already.

5. I like to read books on stand so it was VERY important that I be able to move my arms/hands around. This is probably the biggest selling point for me on the IWOM, it has ARMS, the other suits have the arms inside and then you need to slide the suit off the shoulders or unzip and slide your arms out, not necessary with the IWOM, LOVE THIS FEATURE! Having your arms free is even more important when Bow hunting in a tree stand...

6. Legs are in the same bag, not individual legs, warmer but also must pay attention while in the tree stand when moving around, takes a little planning. I also like to set with my legs "spread" and the movement will be somewhat limited by the width of the bag but you will get used to it.

7. Hood is non-removeable, wish it was but owner explained they made it that way so you can set in the rain without getting a wet neck, makes sense. Built in face mask with ear holes. Works well EXCEPT if you have glasses, then too much breath goes up by nose and you glasses will fog just that quick. I used the hood but not the face mask. I may just cut a bigger hole and remove the mesh over the mouth so breath can go straight out, that would probably fix it.

8. First one I ordered after all that was too short for me and I did not realize it till I was in camp. It was coooold last year so I used it anyway, just kept the bottom unzipped with feet sticking out. Even with that I was a LOT warmer than usual. When I returned (hunt successful!) I called IWOM and explained the problem. They quickly shipped me the larger size, no charge, I had used the suit for 5 days so it was a bit grubby and I offered to have it commercially cleaned before I sent it back. He said not to worry, just send it back and his wife would wash it. Sent it back and no problems.

There are a few things I would update/change but it's just nit-picking. GREAT piece of equipment and just as importantly a GREAT company with good people.

Not cheap but you get what you pay for and I only get to spend a limited number of days to spend in the woods and I will be there regardless of weather. Would I buy it again? YES! Would also recommend to friends and family. And no I do not have any association with IWOM, just a good product I glad to have purchased. Like a previous poster I did not have to use it this year as it was warm as toast BUT I did have it along!

Hope this helps, BUY IT, you will not regret it, wish I had purchased mine earlier!

Wade
Semper Fi!

[Reinyrooster]

Great write-up. I thought the product was very interesting as well. Maybe I'll buy one next year when it actually gets cold.

[NFH]

I have always been a wus when it comes to the cold. I usually make adjustments to my hunting layers every year to try and stay warm a bit longer.
I broke down and bought my IWOM 2 years ago and it has changed my approach to staying comfortable entirely. I would typically layer starting with a polypropylene base to wick moisture away from my skin. Followed that with Micro fleece top and bottoms and an optional sweater/hoodie depending on the day. Outer layer of insulated windproof, waterproof bibs and jacket. All this would be put on prior to the hike to my hunting location so extra care was necessary to prevent overheating and sweating excessively.
I have since ditched my normal outer layers and instead pack in my rolled up IWOM, only wearing my base layers on the hike to my blind/stand. I am often a bit chilly on the hike but I no longer have to worry about getting too warm. Once at my local I suit up and I stay warmer than ever.
Another advantage to the suit is your feet are inside the bag - leg portion so at least for me I no longer need to wear my big clod hopper Artic Muck boots to keep my feet warm. Instead I wear my medium weight boots that are much easier to walk and stalk quietly in.

Now for the negatives; the suit is somewhat bulky compared to your typical hunting jacket/bibs setup. If you pack it in as I do, then you'll have yet another piece of gear to haul in but it does roll up quite neatly. Then there is the obvious, when suited up your legs are together so don't expect to do any spur of the moment bonzi charges at that deer you just missed. The suit is made to be able to unzip the bottom at your feet and roll it up to your waist, using a web strap to secure it so you can walk. In fact this is how I wear it when climbing using a climbing treestand then when at the top I pull the suit back around my feet and zip it up. I don't find this to be a practical method for me to wear the suit walking any real distance because it becomes very bulky around the waist in this position. I second everything Trigger1212 said regarding the customer service provided by IWOM and I too asked questions prior to purchasing and would encourage anyone thinking about a suit to do the same. Especially regarding sizing - if you fall close to the top of a size range I would recommend going to the next size bigger.
In conclusion I would just like to say if you frequently get cold on stand like I did, I don't think you'll find anything that works better to keep you out there longer than the IWOM. If I remember correctly they offer a X-day money back guarantee if you don't like it, return it. After trying just about everything to keep warm I have finally found a solution that works for me and I don't expect to change any time soon.