Into Winter with Heated Gear
Do you suffer from cold fingers and even the best gloves, boots, and socks cannot keep you warm? The only solution then is active heating built directly into your gear. With the upcoming winter season, we focused in this article on products from the Nucleus line by Muddy.
Opening photo: Muddy Nucleus gloves.
Long hours waiting for game during the winter season, especially overnight, can thoroughly test the quality of your hunting clothing and accessories. Sometimes, however, it is uncomfortable even with the best insulation. Many people suffer from poor blood circulation in their fingers and, without movement, their fingers simply cannot generate enough heat. In that case, the insulation has nothing to retain. This problem can, however, be solved with battery-powered heated clothing. If you feel uncomfortable, you can simply turn up the heat in your gloves or socks and even severe cold will not bother you.
What should you choose? If we skip the cheap and mostly low-quality “heating gadgets” from unbranded Chinese production, the selection on our market is rather limited. One of the few options is the Nucleus line of heated clothing and accessories from the American brand Muddy, which is mainly known for its line of treestands and blinds.
„All items in the Nucleus line are very well designed and made from premium materials with high-quality workmanship!“
Powered even by a power bank
The Muddy Nucleus line consists of heated socks/knee-high socks, a vest/base layer shirt, a hoodie, a hand muff/seat pad, thermal underwear bottoms, and two types of gloves, one knitted and the other made from waterproof softshell material. The common feature is the electronic core of the system. Each item has a battery pocket that provides power. In the case of gloves and socks, there are two separate batteries, each with a capacity of 3,500 mAh, while the remaining equipment uses a single 10,000 mAh battery. The batteries are equipped with a standard USB-C connector, so they can be charged with most chargers. Batteries and cables are included in the package. Spare batteries can be purchased separately (CZK 1,627 for a pair of 3,500 mAh batteries,
CZK 1,277 for one 10,000 mAh battery), or any standard power bank can be used. You can also experiment with extension cables and power multiple items from a single power bank, and conversely, you can use the Muddy batteries as an emergency power source for other devices. The battery charge level can be checked thanks to a set of indicator LEDs. Heating is activated by pressing and holding the large button and then selecting one of three intensity levels indicated by the colored LED in the button: blue for the lowest setting, green for medium, and red for the highest. Pressing and holding the button again switches everything off. This is the only control element and it offers very simple and intuitive operation. Heating time depends on the selected setting. The heating itself is provided by flexible resistance heating elements placed where needed. All items in the Nucleus line are thoughtfully designed, made from premium materials, and manufactured to a high standard, so they provide excellent performance even without the heating activated.
The batteries last for more than five hours and can be replaced.
A useful feature is the flip-back index finger for improved trigger feel.
The gloves are well adapted for handling any firearm.Softshell Nucleus gloves
I had the opportunity to extensively test the softshell gloves and socks, which will most likely become the best-selling items, as feet and fingers are the most sensitive to cold weather. An interesting option for hunters who dislike shooting while wearing gloves is the hand muff, which can be fastened around the waist, allowing you to keep your hands warm whenever you do not need to handle anything. Alternatively, it can also serve as a seat pad. However, the Nucleus gloves also feature a useful detail that allows precise trigger control or operation of electronics without removing the gloves: both gloves are equipped with a “flip-back” index finger, so if you want direct contact with the trigger while shooting, you simply slide your finger through the opening. The finger section contains a magnet that silently secures it in the folded-back position so it does not get in the way. Handling a firearm, as well as a saw, knife, or small equipment, posed no problem for me. Unless you are using extremely light triggers, shooting is comfortable and provides sufficient trigger feel even without flipping back the index finger.
At the time of publishing this article, I have been testing the gloves and socks for two months, repeatedly taking them hunting and on bushcraft trips. Mostly in cold, damp autumn conditions and, in one case, during a night hunt in slightly below-freezing temperatures as well as in extremely unpleasant freezing rain lasting for many hours. The outer softshell layer prevents your hands from sweating inside the gloves while also protecting against moisture penetration from the outside. In practice, there are some limitations — they are naturally not completely waterproof, and if, for example, you handle wet wood for an extended period, some moisture may eventually get inside — but overall, it is a very high-quality and functional material. It handles rainy weather without issue even during prolonged exposure. The inner layer is made of comfortable suede-like material. The palm is reinforced in strategic areas. Beyond the elastic section around the wrist, the gloves transition into a “gauntlet cuff” that prevents snow from entering the gloves. There is also a drawcord and a clip point allowing the gloves to be fastened together. Inside the cuff, beneath a zipper, there is space for the battery. A useful feature is the included split USB cable (for gloves and socks), which allows both batteries to be charged simultaneously, taking approximately 2.5 hours.
Muddy Nucleus clothing and accessories can be purchased from STROBL.CZ s.r.o. More information can be found at strobl.cz, or directly on the manufacturer’s website gomuddy.com
With a merino blend
The socks are knee-high in length and made from a “high-tech” blend of 40% merino wool, spandex, polyester, nylon, and acrylic. The result is a flexible, soft, and comfortable material for both touch and long-term wear, with excellent insulating properties on its own. At the same time, feet do not sweat excessively in them, and they retain some insulating capability even when wet. In short, these are truly excellent socks suitable for wear from autumn through spring. They are not excessively thick socks that would require boots a size larger — simply a classic trekking sock weight. They stay firmly on the foot and do not bunch up. The material is highly elastic, allowing the manufacturer to offer only two largely universal sizes: M/L, corresponding to EU sizes 40–42.5, and L/XL for sizes 43–46. The socks are designed to fit snugly without excess space, although some users describe them as slightly tight. I wear size 42.5 and dislike loose-fitting clothing, so I chose the M/L version and cannot complain, but I can imagine it may feel too tight for some users. Therefore, if your size is on the borderline or if you prefer looser socks, you may want to choose the larger option. The batteries are inserted into pockets at the top section. The socks are reinforced in high-wear areas, and the heating elements are positioned above the toes.
All Nucleus products are washable, most directly in a washing machine. Simply remove the battery, place the protective cap on the connector, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The exception is the socks due to the merino wool content, which generally tolerates machine washing less well. Although the manufacturer includes a protective washing bag with the socks, hand washing them in cold water is better for extended service life. The qualities of merino wool are worth the extra effort. Thanks to the synthetic blends, however, the material is not particularly delicate against mechanical wear during use. Yes, they are socks, so they will not last for decades like the hand muff, for example, but it is reasonable to expect above-average durability.
Pros / Cons
+ highly functional and practical solution for winter
+ premium quality and thoughtfully engineered construction
+ excellent insulating properties
- unshielded LED glow on the socks
- price (although appropriate for the quality and competitive within the market)
The Nucleus line includes not only socks and two types of gloves, but also a vest/base layer shirt, hoodie, hand muff/seat pad, and thermal underwear bottoms.
Nucleus socks.
The only practical issue I see is the excessive brightness of the button indicator, which may shine through thinner pants and reveal the hunter during night hunting.Excessive brightness
Now for the drawbacks. The buttons on the socks are somewhat “exposed.” When moving through dense vegetation, there is a risk that a branch could unintentionally switch the heating level, although I would definitely not worry about mechanical damage. Another issue is the brightness of the LED indicator. Through single-layer pants, the green glow (blue and red less so) is visible. In conditions where heated socks are useful, you will logically wear thicker clothing layers, or you can cover the button with tape, but that is an unnecessary complication. On the other hand, the button on the gloves is hidden under a flap and does not shine through. Each battery weighs g and measures mm, which is not entirely insignificant. With the gloves, you will not notice it at all, and the socks do not pull down either, but if you wear tighter pant legs, it may be difficult to pull them over the battery compartment, so it is better to put the socks on first and the pants afterward. Otherwise, I cannot complain about anything, and overall I consider the drawbacks negligible. I do not have a single criticism of the gloves. They are somewhat heavier, 200 g each including the inserted battery, but personally I experienced absolutely no issues with their weight. The same applies to the socks.
The quality of Nucleus products comes at a corresponding, and therefore relatively noticeable, price. The gloves cost CZK 3,311, the socks CZK 3,270, the hoodie CZK 4,818, and the thermal bottoms CZK 4,473. It should, however, be added that this is average pricing within this category. For example, competing Alpenheat Fire Socks cost around CZK 3,500. Even quality alternatives from the outdoor market involve greater or lesser compromises for hunting use, while products from Chinese online marketplaces will lag behind in quality, functionality, and service life. Therefore, if you are considering heated accessories and clothing for the upcoming winter season, the Nucleus line is definitely worth considering. There is not much better available on our market.
The softshell material effectively resists moisture penetration and, even when soaked, still provides decent insulation.Battery life
The manufacturer guarantees a fully charged battery life of 5 hours on the lowest setting, 3 hours on medium, and 2 hours on the highest setting. After activation, maximum temperature is reached in approximately 90 seconds, both technically and perceptibly. Battery endurance actually corresponds to the stated values and on average lasts slightly longer. The highest setting exceeds 2.5 hours. To some extent, this will naturally also depend on ambient temperature and gradual battery aging, but from personal experience I can confirm the realism of the stated runtimes. In practice, with a bit of management, it is possible to maintain comfort throughout an entire winter evening, night, and morning without changing batteries. Thanks to the insulation, heat remains in the gloves and socks for some time, and generally it takes a while before discomfort returns. Usually, it is therefore sufficient to activate additional heat only when needed rather than keeping it switched on continuously.
The gloves also allow finer tasks to be performed.
Photo sources: Author’s archive, manufacturer materials – gomuddy.com
Author: Tomáš Prachař
The article was originally published in Lovec magazine by Extra Publishing