Feet are freezing!!
Connecticut
Contributors to this thread:
Can any of you tell me some tips for keeping my feet warm.. I just went and bought a pair of hunting boots that are warm and I also bought a really nice pair of north face warm socks.. They are designed for the cold. Well anyway I put on two pair of socks and then the north face socks on last. I figured this would def be enough to keep my feet warm but its not. I was out hunting last sat and the temp was 40 and my feet were freezing.. Any tips without having to buy a really expensive pair of boots or socks??
one pair of light socks then toe warmers then wool socks 1000 /1200 gm boots never been cold since .Steve
Do you have room in your boots with socks on or are they tight .
try hot hands insole...they work great ,,,put them in once you get to the stand...
too many socks can make things too tight, breathing room will keep you warm
Paul I bought the boots a little big so I could wear multiple layers of socks
Buy good wool socks.. look at the materials and make sure wool is atleast 70%. Place toe warmers on wool sock when leaving for you stand. When I get to my stand I change into a lighter DRY Sock (liner sock) and then place the wool sock with toe warmer over liner sock and get into my stand. Has worked well for me so far. As others have mentioned you should not have a tight boot and agree 100%
I have also done a lighter wool sock as the liner sock with toe warmer and then the heavyweight sock on that when it is below freezing.. that works nice too
Duluth trading Woolpaca and Heavyweight Merino Wool socks are great. Also Smartwool makes a nice sock..
Your feet are most likely getting cold because you are losing body heat from the rest of your body. Your body conserves heat and reduces flow to the extremities first. I have Raynauds disease that runs in the family which is basically poor circulation so I start getting cold extremities below 50 degrees depending on the wind. The best solution is a Heater body suit. The thing keeps you totally warm. I have been out on a stand with winds and temps in single digits with a base layer, a wool underlayer and a non lined hunting suit for hours. I have been out in rain, freezing rain and snow and it repels water. It really works plus I believe it keeps human scent contained in the bag. When I got mine they included a mini ozone generator that you ran while using it inside the suit. If ozone machine is not offered now amazon probably sells mini units. First few times I used it I was concerned there was no way I could unzip, remove, grab bow then shoot but from personal experience, its an extra step but never been noticed and shot many deer using it. 5 stars. Not cheap but honestly if you could be warm and cosy on the stand every time you are out there verses being freezing, shivering and miserable what that worth?
I wear size 10, but I buy size 11 Sorels with the felt liner and took out the insole for the new radiant insole. Wear silk sock, then merino wool and place toe warmer at the very tip of the radiant insole (take insole out of boot to stick on the warmer). As others have mentioned - it's critical that you can freely wiggle your toes, plenty of room and I stay warm all day.
Also put hand warmers in my pocket for my shooting handing with light glove and in my mitten on my bow riser hand. I bring a thermos of HOT tomato basil soup and just before I start to shiver, take a hit of that to maintain core warmth. Some have said the smell of the soup will spook the deer, but if you're set up right for the WIND, the soup will keep you hunting and can't find deer in your truck or on the couch.
Bob they still make felt ? Lol
1 thin sock then heavy wool sock over with stick on heated insole ..for the core I use those thermal wraps for the back to keep kidneys warm,large stick on hothands on the base of my neck,sometimes a stick on one in my hat cause the metal in my skull gets cold...smaller hothands on my wrists held with elastic..i never could stand wearing gloves but I'll wear a thin pair with wool fingerless..dressing in layers is the key..ive been working outside year round forever but working and sitting are two different things..
Ditch the NF socks - likely made for highly active adventures, and probably great for that. Get some alpaca socks. warm when wet like wool, but "supposedly" 3X warmer. I've been wearing them alone - without even liners - for several years now and man, they are amazing!
If we're talking just boots....I can recommended LaCrosse Alpha Burly 1600 gram Thinsulate Ultra boots. Wear whatever sock combination you want. I finally busted open the wallet this year and got a pair. Been getting tired playing with sock combinations, slip over boot insulators, etc. "Buy once, cry once".
Ive snowmobiled several times in -30 to -40 deg in Quebec. I have a good pair of Baffin boots, liner socks, heavy wool socks and toe warmers between my socks and the boot and my feet stay nice and toasty!
Do you guys know how much alpaca socks are.. Remember I have three kids and money is thin.. One pair runs about $50.. There's no way my wife is going for it.. Especially around Christmas time with the kids..
Hey you asked for recomendations..hell,I'd like to put my hands in the nether regions of a couple of vestal virgins instead of wearing gloves but that ain't happening..lol
I did ask for recommendations but ones that dont involve spending much money.. Read the last part of my original post.. Broke hunter
X2 on the Alpaca socks. You can get them for $20.
If your feet are cold at 40 degrees something is very wrong. First of all cotton socks are the worst thing for keeping your feet warm. You can pile up all of them you want and it doesn't make a difference. You need to wear something that wicks away moisture under your good socks. You need room in your boots for circulation. So fewer layers is better. And lastly, keep your feet planted on a solid surface. If they are hanging or up in the air they will turn very cold very fast.
Rule # 1 is keep your feet dry. If this is an issue for you, you gan get a prescription for Drysol. It is a strong antiperspirant solution that eliminates sweating for days to weeks. No more sweaty feet if I have a long hike to my stand. Its amazing to go for a run and have my whole body sweat like a pig, but when I take off my sneakers my socks are dry.
I think its the cheap boots I bought.maybe next year I can invest in a nicer pair.. Until then ill make due.. Has anyone had merino wool socks.. Just got a pair and they seem nice
Many good suggestions here. Myself I use a thin polypropylene liner sock then a good pair of wool blend socks. I rarely use toe warmers but when I do I use the full foot version that has the self stick feature so they stay put when I put my boots on. I remove the liner then stick them on. I don't use a prescription foot antiperspirant. You can buy scent free hypoallergenic antiperspirant spray at a drug store. They also still sell battery heated socks I think but if you use them don't leave them on or your batteries will die before the day is out. Just turn them on for a little while each hour. Make a mental note to wiggle your toes every 15 minutes or so to keep the blood flowing. You don't say how old you are but our circulation isn't as good as we get older especially if you have diabetes. I've also used boot blankets I carried in when I was hunting extreme cold in Canada.
Sounds funny but the more eat on the cold mornings the warmer I stay. As far as boots one pair wool socks and cabelas Alaskan pac boots 2000 grams, but you aren't walking far in them.
Richm444's Link
Mickey Mouse boots never failed me in any conditions - they are heavy though - all other boots I had frozen toes at one point or another
Richm444's Link
here is Amazon listing - great reviews too
I have a 1000gm boot and one pair of wool socks and good to go all day. Basspro ran some great deals a little bit back boots were originally $120 down to $60 great deal. However i will say footwear is not something you want to skimp on in the future. We all have debts and priorities which is understandable but I look at it like this buy the best quality the cost up front is alot but divide that by the years of use and its very marginal.
Hi Shawn this one sounds silly but works. I have a pair of thinsulate boots that I got in the cave at cabelas for 75.00 4 years ago. I wear regular sport socks but I also use a one gallon Ziploc bag over my sock. It works awesome. Even in ice fishing season my feet are totally warm and DRY. Make sure you can wiggle the toes and try it. Good luck
Shawn, I would recommend looking into some lacrosse aeroheads or some muck boots. I have used them for a bunch of years now and I have been quite pleased with everything about them. There was a feature on this site about the lacrosse, check it out. I'm good from opening day in september when its in the 80s until it starts getting down into the mid 20s with them no problem. Maybe wont help you when it really gets cold, but this weather they are fine. They are not really that cheap, but you get what you pay for. Maybe something to think about for next season. When it gets really cold I break out my Rocky deerstalkers with 1400 grams of thinsulate, but I rarely need them.
+1 heater body suit. Keep all the receipts of all the socks, boots, warmers, zip locks you will buy to see how much you spend. Heater body suit is expensive but will replace all your cold weather gear and you won't want to get out of it once your in it. Otherwise do the best to keep your feet dry.
I bought a pair of sorelles when i was 17 now 35 years later do the math i still wear the same pair feet never ever got cold they were expensive back then so sure they are now and ive hunted all over in all weather
ALPACA SOCKS………..UNBELIEVABLE
Great question, Shawn. I haven't seen this talked about here, I thought I was alone with the cold hands and feet.
Thanks for all the great info and advice guys.. Sounds like the way to go is a nice pair of thinsulate boots.. I imagine the higher the gram(the more the weight) the warmer the boot is.. As for now I did buy a pair of Columbia wool socks and merino wool socks.. They state they wick away moisture from the feet.. Also picked up a combo bag of warmers.. Body toe and hand warmers.. I'll wrap the toe warmers around my socks.. They are the sticky ones.. And if they start to get cold after that I might have to pull the bag out and wrap my boots.. I'll let you know this week how it works.. Hunting Friday Saturday and Monday.. Thanks once again! Also I really like those Mickey mouse boots.. They look of quality and I even seen ones that were for -20*!! I'd also love to try out one of these heated body suits.. They sound warm.. Where do they sell those?
Arctic Shield boot covers, compact yet extremely effective at maintaining heat. A chemical warmer packet over the toe is all you need for verrry low temps. They are the first thing I put on after hoisting my pack/ bow up to the stand.
I used the Boot Blankets for years, but the bulkiness was a little concerning on a treestand platform. A polypropylene liner sock, as Dartondog said, will wick the moisture away from your foot to maintain dryness next to the skin. Other things, such as being hydrated, chemical heater packs in the front pockets, and occasional muscle exercises, will all add up to staying warm longer.
Wool or insulated pants are a must. If you can't keep your legs warm, the heat will never reach your feet.
Shawn - 22$ is what I've paid... I get them from a mom and pop alpaca farm near me. They will do phone orders... Ill PM you their contact info.
Up in MN, I used to just take a kid-sized (5') down mummy bag out there with me, along with 2, 1-liter Nalgene bottles filled with the hottest water (or coffee or hot chocolate or tea) that I could get my hands on.
Walk to stand, get settled, get into the bag, toss in the water bottles... You can sit dawn to dusk in temps in the teens doing that, with the bag cinched up under your armpits and adequate coat/hat....
Now I tend to wear overalls with heat packs strapped over my kidneys, even when it's fairly warm out. Overdress on the bottom so I can keep it lighter on top so that I can shoot my bow. Standing up in a mummy bag takes a little adjusting to... never did it much when I was rifle hunting. And back then we weren't so smart about staying tied into the stand... these were big, permanent jobs, so we just built in side rails and stapled camo fabric around them to keep the wind off. But any full-body harness would work half-in and half-out of the sleeping bag.
Best part was that my bag was Free... Or at least paid for... Got it when I was 8 or 10 years old...LOL..
Yeah the alpaca place i went was in belchertown ma. Great little store. google it it will come right up.
I correct myself . The store is in granby ma. off rt 202. They even have alpacas there. Its a alpaca farm.
Drslyr,is that by that butterfly place?
Alpaca socks first layer, 4 heavy duty over that. Large boots...I wear a 9.5..I get 13 boots. Disposable heat packs. The sole inserts plus hand warmer pack for the toes. I've had the rechargeable insoles.. great when the work. Although I have great circulation (as per testing) My damn feet are always cold..even in warm weather. Plus I have some frost bite damage. The system above keeps my feet warm. Mad Dog
GF - one thing you mentioned that I found out was really important "Cinch it up tight to your body". When I took my first trip to New Mexico for elk I had purchased a new mummy sleeping bag.
That first night it got down to the mid 30's and I woke up freezing. Then I pulled the bag up over my head, pull the draw string tight so only my face was not covered, and what a difference it made. The only thing that got cool was my butt because I didn't have a pad on the cot I was laying on. The next night the guide gave me a pad and all was right in the world :) The young man in camp with me didn't have a good mummy bag, just a cheap sack type bag, and he froze every night.