Sweaty/Cold Feet
General Topic
Contributors to this thread:
As I get older, this is becoming more and more of a problem. What methods do you recommend? I have ditched my rubber boots already, and have tried a roll on anti-antiperspirant to no avail. Please provide specific brands if you can.
Uninsulated boots and boot blankets. I no longer have cold feet in the stand.
Wool socks with a liner seem to work best for me. Hate those rubber pig farmer boots unless I’m working in an underground mine or really sloppy mud.
I kind of gave up on warm feet from just insulated boots. I've tried just about everything, but it never seemed to work.
My solution was to place a handwarmer ON TOP of my toes, OUTSIDE of the boot, and wrap something around the outside of the boots. I started with an old sweatshirt, but now use some boot blankets.
Added bonus is that now I don't have to wear huge, insulated boots when walking in. I just wear what is most comfortable.
Spray unscented antiperspirant on your feet before putting your socks on
I think a thin wicking sock first then your wool sock on top of that makes a big difference. I haven't been able to stop sweaty feet but you can move the moisture out. Love my Cabaleas Alaskan boots. Warmest I've had.
I’m with Bake on this one. Actually testing down booties inside my bootblankets as I type this.
Also, dry feet is one of the keys besides warm dead airspace. It’s a pain in a stand ... but a change of socks once or twice a day is very helpful.
I was half asleep on my iphone this morning when I responded. I'll expound
I wear merino wool socks from Icebreaker. Very light uninsulated boots, and then I use Arctic Shield boot blankets. I avoid blowing heat on my feet while I drive to the farm.
I've found that I can wear my uninsulated boots down to the 40s with no discomfort. In the 20s and 30s I can wear my boots and boot blankets and be comfortable.
Lower than 15-20 degrees, I have to put handwarmers in my boot blankets.
It seems to work pretty well for me
Awesome-I will buy some boot blankets-thx guys!
Good socks/Ice King liners 2 sizes too big with chemical toe warmers/Liners in Artic Shield boot blanket. Wear your rubber boots to your stand and then switch at the tree. 10 years of doing this and my feet have never been cold!!!
Unscented anti perspirant the night before so it dries completely. I'll change socks when arriving, making sure my feet are dry, and then apply corn starch.
This cuts down on sweating.
I think that I may try the boot blankets.
Scheel's has the boot blankets for $29.99 right now.
How quiet are the boot blankets?
Link to Scheel's boot blankets for $29.99? I can't find.
So far my best solution is to have footwear with reeeeally thick insoles and wear merino socks and change them. But I'll "fill" a set of insoles up with sweat in a day so I better be able to dry them out overnight.
cervus's Link
Those at Sheels are showing up at $49.99
Not sure what the issue is John, when I use the link it takes me to the arctic shield boot insulators that are regularly $49.99 but on sale for $29.99.
Maybe try going to their website and pasting this number into the search block
665398-523080205016
Weird maybe it is based of geography off were you are at. Because it shows $49.99 still. If I google Sheels artic shield boot blankets there is a link that says $29.99 but when I click it and go to their website it is $49.99
proceed to checkout and the price will be $29.99...just ordered some!
Not for me still $49.99 ?????
Try some Alpaca socks as they wick away the sweat. Look for the thick 100% type.
This is what works for me. I wear pac boots with FELT LINERS. Not those composite whatever liners...FELT. It will soak up your sweat...dry them out with your PEET drier nightly. Then I tape Hothands Foot Warmers to the tops of my toes with socks on. Not those yuppy Hothands Toe Warmers or Insole Warmers...those are expensive and nowhere near the heat capacity of the Foot Warmers. This absolutely works. On ebay I buy the 40 pair of Foot Warmers for $50. I've suffered from cold feet all my life but this system works. Now...I haven't tried the several methods mentioned above but this works for me.
You can get black ones on Amazon for 35.93 with free shipping or camo for 40.29. If you can’t get Scheels for 29.99
Does anyone make book blankets that will fit over a size 15 boot?
Just get a heater body suit. Keeps your whole body including your feet toasty warm.
If you are in a metal tree stand and in the cold, the cold metal of the stand where you place your feet (boots) will broadcast the cold from the metal to your boots causing your feet to become colder. Place a carpet under your boots that with help prevent the cold from invading your boots. When I ice fish, I place a piece of plywood under my boots vs, just on the ice, and one can really feel the difference. Give it a try. my best, paul
One thing that hasn’t been mentioned, make sure the boots are not too tight. Tight boots will lessen the dead air space in your socks and restrict blood flow to your feet.
Bama socks by Viking problem solved best things ever. Just need your boots a size bigger then normal. Wool Socks inside the bamas. Feet and wool sock come out of the bamas bone dry after hiking in rubber boots for 10 miles per day guiding caribou/moose.
X2 of whatever Paul says. If he writes a book I’m buying.
To keep your feet from sweating try using Drysol. It is a prescription antiperspirant. It works for days/weeks for me. I can go for a run and come home with a sweat saturated T shirt, but when I take my socks off they are totally dry.
Like spike 78 said the heavy Alpaca socks are hard to beat. The best sock I've found.
Bighorn I hunted in the rain yesterday and my boots were wet and started soaking through I swear I got home and my Alpaca socks were dry. When I used to wear wool they would be drenched.
where do you guys get the alpaca socks, what brand? thanks.
MF, i bought mine from Big Jim's. he's a sponsor over on the Leatherwall site. each person is different. i have figured out that most of my cold foot problem is poor circulation in my lower leg when my knees are bent for a long period of time.
MF I had an Alpaca farm store where I lived other then that EBay has them but be careful as I just ordered some and the description said thick and warm and when I received it they were like dress socks! I would google Alpaca farms/stores.
spike78 yes there my favorite sock. I do a lot of walking hunting and then I'll sit and feet never get sweaty or wet.
All above suggestions are good. But I also use “sweat block” wipes. Biy them off amazon. Apply to feet at night before you go to bed. Cuts down a LOT on the sweat my feet produce for about a week. I actually use it wipe to treat both underarms and then wipe the bottoms of my feet. 1 treatment lasts for 1 hunt