Keeping warm

R

redgeep

New member
What is the best fabric to keep you warm? What do you do about your feet. My boots are around 1000g insulated and I'm wearing cotton and wool socks, but my feet won't stay warm even in the 20's.
 
Get rid of the cotton, buy some polyprop. socks, or double up the wool. And start treating your feet with Anti-perspirant, if you can keep those feet dry, you can keep them warm. Good luck and I hope this helps.
 
On the other hand, if you've got good boots and can't keep your feet warm in 20 degree weather, I'd get my butt to a doctor ASAP. Something's wrong with your circulation and could be a sign of something more serious. I can wear my 400 gr thinsulate boots when it's twenty degrees and my fee do not get cold. I pull out my 1,000 gr boots for -20 and then it takes a long time for them to get cold.
 
Double check your boots.... Sometimes they are not built well and will not keep your feet warm no matter what.
 
Agree on the antiperspirant. I work and play in the mountains and it makes a big difference. I spray it on the inside of my socks so it doesn't rub off. Hope that helps.
 
Quote:
On the other hand, if you've got good boots and can't keep your feet warm in 20 degree weather, I'd get my butt to a doctor ASAP. Something's wrong with your circulation and could be a sign of something more serious.



Good point Randy......but not always entirely correct.

I have ALWAYS had a problem keeping my feet warm, and it's not a circulation problem. My feet sweat. They don't prespire......they SWEAT! Someone said to ditch the cotton socks. Good advice. I used to wear three layers of socks. No good. Then I wore 2 layers. Still no good. What I finally did, and if you think about it it makes sense, was to wear only 1 sock, and it was a polypro wicking sock. If I am going to do a LOT of walking, I'll wear wool, and not the polypro. What was needed, in my instance, was removal of the moisture from my feet. Dry is good. Wet ain't. I found out through trial and error over several years that keeping your feet dry is of utmost importance. The antiperspirant is a good idea, if it doesn't cause irritation. Some people can't tolerate it that well.
 
I hunt in weather to -30. I use this boot with one pair of wool socks. the boots have a goretex liner and never get wet.It is a tough comfortable dry warm boot. This is the 4th pr 5th pair I've had in 30 years. I wore the others out. I've never had to " break " them in. Can you tell I like them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I get them from Cabela's. $300 per pair and worth every penny
cabelaboot.jpg


For other cold weather clothing, I wear layers. I used to wear wool, but the new sythetics are warmer and with goretax and similar products, I can stay warm and dry with a much lighter weight product. Keep your head, hands and feet warm and the rest will be fine.
 
My boots are a few years old. I wear Irish Setters, after checking they are 800g. My feet defiantly sweet alot, I'll have to try the polypro socks and antiperspirant. What about long underwear which is the best? I've heard mixed reviews on the Under Armor Cold Gear. Thanks for all the help
 
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I layer everything, and try to keep from working up a sweat on the way out by unzipping everything I can. It's ussually pretty easy to warm back up going to the next stand.
 
Quote:
Can you tell I like them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I get them from Cabela's.



The truth's finally out.........RedFrog works for Cabela's. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Nice picture of you and that stag there, guy. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

On a serious note......buddy of mine wears those boots. They ARE as good as Frog says. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

(I'm still wearing Danners) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
we had a 10 to 15 degrees below zero chill yesterday morning, and i think i finally got a combination that works for me. silkweight bottoms (mine are made by polartec), and carhartt bibs for my lower half. silkweight top with a fleece jacket (also from polartec), and my blaze orange shell over that. i don't find the shell to be good for anything below 40 degrees. and then a neck gaiter to keep wind off my neck and face.

my toes and fingers got cold fast, had to exercise them to keep them warm. still have to figure out that system. cabela's used to have a quilted boot cover that was intended just for sitting. you just slipped them over your boots once you got to your stand. still want to try it out.

i'm kind of surprised that your 800gr setters don't keep your feet warm. they're not too tight, are they?
 
Your boots maybe to warm for +20 causing your feet to sweat to much. Think about it, your feet were warm enough to sweat! ASA, you may have other issues. Ever had any could weather injuries?, or any injuries to your feet? that may cause a loss of feeling? You have to be able to move your toes, exercise them in your boots. They should not be getting cold at 20 degrees, if you keep them moving. If it was real cold like -0, I would say one pair of socks and VB Boots, your feet are going to sweat thats what they are suppose to do, keep wiggling your toes. If you don't do anything your feet will get cold. I spent 7.5 years at Ft. Wainwright Alaska, (outside Fairbanks), been to summer and winter IQC (Instructor Qualification Course) at NWTC (Norther Warfare Training Center at Ft. Greely)I was the CWI instructor(Cold Weather Indoctrination)for my unit, blah, blah, blah gota love those acronyms. We wore Mt. boots to +20, then military muklucks till -0, then switched over to VB boot VB's are suppose to be good to -70 if you keep your toe/feet moving. I used them for snowmobiling, winter caribou hunts, calling fox. Nothing like taking your muklucks apart to dry and having the bottom pad frozen to the bottom of boot. Paul
 
I always had trouble keeping my feet warm mainly do to them sweating a lot. I now wear insulated boots with Smartwool socks, they don't itch AT ALL. More like a terry cloth weave and very comfortable to walk in.
I now use the polyester zippered turtle neck underwear, it keeps me warm and if it warms up I don't 'roast' like I did with other stuff. I have some from REI and some stuff from Gander, both work very well.
I used to use Polypro stuff but it absorbs odors. I wore some to work today and I can smell myself, but the rest of the week I work polyester or a Smartwool top and no odor and I was sweating a lot more earlier this week.
If you sit a lot you may want to get some boot blankets, it's an over boot that you put on after you get to where you will be sitting for a while. They always kept my feet warm for deer season, where I used to sit a lot.
 
Try to find a pair of military Beta "bunny boots".
I wear them for work and I work out in the weather
6 days a week all year round. One pair of wool socks if above zero and two when it gets below that.
And the other nice thing is that they are white-offwhite in color. If you buy them sight unseen get them one size smaller than the boot that you wear now. I wear a size 11 work boot but I wear the size 9 bunny boots.
These boot are insulated with a air space between the
inner lining and the outer portion. Also they are water proof and very durable.
I cut iron for a scrap yard and have yet to have a burn thu or puncture since ive gotten them, but I do go thru alot of laces.
Good luck and I hope you find the answers you need.

If you have a hard time finding these boots I have a phone
number where you can get them at.

E-mail me at dannerz@hotmail.com and put boots in the
subject line and I will send you the info.
 
I have these big insulated pull overs I bought from Cabela's that fit over your boots to keep you feet warm on the stand. I don't use them but they work well. They are too bulky to walk in though. Just good for the stand once you set up.

They make you look like you are wearing KISS boots.
 

I have always found you cannot beat one particular brand of boot; Sorel. I wear the big white ones that come almost to the knee but they are as scarce as hens teeth cuz they don't make them anymore. But any cold weather model of theirs with the 1/2" thick insulating insert will do a nice job. I think they have models down to like -30F.

John
 
another thing to try is woll liner for just the bottom of your boots they slip in and out to dry and help a lot. I switch boots every day deer hunting and leave them for at least a day to dry out.
 


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