WARM FEET

[culleng]

How do you guys keep your feet warm? What works for you?

[ishoot4thrills]

Around my area Muck boots and a pair of wool socks is all I need.

[woodchucker]

Wear wool socks... ONLY!!!

Forget the multilayer, This sock,over that sock,under this sock,nonsense. Good boots,(1/2-1 size larger) with good quality REAL WOOL socks, Your feet will stay warm. Most people get cold feet because their boots are too tight.

[Terry Lightle]

Smartwool socks

[Tsalt]

Haha Cullen... My feet were cold this morning too!  I had on two pair of wool socks and Schnees Hunter II boots (which are rated for zero degrees when inactive and 40 below when active)... And my feet were still freezing!  I used chemical toe warmers last year and it definitely helped, but I've just accepted the fact that my toes are always going to be cold when it gets below freezing.

[Tsalt]

Forgot to add... On this year's Christmas list are the Arctic Sheild boot covers.  Maybe they will work...  

[OBXarcher]

I tried the sock liners this year and really liked them. Got mine at gander mountain. Those under wool work great for me.

If your feet swet use deodorant on your feet. Sounds funny but works very well.  JUST DONT WALK ATOUND THE HOUSE. You will track white spots everywhere and get in trouble.

[Zradix]

wool hat.
Extra heavy weight over the calf smart wool socks.
pair of milsurp "mickey mouse" boots.

I had cold feet even in warm weather till this combo.

[wisconsinteacher]

Here is what works for me while on stand.  I have to wear knee boots to cross a creek to get to my stands.  If I wear these boots, I will be frozen in an hour.  So what I have done was developed a system that works very well for me.  I have a set of stand boots that I made.  I have a set of Ice King liners in a set of Artic Shield boot blankets.  Put on a pair of wool socks and put a chemical heat pack in them and I have warm feet all day.

[eidsvolling]

Forget the advice to ignore the layered sock approach.    :rolleyes:   My decades of experience  and that of many thousands of other people says otherwise.

One of the purposes of wearing an inner sock is to wick heat-sucking moisture off your foot and into the insulating sock (and then out of the boot if that is feasible.) A damp sock absorbs heat much faster than a dry one, and it increases the odds for blisters and other foot problems. It makes little sense to keep the moisture next to your foot if you can avoid that.

Wearing two layers of socks will also reduce the odds of getting a blister with a boot fit that is not perfect. (I know people wear single socks without getting blisters, I do frequently as well, but it requires a well-designed boot and a very good fit.)

Put an insulating layer under your foot. One of the sponsors here sold me a couple pair of good recycled wool inserts, hopefully he or someone will jump in here with contact info that I don't have right now.

Put a warm hat on your head and take other measures to retain or generate heat. Your body's heat-regulating mechanism reduces blood flow to the extremities when it perceives a threat of hypothermia. This keeps your core and its essential organs warm, but it is often a sign that you've chilled overall without even realizing it.

The advice to avoid tight boots is spot on. Blood flow is all that keeps your feet warm in the field, unless you stick them in a fire.

[German Dog]

Two cayenne pepper pills twice a day. Helps with cold fingers too.

And as others said good wool socks, wool insoles and loose fitting boots.

[Diamond Paul]

The warmer Muck boots with wool socks do pretty well.  They offer different levels of insulation, and I have some of their Chore boots (fairly low and light) and some of their high-topped, highly insulated boots.  My feet get cold, though, no matter what I wear, when I'm sitting for a long time on stand in very cold weather.  I sometimes use the chemical hand warmers in the boots if it's that cold.

[Rob W.]

Keen snow boots and good wool socks. I also sometimes wear Mucks that are a little big, good wool socks and hand warmers under my toes. Depends on if I need to cross deep water.

When I have a long walk in I wear a thin pair of socks to my stand then switch them out with a heavy pair.

[woodchucker]

As I said above... (but someone seems to "disagree" with)

Wear WOOL socks, ONLY!!!!!!!!!!

Wool dries, from the inside out. This is why wool keeps you warm,even when it is wet!!! There is no reason to "wick moisture away from your foot". A good quality wool sock against your skin,will keep your foot warm,even if it is soaking wet!!!

and folks wonder why they get cold feet...   :rolleyes:

Bottom line is, wool is about the only natural fiber that will keep you warm, regardless of whether it is wet of not. It has been used for hundreds of years,and to this day,in spite of many "synthetic" manufacturer's claims... NOTHING beats it!!! Remember, you get what you pay for... My good wool socks are 85% pure wool 15% nylon,(for strength) and cost me $15 - $20 a pair! 1978, Paris Island S.C. I can still hear the Drill Instructor. "6 Pair Socks... Green,Wool,Cushion Sole"!!!!! I remember thinking,in June??? 100 degrees????? These were some of the best socks I have ever worn... Hot,Cold... My feet were comfortable,even when my feet were soaked. Most of those socks lasted me untill I got out in 1984. I honestly wish I had bought more,and squirreled them away!!!

Remember, Wool against Skin! That's where it's suppossed to be.....  

[pdk25]

Probably won't believe me.  Usually my feet get cold easily. Now I wear a lightweight hunting boot, med at wool socks, and when I get to stand, put my hotmocs on with a hand warmer pack inside.  Toasty down to around 20 degrees on stand.  Don't like the boots to have more than 600gm thinsulate.

[katman]

Another vote for dry feet, antiperspirant, inner sock made of wool and polypro, wool over and at least one size larger boot. If using a metal hang on stand put down carpet or card board for extra insulation.Dropping a dry chemical warmer down the BACK of your shirt to warm small of back tricks bodies thermo regulators to open blood vessels to legs/feet. Avoid caffiene and nicotine.

[OregonTom]

Smartwool or Omniwool socks.  Both brands last for years.  The Omniwool socks come in a three for the price of one pair of Smartwool.

[culleng]

Thanks guys for all the responses. Tim it was mainly my toes. It was a very good morning.  I saw the one I was looking for. The bad part was he was 30 yards away standing behind some bushes. Then he followed his girlfriend away.

[Dorado]

Good boots, with an insulated foot bed. Wear a liner sock with thick wool socks. Toe warmers help. wiggle your toes and flex your legs. It'll help blood move down to your toes. Keep your feet dry! Deodorant or foot powder works wonders. Insulate your legs as well. Try not to have many gaps between your boots and pants.
Two Tracks Bow Co. has insulated wool insoles for your boots. I haven't tried them but it might be worth a look.
   Two Tracks Insulated Insoles  
If your feet get cold even on warm days talk to your doctor about it. You may have blood flow issues.
I usually wear my Muck boots while hunting because of the wetness. However if it hasn't snowed or is fairly dry I'll go with my regular boots. They're uninsulated but with the right things under them I rarely have a problem with cold feet. Even when I was hunting in sub-zero temps.
A little trick. If you start getting cold and can't get move. Think dirty thoughts, it'll raise your body temperature quite a bit. I'm not joking about that either!

[Dorado]

Double tap!