warm socks????

[Steve Foss]

deerminator, don't mean to make a hard left turn away from socks and into boots. Well, OK, I kinda do.

But if you have chronically cold feet and a good budget, look at Steger Mukluks, the full length model with the white canvas upper (I think they're called Arctics now). They are not waterproof naturally, though they repel water, but with repeated applications of spray silicone I can stand in slushy snow all day without getting wet.

These were the footwear worn by Will Steger and Paul Schurke for their 1986 North Pole dogsled expedition. They are the most comfortable winter footwear I've ever owned, and are tremendously lightweight. If you buy them a couple sizes bigger than your shoe size and use the 2- or 3-sock plan I mentioned earlier, you may have found the right winter boot for you.

I've been in them for just about 9 years now, out in -40s temps sometimes doing photography, handyman/maintenance work and ice fishing. Almost all the people I've heard from who doubt them have never given them a try. They achieve such warmth by being softer and flexible, much moreso than any pac boot, which allows the your foot's circulation to work unimpeded. I am making my living in winter outdoors, and while there are a couple applications you don't want to use them for (long hikes in rocky terrain and standing in water for long periods), they are the total shizzit for most everything else. And really great for snowshoers and in the deer stand as well. I find I stay a lot more active over the course of a long day because they weigh so much less than pac boots. Absolutely great stuff!

I still have a couple pairs of old worn pac boots (Sorels and LaCrosse Icemen), but I just use them for kicking around the garage/shop now, or when I'm doing a really ugly dirty job out in the cold. When I'm in really watery and cold conditions, I use my Muckboot Woody Maxes, and when hiking in cold weather on rough terrain, my Irish Setter 1200 gram Thinsulate boots are the ticket.

Sorry to derail the socktalk!

[Gopher_Guy]

Spray your feet with an unscented aerosol anti-persperant. The trick to keeping your feet warm is to prevent them from sweating. If you shower the night before your hunt spray them down before you go to sleep and then hit them again in the morning. You would not believe how much this helps keeping your feet warm. If you shower in the morning then hit them with the spray after your shower but make sure the spray is fully dry by the time you put your socks on. Just note this does dry the heck out of your feet.

On bitter cold days I also pack in the icebreaker boot blankets. Throw a handwarmer in each one before you slip them on and you'll stay plenty warm.

[psepuncher]

look for scent free foot/sock powder, no aerosol, no stink, and stay dry

just another way I keep my happy wife., er wife happy.

And I find it at my favorite hunting store, it's the only place to find it, of course: wink

[CodyDawg]

Try some gaiters. You would be amazed at how much heat is lost by cold coming up under your pant leg. If you keep your lower leg warm, your feet stay much warmer.

I also love the Smartwool. I dont even use a wicking sock beneath them anymore cuz they wick so good. I did buy some wool socks that look just like Smartwool at Costco and they are great as well.

Oh and for those worried about the itch with wool...Smartwool doesnt itch. How? I dunno, it is magic, but good Merino wool doesnt itch.

[picksbigwagon]

Cdawg, about those gaiters, do they keep out the water? the reason I ask is where we hunt down in IA, we have a stream we have to cross, it never gets above my knees but would gaitors work if I cinched them down, to walk across the creek if I don't top out the gaitors? we currently use garbage bags over our boots, which work, but it is hard to climb the other banks.....

[Steve Foss]

Picks, I've used gaiters for years while XC skiing and snowhoeing. All the ones I've seen clip/lace on to the boots, and don't provide a watertight seal. Even if the water stays below the top of the gaiter, it'll come right in where the gaiter meets the boot/laces. Also, most gaiters zipper up the back.

Could be there are gaiters out there I don't know about that are waterproof.

Smartwool's got a great thing going with the big stylish demand for their overpriced socks, I'll certainly admit that. Any maker of light/middle weight Merino wool outdoor socks will make socks that don't itch, because as mentioned it's the Merino wool that doesn't scratch. I've got a few pair of Smarwools given as gifts. They are excellent socks. But I can get the same level of wicking, comfort and insulation from significantly less expensive brands, so that's what I do.

[Beast26]

Cotton is terrible - never wear cotton hunting.

More socks isn't always better. The key to keeping your feet warm is to keep them dry and allow good circulation - as already pointed out. Never put one pair or two pair of wool socks over the top of another.

I always wear a thin pair of poly socks - which wick moisture - underneath a pair of smartwool (wool) socks. I wear the same socks in October that I wear at the end of November. When I get to my stand I also untie my boots to allow for added circulation.

I also wear lightweight boots and socks on the walk to my stand and change to heavier boots once I arrive at my stand on really cold days. This means my socks/boots are free of moisture (sweat).

Dry your boots every night on a peet boot dryer.

[CodyDawg]

Picks,

Not totally. If you hotfoot it across you would have minimal seepage, but it doesnt provide a waterproof seal.

It does keep pretty much all water out walking in snow or wet vegetation. I highly recommend them.

[remington 300]

picks, the gaiters arent water proof, there designed to keep snow out of and off of your boots and laces, as far as crossing the creek, have you tried hip boots just for crossing the creek then switch boots on the other side, i had a similar problem several years ago and thats what i did,

just a thought,

mike.