Thoughts on Boot Insulation???

[Dahitman44]

I have heard all of these claims of 1,000 gram, 1,500 and 2,000 gram thinsulate. That all sounds good, but I heard a few years back that anything over 800 gram is a flat out lie. Is this true? Or was it true a few years back?

We all know you can't believe everything in you hear or read.

Thoughts?

[MikeH55343]

Where in the boot the insulation is located is more important than the total grams. Manufacturers will just load up the ankle uppers with more insulation to get the gram count higher. This is primarily for Advertising hype.

[Esox_Magnum]

I wear Columbia Titanium Bagaboos and wear them for everything outdoors and along with my Patigonia socks my fee are never cold and the boots are comphy as all get out....

[CAMAN]

Directly from 3M ---

Quote:

. It also comes in different gram weights to provide the right warmth for your activity‚ so use the guidelines below to select the appropriate footwear.

Recommended grams of 3M™ Thinsulate™ Insulation for footwear:

200 grams* for cool conditions or high activity levels – Recommended for work boots‚ hiking boots‚ rubber bottom boots‚ hunting boots‚ snowboard boots‚ alpine ski boots‚ or athletic winter boots.

400 grams* for cold conditions or moderate activity levels – Recommended for rubber bottom boots‚ hiking boots‚ PAC boots‚ hunting boots‚ or work boots.

600 grams* for very cold conditions – Recommended for hiking boots‚ work boots‚ hunting boots‚ or PAC boots.

800 grams* for extremely cold conditions with light activity levels – Recommended for hunting boots‚ PAC boots‚ or work boots.

1‚000+ grams* for extremely cold conditions with light to minimal activity level – Recommended for unique applications requiring additional insulation.

* Grams per square meter of insulation

Since it is measured in weight of a given size there is no way they can "flat out lie". The differences between the ratings is the thickness and density of the Thinsulate.

[Esox_Magnum]

Also when standing on cold cement or ice the cold comes up from the bottom, the more insulation between you and the ice is better... More insulation in the uppers do you no good for your toes...Look at most extreme cold weather bootd, Military, Iditarod racers ect... all those are boots with thick bottoms.....

[upnorth]

To really keep your feet warm you distance between your little piggies and the cold. If you are sitting on the ice and not moving, big clunky boots with thick soles and thick insulation.

[hydro]

Insoles with aluminum foil coating will reflect much heat back up into the foot. You can make them from "Reflectix" and just slip them in ynder the removeable liner in the boot. Aluminum has a very high ability to reflect infrared (heat), and that keeps your foot warmer.

[GatorBait]

So now that, that is all covered. As a past gander mtn assoc that excelled in this area, I want to express the most missed thing about keeping your feet warm regardless of what gram boot you have on.

Socks...

Plain and simple, they will either make ya or break ya when you put your boots on. How many people simply throw on there everyday cotton socks? On estimate during presentations I held was approxiamtely 75%. Then they complain how their boots aren't doing what they said they would. Simply put, cotton absorbs the moisture and stores it, thus creating a mositure barrier between the cotton fibers and your skin, which in turn makes your feet cold. By adding a synthetic or polypropylene liner along with merino wool sock over that, you have a liner to wick moisture away from your feet and wool sock to help regulate the temperature and absorb/wich the moisture away from your feet keeping you piggies toasty. Merino wool is not itchy like most other wool socks.

Food for thought to help make your cold days this winter that more enjoyable.

[CAMAN]

You are totally right Gatorbait, the socks will either make it or break it. My favorite are the Smartwool Ultimate Hunting socks(I believe that's what they are named) . They come with the liner socks and the heavy insulated wool in one package. My feet have never been warmer.

[Steve Foss]

So now that, that is all covered. As a past gander mtn assoc that excelled in this area, I want to express the most missed thing about keeping your feet warm regardless of what gram boot you have on.

Socks...

Plain and simple, they will either make ya or break ya when you put your boots on. How many people simply throw on there everyday cotton socks? On estimate during presentations I held was approxiamtely 75%. Then they complain how their boots aren't doing what they said they would. Simply put, cotton absorbs the moisture and stores it, thus creating a mositure barrier between the cotton fibers and your skin, which in turn makes your feet cold. By adding a synthetic or polypropylene liner along with merino wool sock over that, you have a liner to wick moisture away from your feet and wool sock to help regulate the temperature and absorb/wich the moisture away from your feet keeping you piggies toasty. Merino wool is not itchy like most other wool socks.

Food for thought to help make your cold days this winter that more enjoyable.

Like you, I have been preaching this for a long, long time.

As for the actual topic, I know and have spoken with the owners of two separate outdoor stores, each who carry a wide variety of pac and Thinsulate boots, and both say once you get over 1,000 grams of Thinsulate, it's hype instead of reality. More is NOT always better.

Honestly, if you buy any good quality pac boot, and buy it large enough so multiple sock layers don't impede your circulation, and use the right sock system, and eat properly before going out on the ice or in the deer stand, it's rare you'll get cold feet.

For those who practice all those methods and still get cold feet, I've also been preaching Steger Mukluks for a long, long time. Warmest and lightest winter footwear I've ever had on.

[WTN4ICE]

Smartwools are great socks,I have them in three different weights for different avtivities.I just put the Ultimate Hunting System on my Christmas list.As far as insulation goes I am not a big fan of thinsulate.Last year I bought a pair of 2000 gram boots and had cold feet everytime I wore them so I recently sold them and am going back to my trusty Sorel Glaciers.They may be a little on the bulky side but I can put them on with cold feet and inside of 15-20 minutes my feet are warm.For me the felt liner is the way to go.

[Jarrod32]

So now that, that is all covered. As a past gander mtn assoc that excelled in this area, I want to express the most missed thing about keeping your feet warm regardless of what gram boot you have on.

Socks...

Plain and simple, they will either make ya or break ya when you put your boots on. How many people simply throw on there everyday cotton socks? On estimate during presentations I held was approxiamtely 75%. Then they complain how their boots aren't doing what they said they would. Simply put, cotton absorbs the moisture and stores it, thus creating a mositure barrier between the cotton fibers and your skin, which in turn makes your feet cold. By adding a synthetic or polypropylene liner along with merino wool sock over that, you have a liner to wick moisture away from your feet and wool sock to help regulate the temperature and absorb/wich the moisture away from your feet keeping you piggies toasty. Merino wool is not itchy like most other wool socks.

Food for thought to help make your cold days this winter that more enjoyable.

A-men my retail working brother. Find a good pair of wool or wool-blend socks (at least 65% if not 75% or higher wool) with NO COTTON. And if at all possible, like a previous poster mentioned, any extra you can get between your feet and the ice will help...

Oh, for the record...I have a pair of Muck Arctic Sport boots. When coupled with the right socks, as described above, my feet stay warm. The wrong socks, and the feet are cold...

[slipperybob]

Ever notice how ski boots or snowboard boots don't have some kind of XXXX grams of insulation but is all foam insulated? Just saying there's more to heat retention than the listed grams of insulation.

[shizzy]

Honestly, if you buy any good quality pac boot, and buy it large enough so multiple sock layers don't impede your circulation, and use the right sock system, and eat properly before going out on the ice or in the deer stand, it's rare you'll get cold feet.

For sure. I actually have three different pairs of boots and dozens of different socks that I use to fit the temp and activity. I have a light pair of hiking boots that are 1/2 size large that fit one pair of poly liners and a pair of wool socks for bicycling down to about 40 degrees,another slightly warmer pair of hiking boots 1 1/2 sizes larger to fit Two pair of wool + poly liner for cycling down to below zero temps and my pair of monster Sorels for sitting on the ice for hours. By switching out sock or boot combinations to fit the weather/activity I always have warm feet.

[caseymcq]

I have a pair of Cabela's Predator Extreme boots. They have 1,200 grams of Thinsulate and a 9 mm Texel liner. My feet are always warm. I can stand outside in -30 and my feet are warm. I am guessing it is the combination of the Thinsulate and the Texel liner. I typically wear a liner sock and a thick sock (I have some Smart Wool but it isn't always what I have on). I am a huge fan of the boots.