My feet freeze
#101
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: PA.
Posts: 5,195
RE: My feet freeze
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
Sorry.. wisdom is starting to win out over youthful exuberance! I've still only missed like two days in the last two weeks of hunting, so I'd consider myself still pretty hardcore..
Sorry.. wisdom is starting to win out over youthful exuberance! I've still only missed like two days in the last two weeks of hunting, so I'd consider myself still pretty hardcore..
i was out grouse hunting today and ground is solid ice with 1 inch of snow on top,without cleats,you cant stand up..
it was sunny today but stil cold and iwas only hunter for miles and i saw no grouse and very few deer tracks......
#102
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ohio
Posts: 7,876
RE: My feet freeze
ORIGINAL: HNI_Christine
I just want you guys to know that I think you are all sissies. (Except for Al)
I used to hunt and trap in temps down to -30 F in just gym shoes. Never could find a decent pair of gloves to fit so I just went without. Builds character.
Justin made me feel guilty for hunting in gym shoes so I bought a pair of 800 gram thinsulateLacrosse alpha burlys. Those puppies are warm. If it's really, really cold, I'll put in a hand warmer packin my boots. Gives my toes something to play with if nothing else.[8D]
Anyhow for you sweaty footed people, I've heard that applying an anti-perspirant to the bottoms of your tootsies will help keep them dry and hence, warmer.
It's worth a shot.
I just want you guys to know that I think you are all sissies. (Except for Al)
I used to hunt and trap in temps down to -30 F in just gym shoes. Never could find a decent pair of gloves to fit so I just went without. Builds character.
Justin made me feel guilty for hunting in gym shoes so I bought a pair of 800 gram thinsulateLacrosse alpha burlys. Those puppies are warm. If it's really, really cold, I'll put in a hand warmer packin my boots. Gives my toes something to play with if nothing else.[8D]
Anyhow for you sweaty footed people, I've heard that applying an anti-perspirant to the bottoms of your tootsies will help keep them dry and hence, warmer.
It's worth a shot.
#103
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 868
RE: My feet freeze
I have a set of the Arctic Shield covers and they work very well. They allow me to wear a lighter weight boot while hiking in so my feet don't sweat up a storm, and provide adequate warmth in the stand.
While they aren't as warm as somethng like a Pac boot, they are good enough for just about all the hunting I do.
While they aren't as warm as somethng like a Pac boot, they are good enough for just about all the hunting I do.
#104
RE: My feet freeze
Just got back from the Cabela's in St. Louis... The Infernos definitely need to be purchased one size bigger than you'd normally wear. I also found out at the store they don't make them in 1/2 sizes, so I went a full size bigger; seems to be exactly what I needed any way.
I'm happy that I'll be able to give them a good field testing now -- hopefully tomorrow night.
I'm happy that I'll be able to give them a good field testing now -- hopefully tomorrow night.
#105
RE: My feet freeze
OK... update after Day One of wearing them...
I got to the farm I planned to hunt at 2:05 p.m. today; it was 18 degrees when I got out of my Jeep. I was hunting a place I gained permission to hunt this year that feels more like a back yard in reality than a real farm. It's probably 60 acres or so tops, and the landowner keeps most of it in hay... since it was harvested a month ago, it all looks like an extension of her back yard.
I was set up in the middle of five trees on the northern end of her property, 50 yards away from the closest fencerow... but I'd been seeing a group of does come out of the northern-most fencerow and mill around under these trees. The reason I say all this is because I had NO windbreak... and there was a pretty stiff North wind blowing at me all night.
After an hour, I still felt extremely comfortable... probably close to the way my feet feel right now at home with our temp set at 73. An hour later -- and now two hours into the hunt, and after the temp had probably dropped another couple degrees -- my feet started getting pretty cool. I wouldn't necessarily say "cold" ... but definitely cool. Cool enough that I felt the urge to wiggle my toes pretty vigorously to heat them up. About a minute of that on each foot was all it took, though... After that, they felt good for another 30 minutes or so, at which time I repeated the move again.
At almost exactly 5 o'clock, I layed the smackdown on a big ol' mature doe to put my stamp of approval on being able to sit in some pretty cold temps out in the wide open with a pretty stiff wind blowing the whole time. Do I think they'd make it to their -140 rating? Not for this guy. But they worked for today, and that's about as cold a temp as I hunt in, and that's all I cared about.
I got to the farm I planned to hunt at 2:05 p.m. today; it was 18 degrees when I got out of my Jeep. I was hunting a place I gained permission to hunt this year that feels more like a back yard in reality than a real farm. It's probably 60 acres or so tops, and the landowner keeps most of it in hay... since it was harvested a month ago, it all looks like an extension of her back yard.
I was set up in the middle of five trees on the northern end of her property, 50 yards away from the closest fencerow... but I'd been seeing a group of does come out of the northern-most fencerow and mill around under these trees. The reason I say all this is because I had NO windbreak... and there was a pretty stiff North wind blowing at me all night.
After an hour, I still felt extremely comfortable... probably close to the way my feet feel right now at home with our temp set at 73. An hour later -- and now two hours into the hunt, and after the temp had probably dropped another couple degrees -- my feet started getting pretty cool. I wouldn't necessarily say "cold" ... but definitely cool. Cool enough that I felt the urge to wiggle my toes pretty vigorously to heat them up. About a minute of that on each foot was all it took, though... After that, they felt good for another 30 minutes or so, at which time I repeated the move again.
At almost exactly 5 o'clock, I layed the smackdown on a big ol' mature doe to put my stamp of approval on being able to sit in some pretty cold temps out in the wide open with a pretty stiff wind blowing the whole time. Do I think they'd make it to their -140 rating? Not for this guy. But they worked for today, and that's about as cold a temp as I hunt in, and that's all I cared about.
#106
RE: My feet freeze
Congrats on the Doe Greg!!! I killed my 1st Buck several years ago when it was -5 degrees with a 20mph+ wind. I was glad I got him! It gave me a way to warm my hands up.Not sure I'd been able to operate my truck keys if it hadn't been for that. No hand warmers back then
Dan
Dan
#107
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location:
Posts: 38
RE: My feet freeze
ORIGINAL: BGfisher
Cold feet? Been there and done that. Here's something I found that helps. I wear a pair of cotton socks to my stand. Once I'm up and settled I take my shoes and socks off to let my feet dry. They do sweat on the way in. Once dried out I slip inot a pair of my wifes knee-highs and slip on a pair of good wool sox. Slip on my boots, wrap the laces around them and tie them.....loose. Circulation means as much as getting the feet dry.
Please get permission from the wife, though.
Cold feet? Been there and done that. Here's something I found that helps. I wear a pair of cotton socks to my stand. Once I'm up and settled I take my shoes and socks off to let my feet dry. They do sweat on the way in. Once dried out I slip inot a pair of my wifes knee-highs and slip on a pair of good wool sox. Slip on my boots, wrap the laces around them and tie them.....loose. Circulation means as much as getting the feet dry.
Please get permission from the wife, though.
#108
RE: My feet freeze
ORIGINAL: Greg / MO
My feet got JUST cold enough this year a few times so far that I'll be finishing the season out in these after next week... 2,000 grams of Thinsulate. Cabela's "Inferno" boot -- rated to minus 140.
My feet got JUST cold enough this year a few times so far that I'll be finishing the season out in these after next week... 2,000 grams of Thinsulate. Cabela's "Inferno" boot -- rated to minus 140.
#109
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NewLowell ,Ontario ,Canada
Posts: 2,765
RE: My feet freeze
Greg, you know your stuff
I ware 2000Gm Georgia boots with a good 100% wool sock and that took care of the cold feet. Since Back surgery I used to have this problem. 2000 Gm are worth every dime ..
I ware 2000Gm Georgia boots with a good 100% wool sock and that took care of the cold feet. Since Back surgery I used to have this problem. 2000 Gm are worth every dime ..