Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Hey guys, I'm sorta new in here. I was just wondering if any of you seasoned veterans could tell me how you keep your feet warm while in the stand. My boots are o.k. but I'm more interrested in a good pair of socks. I've seen some in Cabelas and at Dicks but I don't want to spend $12 on a pair of socks that really don't work.
Oh, by the way, Dicks has a Summit Viper Custom Climber on sale for $149.00. Does this seem like a very good deal to you guys? Thanks for your help.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

YEs the Viper is a good deal at that price. I really don't like to layer up so in order to ward of any cold I use the thermal heatpacks. When it's going to be a really cold morning or afternoon I just duct tape a few of these around on my body. 1 on my sternum, 1 on my back, a couple on my lower thighs and yes, they have the toe warmers. It costs me about $3-6/day to stay on stand. Most of them (except toe warmers) last atleast 8 and up to 12 hours. So even after a day hun ting you can throw them down in your foot area of your sleeping bag or whatever and get some heat down there too (they're ready to crap out so there's not a chance of getting burned while sleeping-I would never put fresh ones near your body (parts) whale sleeping cause they can burn ya good).

If you get too warm during the day on stand, you can remove as needed or vent a bit.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Thanks UncleMatt. Where do you get these heat packs? I've talked to friends that didn't like them for various reasons. I don't know which ones they tried but, I'd be willing to give it a go. Can you pick them up at wally world?

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

The heat packs can be hit or miss sometimes.I'd go for a pair of Arctic Shield boot covers instead , they're about $45 at Cabela's or Sportsman's Guide . Loosening your boots also helps , too tight boots reduce circulation in your feet . Always buy insulated boots at least one size too large , you can add additional socks if more insulation is needed.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

cgeorge,
I have poor circulation in my feet, so there wasa problem with the coldwhenmy feet are not moving. I had to get a liner for my feet that fitsunder the socks to keep from sweating. My boots were not the problem. Seemed to cure the problem from the cold.Good Luck! David

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

A quality boot to start with is a must. For warmth the best IMO is a Gore-Tex leather or Cordura style boot with 1000+ grams of Thinsulate Insulation. I choose rubber boots only for the advantages of less scent to the ground and the knee high water proofing they provide.

First layer you need a thin sweat wicking style sock to get the moisture off your skin and into the next layer. Next would be 1-2 pairs of a quality sock made up of at least 75% genuine wool for the warmth and comfort they provide. To finish off in extreme cold (20-25F and below) you may want to add the hot foot packs to the liners of your boots. They work great but can be uncomfortable walking on them for any lenght of time in my experiences.

IMO rubbers are the worst style boot to wear in cold weather if you are going to bewalking muchbecause they do not breath at all.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

I am with Kevin on this one. Boot Blankets are the way to go to trully keep your feet warm in any type of cold weather. I have never had cold feet when I have had these on. Heck, sometimes I actually take my boots off and just slide my feet in the boot blankets themselves. If it gets really, really cold then I will throw in some heat packs as well.

Great stuff those boot warmers though I prefer the thicker rather than the thinner version (I forgot the specific names).

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Hey guys I really appreciate all of the feed back. I'd love to buy some new boots but I just bought my first gun and climbing stand. I've been borrowing stands and a gun for the past five years. If I go out and buy a nice pair of quality boots right now they'd better be warm because its going to get really cold when my wife makes me sleep outside. Actually my wife is the best she's the one who suprised me with the gun and the stand for my birthday. Anyway I'll probably just try and find some good socks. I've seen the boot blankets at rural king but hadn't heard much about them until now. I've learned alot from these forums and appreciate the feed back.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

cgeorge,

you can get the heat pack here at walmart for like 2 dollars for a six pack, and they sell an insole for boots and shoes with a special pocket for the heaters. those are like 10 dollars. My wife(god bless her) got me that set up last year for christmas and my las week of hunting in january was much more pleasant.

the other option i'm considering is a pair of army surplus mukluks. A friend of mine was a navy diver and spent a few months at the north pole and said those mukluks were good to go.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Rubbing Uncented Secret Deoderant on your feet will keep them fromsweating
and getting cold, of course a good pair of wool socks and the applicaion of the
deoderant will let your feet breathe and not get cold. Unless you have poor
circulation in your feet, this will work! Sometimes you lace your boots to
tight and cut the propercirculation to your feet, causing them to also get cold.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

I'm with Kevin, I got a pair last year and haven't been cold since. I had by-pass surgery a few years ago and they robbed the veins fron my leg to fix my heart. Since then circulation has been poor at best and the Artic Shields have done the trick.

SF

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

whenever i get cold in the dtand i just climb down and do some jumping jacks and maybe jog around a little bit...havent seen a deer in a while....just kidding...i use the hand warmers and toe warmer....works like a charm

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

My feet get cold only b/c of being wet from sweat. So for me more insulation was not the key but rather more effective components. How I hunt it often means a good hike in before sitting down, so if I am staying for a while I pack in my sitting boots with a change of dry socks upon arrival. For this I dry my feet off with a dish towel, then polyproplene sock liner, then merino(or wigwams) wool socks and some good quality waterproof w 800 gram thin. boots with the laces loose. If I plan on hoofing it a lot the only thing I change is wear 600 gram thin. boots the entire day. I also found a product called "No Stink" it is a paste you rub on your feet to help prevent sweating. You apply it daily for the first 3 days, then once a week to follow and it works! It is made in canada but I am sure their are other similar to it state side. Wiggle room is also very important, as is keep your head and lower back warm. I like the heat packs for my fingers as well.

Up here it can be down right cold and this is the only thing that has helped tomake it comfortable for me.

Money spent ongood qualitywool socks is well worth it...the regular wooly's you buy at wally world don't even compare.

(BTW - Stay away from any sock that uses cotton, it is a killer!!!!!!!!!!!)

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

I think the boot blankets are a good idea.I would caution someone about purchasing the Artic Shield one's because I had found them to be quite noisy.I have a brand new pair that I have never worn for that reason.The Ice Breakers on the other hand while much bulkier are much more quiet.I respect every one elses experience with the Artic Shield,They just seem to crunchy for me.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

cgeorge, All I wear are Browning 800 gram thinsulate/gortex boots. If my toes get cold I pull a pair of toe-warmers from my pack and activate them, slip off my boots and slide them between my wool socks and my polypropolene liners. I'll do this sometimes even before I go out.
I've found that its best to keep these warmers in the 'pocket' just in front of the ball of your foot, under ur toes. If you get them too far back,they can start to hurt your feet when you walk. Be sure to get the toe warmers cause they need less air to keep them going.
Also, I hate wearing gloves and I found an old Jone hand muff at a yard sale one time. It has a little pocket in it for a handwarmer. Keeps my hands warm and comfy until its hammer time.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Here is what works for me. I start with a quality boot with either 1000 or 1200 grams of thinsulate. Then I spray anti-perspirant on my feet. I use either one pair of 100% wool socks or a pair of polypropolyne socks with a pair of wool socks over them. Never put cotton on your feet, or anywhere else if you hunting extreme cold. The anti-perspirant will keep your feet from sweating, the poly propolyene will wick the moisture away if there is any and the wool will keep them warm weather they sweat or not. My feet use to FREEZE and I bought expensive pack boots and socks etc. etc. and they still froze until I started doing this.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Hey Reb,
That deodorant thing on the feet works well. I also used to use it on my hands for golf so they would not sweat in the summer.
I gotta tell ya though. The cold feet advice coming from Florida just looks funny.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

This is an interesting discussion. but nobody has said how cold of temps you're talkng about! One guy said below 20F is "extreme cold"? That's mild for some hunting. How can you recommend boots or socks unless you know what temps the guy is talking about?

If you're talking, say, freezing to around 20F, any good pac boot, proper size, with good wool socks willprobably work fine. I have never found a non-pac boot that was worth considering for anythign below freezing, if you're sitting still for a long time. If you're walking, heck good sneakers with warm socks are fine. If it's 0F, and you're sitting still, you better have just about the warmest boot Cabelas makes (the Transalaska,for instance). The overboot things look pretty good too.

By the way, I probably have 8 pairs of boots ranging from uninsulated leather to arctic grade. My philosophy is: if you're feet arecold, your boots aren't warm enough, no matter what it says on the box, or what your friends say. Everyone's feet are different. I happen to have pretty cold feet and hands.

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

What else can you do for cold feet if you already use extra socks , toe warmers and insulated boots ? My feet stay cold no matter what I try ! After only 3 hrs. or so of hunting my feet are so cold I can barely walk out of the woods. If the temp gets below 70 my feet get cold, so how can I keep my feet warm ?

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

zek, good point! I live in Sask. canadaand have hunted in up tothe-20 F range (we use Celsius so -30 C). +20 F is usually a balmy november day for whitetail hunting in these parts..I'd say it averages 10-15 F for this period. Like I saidI tried everything the only thing that made a difference is some sort of anti-persp on the feet (best spray i found was the wife's Secret), Polyproplene sock liners topped with quality wool socks and good quality gortex boots with mid range of thinsulate (however everyone is different in this regard so if your stand hunting mostly I'd look in around the 1000 range). The bootie blankets work for many as well but they really don't fit into my style of hunting whitetails at this time of year...so this is a good suggestion for the stand hunter.

Mysterylady, are your boots tight? If you layer up so much that you get snug feet it makes the problem worse. Try looking at the products suggested in this thread...good socks and boot blankets should help you. Also keep them laces loose and wiggle them toes.Make surethe rest of your body stays warm in layers not consisting of cotton and try packing a thermos with some hot water or chicken cup of soup broth to sip on while in the stand. If you feel chilledstand up and get the blood flowing (leg and arm circles work well)...if in a stand be careful or climb down and always wear your safety harness.

Best of luck to all this season

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

Great thread! Thanks to all for sharing your info!

RE: Does anybody else get really cold toes?
 

One other thing,
if you are sitting in a tree stand, or a ground blind in a chair, be careful how much pressure you put on your thighs lower thigh just above your knees where the chair edge is. The more pressure the worse the circulation to your feet. Stand occasionally for a while if you can (tough in a tree stand when you are supposed to keep still) if not make sure you raise that area off the seat for a while