Here's my arsenal. Yeah I've still gotten cold feet, but sometimes its just gonna happen. Wool socks, FELT INSOLES ($5 bucks or so...VERY worth it) 1200gm rubber boots and some talc powder/gold-bond (I suppose anti-perspirant is a even better idea). When all else fails, alternate between standing and sitting to get more bloodflow down there.

yep, eversince I got the icebreakers, I can stand ANY cold. I first got them for my hunt in Canada. We had temps in the teens, 40 mph wind and 12" of snow on the ground with more falling.I had the icebreaker over the boot warmers and the tube for your hands. I lasted from 5am til 5pm for 6 days with them.

I purchased this shoes for 96-year-old aunt, rigid toes from ill-fitting shoes following hammer-toe surgery. Amputation of one toe on each foot was required. Able to wear these shoes for the following surgeries with no pain. They give her great support and are easy to put on and remove. Podiatrist recommended Orthofeet beand's shoe.

This is a 12 year old thread. Why not start a new one?

electric socks are an option...

also steel stands etc... suck warmth from your feet, as a conductor, if you can put something between your feet and a steel tree stand that's an insulator, it'll help keep your feet warmer, longer.

def look to wool, polyester, non-cotton socks, warm when wet materials...

Now you tell me! All I own or have ever worn is white cotton socks.


Where was this advice 50 years ago for the 10 years that I was a ski instructor or a professional ski patrolman at several of Colorado ski areas where I had to spend most of 6 to 7 days a week out on the snow in down to -30* F temperatures. At the end of many days I would take my feet out of my boots and the single pair of my cotton socks would be steaming.


Or all of the years that I used my horses to pack my elk hunting camps back into the Montana wildernesses with up to 3 feet of snow and temperatures down to -20 degrees...


Or the November day when I shot my mountain goat. It was -15* F when I left my truck and started hiking up the mountain, and the snow was crotch deep on the top of the mountain where I shot that billy.


Or when I hunted Central Canadian Barren Ground Caribou and Musk ox in the Canadian arctic.


And on all of those hunts, and many others, I only wore one pair of cotton socks inside a pair of less than $100 Lacrosse pacs.


I must be very lucky because I can't ever remember having cold feet. Or maybe I just can't remember.

Certainly people have different levels of comfort with their feet. For example, the dude on Dual Survival goes barefoot in extremely different climates.

On the coldest days, I wear Mickey Mouse military boots. This has to be a sitting situation as any excessive walking will overheat my feet. Plus, they are heavy.

Otherwise, I wear socks made of various material types without caring which type I am putting on my feet. I only care about thickness. Thicker and/or multiple pairs for colder weather. I generally hunt IL which can be cold. But, I am going home at night and able to recover in a warm house.

Although I have no worldly experience with this as does buffybr above, I believe the choice of socks should be seriously considered when hunting remotely or in the arctic as the condition of your feet (possibly life) depends upon their coverings.

Rangers (known out West here as Ronald McDonald boots)...

I've used them down to a true 15 below in Maine for 6+ Hours in a tree before killing my buck. I sat for just over 8 hours one day @ +20 before a guy stalking shot a small basket buck about to walk into view! Disappointing sit that was! Waterproof, durable, steel toed. NOT RECOMMENDED for climbing the steep hills here in the West but in a stand and getting to and from with little scent and keeping dry is good.

I recommend a Poly sock liner

and then a Set of Wool socks or other wool of your choice.

YMMV, but that's my $.02

REM7600

Get a 20 yr. old lady to rub your feet.

This year I used feet warmers, like hand warmers but made for boots. Some for toes some insoles. I always thought I was cheating. We use them alot at work with safety toes.

Also I bough new pair of Icemans, I may try them next year, for sitting. Though maybe I am getting old, or they are not as good, but they don't seem as warm as I rememer.

Thought about bunny boots too.