COLD FEET

[bowman81]

You are gonna laugh..... Wicking liner socks, good merino wool socks, not tight in the boots...leave room...and the secret weapon....a good warm hat and/or facemask. Keeping your head warm goes a long way to keeping your extremities warm.

[Raymond]

One of these years soon I will have to get myself a pair of those, I have bad circulation and my feet get terribly cold with every pair of boots that I have worn to date. Thanks very much for the information folks.
Raymond

[needmorebacon]

not sure if its bc of the smoking (of course not hunting) or bad circulation but I tell ya what I have never EVER been able to keep my feet warm. Insoles,liners,heaters,nothing! So I do it this way I know im gonna get cold I just wear my rubber boots and wool socks. its a bummer for sure.

[prossbow]

A few people I know have been praising these boots.

http://naturmania.ca/product-31426.html

I have not tried them nor had I heard of them until a local outfitter started carrying them.

I have just accepted cold feet as part of the territory lol.

Kevin

[tman74]

Sorel Caribou winter boots are very, very warm.

[Lake shooter]

You are gonna laugh..... Wicking liner socks, good merino wool socks, not tight in the boots...leave room...and the secret weapon....a good warm hat and/or facemask. Keeping your head warm goes a long way to keeping your extremities warm.

X10! I have always suffered from cold feet. Between mid October and mid April or so my feet are usually cold to cool no matter what. All of the above really help with these issues while sitting on a stand, but if it's below maybe 45 or so I bring my Arctic Shield boot covers and put them on when I get up there and situated. If It's really bad (remember, we're talking central Arkansas here) and I'll be out longer than 4-5 hours I add a foot/hand warmer in each one. REALLY helps!!!!

I've tried expensive leather, leather/cloth, rubber and pack boots over the years and have settled on cheap ($50) moderately insulated boots from Academy, their Magellan brand. I couldn't give a rat's rear end where something is made as long as it works and the price is right! I think these boots use something like 800 gr Thinsulate, not super thick, heavy or stiff. This is NICE when toting my 40ish pound load in and out for considerable distances, that being cloths, stand, pack and crossbow. Even the expensive boots aren't 100% waterproof after a season, so I just opted not to wade streams anymore and instead find a crossing place with rocks or downed trees and such.

To me, it MUST be a traditional leather/cloth boot! To begin with, rubber boots don't come in wide widths, so unless you have really narrow feet, they will be really tight around the balls of your feet, decreasing circulation to the toes. The only way to get around that problem is to buy them too big, and then you go from a boot that is heavy, clumsy and not really well fitted to one that is even worse in all of these categories! When I put my feet in one of those devices that measure foot size it says 11C, but I found many seasons back that I had to buy boots that were "wide" or EE to have a really roomy fit around the ball area. That and only wearing one pair of socks instead of two REALLY opened things up in there, making for higher insulating qualities! Think about it: birds are sleek and trim in warm weather but there feathers puff out when it's cold, and this traps more air which increases the insulating value of these same feathers. If you took one and wrapped it in something like very light netting to keep it's feathers from puffing out but still allow air through, it would quickly freeze to death!

Lastly, it's darn hard to warm feet that are already cold! I never put on my hunting duds or boots until I park at my walk in spot and get out. I wear one pair of wool socks and lose fitting sandals driving, and this allows the heater to actually warm my feet to the point that the bones are warm. This REALLY started me down the road to keeping my feet warmer! I hunt mostly on a military base wildlife management area where one must sign in and out before going or leaving. I get some strange looks showing up in a tee shirt, sweat pants and sandals to go bow hunting, especially when it's freaking cold! I must say though, the laugh is on them!!!

[Carnivorous]

Always suffered from cold feet too. Couple years ago my daughter got me some super thick merino wool socks for Christmas, no more cold feet! I forget the brand but man they're the best socks I've ever used for hunting. Depending on temps i'll wear them with either 600 or 1000 gram insulated boots. I've tried the chemical toe and foot warmers, they work but the extra stuff inside my boots were uncomfortable. Me and a buddy were looking at the thermacell online the other day, they look good but just cant make myself pay $130 for insoles.

For sure $130.00 is a bit steep however It's like the visa commercial logic.

Crossbow $1000.00
Hunting clothes $500.00
Arrows and broadheads 150.00
Hunting vehicle $40,000.00
Tags and gas $150.00

Having to leave early and spooking a buck of a lifetime due to cold feet.

priceless!!!!!

[Cryon]

Based on these reviews from some very trustworthy members I'll be purchasing a set of the insoles as an early Christmas present.
Thank you very much to those who commented on them.
And the above Visa/MasterCard quote is the best one I've heard in a while!

[Normous]

I believe Canadian Tire is offerering a $20 mail in rebate later this week when one when one purchases the Thermacell Insoles. Effective for one week only.

[frisky]

I have some 2000 gram Thinsulate boots (cabellas) and wicking liner socks, good merino wool outer socks. I walk in to my stand , about 1/4 mile I am good for all day! This is the best combo I have found for hunting. Best of all, these boots are fairly light weight!

[DaveShooter]

Always suffered from cold feet too. Couple years ago my daughter got me some super thick merino wool socks for Christmas, no more cold feet! I forget the brand but man they're the best socks I've ever used for hunting. Depending on temps i'll wear them with either 600 or 1000 gram insulated boots. I've tried the chemical toe and foot warmers, they work but the extra stuff inside my boots were uncomfortable. Me and a buddy were looking at the thermacell online the other day, they look good but just cant make myself pay $130 for insoles.

For sure $130.00 is a bit steep however It's like the visa commercial logic.

Crossbow $1000.00
Hunting clothes $500.00
Arrows and broadheads 150.00
Hunting vehicle $40,000.00
Tags and gas $150.00

Having to leave early and spooking a buck of a lifetime due to cold feet.

priceless!!!!!

I like that one

[Hester0305]

Always suffered from cold feet too. Couple years ago my daughter got me some super thick merino wool socks for Christmas, no more cold feet! I forget the brand but man they're the best socks I've ever used for hunting. Depending on temps i'll wear them with either 600 or 1000 gram insulated boots. I've tried the chemical toe and foot warmers, they work but the extra stuff inside my boots were uncomfortable. Me and a buddy were looking at the thermacell online the other day, they look good but just cant make myself pay $130 for insoles.

For sure $130.00 is a bit steep however It's like the visa commercial logic.

Crossbow $1000.00
Hunting clothes $500.00
Arrows and broadheads 150.00
Hunting vehicle $40,000.00
Tags and gas $150.00

Having to leave early and spooking a buck of a lifetime due to cold feet.

priceless!!!!!

That was pretty good

[Hester0305]

I'm looking for an answer myself, it will be Boot Blankets or Thermacell insoles the Boot Blankets are about a 1/3 less than the insoles. My feet always get cold in my Rocky 1000 gram rubber boots that I wear when the temps are in the 20's and I hate to walk in them for an extended time because they're so heavy. I sit in ladder stands and lock on stands most of the season and after 4 or 5 hours in cold weather my feet are like ice and the rest of my body is very warm.

[Bullzeye]

the Themacell insoles are $30 off right now at Gander Mountain.

[Kegbelly]

Always suffered from cold feet too. Couple years ago my daughter got me some super thick merino wool socks for Christmas, no more cold feet! I forget the brand but man they're the best socks I've ever used for hunting. Depending on temps i'll wear them with either 600 or 1000 gram insulated boots. I've tried the chemical toe and foot warmers, they work but the extra stuff inside my boots were uncomfortable. Me and a buddy were looking at the thermacell online the other day, they look good but just cant make myself pay $130 for insoles.

For sure $130.00 is a bit steep however It's like the visa commercial logic.

Crossbow $1000.00
Hunting clothes $500.00
Arrows and broadheads 150.00
Hunting vehicle $40,000.00
Tags and gas $150.00

Having to leave early and spooking a buck of a lifetime due to cold feet.

priceless!!!!!

LOL You do have a point there Belleriver! Good answer!
But so far these wool socks have really made a difference. Something else I forgot to mention... I buy my hunting boots one size larger than I normally wear, and I put an extra foam cushion insole in them. I get plantar fasciitis from time to time, one of the joys of getting old I guess, and the extra padding helps me on long walks in and out to my stand. An added benefit is it adds a little extra insulation to the bottom of the boot. But I only have to wear one pair of socks now, which leaves some air space in the boot too, and my feet get nowhere near as cold as they used to. Seems to work for me anyhow.