Footwear versatility success

[Litehiker]

Had to leave my hunt in northern Nevada's Jarbrige Wilderness area early B/C I was afraid I'd get stuck in the snow with my Prius V wagon.

Yeah, I know, totally wrong vehicle but it's all I have. Sold my 2007 Toyota RAV 4 4WD in Feb. 2014 for the Prius. Then a year later Toyota comes out with a hu=ybrid RAV 4. Arrggghh! Guess what my next vehicle will be.

Now to the footwear story. I wore Merrill GTX Moab Mid boots. The days it snowed I wore US Divers thin neoprene divers' sox over thin poly liner socks. then I wore GTX know-high gaiters ofer the boots.

Together the combo gave me comfortable feet for sitting for long periods in cold, windy weather at 9,000 feet. Every night I turned the neoprene sox inside out to dry, then later put them in my sleeping bag to stay warm for morning. The liner sox were hung in my solo Moment DW tent and they dried overnight. I wore heavy wool socks for sleeping.

The beauty of the divers' sox is that they are also a VBL (Vapor Barrier Liner) that keeps sweat vapor from wetting the inside of your boots. This keeps them dry and much warmer than if they were soaked with sweat.

BTW, "sitting for long periods" requires a closed cell foam sit pad. I got one from REI and cut it in half. "Double wide" butts may want the whole pad. ;o) When walking the pad goes in my day pack against my back.

Eric B.

 

[Andy Backus]

Eric,

I'm very interested in your idea of wearing the neoprene socks over liner socks. I've always suffered with very cold feet and I finally realized it is because my feet are very sweaty.

With your system your boots stay dry inside which is good. But your inner socks and feet still get sweaty and wet. Is your system warmer because the neoprene does a better job of insulating when it's wet than regular socks would? Since the neoprene doesn't breath at all (keeping the inside of your boots dry) do your feet actually get sweatier than with normal synthetic/wool socks? Would blisters be more likely?

 

[Litehiker]

Andy,

The neoprene divers' sox are closed cell neoprene, thus they form a vapor barrier. They usually have nitrogen filled bubbles inside them.
Your foot pressure on the neoprene sox is a bit similar to the water pressure divers experience and they do resist compression quite well. Still, for best warmth, you need a decent closed cell foam insole, preferably a moldable one for better comfort and support.

Hope this helps. As a former Nordic and alpine ski patroller I've found this system to be fairly foolproof and have used it successfully for over 20 years.

BTW, breathable SealSkinz sox do not fill the bill as a VBL. Breathable means they let sweat out - and into your boots' insulation. Wet insulation is compromised, cold insulation.

Just remember to dry the VBL sox at night and change liner socks. "Cleanliness is next to Godliness." ;o)

Studies show that your feet tend to actually sweat a bit less with VBLs because your feet sense they have enough sweat and cut back perspiration somewhat. It's similar to a sleeping bag VBL for extreme cold temps where the VBL causes you to sweat less. Wetting sleeping bag down from perspiration and breathing makes it heavier every night and bags can't dry B/C the dampness freezes in very cold temps. The ill-fated Scott South Pole expedition failed mostly due to frozen down bags, whereas the successful Norwegian expedition used reindeer hide bags which could have the frost shaken and beaten off. They also used skis for a faster transit, thus needing to haul less food.

My next winter bag sill have Dri-Down or some other DWR down treatment to prevent buildup of perspiration. Shaking DWR treated down in a sleeping bag will at least allow the frost to come off the down and accumulate on one side of the bag instead of permeating the entire bag.
**An alternative would be to have a synthetic top cover the down bag B/C that's where the moisture ascumulates as it condenses in the cooler outer layer. That top can then be shaken out IF a zipper revealing the insulation was installed to let the frost out.

Eric B.

 

[Andy Backus]

Thanks for the great info Eric.

I'm not having any luck finding the socks online. Can you point me in the right direction?

 

[Litehiker]

Andy, GOOGLE "US Divers neoprene sox"

Scroll down a bit to the "Aqua Lung" posting and in there you'll find the 3 mm divers's sox.

US Divers and Aqua Lung are the same company. Aqua Lung is the international arm.

Eric B.

 

[Andy Backus]

Thanks I just ordered a pair. I look forward to trying them this late fall and winter.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

3mm Neoprene Socks - Aqua Lung US - Personal Aquatic Equipment for Recreational and Professional Use

These?

 

[Andy Backus]

That's what I just bought.

 

[95huskers]

This is a great post. I have the worst feet known to man as far as sweaty and cold feet go. I have struggled for a long time trying to find the right combo to keep my feet warm in the winter (South Dakota). I have tried Gore Tex boots with 2000g, 1500, 1200, 1000, 800, 600, 400g insulation and uninsulated with several combinations of wool socks...various weights and brands, with and without liners, etc. Also tried Mickey Boots in a desperate attempt to stay warm but obviously these aren't boots you want to put many miles on per day with.

I do have a question regarding size on the liner socks. I usually wear a 9.5 shoe. Do I go with the 10/11 socks or the 8/9? Also, with most of my hunting being done in 20 degree weather what would you recommend for a boot to go along with these socks? I'm on my feet for 1-2 miles at a time and then sitting in a snow bank for an hour or two. Like I said, I feel like I have unsuccessfully tried every combination of boot/sock there is out there. I'm very anxious to try this.

 

[Rick Richard]

Don't know if you guys have tried putting antipersperant on your feet, but it works for me. It really cuts down on the sweat, thereby keeping your feet dry and warm. The only thing I wear in my non insulted boots is a single pair of Merino blend socks.