Keeping warm feet

[Willcurrie]

I've been doing a lot of wildlife photography recently and I'm spending long hours, 4-6 usually, sitting still in one spot. I use a home made portable shelter/hide that keeps the wind and rain to a minimum but after a couple of hours my feet start getting cold. Got the rest of my body sorted just trouble with the feet. I've taken to wearing neoprene wellies by grubs, the stalking model. I can get away with a single thick pair of socks or a medium weight sock with a thin liner sock, either way when the temp drops to about 3 or below I'm struggling.

Anyone got any advice on how to keep my feet warm while sitting still for hours? Maybe Mrs Christmas will be checking this thread.

 

[bopdude]

Take a sit mat to insulate your feet from the floor maybe ? If you want to go extreme you can get those heated boots nowadays

 

[Madriverrob]

Get some snugfeet .......

http://www.snugpak.com/military/insulated-tent-boots-snugfeet-1

 

[santaman2000]

Amazon, Cabela's, Bass Pro, all the outdoor retailers carry heated socks. Or you could get bigger boots to accommodate thicker wool socks. It's entirely possible your feet are getting cold because your present set up is tight enough it's restricting blood circulation; if so, just going to a bigger size will ease the problem in and of itself.

 

[Willcurrie]

Thanks folks for the responses, I've considered some of those snugfeet cosy looking things. I think the mat would help a lot, I already take a 2/3 air mat and a thermarest air pad so should be able to get my feet off the ground.
I'm sure my gear is not too tight but maybe a 1/2 size up with the wellies might give me more space for extra socks.

Wonder what those snugfeet would be like in some big wellies

 

[Macaroon]

All my boots get fitted out with thick-ish felt insoles as soon as I get them, I remove the foamy efforts they come with. For the insoles, I put a charity shop blanket, pure wool, through a couple of long hot washes a few years ago, and that made a sheet of great felt that has lasted a very long time; I just cut a new set each time I get boots, and my feet have never been cold.

Best of all, it cost hardly anything and the washing machine did all the work..............Oh yeah, because it's wool there's never a hint of stinkfoot !

 

[Toddy]

That's a really practical idea Macaroon

Y'know that's how many think felting came about in the first place. Folks stuffing wool into their shoes/boots to keep their feet warm and the moist warm pressure turned it into fitted felt

M

 

[Robson Valley]

There are all sorts of specialty work boots here, good to -50C, but you pay plenty.
Outdoor popularity here leans towards Sorel Felt-Pack. You can go skipping around barefoot in those.

I wear a pair of Wind River snowmobile boots, another pursuit that leaves you sitting, most of the time.
I have big (#12 feet). Go ahead and laugh = the footprint is 36cm long x 15cm wide. Never cold yet.

They all have removable liners, you can buy extras.

 

[johnnytheboy]

I have a pair of Kamik Huntsman wellies, 9mm thick neoprene, a boot that really grabs your ankle so you can walk distance with no fatigue and most importantly loads of room in the toes to let air warm up. Those coupled with a pair of Harkila Expedition long socks are a brilliant combo.

I sit out in the cold whilst hunting with little movement and these have been the best boots so far for keeping my feet warm.

The only other thing would be heated insoles, Arxus make them but they are expensive at £160

 

[Janne]

Get another pair of insulated wellies, a couple of sizes to big. Put on several thick socks, plus get a sheepskin insole.

In UK it never gets cold enough for the Scandi or Canuck winterboots.
Remember: too insulated = too warm = sweaty feet = cold feet.

 

[snappingturtle]

I have some snow boots with a felt inner boot cost about £30 from a place called mole valley farmers so I would think most farm shops would have something. or an old canvas bag something that go's up to the knee

 

[johnnytheboy]

Get another pair of insulated wellies, a couple of sizes to big. Put on several thick socks, plus get a sheepskin insole.

In UK it never gets cold enough for the Scandi or Canuck winterboots.
Remember: too insulated = too warm = sweaty feet = cold feet.

It will get plenty cold enough in Argyll where the op is for pac type boots!

 

[johnnytheboy]

Another thought is overboots, a company that makes really good jackets (I have one) arctic shield makes the overboots, they come up dead cheap on eBay.com from time to time

 

[Robson Valley]

I don't think that buying insulated, waterproof boots is a good idea, they are too hard to maintain = stinky-damp.
Especially if you need to sit still all day, waiting for a photographic opportunity.
Or riding your snowmobile into our back country mountains for many miles.

Kamik, Tolko, Wind River and Sorel have removable liners for good reason: you buy a second pair of liners.
Then you always have one pair dried or drying and the other pair in the boot.

 

[Janne]

The quality ones have a removable insulating inner layer.

If you know what you are doing, you do not get sweaty feet. Also you change the thin innermost sock every day, or even more often if it gets sweaty because you overdressed your feet.

I doubt you can get hold of them these days, but the Swedish Army had a really thick felt boot made for the north. Excellent if you did not move much. Type basecamp.

Only useful in temps sub zero, as it was not water protected.

 

[IamRon]

Wellies might be waterproof but the insulation from below is usually terrible. One of the most effective insulators is styrofoam. The Grey Nomads here stuff their caravan walls with styrofoam to keep the heat out. I knew a guy once who always carried an A4 size piece of styrofoam with a pillow cover over the top in his bag for him to sit on. He insisted it kept the wet, the cold and the heat away and was the cheapest, lightest material to have. Unless you got the money to spend on arctic type boots (There are some great boots out there!!! - check out the Canadian / US sites) try working around a bit with a couple of pieces of styrofoam. The other thing to remember is to keep your circulation going. Moving will for obvious reasons not be possible but pack some chocolate / nut bars to keep the oven inside going.

 

[C_Claycomb]

RV,
Its is awesome that there are boots where you are that work to -50, and that you have back country to ride your snow mobile in, but such advice and statements are of limited benefit for folk living elsewhere. They do not help anyone in the UK, dealing with soggy, damp-cold UK conditions. Wellies or similar are very good here. Try to put yourself in Willcurrie's shoes...or shoes that would work for him

When I have been in Canada the army mukluks with mesh+felt insoles and felt liners were great, but not suitable for most conditions in the UK, even in Scotland. They could be made to cope with slightly damp snow, but not wet and mud. They would be impossible to maintain here.

I think that the greatest benefit of the idea of those far north boots is that they insulate foot and lower leg very well, and are pretty loose, not restricting circulation. Sitting in one position is going to be a challenge even in warmer conditions if your circulation slows and your position tends to cut off the blood supply to your legs. I can get cold feet sitting in my room at my computer for too long, and that is at a balmy 18C. How well insulated are your legs? Your feet are at the end of the circuit, you want to keep warm blood getting to them, so keeping the "pipes" warm will help.

All the advice on boots could see you sorted. If that still doesn't work, the next option would ditching the boots and sticking the lower half of you in a cut down second hand sleeping bag, like a body mitten. Have your feet resting on a chunk of foam to keep them off the ground. You can see guys doing similar things (albeit still in boots) for glassing for big game in the US and Norway, using things like the Jerven Bag, Kifaru Woobie / Slick bag and Hill People Gear Mountain Serape. No need to go that expensive though.

Good luck

 

[santaman2000]

Looking back at the OP (and at C_Clay's suggestion re the way hunters sit and glass for game) made me rethink about the fact that he's sitting in a blind. That might make more active heating possible; such as one of the methods duck hunters use to stay warm in a blind. A small propane heater such as the Mt Heater:

They're available online from most hunting/outdoor suppliers such as Bass Pro, Cabela's, or even Amazon. If you're stationary they work great.

 

[mrcharly]

I can't remember where I read it, but there was a thorough write up by someone on keeping body core warm to keep extremities warm, particularly around the kidney area.
One person who used to post a lot here (and camped in all sorts of conditions) recommended wrapping a scarf around your middle, from kidney to lower abdomen.

 

[Janne]

And sit on an insulating pad.

The old principle that work in all situations with ambient temperature and varying body work is to dress in multiple layers.

Us older generationals know when we are siting cold, we stiffen up.