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Insulated boots

CamoMan

CamoMan

New Member
I own a pair of Alpha Burly Sport boots with 1000 grams of Thinsulate. I wear a quality liner sock, and a heavy pair of Merino wool socks. Sometimes, I add a second pair of socks. However, my feet still get cold in temps of 20 or less after about an hour. Specifically, it seems to be my big toe on each foot (might be because of an old minor frostbite situation). I am wondering if I would see a big difference if I switched to a 2000 gram Thinsulate boot on the colder days. The answer would seem to be an obvious 'yes', but then most people I talk to say that their feet stay warm, and even sweat with the setup I mentioned above.

So, would a heavier insulated boot work that much better? I am taking my boys on a Cabelas trip in February, and was considering the 2000 gram boots for the colder days. Toe warmers are an option that I sometimes use, but I really would like to find a boot/sock combo that works for me. What works best for all you cold-footed hunters ?
 
Try a pac style boot with artic shield boot blankets. Maybe they will work better for you then rubber boots. I have a pair of Rocky 1200 gram boots that are great to walk in and are rated pretty well for about $99. I like them.
 
Camoman, I too suffer from cold feet with temps. under 20 degrees. My biggest problem is that my feet sweat alot, and then they get cold and clamy. In the past when my feet got cold, I just put on more socks and wore heavier boots. This year I did quite a bit of experimenting with boot/sock combinations. When the temps got below 25, I used to wear a silk liner sock, a polypropylene liner sock, and a Smart Wool sock with my Cabelas Outfitter 600 gram boots. With a little experimenting, I've eliminated the silk liner and have found my feet stay warmer. I feel that this is because the polypro wicks better than the silk. I also loosen my boot laces when I get to the stand. This allows more warm air to get trapped in my boot and improves circulation to my feet. I also purchased a pair of Artic Shield boot covers for when temps get below 15. When I use these though, I wear the same set up, but wear a little lighter wool sock. I couldn't believe the difference that the covers made. As soon as I put them on, I could feel the heat radiating back into my feet. I've found that once I got my perspiration situation managed better, my feet have stayed much warmer.
 
camoman, i too have a pair of the alpha burly's, they are 1200 grams and i wear a plain jane pair of hanes socks under them and my feet have nevr gotten cold(awesome pair of boots). they used to but the answer is not a heavier boot from what i have noticed.

before when my feet used to get cold, i had a regular sock on and then i would put a wool sock on. you don't want to your boots tight(of course) but just tie them to where the boot is just touching your leg all the way around(if that makes sense). this should take care of your feet getting cold!
 
Those of you that wear rubber boots and have cold feet problems associated with sweating, try the unscented underarm anti-perspirant spray on your feet about 20 minutes prior to putting your socks on...it helps out a lot. Also, make sure your rubber boots are not too snug as this will decrease your circulation and make the transfer of heat less efficient within your boot.
 
CamoMan, if planning to wear these boots on-stand in cold weather I would suggest you buy them 1 1/2 to 2 sizes big. You are not buying these boots for comfort while walking, but rather to stay warm when you are not moving, which generates heat. Your boots should actually be a little loose, so that you can move your toes around easily , this also allows room for a "Toasti-Toes"
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I would also suggest a quality liner sock that wicks away moisture (I prefer those made with Thermax or Coolmax-about $6). Next, a heavy gauge wool sock. Cabela's makes a knee-high model that's extremely warm for $12.95.

The one item IMO that all cold weather hunters should have are the Artic Shield Boot Blankets/covers... they work! Just be sure to put them on before your feet get cold.

There are a multitude of boots to choose from that would work for you, myself and those I hunt with wear several of Cabela's boots that are lined with supprescent. The particular model we use is the Bruin, which is being discontinued after years in their catalog. I have both the 800 gm & 1600 gm and wear them for bowhunting whitetails only. After the season I put them back in a large rubbermaid container 'til the next season. I expect them to last for many seasons to come, as I have 3 seasons so far and they show no wear.

Here's a link if you're interested.I'm not sure how long they will have a complete size run?? They are marked down considerably from what I originaly paid.
Cabela's Bruin Boots-800 gm/1600 gm

One last thing. Wear a thin pair of socks while walking to your stand. Once you get there put on your liner sox and heavy wool sox, and put the sox you wore in in a heavy gauge freezer bag. This way you have dry feet...which is probably Rule #1.
 
Camoman,

Are you set on a rubber boot? If no i would sugest the Danner Frontier. 100 grams of thinsulate and a great fitting boot. Can hike all day in them. I wear a smartwool sock underneeth and sometimes a polypropelene liner sock under the smartwool. I've always had cold feet and this set up seems to work very well for me.
 
Thanks for all the info and suggestions, guys. I actually do have a pair of the Artic Shield boot covers, but haven't used them. I may have to break them out, and give them a try. Looks like the extreme temps are done for awhile, so this may have to carry over til next season. Also, I have a Cabelas trip coming up in February with my boys, Corsican and CamoKid. I'll check things out there, also. Once again, thanks for your input and ideas.
 
Jnrbronc, those are pretty affordable boots. I wear a 9 - 9.5 boot size, so would I want a 10 in that boot? Also, are they pretty heavy? I would assume they are, but if they are really warm, I wouldn't mind. They would only be used during late ML season. Thanks !
 
I wear 9.5 and got the boots in size 10 for a little extra space for heavy socks. I did not find the boots to be too heavy. I did tons of walking this past weekend and I think the crusty snow was more of a factor in fatigue than the boots (my legs aren't sore today). I had been having problems with cold feet all year, using the "toasti toes" warmers etc. Got these boots and I sat for two hours yesterday morning without my feet getting cold.
I also went out and bought a "hand muff" at the advice of a friend. A local store had their hunting stuff knocked down in price. I don't recall what brand it is, but I stuffed my hands in it while on sitting and my hands stayed nice and warm (I did have some of the heat pacs in there, though). Looks like I'm finally getting everything togethor to have a comfortable hunt in cold weather (now that season is over
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