My feet are always cold. I used to get some relief from those stick-on hot pads, but they are burning out in 2 hours anymore. My feet don't sweat and then get cold as is the case with some of you. I assume it is poor circulation. I just sent for some neopreme toe covering from the UK. I'll try anything.
Does anyone have a solution? Feet-sweating, sock changers and deoderant sprayers need not apply. My feet are chilly right now and I am in my basement and it's about 68 degrees.
Fortunately I don't get cold but I wouldn't hesitate to buy the new programmable insoles that they advertise. I know my wife's feet get cold and I feel so bad for her but she doesn't hunt.
I'm the same way, but maybe not as extreme.
What has worked for me is a merino wool liner sock and a smart wool thick boot sock over that. Then I stick on a foot warmer on my toes and I can sit 2.5 hours or so in near 0 (F) weather before I have to call it quits.
I don't change my socks in the middle of a hunt because I could never get my feet warmed up. But the liner sock seemed to help quite a bit in my case.
My feet are the same too, you can get ultrasound on your feet to guage blood circulation, I haven't but its something to consider because maybe it isn't poor circulation after all.
I use felt paks, with toe warmers or the whole foot warmer or both, then over top I put over booties that I've made with hand warmers inside of those too. I'm good to about -30C like that.
The trick is get the chemical warmers into your boot before you get cold as they really do take at least half an hour to begin to really work.
You might try compression socks under your wool socks. Compression socks that go over the calf are supposed to improve circulation in the lower leg.
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=105742
I would make a pair of long underwear with pockets for warmers in the lower leg and use those in conjunction with your toe or foot warmer...the blood is moving all the time ...slower of course when you sit but the idea is if your legs are warmer it should help with the toes...just another idea.
one more thing..get insoles that reflect heat and make sure your boots are big enough that you can wiggle your toes ...this helps...if in a stand.... make sure it is okay to move.... and flex your lowere leg if you can get away with it to simulate walking..... or rotate your ankles in a curcle when you can...
What Flingblade said. I used to have cold feet. After having deep vein trombosis (sp), clots in my legs, I now wear compression stockings and ankle socks in my uninsulated LaCross boots even in temps in the teens. No sweating and no cold feet.
Jack
I am in the same if it is under 20 degrees my feet freeze. I have bought 4 or 5 pair of Cabela's extreme cold boots and still after a couple hours my feet are frozen with 2 pair of wool socks.
A friend told me he has used these for about 8 years. They worked for me but are expensive. Not good for a week long trip unless you have some way to recharge them. They have 4 different settings. I can sit for many hours without cold feet.
http://cozywinters.com/shop/hf1053.html
Are you sitting in a tree stand? A cold steel or aluminum tree stand? Or just cold while on the ground. I know my feet are cold if I climb up and sit on my ladder stand.
For you guys using compression socks what type of fabric do you get. I see cotton and nylon and would thing both would be bad for cold weather.
My friend, if you have circulation issues, you may very well always have a tendency for cold feet. I am diabetic and found this to be true in my case. I have not tried the compression socks, but it seems like a good idea. If you come up with a really effective remedy, please post it. I'm sure a lot of us older guys are in the same boat.
I am diabetic also; pills, no shots.
QuoteOriginally posted by danseitz:
I am diabetic also; pills, no shots.
I was just going to ask that my grandfather had diabetes too he had problems with his feet and circulation. He wound up not hunting anymore.
You could try those remote control foot Warmers by Thermacell.
There are a few threads on here on keeping warm feet.
But it sounds like I circulation issue more than a weathers issue talk to your Dr.
Good luck
Try a pair of boot blankets. I've got a pair and they really work great. They don't look like they would do much, but I could use them and hunt in tennis shoes if I wanted to.
The compession stockings I use are 80% nylon and 20% spandex. The brand I use is Jobst Relief. I like the open toe as the closed toe models bothered my toes. My cardiologist has me using them as well as blood thinners for the rest of my life. They ain't cheap, if I remember right they are $40-$45 a pair.
Jack
If you can walk for an extended period without getting leg cramps or pain then it is probably not poor circulation. Do you smoke or drink a lot of caffeine? both constrict blood vessels limiting flow.
One trick to try is slip a hot hands, body warmer size, chemical heater down the back of your shirt and let it rest on the small of your back. Its one location of the the body's thermal regulators, so you trick it to think your body is to warm and it opens vessels to increase flow to extremities(feet) to dissipate heat. You may also have Raynaud's disease in which the blood vessels in hands and feet constrict on exposure to cold.
If your feet are sweating going to the stand then they will get cold. Try putting some anti-perspirant on your feet. Lighter boots and I second the boot blankets.
Al
I suffer from cold feet/hands. For feet, thin Smartwool socks under heavy Smartwool socks, inside Schnees extreme pack boots 13" high, and then the stick on toe warmers stuck on the upper toe of arctic shield boot pull overs. Change the heaters about every 2-4 hrs depending.
Buy new toe warmers every year or two. They expire and quit heating up enough.
I used to suffer from cold feet. I am also diabetic. I finally bought some Cabelas 2000 grain thinsulate boots. I wear 1 pair of merino wool socks and a polypropolyne sock. My feet have stayed warm since. I started out with 1200 grain Thinsulate and my feet would get cold at 40 deg. When I went to the 2000 grain boot it cured the problem.
You could try a reflxologist. They work pressure points on your feet. I worked with a girl that had painful chill blanes every winter, her feet looked red, until she went to a reflexologist. She said it hurt a bit for the first 2 or 3 sessions then her circulation started to kick in. Fixed her for a winter.
'You may also have Raynaud's disease in which the blood vessels in hands and feet constrict on exposure to cold.'
I have had this for 25 years and it's a struggle to keep my extremities warm.. Even though I live in an area that offers moderate tempertures I have to work at keeping warm every day of the winter. Sometimes even in the house !
Layers and chemical handwarmers keep me in the woods..