Cold Feet

D

Denny

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Joined
Mar 21, 2007
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15
Of course I've tried it all multiple layers of socks, feet warmers, and battery operated socks. my feet this weekend in Erie have never been this cold and Ive fished in alot colder temps. Maybe it was the lack of fish and adreniline that comes with each hook-up. I had someone tell me heavy socks, 5mm neoprene socks, Then the 5mm neoprene waders. So 2 layers of neoprene. Any suggestions?
 
Do you wear bootfoot waders or breathables with wading boots? General consensus seems to be that bootfoots will keep your feet warmer in the cold weather months. I'm with ya' - my toes always suffer and I just try to keep moving.
 
I think I would stay away from all that neoprene as it doesn't allow you feet to breath. Once they sweat ie when walking in they stay wet and get cold FAST. I also have issues keeping my feet warm and what I am now doing that worked very well at the SR this past weekend is the liner socks to wick sweat away, new fluffy wool sock (my old socks just don't seam as fluffy), and I am taking extra time to make sure my waders aren't bunching around my toes when I put my wading shoes on and if possible when needing to retie get out of the water. Moving the toes is also key. Just what's working for me.
 
do you smoke Denny ?

i'm not being a wise guy, but cold feet is a sign of poor circulation. how cold was it - below 30F ?

i fish and ski in smart wool socks with no problems. i do take a small thermos flask of coffee or tea in my pack if i'm going to be out more than 2-3 hours.

i fish all winter, but no more than 4 hours at a shift. that's why i look for small streams where i can park nearby and have a warm up.

 
+1 on the bootfoots being warmer than stocking foot. This time of year I try to get away with my insulated bootfoot hip waders as much as possible. I usually have no interest in wading up to my waist in the Winter anyway.

Denny - With the layers you were wearing were your feet stuffed pretty tight into your boots? If so, that's your issue. Restricts circulation and makes your feet cold. Make sure you have plenty of room to wiggle your toes, even if it means one less layer of socks/neoprene. FWIW, I wear a single pair of wool socks with both my insulated hip boots and neoprene bootie stocking foot chest waders.



 
nothing like camping in november/december, and having to put frozen waders on in the morning! never thought 40 degree water would feel so warm!
loose boots, bootfoot or stocking foot, will keep your feet warmer. also, try to walk more, don't stand in one place too long, keep your feet moving and the blood flowing, even if you just take a few steps back and forth.
 
Lately, I've been buying my wading boots a size larger than I was wearing before. This allows me to wear two pair of thick merino wool socks - and I haven't had cold feet since I started doing this.
However, I also have to wear those thick, warm socks in the summer too - so my boots aren't flopping around - and me feet get quite warm then.
 
Back when I replaced my wading shoes I did this ^^^ as well and it has worked very well for me. They are a little loose in the warmer times but nothing I can't stand, when I bought them I also took the socks I planned to wear in the winter to try them on.
 
stocking foot for spring/ summer/ early fall, boot foots for rest of year.

for small streams boot foot hippers

for beach stocking foot with low flats booties in spring/ summer/ early fall
for cold weather boot foots..except on jettys there its loose knee highs easy to kick off with korkers..
ploypropelene liners with merlino wool socks all year..
Always buy a size larger in size. merlinos can be had in light, medium and heavy...

Since I have bad circulation in my legs (100 in right and 80 % in left) I wear compression stockings as well. They help a lot with circulation in my feet and legs give em a try.
 
As others have noted, one of the keys is circulation. Cramming more layers into a fixed bootie will make you colder, not warmer. Make sure your feet can move. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes, less layers is more.

I've never tried it but I heard a story, once upon a time, of a guy who worked in a butcher shop in the winter. Initially, his feet were freezing all the time. He took to ingesting cayenne pepper, which he felt improved his circulation, and his cold feet problem disappeared.
 
ingest and sprinkle on feet, works. also drinking ginger tea works too.
 
Make sure there is room in your booties for an insulating layer of air. Trapping warm air is the same principal that makes fleece warm, and why bootfoot waders are considered warmer for the feet. I used to wear really thick marino wool socks and my toes were always cold, I bought a thiner version of the same socks and they kept my feet a lot warmer because they left enought room for the insulating layer of warm air. Consider trying thiner wicking socks like smartwool and don't tie your boots too tight. I've also heard that Alpaca wool socks are really warm, but I;ve not tried them yet. http://www.alpacasofmontana.com/
 
As some of the others suggested, it is about ciruclation. When it comes to circulation, less is often more. Don't even bother comparing bootfoots to stocking foots because there is much more room in bootfoots and this will always aid in keeping you warmer. Make sure you buy boots with a little room in them to allow for circulation. For socks and thinner wicking pair is better. I actually wear a liner sock made by smartwool. They are knee high and black and very thin. The key to them is they keep the moisture off your feet and because there is more room in your boot it will keep your feet dry. Before I switched to a thinner sock I swore I had a leak in my waders. Turns out it was just condensation from cramming the thickest socks I could in my waders. My hands will get too cold to fish far before my feet ever do. The Patagonia ones aren't bad either.

http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3658911

http://www.patagonia.com/us/product/mens-ultra-lightweight-merino-wool-ski-socks?p=50015-0-961
 
boychick wrote:
Make sure there is room in your booties for an insulating layer of air. Trapping warm air is the same principal that makes fleece warm, and why bootfoot waders are considered warmer for the feet. I used to wear really thick marino wool socks and my toes were always cold, I bought a thiner version of the same socks and they kept my feet a lot warmer because they left enought room for the insulating layer of warm air. Consider trying thiner wicking socks like smartwool and don't tie your boots too tight.

That hit the nail on the head!
 
As those of you who have done cold weather camping know, what you lay on is critical because your weight will try & compresses it down and reduce it's loft/insulating capacity.

Likewise with waders, get a pair of foam insoles to help keep the cold from coming UP from the compressed boot - the sides & top portion can be managed by good socks. I use insoles year-round as they make a more comfortable walk anyway, and make allowance for them when I buy booted waders so there's plenty of fit.
 
The three keys for me are, boots that are not too tight, synthetic liner socks, and fleece socks over the liner socks.

I was out for steel two weeks ago and one day I didn't do 2 layers. After an hour I'd start loosing feeling in my feet and had to walk around to get them going again.
 
OR learn to spey cast from the banks, no worries then...
 
I agree with those that offer this:

Thin pair of wicking socks. No need to spend a lot of money. Pure polyester dress socks, the thinner the better. Cover with 100% wool (I got mine at an Army-Navy store. Make sure boots are loose or use bootfoot waders. Now and then, take a little walk: no one likes a hole-hog anyway.
 
JackM wrote:
I agree with those that offer this:

Thin pair of wicking socks. No need to spend a lot of money. Pure polyester dress socks, the thinner the better. Cover with 100% wool (I got mine at an Army-Navy store. Make sure boots are loose or use bootfoot waders. Now and then, take a little walk: no one likes a hole-hog anyway.


+1

thin wicking socks and wool socks over with loose fitting boots.
 
I always suffered in cold weather with cold feet, until I bought some poar fleece socks. Now my feet never get cold when wading in cold weather. LL Bean has them and they're half the price I paid for them when Orvis had them. About $15.
 
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