Cold feet

[Waterboy]

Every time I go hunting my feet freeze! I have muck field blazer boots and pure wool socks that I’ve doubled up with before. Still freezing (in central/southern Alabama). I bought a pair of insulated Magellan hunting boots on sale to test out. Wore them Saturday morning with the wool socks and my feet froze just the same. I put them on when I got out of the truck and I walked less than 10 ft to the stand. Temps were in the 40-50 degree range. Any help or ideas?

 

[Geewhiz]

Stuff some hot hands in your boots. Works for me.

 

[RadDad]

Maybe you’re wearing socks and/or boots that are too warm? Your feet could be sweating which is causing them get cold. I wear polypropylene or wool sock liners that work wonders. Helps wick sweat and has the added benefit of reducing hot spots/blisters. Just a thought in case you hadn’t tried that!

- RadDad

 

[Poser]

You might consider some electric socks for treestand hunting. Don’t buy the cheap ones.

That being said, if you’re having such problems at 40-50 degree with good socks and proper footwear, you may have some circulatory issues you’ll want to sniff out further. You can address this by naturally increasing your nitric oxide levels through diet and supplements -will only improve your blood pressure, circulatory system (not to mention morning wood ) long term as it will expand your blood vessels. Daily intake of Pomegranates,watermelon, grapes, cinnamon and some other easy to obtain foods is a good start with noticeable effects after 2-3 weeks. Ton of available research on the matter.

 

[Motown]

It’s the Muck boots, trust me cause I have been there. Rubber boots don’t allow your feet to breathe and when you are layering socks like that your feet are sweating when you walk in. I have since switched from Muck to Crispi Wildrock 800 gram and it solved that problem pretty good.

My feet sweat bad and after an hour of sitting in Mucks my feet were always frozen and I could never figure out why. Once I switched to Crispi’s I went to just a single pair of merino wool socks and while my toes still get a little cold after a few hours from sweat, its nothing near as bad as it was with the Mucks.

 

[Devin1214]

A lot of people swear by the Arctic shield boot covers, like $40 on Amazon but I have yet to try them.

 

[Waterboy]

Stuff some hot hands in your boots. Works for me.

I tried that. Wasn’t comfortable to me. I used the ones made to fit in boots.

Maybe you’re wearing socks and/or boots that are too warm? Your feet could be sweating which is causing them get cold. I wear polypropylene or wool sock liners that work wonders. Helps wick sweat and has the added benefit of reducing hot spots/blisters. Just a thought in case you hadn’t tried that!

- RadDad

that might be the case. I usually don’t walk but 100-200 ft max. When I’m walking it’s fine. It’s after I’ve been sitting there for an hour or two that I feel it.

It’s the Muck boots, trust me cause I have been there. Rubber boots don’t allow your feet to breathe and when you are layering socks like that your feet are sweating when you walk in. I have since switched from Muck to Crispi Wildrock 800 gram and it solved that problem pretty good.

My feet sweat bad and after an hour of sitting in Mucks my feet were always frozen and I could never figure out why. Once I switched to Crispi’s I went to just a single pair of merino wool socks and while my toes still get a little cold after a few hours from sweat, its nothing near as bad as it was with the Mucks.

I’ve seen a lot of people claiming the mucks I have keep their feet warm. That is not the case with me. I figured the extra room in the mucks was the issue.

 

[Bbrinks]

A lot of people swear by the Arctic shield boot covers, like $40 on Amazon but I have yet to try them.

Been using them for years and they’ve been great. Hiked in with some 200g beartooths and midweight wool socks and put these on once I got up in the stand. Threw in a hand warmer on top of each boot and sealed it up and my feet were nice and warm into the teens.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

If it is not a circulatory issue the Arctic Shield boot covers should work...at least they have worked for myself and everyone else I have let use them.

 

[kpk]

40s-50s? really?

I usually wear thick carhartt socks, 600g irish setter elk hunters, and arctic shield boot covers. But, that's when it's in the 20's and lower. 40s and 50s I'm wearing uninsulated boots with a light hiker sock or even trail shoes.

I wonder if sitting on your butt is restricting circulation....

 

[madgrad02]

When the temps dip here in Wisconsin (just a tad bit lower than the 40-50's), I carry in Icebreaker Boot Blankets (similar to the artic shields). They are definitely kind of cumbersome and go on when up in the tree or on the ground where I am hunting - but the Franken-feet as I call them keep my feet warm. I too, have an issue with excessive perspiration in the feet, which leads to cold feet. I have tried anti-perspirant on the feet as well to reduce the perspiration.

ICEBREAKER, Original Boot Blanket, Keep your Feet Warm in your Deer Stand - Handmuffs for hunting in the cold - Home Page

Great products for the tree stand, duck & deer blinds and other still sitting activities where staying warm becomes a top priority.

www.icebreakerinc.com

 

[sbaker0029]

I agree with what others are saying about it being too much boot. I used to have the same problem, I would wear thick socks and a 400g or 600g boot and my feet would freeze.
I would try an uninsulated boot with thick wool socks. Also unless you absolutely need it don't get a waterproof boot. Most waterproof breathable boots aren't that breathable truth be told.
Another thing I've done that's helped a lot is put a piece of rubber or a thick piece of carpet under your feet to block wind coming up.

 

[journeyman713]

This past gun deer season, single digit temps with wind chill below zero, dark walking in and dark walking out, sat still all day with no heat. Feet were fine.
Your 40-50 temps seems like bare foot weather, you are doing something wrong for sure.

Your feet probably sweated early on.
Here's a tip - keep your boots in the garage. Might be cold when you put them on but they warm up soon enough and your feet will be dry.

 

[journeyman713]

Also, Never been a fan of two pairs of socks. One good pair, with wiggle room for toes, has always seemed better to me.

 

[Kotaman]

In those temps I would think a leather boot with an Arctic Shield Bootie would do the trick. Rubber is always bad for me. Dry socks is also a key to starting a sit. I sit quite a bit in sub zero temps and my solution is no boots at all. I wear a leather hunting boot to the stand, then change out to a heavy wool sock A thinsulate liner, an army surplus wool pac boot liner and either my Wiggy Mukluks or Boot Blankets. I‘ll add the Arctic Shields between the Mukluks or Boot blankets if it’s really cold. At 40-50, I don’t need much, but the first thing I’d do is get rid of anything rubber when it’s cold.

 

[ROJO23]

I usually get cold feet below about 25. I tried some artic muck boots, and they were no help. finally figured out they were a little too tight. Make sure your boots are not too tight. I have another pair of muck boots now, and they are much looser, and no issues. I rarely sit in the stand in rubber boots I prefer either my danners or leather boots. Both 400 grams, and I was in Colorado this fall down to -2 with a high of 25 one day and I sit from 7-5 with no issues. Sizing helped solve my problem

if the boots are too tight I think doubling up on socks make them colder.

 

[fwafwow]

I would search in the forum. This topic comes up pretty frequently.

Don’t let your feet sweat, have breathable boots and enough room for circulation, etc.

 

[Waterboy]

If it is not a circulatory issue the Arctic Shield boot covers should work...at least they have worked for myself and everyone else I have let use them.

What do you mean by circulatory issue? I do tend to sit as still as possible. I tend to wiggle my toes and move my feet (for friction) when they start getting cold. I’m usually sitting around 5 hours at a time.

 

[cuttingedge]

The warmest boots I ever had were LaCrosse Burly 1200's and one or two pairs of wool socks. Feet never got cold even during long tree stand sits in sub-freezing temps

 

[Waterboy]

When the temps dip here in Wisconsin (just a tad bit lower than the 40-50's), I carry in Icebreaker Boot Blankets (similar to the artic shields). They are definitely kind of cumbersome and go on when up in the tree or on the ground where I am hunting - but the Franken-feet as I call them keep my feet warm. I too, have an issue with excessive perspiration in the feet, which leads to cold feet. I have tried anti-perspirant on the feet as well to reduce the perspiration.

ICEBREAKER, Original Boot Blanket, Keep your Feet Warm in your Deer Stand - Handmuffs for hunting in the cold - Home Page

Great products for the tree stand, duck & deer blinds and other still sitting activities where staying warm becomes a top priority.

www.icebreakerinc.com

Honestly I’ve never considered my feet sweaty. I do wear rubber boots, hell everyone I know who hunts in Alabama wears rubber boots.

I usually get cold feet below about 25. I tried some artic muck boots, and they were no help. finally figured out they were a little too tight. Make sure your boots are not too tight. I have another pair of muck boots now, and they are much looser, and no issues. I rarely sit in the stand in rubber boots I prefer either my danners or leather boots. Both 400 grams, and I was in Colorado this fall down to -2 with a high of 25 one day and I sit from 7-5 with no issues. Sizing helped solve my problem

if the boots are too tight I think doubling up on socks make them colder.

I think rubber boots might be my issue, muck field blazers… are good in 60+ weather. They are half a size big. Other pair are 800 gram Magellan vivor. Only hunted once in them. They are comfortable and more fitted to my feet/ankle calf area.