Help with Swamp Foot

[treillw]

Hi guys! I'm hacking my husband's account for this post because I need some serious help with my foot sweating. I hike and hunt a ton and struggle with having wet feet. I didn't know if there was a type of sock/fiber blend that helps with wicking away moisture. I have Crispi boots and wear either Darn Tough and/or Smartwool Hiking Socks, but both leave my feet wet and do not seem to wick they way they are meant to. I also change my socks, but my feet and inside of my boots are still wet. I really notice the wetness when I'm sitting after we hike in. The only time my feet feel somewhat OK is when I'm busting it up/down the mountain. Any improvement in this area would help me feel so much better in the field. Thanks in advance!!

 

[realunlucky]

Have you tried applying antiperspirant to your feet?

Sock liners under a quality wool socks might be cheaper than all new socks and a option i would try first.

 

[MULEPACKHUNTER]

plus one on the speed stick, I don't like using it but in the winter it helps with sweaty feet and then of course the cold that comes with it. My feet sweat in trail runner shoes that are vented so speed stick is the only thing that works. Damn Aluminum Oxides suck though.

 

[Capman]

Try applying cornstarch. That should help

 

[mt100gr.]

I deal with the same thing. My feet sweat if I think about hiking. I'm playing with some poly liner socks this year to see if they help with the "during" part of the hike/hunt.

Other than that, the best I have found, especially when it's cold, is to change my socks a lot and let my feet air out whenever I stop for any amount of time. I carry puffy booties to stuff them into during stops and for glassing. It's annoying but it beats freezing my toes.

Also, I never leave the house in my boots. Too many times my feet were clammy by the time I started hiking. Put your boots on right before you put your pack on.

Edit to add: I am also trying some Dahlgren socks this year (in addition to my Darn Toughs for comparison ) the camelid fiber is said to have some unique properties for moisture control. I really like the socks, too. They don't seem to get "slimy" like sweaty wool socks.

 

[Jbehredt]

Sure unscented spray on antiperspirant or Mitchum roll on anti perspirant. Is use the roll on daily. The spray is a little more effective and I’ll use it in camp on a hunt.

 

[Michael54]

Roll on antiperspirant, thin synthetic sock liners, and lighter weight socks than what you are currently using. Odds are the socks you are wearing are too heavy. My feet sweat so bad that im sitting in an office and my cotton socks are wet from sweat.

 

[BadDogPSD]

You doctor should be able to get you some 15% aluminum sesquichlorohydrate or other treatment for hyperhidrosis. There are also products you can get on Amazon with the same active ingredient.
this, along with the other suggestions to use liner socks, change socks ffrequently, and don't boot up until just before your hike/hunt should help quite a bit.

 

[treillw]

I deal with the same thing. My feet sweat if I think about hiking. I'm playing with some poly liner socks this year to see if they help with the "during" part of the hike/hunt.

Other than that, the best I have found, especially when it's cold, is to change my socks a lot and let my feet air out whenever I stop for any amount of time. I carry puffy booties to stuff them into during stops and for glassing. It's annoying but it beats freezing my toes.

Also, I never leave the house in my boots. Too many times my feet were clammy by the time I started hiking. Put your boots on right before you put your pack on.

Edit to add: I am also trying some Dahlgren socks this year (in addition to my Darn Toughs for comparison ) the camelid fiber is said to have some unique properties for moisture control. I really like the socks, too. They don't seem to get "slimy" like sweaty wool socks.

Who makes the puffy boots?

 

[Michael54]

Who makes the puffy boots?

 

[mt100gr.]

Who makes the puffy boots?

Rabbit hole question...



For various reasons, mostly to supplement my sleep system, I have ended up with a handful of pairs.

For what I described above, the Baffin booties with a sole are the best. Also the heaviest.

The Exped camp slipper also has a sole but it's low cut and the inside is slippery for doing much off roading.

The Enlightened Equipment (gray) are synthetic insulation, no sole, more ideal for sleeping. Same goes for the Goose Feet down booties (blue).

I have used them all for glassing, I just put a gaiter or my pack cover around the sole-less ones.

The down and synthetic are noticeably warmer but the Baffins are more versatile. If it's cold-cold and I have been dealing with damp feet, I'll use a hand warmer in them if I know I will be sitting for awhile. It sucks swapping footwear often but not as bad as having painfully cold feet.

 

[taggart_lumpy]

the biggest things that helped me were a liner and a non goretex boot.

 

[Packin_packout]

I am in the same boat. I use REI silk liners and then SmartWool socks. I carry one extra pair and swap out midday. About a week before i hunt i start spraying my foot with some antiperspirant. I have had problems with mesh non Gore-Tex boots, Crispi Idaho and laponia all the way up to my Kenetrek's. The worst part is it can make your feet really damn cold. I know that this can be pretty miserable to deal with and can actually lead to blisters do the skin getting too wet. Hopefully you can get it under control.

 

[Marbles]

Use thin liner socks. Silk socks are great, but a thin nylon sock (like a men's dress sock) will work. Where wool over it. Your feet will still get damp, but this will minimize the blisters from it.

Don't get boots with Gore Tex or any other waterproof membrane if you can help it. In warm weather us jungle style boots such as the Jungle Ultra by Salomon.

Taking your boots off and airing out your feet during the day can help.

Making sure you regulate your core temp well can help. Start hiking cold knowing you will warm up, take layers off before you feel hot, Etc.

The least comfortable solution, but most valuable in extreme cold as it protects your insulation, is a VBL (vapor barrier layer). You can get socks that are made for this, but a plastic bag works. The best is putting the VBL directly next to your skin, but if that is too uncomfortable it can be placed over a thin liner sock. This really is only for cold environments when heat loss and frost bite is more concerning than being uncomfortable.

 

[treillw]

the biggest things that helped me were a liner and a non goretex boot.

I thought goretex raved about how well their products breathe?

How do you go about waterproofing then?

For instance a few days ago for the MT rifle opener it was 10 below the first two days and then in the 40s with melting wet snow for the rest of the week.

 

[P Carter]

My feet sweat constantly also. I moved to trail runners, which get wet but dry out more quickly. I also change socks frequently. If I hunted in the deep cold more often, I think I'd go the puffy boot route. For now, swapping socks seems to work just fine.

 

[MeatBuck]

Sweaty feet options

What do you all do for your sweaty feet issues? I have looked into both synthetic boots and leather lined boots. My feet sweat a lot and under the bad conditions my feet get super super cold. I just had an elk hunt and used crispi briksdals and my feet sweat even when it was cold in the morning...

www.rokslide.com

 

[MeatBuck]

Used the sure this season and it’s the ticket. Though it does say only apply to arm pits on the label.
It was like 3$ at Walmart.

 

[Don Qui Puncher]

I spoke to my dermatologist about this and there is an injection they do into the foot to clog the sweat glands or something and stop the sweating I need to look into it more.

 

[ed2brute]

DrySol is what you want. It is made for this exact problem.

In the old days they used formaldehyde to treat hyperhidrosis. It essentially melted the very top layer of skin and plugged up the sweat glands. Yikes! Stick with DrySol.