Chemical handwarmers or foot warmers between 2 layers of socks work wonders. For winter I also put one in each shoe with sock stuffed on top during the night to dry them out.
Chemical handwarmers or foot warmers between 2 layers of socks work wonders. For winter I also put one in each shoe with sock stuffed on top during the night to dry them out.
I feel ya on this. I wear a pair of thicker cotton socks but even in the 30s my feet get cold. I bring a 1/8" pad but it doesn't do much other than block some wind. And I usually wake up with it bent in every which way not giving me any help.
My conclusion has came to this. Just suck it up, haha since I don't have the money to spend on down booties ill just suck it up. Some low cost ideas are to take any extra clothes or your backpack and stick your feet in that. I am also think of making a large stuff sack out of the reflective 30d ripstop diygearsupply.com carries for this purpose. Maybe even sew a pouch in it to hold my pad in place. Stick my feet in there and put it inside my TQ footbox and it should also act as a vapor barrier.
I have had the same problem and not just in my hammock. I found that the clean socks, a pad and Flamethrower booties were the best cure. It does take all three for me though. If I skip any one of the three my feet are cold all night. I really don't like the pad and if there is a way to skip that, I'm interested.
My next trip I will try the jacket over the foot area to see if that can replace the pad.
"I'm a connoisseur of BACON."- Anyways - 6/9/13
In sleeping bags in the winter it's not uncommon to put a nalgene bottle with heated water down by your feet, especially of you use a nalgene bottle insulator. It feels good on your toes and preheats your bag.
Ed
That's a new one! I mean, I've heard of using newspaper as insulation (my dad covered me in newpaper on a train trip to D.C. when I was a kid. I remember my mom was mortified because she said I looked like a skid-row bum!Originally Posted by DivaB
On my last hang, my feet were warm, but my toes felt like they were going to fall off. I had my "sleep socks" on and foot pad...along with them in my foot box, and still thought my toes would freeze to death. What really helped, and I still can't believe it, was wrapping my toes with a folded over paper towel and putting my socks back on over it. Of course we were car camping so we had paper towels with us. But I remembered my Grandpa talking about his war days and using newspaper around his feet for insulation. I didn't have newspaper...but paper towels worked wonderful and I plan on using again should I have to.) But I've never heard of paper towel insulation!!!
I second down booties. I have fleece booties, too, but they're not enough in even the most mild weather! A Nalgene or Gatorade bottle of hot water is always great. But it takes extra fuel to make. Stay warm!!!
"Pips"
Mountains have a dreamy way
Of folding up a noisy day
In quiet covers, cool and gray.
---Leigh Buckner Hanes
Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.
Surely, God never did.
MJ: Maybe clean, dry socks, your Flamethrower booties and chemical warmers will do the trick! Probably the same weight as a pad (you gotta figure two for every night out), but at least you could ditch the pad in the hammock!
"Pips"
Mountains have a dreamy way
Of folding up a noisy day
In quiet covers, cool and gray.
---Leigh Buckner Hanes
Surely, God could have made a better way to sleep.
Surely, God never did.
I have the same issue, even in 40 degree nights.
a couple things I have figured out:
-I didn't raise the foot end of my hammock enough, my feet were elevated a bit
-xl socks, as regular socks were too constricting
-I tried chemical warmers, but found them to be too hot. Maybe I'll pin one to the bottom of my foot box or sew a pocket.
-Pad INSIDE my TQ was better than under or in my DL.
- the TQ insulation was compressed somewhat at the end. I'm thinking about cutting my foot pad to be bent and cover my legs and bottom of my feet.
John
"Do or do not, there is no try." -- Yoda
Has anyone tried inflatable pads (e.g. inflatable sit pad) under their feet and compare that to a CCF pad and found the inflatable warmer? I wasn’t sure if the sit pads had much of an R value, compared to a sleeping pad, but my theory is that some of the inflatable sit pads may offer more warmth if they are built similar to a sleeping pad (for example, some inflatable sleep pads have a lining to add wramth).
Thanks, everyone. Please keep the ideas coming. I assume those of you who are bringing down booties, you’re doing that when the temps are fairly low.
I think I’m going to try thicker socks or extra socks + CCF pad for temps above 50*. For temps below 50*, I’ll try some of the great ideas you’ve thrown out there: add clothes for insulation to the footbox (when my TQ arrives!) or my sleeping bag or a hot water bottle/chemical packets.
I looked at Water Monkey’s blog—thanks for that tip. He offers some great advice that I had neglected: Eat a big dinner and do so right before bed so you have the calories to heat up your body. I think that’s good advice.
I’d love to hear from those of you who can compare using an inflatable v. CCF pad for the feet.
SoCal Mike
PS I do appreciated the "suck it up advice." Sometimes those of us in SoCal don't know what to do when the temp drops below 60*! We're quite spoiled out here.
I bring my goose down booties if the temps are going to be below 50. My feet are the first to get cold as well as the hardest to warm up. I have cold feet.
As for the inflatable v. CCF. I have used both. But I have not really noticed one being warmer then the other probably due to the other insulation I have around my feet. I guess if I had to choose I'd probably bring the CCF in really cold temps I'd think a CCF pad would be warmer but I may be wrong
Sometimes I like to hike and think, And sometimes I just like to hike.
Hiking is'ent about waiting for the storm to pass its about learning to hike in the rain.
My feet provide the heat for the footbox of my topquilt, and that takes a while, so I've started putting a "hot water bottle" (usually a Platypus bladder - no spills yet) in the footbox at first. It only needs to stay there 10 minutes or so. Wear clean dry socks. In extreme winter camping I sometimes add down booties, but usually the hot water bottle and socks are enough. Get the space warm first.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks