Warmest but comfortable and long-distance boots

[pvnisher]

Baby powder and anti perspirant for feet has been a trick of mine for years for skiing and winter climbs.

All that crap about "synthetics and wool insulate when wet!" is garbage. The point is keeping everything dry.

[CaptCO]

It was fairly warm last week, but BlaznToes sock tip combined with the measly Salomon Winter X Ultra Highs did well for 3 snowflakes, including a night hike. Toes seem to get numb around -10 windchill, I’ll report back with more information as the season progresses. Once crampon season is here I’ll be switching boots, which may be soon

[ltlFish99]

I recently started using Toasty Feet insoles which seem to help. Also, I think wearing gaiters help keep feet warm too.

+1 on the gaiters recommendation.
I know it's common sense but nothing helps keep my feet warm like keeping them dry. Gaiters not only add a little but if insulation, but keep the wet, cold stuff out of my boots.

[shays_days]

Boots are expensive so don’t forget you can go used. I knew I wanted something I could use for both ice climbing and winter hikes (someone mentioned you wouldn’t want the same for both - I don’t see why not) so I got the Scarpa Mont Blanc Pros on Craigslist for $300 in great condition (Scarpa’s version of the Cube). I’ve climbed WI4, done 12 mile days, and gone down to -10 w/o windchill in them in some pretty beefy socks (went a little numb, wouldn’t push it much past 0 tbh).

They’re a little narrow for my foot but fine for my purposes, I’d recommend them! If I were doing higher altitude stuff or was climbing in New England I’d probably get phantoms, but for CO these are fine.

[nmjameswilson]

Baby powder and anti perspirant for feet has been a trick of mine for years for skiing and winter climbs.

All that crap about "synthetics and wool insulate when wet!" is garbage. The point is keeping everything dry.

I have fought sweating feet for years but never heard of using anti perspirant ... great tip thanks!

[TomPierce]

I used to use a spray on anti-perspirant on my feet in the winter. Did it help with dryness and thus warmth? Eh...maybe? I guess my experience was maybe, without any sort of objective testing, but it certainly wasn't a voila (!) "the warmth clouds have parted, all is now good" sort of effect. Worth a try, I suppose.

Believe me, I've had years of exposure (pun intended) to cold toes & feet in the winter, frostnip, so I feel the pain of those afflicted. But when I read of significantly damp feet, something seems amiss to me, i.e. too much warmth? Fwiw, I no longer really get cold feet at all, but admittedly I also have a couple of boots to choose from for cold to really cold conditions. But no cold feet, pretty much ever. The only thing I can point to is some experimentation, and a less-is-more realization: I stopped using gaiters, that seems to have allowed more foot moisture venting, some looser lacing, and fwiw my boots seem to have less plastic and arguably are made of maybe larger weave fabric, i.e. more venting of moisture? Just some guesses. Fwiw, my boots are definitely in the stiffer mountain boot catergory, full shank, set up for step-in crampons. Just my preferences.

Good luck to all with cold feet, I can really empathize.

-Tom

[Conor]

I've been blessed to never have cold feet while hiking. But the foot anti perspiration is kind of funny. I don't wear deodorant or antiperspirant in any form, so the foot thing seems odd to me.

I have, however had cold feet at work. Not while being outside and working, but when i had my cold boots on inside. The boots are clearly waterproof and made to be in something like minus 40 deg f. If i was assigned to be predominantly inside, i would wear my more traditional summer leather "cowboy" boots and my feet were much warmer. So i do agree with Tom's assertion that ventilation is key. Overly warm will eventually equate to cold. It's a balancing act, and i think some people are lucky that once they get moving, all body parts warm up.

And wool does work. I've literally stepped into freezing greenland marsh submerging my entire foot and felt the beautiful warmth wool offers. But the key again was wearing trailrunners and they breathed and drained well. I find goretex to be a cruel fabric that doesn't breathe as well as advertised and once wet, takes an act of congress to dry out.

[a forest]

Anyone have an idea how warm Salewa Raven 3s might be?

[nyker]

I recently picked up a pair of these on sale: and while I have not climbed anything in them, have been out in deeper snow all afternoon and my feet were warm and dry.
They are light and comfortable walking around in but are not a mountaineering boot, on a normal hike they seem pretty good.

https://www.lacrossefootwear.com/atlas- ... 1200g.html

[CaptCO]

Got some new boots for my next San Juan trip

[nyker]

you should probably be able to get at least micro spikes on those