Thinking About My Feet In Winter Away From Home

[wvbackpacker]

Ok. I hike & backpack a lot. Typically all year in the mountains of WV. Could anyone help me with the typical, and low temperatures hiking January-March south of Virginia (on the trail)? I'm trying to decide whether to double up thinner socks with my Lowa Ticam boots, or bring my Baffin Revelstoke boots. Being mid-atlantic east coast, I understand the 70°F-0°F swing, without the windchill. Section-hiking 4+ days...

-Sláinte

[Slo-go'en]

What ever boot which will keep your feet the driest. It's typically wet and cold on the trail that time of year and is the time of year when a Gortex lined boot is the best way to go.

[4shot]

Gortex lined boot? yes. high quality wool sock? yes. However when I think of Baffin, I think of a big, heavy, insulated pacboot. That's a good piece of gear for sitting on a deerstand. Not so much for hiking. If your boot keeps your foot dry, it does not or should not be insulated. (IMO).

[Another Kevin]

Gortex lined boot? yes. high quality wool sock? yes. However when I think of Baffin, I think of a big, heavy, insulated pacboot. That's a good piece of gear for sitting on a deerstand. Not so much for hiking. If your boot keeps your foot dry, it does not or should not be insulated. (IMO).

I agree - assuming that your winter is like our shoulder season Up North. I wear my Big Clunky Leather Boots (tm) until it gets really cold.

On a lot of winter trips, I do wear pac boots with a vapor barrier between my sock liners and socks, because once you get down to subzero ambient with a substantial snowpack, you want that kind of insulation even on the move. And if there's any amount of snow, my choices are either the Big Clunky Leather Boots or the pac boots, because my trail runners aren't stiff enough for me to trust my snowshoe or crampon bindings.

None of this answers the original poster, except to say that whatever keeps your socks dry is right.