Fording streams in freezing temps. Crocs or boots?

[The Counselor]

Do you remove your boots and ford in crocs or similar? If so, does it take a while to get your feet back into feeling like alive parts of your body? Do you stick your wet feet right back into your socks and boots? I could see me having some serious circulation issues with this approach. Of course, if the water gets in over the tops of my boots, I suppose I'm in the same boat (or lack thereof!).

[Tipi Walter]

Always crocs. On a winter trip you cannot afford to get your boots wet and then frozen. They may get wet when walking thru the snow, but don't intentionally soak your boots for creek crossings---use the crocs.

[wrongway_08]

ditto on above

[neighbor dave]

leave yer boots on, bring two heavy duty contractor trash bags with you, one for each leg, procede with caution

[DLANOIE]

Or you could lug a pair of knee hi rubber boots.

[Cooldays]

I did 3 stream crossings to the knee in the gsmp a few weeks ago in 7 inches of snow at 32 degrees. I used neoprene socks in a pair of mesh top rubber sole sailboard booties with no insulation. the 3 oz neoprene socks and 1lb + booties kept me just fine and in fact i hiked about 3 miles in the snow with warm toes rather than keep changing my boots and and socks at each crossing.

My hiking partner put plastic bags on her feet and the wool socks outside the bags and just trudged right through letting everthing soak and she was fine. I wonder what her boots would be like the next day though.... we hiked out that evening.

I like my way better but the weight cost is significant. From now on whenever i winter camp i bring my neoprene socks at least as an emergency sock i think.

Also not sure how well it would work at realllly cold temps but near freezing it was just fine.

cooldays

[mweinstone]

the safe way is remove soxs,wear boot across. replace sox. hike till dry.

[Wise Old Owl]

Bear Grillis has demoed this numerous times ...wrap boots around your neck, garbage bag your pack - get naked... kiss your nuts good bye....

[grayfox]

Cold temps in any season require a different way of thinking from a usual hiker mindset. The rule, to break at your own peril, is: do not get wet. Do not get wet from outside. Do not get wet from inside. Go slow and go careful. One thing-like wet feet- might not hurt you, two things might be survivable, by the time you have three small problems at the same time--well, that is just too many things to be wrong at once. Do not let the small, avoidable, problems accumulate to make an unavoidable outcome.

What you really need to do is a risk assessment of each decision. You want to ask, 'What if...' type questions every time you take a risk that would be made more dangerous when it is cold. Like, 'What if I walk through this stream and get my boots wet and then twist my ankle on the ice along the shore and, even though the warm car is only two miles up the trail, then I get stuck out here waiting for rescue and...oops, no cell phone signal down here by the creek...now what?'

You always have to have a backup plan in winter. Like--If I get wet crossing this stream, or slip and fall in, I will be able to make a fire and dry out and get warm befor moving on. Always deal with a small problem as soon as possible. Problems tend to attract each other.

To answer the question--don't get your boots wet. Have some dry socks ready to put on. Do some exercises or move on soon and eat a few snacks because smetimes you do not realize how much energy you used up getting across the water. Crocs are good if they don't fall off easily and are not slippery when wet--mine do and are.

[Ironbelly]

Neoprene dive booties. Great for winter stream crossings, and as camp shoes in colder weather and in a worst case could be used to hike in though they probally wouldn't make it for more than a couple days as they are not made to be hiked in really. In summer time it's crocs.

I have tried many options for the winter and instead of dealing with wet boots and having to lug down booties for around camp I just bring the dive booties. After crossing a stream just wring them out, give them a good shake and they will either dry out fairly quickly or freeze which isn't a big deal as they are still warm at camp even if still damp/frozen and will dry fairly quickly after you put them back on.

[weary]

the safe way is remove soxs,wear boot across. replace sox. hike till dry.

That's been my technique, summer and winter, for the past 50 years or so. I still have both feet -- and all my toes -- so it's worked so far.

The most critical thing in cold weather, or even chilly weather, is to not fall in. So when crossing streams I use the instrument that provides the most traction and is least likely to slip on icy and slippery rocks, my boots.

[veteran]

Use Felt Sole neoprene boots for better traction on smooth slippery surfaces.

[Highway Man]

I think the water running in the mountains is cold to me no matter what season it is at. I never want to get my shoes wet to the maximum degree as much as possible. I'd wade in the stream in wet boots if my boots are already wet inside out. Otherwise, I choose to wear croc to ford the stream though it take a little while to get my feet warmed up again. I usually use upper parts of the socks to dry my feet before putting them into the shoes.

[Tinker]

leave yer boots on, bring two heavy duty contractor trash bags with you, one for each leg, procede with caution

Bad advice. Like canoeing in a poncho, if you fell in the water could fill up the bags (or poncho) and drown you. Happens to fishermen with waders every year.

[weary]

That's been my technique, summer and winter, for the past 50 years or so. I still have both feet -- and all my toes -- so it's worked so far.

The most critical thing in cold weather, or even chilly weather, is to not fall in. So when crossing streams I use the instrument that provides the most traction and is least likely to slip on icy and slippery rocks, my boots.

JUst an addendum. I've found that boots don't usually get soaked when wading most streams. JUst the surface gets wet. Dump the water, replace your socks and continue on your way. Any trapped moisture quickly dissipates.

[mweinstone]

i agree. but ist makeing me worry. pole shift?

[Dogwood]

WOO, to the pt, accurate, and funny as hell the way you phrased it!

[Wil]

JUst an addendum. I've found that boots don't usually get soaked when wading most streams. JUst the surface gets wet. Dump the water, replace your socks and continue on your way. Any trapped moisture quickly dissipates.

In situations where I have gotten through immersion in water pretty quickly, I kick my boots and gaiters into loose snow (ideally a fluffy drift) _immediately_ on reaching shore. Acts like a sponge. Then, over time, knock/kick/peel off the resulting wet snow/ice, which has never penetrated the boot. In many cases moisture never penetrates enough for me to need to change socks.

This does draw heat from your feet as whatever insensible moisture that _has_ penetrated is driven off. So it's only practical when you know you've got a margin, where your feet are not, already, on the brink of being cold. And, obviously, the boots and gaiters must have at least a little bit of water resistance.

[humunuku]

I do bare feet...your feet will warm up quickly once you start hiking again

[Black Wolf]

I do bare feet...your feet will warm up quickly once you start hiking again

Grin and bare it...I'll keep socks on at times for traction...so long as I keep Mr.Happy dry...my feet warm back up pretty fast...although I am considering bringing along my neoprene boots for my thru...