Frozen boots

[steve hiker]

How do you handle the problem of frozen boots? This weekend it was in the low 20s when I woke up, and I had a hell of a time getting my feet into my boots.

The only thing I can think of is to put them inside my sleeping bag, in a stuff sack.

[Streamweaver]

How do you handle the problem of frozen boots? This weekend it was in the low 20s when I woke up, and I had a hell of a time getting my feet into my boots.

The only thing I can think of is to put them inside my sleeping bag, in a stuff sack.

Thats why I like my Pac boots for winter!! The boots can stay with the rest of my gear and the wool inserts go in the sleeping bag with me. I wear size 13 so thats alot of boot to be putting in my bag with me!!! Streamweaver

[RagingHampster]

I just suffer with cold stiff boots until my feet warm them up.
Boots with an insert would certainly be a great alternative though :p

[steve hiker]

I just suffer with cold stiff boots until my feet warm them up.
But the problem was I couldn't get my feet into the boots in the first place. Frozen solid and didn't bend at all. Eventually after about 5 minutes with part of my foot sticking in the top, I just stood up and forced my poor foot in (OUCH), but don't want to do that to my feet on a regular basis. Looks like sticking them in the foot of my sleeping bag in a stuff sack is the only alternative. I did keep my socks in my bag, inside a plastic baggie, so they were OK.

(What's a Pac boot?)

[RagingHampster]

Frozen solid and didn't bend at all.Holy crap what are your boots made of? :p

My boots are always stiff, but not so bad that I can't bend them and get my foot in. Just undo the laces some and pull the tongue all the way forward and then bend the part that wraps your ankle open and shut. That usually works for me.

[DebW]

All leather boots need to go into the sleeping bag overnight. I turn my sleeping bag stuff sack inside out before adding the boots. If your bag is long enough, boots can go in the foot end. If not, best place is under your knees. Though if you sleep on your side and bend your knees, there will be a spot for them that's not so annoying. Just have to move them every time you turn over. Another possibility is between your sleeping bag and pad under your knees, but they may slide out. People who hike alot in winter usually avoid leather boots. Pacboots with removable liners or plastic mountaineering boots with removable liners are better because only the inner needs to go in your sleeping bag. My favorite is the all-rubber Army surplus Mouse Boot with sealed wool-felt insulation. BTW, I have seen someone unfreeze boots by adding boiling water to a water bottle and putting the water bottle in the boot.

[steve hiker]

Holy crap what are your boots made of? :p

My boots are always stiff, but not so bad that I can't bend them and get my foot in. Just undo the laces some and pull the tongue all the way forward and then bend the part that wraps your ankle open and shut. That usually works for me.
It was the lower part of the boot that wouldn't bend. I was able to bend the upper part and the tongue, but my foot couldn't get in the bottom because it didn't flex at all and didn't make way for my foot. I have Sundowners.

[RedneckRye]

What has worked for me is the little hand warmer packets. I usually wake up at some point during the night and have to crawl out of the tent to take care of nature's call. When I am done I tear open a pack of hand warmers, toss one into each boot and then stuff a sock into the top of each boot. In the morning the boots are not just not frozen, but usually sort of warm. The hand warmers stay warm for 6-8 hours so I slip them into my gloves when I am packing up, making coffee, etc. Well worth the $0.99 per pack.

[Kerosene]

Let me caution everyone about forcing feet into unyielding leather. I actually deformed my little toe and probably gave myself a stress fracture when I forced my feet into soccer cleats that had dried out very stiff and then tried to run around in them. I had to pull out of the game within 5 minutes and sat out for a month with a lot of foot pain. I can see the same thing happening with frozen solid boots.

Click here (http://www.rei.com/online/store/Search?storeId=8000&langId=-1&catalogId=40000008000&textQuery=men+winter+boot&noheader=1&text=1&link=1&noalias=1&stat=7604D) for a list of winter boots from REI, some of which fall into the Pac Boot category.

[RagingHampster]

Oh I see. My winter boots have very little leather on them. They are fleece lined nylon with a gore-tex membrane for waterproof-ness. Although I like Deb's idea about using your sleepingbag stuffsack and taking them to bed, I have size 13 feet, and I'm 6'1, so I have little room in my bag with me. Especially after I take my headlamp, spare socks, and waterbottles in with me.

I just suffer for about 15 minutes while my body heats up the fleece :eek:

Thats definetly a good idea though to get removable liner boots. I may even look into that possibility :-? ...