Frozen shoelaces

[Joker4ink]

Do you have any tips to keep your laces from freezing? The snow always attaches to my laces like a magnet. I am not using leather laces.

[Wags]

i got super pissed at this last time i was out hiking in the snow. i think the answer would be a pair of gaiters. i haven't gotten thme yet though, so i can' t comment on whether that is a fix...

[Joker4ink]

I just Nik-Waxed my boots, I was thinking about doing the laces.

[russb]

Gaiters work great. I use them all the time.

In a pinch, a strip of duct tape over your laces will keep the snow/ice off of them. And the bonus is they won't come untied or caught on sticks.

[D-wreck]

I ripped the shoes off my feet and put the laces in my mouth, then waited for them to defrost. Pretty disgusting, but at least I could unlace them. Picked up some gaiters next time I was in town and life was much better!

[Roland]

Do you have any tips to keep your laces from freezing? The snow always attaches to my laces like a magnet. I am not using leather laces.

Snow tends to stick to flat, woven shoelaces. The more worn they become (fuzzy), the greater the tendency.

Replace your flat, woven shoelaces with the round, braided type.

Or, do as others have suggested and use gaiters. Either will work.

[Scooby99]

Ive never found my laces freezing while hiking to be a problem, I do use short flexible gaiters though, but have the problem in morning after a cold night. What I do is place my hand in the shoe and breathe heavily on the laces, this thaws them enough to wrap a stick around the end of laces and be able to least tension them enough and tie them loosely to keep the shoe on for the first couple hours until your feet defrost the shoe, after that I just retie them.

[tf bear]

Use waxed laces, or put a wax on them. Hockey players have been doing it for years

[Rain Man]

Do you have any tips to keep your laces from freezing? The snow always attaches to my laces like a magnet. I am not using leather laces.

During the night I put my shoes into a Reynolds oven roaster bag and into the bottom of my sleeping bag. I've never woken up to frozen shoe laces, as so many do.

As far as while hiking in snow, I generally use gaiters, so my laces stay clear on top... BUT where my gaiter "lace" goes under my shoe/boot? THAT can be a problem. I've had so much snow stick to that, that it's like walking with a golf ball under my foot. And no matter how often I stop to stomp it off, it comes right back. Urrrrrrrrrhhhh!!!

I think I'll wax that bit of lace next week when I'm headed out for an over-nighter and see if that helps! Thanks to all who suggested that.

Rain:sunMan

.

[Smile]

Rain Man, good advice about the bag. You can also soak laces in Salt water before you hike. But be aware, after they have numerous cycles of thawing or getting soaking wet in above freezing temps, you have to reapply this step.

[Toolshed]

Ditto on What Rainman said. I use a gallon Ziplock for each boot liner though (I usually wear Sorels when snowshoeing or hiking in winter). Gaiters are a top essential winter item (IMMHO).

[Joker4ink]

Some good ideas here!