insulating jacket instead of down booties?
Do you think it would work to use an insulating jacket instead of wearing down booties? Has anyone tried this? (I have major cold feet problems)
OLd saying in boy scouts.: "If your feet are cold, put a hat on." Maintain core temperature.
If you have "major" cold feet problem why don't you want to carry booties? They only weigh a few ozs.
This is what I have: https://goosefeetgear.com/products/1-down-socks. Skip buying the separate shells that allow you to walk around in them to save some weight.
I've draped a down vest over my legs and that worked, and I'm sure it'd work for your feet too.
Someone has mentioned before about sticking your legs (feet) in a plastic garbage bag for breaks during the day. This idea I like.
I can't tell if I'm freakish or not, but the down booties don't seem to keep my feet warm at all. I'm of the extra-Smartwool socks and plastic bag persuasion.
insulating jacket instead of down booties?
Yep, hat+1. Extra socks do me no good but hat and gloves keep my feet warmest.
A Vegan/Gluten Free hiking family of three hiking the AT.
I have the REI down booties...they keep my feet toasty warm in my hammock! Maddog
"You do more hiking with your head than your feet!" Emma "Grandma" Gatewood...HYOY!!!
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You mean wrapping your down jacket around your feet at night? Inside your bag? Sure, that'll work, but then you lose the ability to drape the jacket over your torso on the coldest nights.
2.5 ounces for some overstuffed Goosefeet isn't bad, and you can wear them outside the bag in camp, though not really as camp shoes.
booties
it's not the weight, it's the extra $50+ dollars I could save myself possibly. I'm waiting for a sale.Originally Posted by 10-K
I assume you mean while sleeping. I have a pair of fleece socks. They are just the ticket for my cold feet.
REI down booties plus the thick smartwool socks are incredibly warm. A jacket may work, but don't expect it to stay put. Check the REI outlet site. I got my booties for $20 a year or two ago.
Rei booties are $27 right now on the main site, not the outlet. I've used them for winter hiking the past 2 years. Highly recommended for toasty feet :-)
I suffer from very cold feet also. I've found that the PossumDown socks add a surprising amount of warmth for the weight, and when I pair them with Goosefeet booties I'm in heaven. At times I have wrapped my fleece around my feet to help get them warmed up, so I'm pretty sure that a wrapping a down jacket around them would work just as well as long as the down isn't compressed.
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
I've been considering the Jacks or Better down sleeves combo'd up with a down vest for some versitility. The hammock guys like to slip them over their feet at night like down slippers. http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/down-sleeves/
I don't carry my down booties till it gets full on winter temps, teens and single digits kinda stuff. Problem is I can't really walk around in them in camp because they absorb moisture, then I can't wear them in my hammock to sleep in which is what I really want them for. I also zip my jacket, vest, parka, what have you, around the footbox of my hammock when it gets really cold. Makes a big difference.
David
REI booties
Yeah, I saw that, but the reviews are pretty bad in terms of durability...but it could work if I'm gentle with them and don't wear them outside of my bag. Anybody know how much they weigh? No weight is listed on the website, 'course it depends on your size, I 'spose.
When I say I have "major" cold feet problems, I mean I have trouble falling asleep *in my apartment* while wearing wool socks, which I wear from Sept-May here in MN. I often have to run hot water over my feet (my mother does this too) or put a heating pad at the foot of my bed to fall asleep. The last time I went winter/cold-weather camping I was still awake by 4 am because my feet were cold...and I was using 2 sleeping bags, thick socks, a hat and balaclava, and had a hot water Nalgene at my feet. And I ate, drank water, went to the bathroom and did calisthenics before I went to bed. So clearly I have circulation issues...Maybe I should bite the bucket, get the booties, and throw in some hand warmers for good measure, if it keeps me sane in March/April. Thanks for your help, folks!
If you have a down sleeping bag, you might want to look into having it altered to have more down added to the footbox instead of adding down booties. Adding just the weight in down equal to one bootie to your entire bag would add something like 10°F to your entire bag, so imagine what it'd do if it was added just to the footbox.
You've mentioned thick socks a few times. Sometimes those don't work as well because they'll be tight and restrict blood flow.
Since you posted this I stopped using my thick Smartwool socks at night and start using an old (no brand) thick pair of wool socks because they fit looser...My feet have warmed up faster at night...Maybe Smartwools are a bit too tight for my stocky German legs?I'm going to try fleece socks next for comparison.
There's nothing magic about down booties, though they can be convenient. Just add enough layers of loose fitting wool or synthetic socks and it's as much insulation as down booties, just heavier and bulkier. A vest or jacket around your feet would work fine if you can get it to stay in place.
On the other hand, if you get a pair of good down booties you can also wear them to bed at home.
Go to a thrift store, find an angora sweater, buy it and cut off the sleeves, wear them over your feet.
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