cold feet

ken nikiel

ken nikiel

Member
no matter what i do i cant keep my feet warm in the stand! ive tried just about everything, but no relief. sheeps wool, alpacawool, merino wool socks, polyester liner sock under the wool socks, electric socks, toe warmers, nothing seems to work. ive got a pair of leather boots with 1000grams of insulation and a pair of kamik rubber boots with 3/8” fleece liners, and still cold feets. ive got plenty of room to move my toes around in the boots so them being too small isn’t the issue. thinking of trying a pair of heated boot insoles. im wondering if anyone here has tried them and did they help? i don’t really trust these you tube reviewers and figured i would get honest opinions here. i hunt in west central illinois, gun seasons are weekend before thanksgiving and first weekend of december, so temps can range anywhere from 60’s to single digits.
thanks
 
I use boot covers/booties when on stand on really cold days. The ones I have are arctic shield brand. Ever try those?
 
ken nikiel said:
no matter what i do i cant keep my feet warm in the stand! ive tried just about everything, but no relief. sheeps wool, alpacawool, merino wool socks, polyester liner sock under the wool socks, electric socks, toe warmers, nothing seems to work. ive got a pair of leather boots with 1000grams of insulation and a pair of kamik rubber boots with 3/8” fleece liners, and still cold feets. ive got plenty of room to move my toes around in the boots so them being too small isn’t the issue. thinking of trying a pair of heated boot insoles. im wondering if anyone here has tried them and did they help? i don’t really trust these you tube reviewers and figured i would get honest opinions here. i hunt in west central illinois, gun seasons are weekend before thanksgiving and first weekend of december, so temps can range anywhere from 60’s to single digits.
thanks
Click to expand...
I bought a pair for my dad several years ago and he never used them since he won't go out at all if it is too cold. :p I started using them for that reason and think they work quite well. They were pretty low profile, but I still had to use them in place of the normal insoles not with the normal ones. The thing I noticed about them was they never got warm, they just never got cold. I preferred that as I never noticed my feet sweating. They were the ThermaCell brand. They do have a remote that I was worried about losing, but I never did. I only wore them on the coldest days but left them in for the other days and they were nice enough insoles on their own.
 
havent asked doctor about it. ever since i remember my feet get cold. real problem as i see it is that my feet sweat, then socks get damp and then my feet get cold. i will ask the docs though. could be a thyroid issue too now that you mentioned circulatory issues. i do have thyroid issues.
 
T-Max said:
I bought a pair for my dad several years ago and he never used them since he won't go out at all if it is too cold. :p I started using them for that reason and think they work quite well. They were pretty low profile, but I still had to use them in place of the normal insoles not with the normal ones. The thing I noticed about them was they never got warm, they just never got cold. I preferred that as I never noticed my feet sweating. They were the ThermaCell brand. They do have a remote that I was worried about losing, but I never did. I only wore them on the coldest days but left them in for the other days and they were nice enough insoles on their own.
Click to expand...
thanks those were the ones i was looking at trying. i dont want to overheat my feet, just keep them at a comfortable temp.
 
ken nikiel said:
havent asked doctor about it. ever since i remember my feet get cold. real problem as i see it is that my feet sweat, then socks get damp and then my feet get cold. i will ask the docs though. could be a thyroid issue too now that you mentioned circulatory issues. i do have thyroid issues.
Click to expand...
Are you taking nascent iodine as a supplement? Are you on city water?

Low iodine and an acting up thyroid can manifest itself in lower body temp.

Other idea, don't focus exclusively on your feet. Get yourself a heated vest. Keep your organs roasty toasty, your body will send surplus energy everywhere to try to cool down, including your feet. I'm a fan of Cabelas Wooltimate. For the thin profile, it packs a lot of warmth.
 
I’ve never tried the heated insoles, but I use a heater in my blinds. I have poor circulation but as Mark said, if I keep my torso and head warm, everything else is warm too. A stocking cap when it’s in the low 30s or lower seems to help, and gloves. I never have liked to wear too many clothes, hence the heater.
 
RGrizzzz said:
I use boot covers/booties when on stand on really cold days. The ones I have are arctic shield brand. Ever try those?
Click to expand...
the biggest size they make dont fit my size 14 boots🤪
MarkDarvin said:
Are you taking nascent iodine as a supplement? Are you on city water?

Low iodine and an acting up thyroid can manifest itself in lower body temp.

Other idea, don't focus exclusively on your feet. Get yourself a heated vest. Keep your organs roasty toasty, your body will send surplus energy everywhere to try to cool down, including your feet. I'm a fan of Cabelas Wooltimate. For the thin profile, it packs a lot of warmth.
Click to expand...
i take levothyroxine for the thyroid. my hunting partner uses a heated vest, maybe thats the way to go. ill look into those
 
Here’s a couple things I’ve learned about cold feet when you’ve tried everything. People are on the right track looking outside of just the feet and footwear.
As mentioned you need to keep your core and organs warm. Your body pulls heat from the extremities to keep your core warm.
‘Poor circulation, heart problems and other health issues could be a factor.
‘More heat than you know escapes through your head. Don’t let it escape. Head and neck areas being covered properly help keep the whole body warmer
A barrier between your boots and stand or ground helps avoid the transfer of cold to your feet. A rug or the over boots really help no matter the boots and Socks you have.
If sweating is an issue, use a good deodorant on your feet. For long walks although it’s a pain, do a complete change of Socks and boots when you get there.
If all else fails you’ll have to build a heated blind.
 
Do your finger turn white when you touch something cold?It could be Raynauds.My daughter has it and you just have to be careful.Have you looked at the heater body suit or the IWOM suit
 
ken nikiel said:
the biggest size they make dont fit my size 14 boots🤪

i take levothyroxine for the thyroid. my hunting partner uses a heated vest, maybe thats the way to go. ill look into those
Click to expand...
If you're on city water, it's a near certainty your thyroid is filled up with fluoride and bromide. Those are the bad halogens that will screw with the thyroid. Nascent iodine is cheap, pure, safe, natural, and easy to do. Might cost you a dollar a month. I know those meds are cheap, but they never fix the underlying problem. Have a read of this guy. I've got three of his books and they are game changers for human health. Don't take my word for it. Ask your doctor too.

drsircus.com

Iodine, Thyroid and Low Body Temperature

Who will benefit from taking iodine? Actually, the answer is just about everyone will benefit from more iodine. Did you know that over 30% of the US has thyroid problems and that is probably a huge underestimate considering how iodine deficient the population is in the United States and around...
drsircus.com drsircus.com
 
ken nikiel said:
no matter what i do i cant keep my feet warm in the stand! ive tried just about everything, but no relief. sheeps wool, alpacawool, merino wool socks, polyester liner sock under the wool socks, electric socks, toe warmers, nothing seems to work. ive got a pair of leather boots with 1000grams of insulation and a pair of kamik rubber boots with 3/8” fleece liners, and still cold feets. ive got plenty of room to move my toes around in the boots so them being too small isn’t the issue. thinking of trying a pair of heated boot insoles. im wondering if anyone here has tried them and did they help? i don’t really trust these you tube reviewers and figured i would get honest opinions here. i hunt in west central illinois, gun seasons are weekend before thanksgiving and first weekend of december, so temps can range anywhere from 60’s to single digits.
thanks
Click to expand...
I have the driest feet (and therefore the warmest) while working and hunting when I wash my feet well and wear 100% cotton socks, a clean pair every day is a must, and on long sits wearing a double pair. I learned this from the senior carpenters when I started out as an apprentice 40 years ago and I haven't had truly cold feet since. IMO none of that manmade material works as good as white 100% cotton tube socks in mid-calf length. I buy several packs of all new socks in the fall and throw them all away at the end of the next summer as they are getting thin.
Every time I try another type I get damp feet. And if you really want powder dry feet put baby powder on them before putting on your socks.
 
When I was hunting in Northern MN I'd wear lightweight boots and a thin pair of wool socks to and from my stand. While on stand, I'd put on the big thick boot sock things. Worked well for me I think because my feet didn't sweat on the walk in.
 
MarkDarvin said:
If you're on city water, it's a near certainty your thyroid is filled up with fluoride and bromide. Those are the bad halogens that will screw with the thyroid. Nascent iodine is cheap, pure, safe, natural, and easy to do. Might cost you a dollar a month. I know those meds are cheap, but they never fix the underlying problem. Have a read of this guy. I've got three of his books and they are game changers for human health. Don't take my word for it. Ask your doctor too.

drsircus.com

Iodine, Thyroid and Low Body Temperature

Who will benefit from taking iodine? Actually, the answer is just about everyone will benefit from more iodine. Did you know that over 30% of the US has thyroid problems and that is probably a huge underestimate considering how iodine deficient the population is in the United States and around...
drsircus.com drsircus.com
Click to expand...
i have grave’s disease, thyroid was killed off several years ago with radioactive iodine instead of surgical removal. thats why i take the levothyroxine. i drink either bottled or filtered water.
 
Try a piece of pink foam-board insulation sandwiched between two scrap pieces of carpet. Place that between your feet and the ground or stand. Putting the carpet on both sides of the foam is important so it remains quiet if you move your feet. If that doesn't do it try upgrading your boots to a pair of Baffin Impacts. https://www.baffin.com/en-us/products/40000048
 
HuronMtn said:
Try a piece of pink foam-board insulation sandwiched between two scrap pieces of carpet. Place that between your feet and the ground or stand. Putting the carpet on both sides of the foam is important so it remains quiet if you move your feet. If that doesn't do it try upgrading your boots to a pair of Baffin Impacts. https://www.baffin.com/en-us/products/40000048
Click to expand...

That‘s probably a good idea. I hunted in the Iowa late muzzleloader season once, temps were in the single digits and I was wearing Rocky boots with 1200 grams of Thinsulate, but the ground was frozen. I was in a pop up and the only thing that was cold were my feet. I finally took the sack that the blind came in and the sack that the folding chair came in and put them under my feet. That helped more than you might think.

The only other time I was that cold was bowhunting pronghorn in Wyoming. It was early October and a blue whistler blew in along with an all day drizzle. My apparel was not up to the task ! I toughed it out but it was not fun. The wind blew so hard that I had to hang my fanny pack on the North side of the blind, pull some stakes on the South side and double stake the North side. The goats were not impressed but I did kill one the next day. After that trip I started taking some backup clothes. 😬
 
Last edited:
ken nikiel said:
no matter what i do i cant keep my feet warm in the stand! ive tried just about everything, but no relief. sheeps wool, alpacawool, merino wool socks, polyester liner sock under the wool socks, electric socks, toe warmers, nothing seems to work. ive got a pair of leather boots with 1000grams of insulation and a pair of kamik rubber boots with 3/8” fleece liners, and still cold feets. ive got plenty of room to move my toes around in the boots so them being too small isn’t the issue. thinking of trying a pair of heated boot insoles. im wondering if anyone here has tried them and did they help? i don’t really trust these you tube reviewers and figured i would get honest opinions here. i hunt in west central illinois, gun seasons are weekend before thanksgiving and first weekend of december, so temps can range anywhere from 60’s to single digits.
thanks
Click to expand...

I’ve never stand hunted in the single digits but have completely changed my perspective on feet and keeping them warm. This has worked for me down into the teens and up to 12 hours under 30F.

I’ve ditched heavy rubber or insulated boots altogether in favor of lightweight hiking or trail running shoes. The lightweight shoes allow my feet to breathe on the way in, greatly reducing sweat. Once on stand, I don Arctic Shield boot insulators and place 18 hour body warmers over my toes prior to zipping them up. There is room for improvement (quality) of the boot warmer itself but this concept has worked really well for me the last two seasons. My feet absolutely freeze in insulated rubber boots.


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