My 18yo son just became a Marine and I sent him these tips cause his feet were nearly ruined in boot camp with ill fitting boots and inexperience. He has a lot of cold weather hiking in the near future and protecting his feet will definitely make it suck a lot less! Thank you I’m so glad I stumbled on your channel! He just got to Camp LeJeune and was going to buy new boots and socks today. Simper Fi!! ❤

spent 30 yrs building homes in New England, you want to keep hands and feet warm, make sure you dress for warmth from neck to knees and elbows, WITH a hat...you keep head, neck, trunk warm...your hands and feet will stay warm

Tip no 1. boot that fits best with big wool socks Tip no 2. wool or reflective insulation insoles Tip no 3. vapor barrier socks Synthetic socks, vapor barrier socks, thick wool socks, wool insoles, thinsulate 400 boots!! Great video!!

A Tip for drying wet boots. Stuff your boots with crumpled up newspaper over nite ( just fill them up (don’t jam it in to tight) but fill them up . In the morning the paper will have sucked the moister up remove the wet paper to reveal dry boots .

The Bread Bag Idea works very well. When I was a kid, I figured that one out on my own. I was tired of my feet getting Cold and Painful. So it just came to my mind to use a Bread Bag to keep in the warmth. After I figured that out, I was warm and happy playing in the Snow. No more cold feet playing in the Snow. What I didn't do was put another pair of socks on over the Bread Bags. I didn't think of doing that which would have worked better. Good Tips.

Best video I’ve seen on this subject

Thanks for the great ideas. Woolrich Big Wooly socks that are 88% Merino wool are the warmest socks that I have found. They are a heavy weight hiking sock and I wear them year round. These socks also solved my problem with getting blisters. I have even used them as mittens in zero degree weather, and they kept my hands warm.

I learned to look over your sock that is going directly against your skin and it it is sewn with a heavy seam, especially at the toes to turn it inside out so that the smooth side is against the skin and the thick seam is on the outside. I do the same thing with the polypro "silk" long underwear going against the skin so they don't chaff.

Never would have thought of at least two of the three you listed, thank you for your experience and ideas.

Thank you so very much, Marine. Be well.

Thank you for your good advice

Such great information! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

As always an excellent video. Tons of great info. I need to get some waterproof socks! Thanks Marine

Great video. A couple of weeks ago I had cold feet during the evening on an overnight hike because my summer hiking boots had gotten wet during the day. So I picked up a pair of waterproof, -40F Kamik Nationaplus. I used them on an overnight hike last week, and my feet still got cold. The temperature was in the mid 30's during the day as I gained about a thousand feet in elevation. Sure enough, they were wet inside from perspiration which caused cold feet in the evening after I got to camp and in the morning. After watching your video, I pulled out an old pair of vapor barrier socks that I haven't used in at least 25 years. I tested them today with a thin inner lining on a several mile day hike with the temperature in the mid 20s to mid 30s. This seemed to work pretty good. I am actually looking forward to some much colder weather so I can give this system a proper test. My feet thank you for the tips.

Nice, helpful tips on a cold week. Thank you.

Great video! Thank you! Well done and useful!

I have been a woods trapper my entire life. The right clothing and knowledge of how to use it make all the difference when it comes to enjoying the outdoors!

Glad you went into details on the vapor barrier. Well done video. Thanks for the info.

Greetings from Sweden! Great tips! You, Sir, just got yourself a new subscriber.

Awesome video and information, Brother !!! Keep up the great work !!!

Great tips! Thanks

Great tips!… very thorough.. I like the complete sequence on the vapor barrier socks… also getting a large enough boot..

Great info! Thanks!

Great delivery, clear explanation and good visual examples

Great tips thank you

Layer as such next to skin: laidies nylon single layer, thin wool sock (merina wool) vapor barrier, thick insulation sock, boot. This is what I use when I'm fishing in the winter. standing in frozen water. Works like a champ.

Well done, this is second nature to a child of the north. As a transplant from Wi to Ca I find people's hate of the cold stunning.

I'm saving this guide video. This one is very useful.

Another excellent video.

Good advice as always.

Great info ,taken aback by Minnesota/Wisconsin accent it's really distinct.

Good video. Been a fan for awhile, and it’s been fun watching you and Runner on the trail. Never used a vapor barrier before, but I guess I’ll need to get more informed.

I use the barriers when I'm ice fishing, makes a big difference. Great video keep em coming!!!

Great information Bless you sir

Thanks!

Great Video, you earned a subscribe. I am 54 and just learning about boots. The nylon dress socks are great, as are panty hose. Old Vietnam Vets have talked about learning to buy panty hose to wear under the boot socks to keep your feet happy. No blisters from long hikes. If you do wear panty hose under your boot socks... Keep that info to yourself. NO ONE CARES. I will teach my kids these tricks so they can have happy feet

excellent tips

Very informative.

Thank you so much for all the valuable tips. I bought a good winter boots in sale as they were expensive and I was outdoor a day ago and my feet were totally cold.. I even have pain now on them but I will try your tips with the insulation. God bless you

I recently bought a Rab jacket and its the best coat I've ever owned, fantastic gear.

I just ordered some Rab Vapor barrier’s .I’m gonna try the dress sock vapor barrier then wool sock. thanks for the help

HARBOR FREIGHT has an insulating mat 3/4"× 24'x72" that is very inexpensive. I bought several and cut them to fit under my dogs beds and dog houses outside. The mat is water proof. I keep a piece about 2'×3' rolled up in my truck. It has come in mighty handy to kneel down to change a tire, check tire pressure, etc. I also have a full size mat in front of my kitchen sink. The extra cushion really helps while standing to wash dishes. When it gets dirty I just take it onto the porch and wash it with the water hose.

Good tips I will definitely try #2

I saw a bushcraft video where it was recommended to put hot rocks inside of socks to dry them out.

As a seasoned walker, groundworker this is a revelation in technique. I’ll give it a try this winter and see how it works out 👍

Toujours instructif tes video ! Merci encore professeur 😜

great tips sir, i do remember the bread bags ,,lol billy joe

keeping your feet dry and also not putting such thick socks on that you decrease the blood flow in your feet. When I was working in Alaska my feet stayed warmer not having thick sock in my boots. It seems weird but the difference is night and day. When I wear my mountaineering boots for climbs, I use a very thin sock and have had no problems with having cold feet. The thicker the sock is not always warmer.

thank you

Great video; very informative.

Thank you, this is the first time I heard of vapor barrier socks.

I am doing a section hike on the Appalachian Trail starting March 19 and I will probably have to deal with some snow, but mostly just cold and wet. Being from Texas, I am not used to snow. I usually wear 3mm neoprene dive booties as dry socks during rainy days . Your idea to use a vapor barrier could be served by the dive booties. I tried the liner socks, dive booties, then wool socks and they were a little snug in my shoes. I think I will have to replace my shoes before I go. Thanks for the tip.

Our scoutmaster taught us to cut insoles from the foam meat packing containers. Clean them first of course. These work really well on the cheap or if caught out in a cold situation.

The vapour barrier method makes good sense, with the way the body compensates by sweating less in the feet, very useful information. Thanks

I live on a farm and I treated my work boots with water proofing, taking care to seal where the sole connects to the boots. I also bought waterproof gators about 16 inches tall.. They are fantastic. They keep the bottom of my pants legs dry. I treated the bottoms with 40%Repel and have not gotten any ticks. The gators were on Amazon. For only $19.00 worth every penny.

good job

i found nylon roll top dry bags (long & skinny)for 5$ and they make good vapor barriers. Also multi purpose, which is always good for isolated putdoor activities like camping or hunting.

Great information..👍🙏

Great video! Cold feet are my issue with winter hiking and backpacking. I like how you show the vapor barrier socks I'm going to try that method next. Thanks for sharing

Ive been suffering cold feet working out in my garage recently, it gets down to zero here in the UK atm. After watching your video ive cut out some insoles from left over bubble foil i had laying around and found some long freezer bags in the draw, the feet are warm out the bath and shod in sock-bag-sock-steel capped work boots. I cant wait to see how I get on today 8), will report back ;) Cheers D

Thank you very much for this informative video, learn a few things and tricks. Live in Canada you would think I would know better about the cold, but heck when winter comes I always fight to keep my feet warm, this year 2021 (fall) I will know how to prevent this from happening again. Thank you Sir, nice video and like it or not I have subscribe to your page, keep them coming.

Great information as always thank you so much this will really help me my feet always sweet

Great content. Just subbed

Well said loving it.. (AT 5:40)

I'm born and raised in the great state of Michigan. If you sir are not, you would fit in great in the U.P. Your accent is very Upper Peninsula Michigan/Canadian good sir lol. We spend a ton of time outdoors. You gave some great insight for those who don't know the tips and tricks we use to stay decently toasty! Take care and have a great day🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Great advice. Literally few minutes ago I came back from a 2h highland hike with some steep sections. I'm testing my new winter-ish boots. It's just below 0°C. My wool sock was wet and inside of the boot noticeably moist. That's just after 2h. In the terrain at longer distance I'd be in trouble. Will definetely use the vapour barrier method. Cheers buddy.

Wow I didn’t know that about the perspiration ceasing when the body senses it’s adequately moist. My feet sweat a ton without socks but if I wear socks I find that they’re much drier. Everyone calls me crazy but I think you just solved that one for me.

Great video. What is the name/brand of the covers you put over the down booties at 1:03. I’ve been looking for a product like that for a long time

to dry your boots you can use a tea candle put em in your boots and let the candle dry out your boots. Be careful not to burn your boots though. Cheers from a German guy whos living in Norway

Thanks for the video. Do waterproof socks such as Sealskinz more or less serve the same purpose as vapor barrier socks? If not when would one be recommended over the other?

Funnily enough after using the aluminium foil insulation on a home project a couple of days ago I thought I would try it out as insoles for my MTB shoes and have tried a 2 layer system and thought that it did improve things. Mentioning this on the insulation video the author liked the idea and mentioned using it to make toe socks - I'm going to add these to my insoles. Not sure about putting the original insoles on top of the aluminium though - what are your views on this? You also reminded me of the vapour barrier layer so I'm going to put them all together, hope my feet don't catch fire!

Ok thanks 😊 🙂 u so much 15.1.2022

Sythetic socks, vapor barrier sock, thick wool sock. Thinsulated boot with wool insule/ insule carved out

I still wear a pair of LaCrosse Iceman I bought 30 years ago.

Excellent video. As new boots are in my very near future what happens when you use thick socks for winter but thin socks for summer? Will it mess up the fit? I am thinking of doing some winter hiking. Haven't much because my old knees dint like it. What summer and winter socks do you recommend? Thanks! And keep up the excellent videos!

Thanks, Marine! I've been having problems with numb toes in relatively warm temps. I think you've explained why in this video. Gonna get a pair of VB socks and see what difference that makes. Thanks for the ideas and tips!

Hey TheOutdoorAngler I am here in Victoria Australia and its going to be 45 today, but that is Celcius and that is going to melt everything

What weight thinsulate do you recommend in a hunting boot for stand sitting in 26-36 degree weather. My feet freeze in those tall neoprene rubber boots with wool socks and chemical ‘toasty toes’. I’m considering getting leather type boot. Thanks

Hello, thanks for posting the video. Enjoy your channel as AS I'm a fairly new subscriber... I heard that wearing ankle socks or calf polyester / spandex is a good base layer but they always tend to be very tight, is that a bad thing

All good tips. I have to add though that you can put a warm water bottle in the boot over night and it will dry out the boot. Furthermore, the last thing you want to do is put on a frozen boot in the morning thinking you can heat it up while wearing it. Huge mistake. Your feet will be very cold all day trying to defrost the boots. Keep those boots warm over night. I can usually get away with a warm water bottle in each boot and place them on top of the sleeping pad and under your sleeping bag by the feet. Those that move around a lot might have to put the boots in the bottom of the sleeping bag. When your extremities are cold you have to heat the core of your body and keep clothing loose to aid circulation. Shaking your legs or rubbing your hands really doesn't do much. Power walking around the camp sight for a few laps usually does the trick. Lastly,, and I can't stress this enough. pay attention to your feet. If you think you can "tough it out" you are at a great risk of frostbite. Once you look at some frostbite pictures and see what medical care is involved you will think twice about "toughing it out".

What brand of boots do you wear Sir... they're very smart, and how much do they cost ? I could certainly do with a pair of them .

Giving boots a good polish seems to make them a lot warmer to be in.

Other items you can also consider, is to ensure your boots have removable liners (insulation) and get an extra set or 2 of liners and rotate them out so you can dry the original liner. If the temps are below 20°F do not use waterproof boots. Regular leather boots or mukluks are much better. They allow your feet to breath and have all that moisture they generate escape.

Dude.. I never thought to use reflectix in my boot, genius!..

My tip for keeping feet (and hands) warm is to keep your core warm. If your core is cold your body will reduce blood flow to your extremities (peripheral vasoconstriction) and your feet will become cold just like with boots that are too tight.

What about wool? I load trucks for a living and am always walking and the concrete gets cold in winter time. Just need a good advice. Thank you.

Can I ask who makes the puffy camp boots and the over shell?

Finally a you tuber that gets vapor barriers. I've seen some recommend them over socks or not at all. Any trip more than half a day and I bag my foot. Essential for camping, backcountry skiing.

I know it's semantics and all but technically, it's not that cold comes up from the ground, it's that heat is drawn out through contract with the ground. Cold is absence of heat and the two dissimilar temps seek to find stasis or equilibrium. But great tips, nonetheless

Great info, well presented video. Tfs👍

Can the mat be cut to fit inside the boot like you cut the foil for inside the boot?

Well said, I’m here south of Buffalo NY and it’s going to be 45 today and that’s gona melt a lot of snow which makes me sad😢

Today, it snowed. Now I barely have any winter boots and have rain boots that I am using today for the snow. Can it work for rain boots as well??

Also, walk to the store to try on boots. Or after being on your feet all day.

Better boots and gators would be a start. Wool traps a lot of moisture, prob better idea to use hybrid

Where do you get the thick, oversized, wool socks that let to create layers? The camping stores have "boot socks" that just look like regular athletic socks made from dark synthetic "wool." Other stores have the same- no more oversized natural wool, that fits over other layers of sock, like in the old days. We used the bread bags as kids, but only because our boots had holes!

Great

Vapor barrier socks seems counter to keeping feet dry, as the moisture would have no way out, I guess if you folded the bag over the top of the boot it'd worked?

When u use the plastic bag dose your liner socks supposed to be wet? Or it should still be dry also?

Fortress clothing makes the absolute best clothing for cold weather, it's basically magic