Safety with boots

[kez]

I live up north (-20 F). When I plan to work outside for awhile I wear boots with felt liners a pair of heavy wool socks and cotton socks next to my feet which I wash and make sure are absolutely dry. I was reading about liner socks (Polypropylene) that wicks the moisture away from the skin. The body apparently keeps the skin surface moist so that it would not become to dry and peel, blister, etc. The moisture constantly evaporates inside the boot. Cotton dosen’t work. There is also a waterproof liner that can go over the first liner and then wear a heavy wool sock that always dry. Any comments? Thanks

 

[GeneMO]

Move to Florida? I guess that is not what you were needing to hear. The coldest we get here in central Mo. is maybe zero for a couple of days. Our average winter temp is probably somewhere around 20-30 plus.

They always recommend dressing in layers, so It sounds like you have that mastered. Are you having a specific problem? Socks wet when you come in?


Gene

 

[Anonymous-0]

Gits a bit cool around here too... I've had good results wearing either polypro or silk socks under the wool ones. Don't know if I'd go for the waterproof liners... the trick is to get the moisture OUT! The Danner boots I'm currently wearing have 400g thinsulate and GoreTex lining... no prob staying warm! D

 

[Anonymous-0]

Worked out side for over 20 years, my advice get a boot dryer and 2 or 3 pr. felt liners. Don't even on plug the dryer, put boots on it every night and dry a pair of liners while your working.

 

[Anonymous-0]

One thing that gets me, during the winter, the darned toes get like a pipe that is sweating in the hot humid summer,creating moisture, but in reverse the air is cold, feet are warm, somehow your toes can get cold/damp, thet cool down, don't warm up and kind of sweat, so your socks and boot liner and or what have you can just get cold and wet somtimes. The only thing I've found to combat it is to keep active, get the blood circulating, toes stay warmer. Kind of an odd thing about the cold weather, always wondered what kind of modern materials/fabrics they're making socks from that helps this kind of problem, used to wear cotton then wool over them, seemed to help, have to keep moving though.

 

[OldFarmTractor]

I work outside for hours with leather work boots with liners but only one pair of wool socks. the wool does the wicking for me.

 

[kez]

I think I'd rather live in central Mo. No hurricanes maybe. Weather is quite mild! The problem is that if I stand in snow cutting wood my feet get cold. There is dampness in my socks& felt liners. It has to be colder than your talking about for me to have much of a problem. Thanks Gene.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Get rid of the cotton socks. Have you ever heard the phrase, cotton kills. Cotton when wet stays wet and take forever to dry and robs your feet of any heat they can make. Try wool, polypropolene, or any of the other high tech. fibers. Your feet will thank you.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have used them abd they are nice but pricy, once they wore out I went back to wool, I have at least two liners and pair of socks each day in case, I also put another felt cushion thingy under the liners to isolate me from the cold if it is really bad (under -30 ish ) and my feet stay toasty warm. Nice thing with wool is you stay warm even when wet I did learn something from the army other than how to tie snowshoes !

 

[SKYBOW]

I use the poplypro liners and wool socks over that in my hiking boots even in the heat of summer. I never get blisters and my feet stay in great shape even when we're out for a week or so. I use the same combo in the dead of winter except that I go to a heaver wool sock for warmth. Polypro under wool-the only way to go.