Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Boot insulation vs socks

How much does a pair of wools socks, say smartwools, add to warmth relative to thinsulate? Like is a 400g thinsulate boot with a pair of smart wool socks equivalent to wearing 600, 800, 1000g thinsulate boots without wools socks? I want to buy a warm pair of boots for stand hunting but I don't want them to warm that I can't use them other times of the year or when I'm walking. If wool socks had enough I can get by with slightly less insulation .

Thanks,
Joe

Most boots are designed to fit properly with a pair of medium-weight socks, presumeably wool ones. I don't have any smartwool socks, but doubt they're any warmer than other quality wool socks of the same weight and textile blend.

It's my opinion that you can't add enough socks to lightly insulated boots to equal the warmth of the heavily insulated ones. Also, you're going to compromise the fit. I have old Danners with 200g Thinsulate equivalent (some high tech thing they tried in the '90s, the name of which I've forgotten) and new 800g ones that are super warm. The light ones are fine for year-round wear, but aren't warm enough for stand hunting in really cold (30 and under) weather, at least not for me. I think you really need two pairs.

IMO, socks are to protect the foot and wick away perspiration.

This. If you're feet are wet, no amount of socks/insulation will keep your feet warm. May sound crazy but if you are stand hunting, change socks before sitting and you're feet will stay warmer if you've walked a bit.

Toasty toe warmers are cheap and they work

I agree. Also, you can rub foot powder on the bottom of your feet before putting the socks on to keep everything dry to start with. If your feet get damp while walking to the stand then most likely you're screwed.

I wear the lighter weight Muck Woody boots with the Thermocell Pro heated insoles that have the rechargeable removable batteries. I only use them on medium heat setting to maximize the amount of heat time. They're intended to take the chill off your feet, not roast them.

I've been thinking about picking up a set of insulated boot covers for use when sitting.

insulated boots never seem to fit worth a darn, and they are hot as blazes while on a "hard walk".

uninsulated boots fit well and dont get as hot while on the move.

anyone else use uninsulated boots while walking, then bust out boot covers once "on stand"? seems like it could be the best of both worlds.

My preference is for light insulation. I usually wear my Irish Setter 200gram boots, with a pair of polypropylene and a pair of mid-wieght wool socks. Day pack has a pair of heavy wieght socks or two in it if needed, along with some foot warmers if I wind up on a stand. I also usually take a pair of 1000 gram boots in case the weather turns bitter cold or I know that I won't be doing a lot of walking. The 1000 gram almost always make my feet sweat so I carry a pack full of socks. That worked out well when I dropped a glove and had to wear socks on my hand all day.

I stopped wearing insulated boots for most hunting 15-20 years ago. In fact I stopped wearing boots marketed toward hunters choosing good quality hiking boots instead. For the same money I can buy a cheap pair of hunting boots or a high quality pair of hiking boots. Even though the socks are expensive, the overall cost is less.

I've found good quality socks such as Darn-Tuff, Smartwool or Under Armour work better than insulation built into the boots. For one thing most modern hunting boots have the insulation sandwiched between the inner waterproof gore-tex liner and an outer non waterproof layer. Once wet the insulation soaks up water and then the insulation just doesn't work well even though your feet stay dry.

I know GA isn't as cold as other places, but we often get temps in single digits and the 20's and 30's are common in the northern mountains where I hunt. I haven't had cold feet big game hunting since ditching insulated boots.

If not doing much walking and while standing in icy water or deep snow while waterfowl hunting I can see the benefit of the insulated rubber knee boots and waders. I've done that a few times and the snow and cold water will suck the heat out of your feet.

Use both.

Up in this neck of the woods, anything above zero is toasty.. I recall the mid-to-late '70s when we stepped out of the truck at 30 BELOW zero - and then hunted til dark... Maybe it 'warmed' to -25 by then..

Re: boots - the posts above give great info, since part of your decision will rest upon the area and expected (read: average) temps you will be hunting in.. The boots I use would fry yer feet there, yet up here they're adequate..

Best wishes on the hunt..

I buy my hunting socks here:

https://darntough.com/collections/mens-hunting

And, my feet never, ever get cold.

liner socks are one of the most important things, along with oversize boots so there is room for air so to speak. IIRC my winter boots are at least 1 if not 2 sizes larger than normal.

Good liner sock, and then good wool sock, sometimes a really heavy wool sock but if the boot isn't so loose that i almost can't kick if off, its too tight and won't keep my foot warm.

Toe warmers are never bad to have in the pack either.

"Tight" feet are the #1 reason for cold feet. Wearing extra heavy multiple layers of socks is guaranteed to restrict your blood flow and make cold feet. So go with one super-light wicking liner with a medium-weight wool over it. Dahlgrens wool socks are clearly the best at keeping feet dry and thus warm.

All the rest of the insulation needs to be in the boot. And the boot must have airspace around the front half of your foot. All the insulation does is to keep cold air away from you--the airspace is the actual warm part. So adding more and more and more insulation does not do a whole lot of good.

We often wear 1000g Thinsulate boots all summer with a wool sock, and all winter too. It's pretty universal up here.

The easiest way to keep your feet warm if you're only walking/sitting is a pair of heavy Muck boots that fit loose with one pair of socks. Wear bib overalls and put the pantlegs over the outside of the Muck boots while sitting. If you have a way to button/cinch the bottoms of the pantlegs around the outside of the boots, you will stay the warmest with the least effort.

This is VERY important. Loose fitting footwear that does not restrict circulation while sitting around in cold weather is HUUUUGE. For this reason I would get a pair of dedicated boots a size bigger than normal for cold weather hunting. I use a pair of el cheapo Redheads from Bass pro that I have had for years. Since you are going to be likely sitting most of the time you don't have to spend $300 on the greatest ever boot.

My new (year old) 800g U.S.-made Danners don't make my feet sweat, and I'm generally a pretty clammy guy. The Gore-tex, which is under the outer layer, allows the boot to breathe, so my socks stay dry. All that insulation makes them pretty cushy and protects my ankles from bumps and such. I did have to exchange the "right" sized pair I ordered for a pair one size up. I can wear a heavy sock and even a polypropylene liner with ease. So far, my feet haven't gotten a bit cold in these. Best money I've spent in years.

I also have some genuine Mickey Mouse boots like the troops wore in Korea, but they do make my feet sweat and one weighs more than the pair of Danners does. They're pretty much restricted to snow-shoveling duty these days.

anyone have experience with the insulating boot covers I mentioned above? seems like potentially the best of both worlds:

good fitting (uninsulated) boot for hiking

warmth via boot cover + handwarmer once you get to where you want to sit.

only downside I see is the extra weight carrying them in a backpack.

all that said, this is purely hypothetical. I've not tried such a solution yet. (and that's why I'm asking for feedback from someone who might have.....)

I use boot mittens when sitting for a long time. These look like big socks. They fit over the outside of your boots.

I had a pair of the insulated boot covers to use when I am sitting in the tree stand or in a ground blind. They were not all that great for me but my feet are not real tolerant of cold weather unless I am moving along. The overboots fit well, were well insulated, and seemed to be pretty durable. Sorry I do not remember the brand name. Got them as a gift as I am always complaining that my feet are cold.

In my case the electric socks would be a better thing to get but they are really expensive.

The advice about loose fitting boots is good advice. I wear a width wider and half size bigger in my cold weather boots and it does help a bit. My experience with MukLuks tells me that good insulation in a loose boot is the best way to go.

I tried Muck Arctic boot the last couple of years. Great when moving along, cold feet when I sit.

Sounds like you need boot mittens, or two pair of boots! Wool socks will help but setting for a long time sub freezing weather they won't suffice! I wear pack boots when really cold, I hunt the Cascade mountains, and Blue mountains of Oregon, and hike miles in the packs! What ever you do get the best quality!