Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting wet boots?

Thinking that maybe some of them disposable hand warmers might dry the inside of a pair of boots. Wet boots is a concern of mine while hunting the high country. Like a nice dry boot to put on in the morning.

Will it work?

I do it every night that is cold.

I must be a little "slow". For some reason it just hit me upside the head today.

OK, so how wet a boot you tried it in?

If its freezing you're worried about just put them in the bottom of your sleeping bag, you'll still be able to get them on in the morning.

I've not had much luck with the chem warmers when they get wet

anyone else experience that?

for bping I can't carry enough warmers to have the luxury of using them in my boots every night.

I use sealskinz socks, can dry them out overnight by tossing them in the bottom of the bag and then it doesn't matter if I have wet or frozen boot in the a.m.

I always have a couple of warmers in case I get really cold like on a siwash or something, but unless traveling by some mode other than shanks mare, they count as emergency gear for me.

Back in the day I waded a creek late in the evening and then slept in a valley where I didn't get sun till close to 10 a.m.
my boots were frozen stiff, the temp had really dropped overnight I guess. Man that was a miserable morning, my feet hurt, bad.

didn't know bout sealskinz or chem pax, don't think they even existed then.

Plus I was runnin low on grub, I was traveling light, too light on food. 1 oatmeal packet in the a.m. with a small piece of moose jerky.

Cold, hungry and tired, saw more wolf scat choked with sheep hair than I did sheep.

I love to hunt, but it ain't always comfortable.

We sure are lucky to have some of the gear we have available these days.

I'll second the gortex socks. They saved my bacon this summer in Canada. The other thing was taking them off, often and removing the liner to dry in the sun. Careful with a fire, though, it will melt boots and socks if you're not real careful. Also, not practical out in the field, but back in camp, newspaper wadded up and left in the boot overnight removes the water to an incredible degree. It just absorbs it right up.
Don

I tried the warmers in the boot trick and placed my socks over the top thought maybe kill two birds w/ one stone no luck. I might have cut off the O2 to much. But I am going to keep experminting w/ it also because I hate cold boots also.--Allen--

If its cold boots only, wife and I, use our pocket rocket in the AM. As long as they are not "frozen" we cook oatmeal, then turn the stove on and stick each boot over it upside down for a minute or less, they are nice and warm to put on then generally. Socks are off and in the bag at night to dry. Inside out. Were we to be in really cold, boots would be inside the bags so they didn't freeze.

Also carry sealskinz socks all the time. In case boots leak, etc... one never knows. And have the habit of a pair of wiggys waders, though I'm more thinking lately a short pair of breathables may be even lighter, and more handy, and a pair of crocks for overboots for them for crossings.... plus though night pee runs work better in our crocks than boots.

Forced air seems to dry well, there is also the fairly light option of the mini fans that run off 2AA batteries...They are probably a bit much, but depending on needs...

I'm more prone to carry the emergency wood stove though, and if bad enough set it up in the paratipi.

The one thing I"ve learned, NEVER try sleeping without a ground pad of some kind. I NEVER leave camp without one now. I cut a thin one down into sections, use them all together by hole cut for velcro, and its our sitting pad, then pull out into 4 pieces for emergency... now I'm really off topic. Not sure how they'll stay togheter,BUT if they do, I can wake up and move them back... that plus NEVER using a light survival bag again, I'll take a 1 pound down bag any day over that, and at the same basic weight.

Jeff

Yep, it doesn't seem to take much dampness to put out the chemical reaction and kill the heat. That's what I was wondering about with wet boots: if they are really wet you'd have to keep the chemical warmer from touching the wet inside of the boot to keep it going.

I've put on boots frozen solid and don't recommend it, unless you have no other option. I have learned to position boots straight and unbent, with the top open enough to get into them if they are frozen in the morning. I've started carrying Crocs for wearing while warming boots, midnight bathroom treks, plus wading creeks and rivers. Even used them in snow a bit, around camp. Brad got me onto those.

I have heard that warming a pot of clean dry gravel and pouring it into upright boots will dry them. I have not tried it, but it sounds reasonable. A man would have to be careful not to get the gravel too hot or he would damage boots.

My best boot dryer has been an old hair drying outfit, the kind with a circular heater and fan unit with a corrugated hose that runs to a hair cap. I ditch the hair cap on the end and stick the hose down into an upright boot, (warm air rises so it speeds the process to let air out of the top). I set the drier on low and it dries boots quick. Need a hose splitter to do two boots, but I bought another old hair drier at a garage sale so have two of them. Takes a long extension cord if you're on the Idaho rim of Hell's Canyon however.

+++1000 on cold ground.

Some good advice on this thread.
Nothing more miserable than cold, wet boots, IMO.

I will add another + 1000 on the ground pad advice, learned the hard way about that, came out of that deal with hypothermia-not fun.

Dang I guess Im a softy. Im accustomed to being more worried about it being to hot. If I had to put warmers in my boots to keep them from freezing at night I would be pretty dang miserable. I'll keep that in mind the next time I complain its 90degrees.

Nothing like a frozen boot in the morning. Hunting in melting snow can really suck. When the temps are just high enough to get the snow wet during the day then drop into the teens and night. Woke up on morning and it was like I was putting on a wooden boot, that sucks bad.

Hmmm - Hunting here is mostly in the mountains, and wet feet from river crossings are a fact of life, it would be a rare day indeed not to cross something at least knee deep. I'm as soft as the next person, but to my mind hunting is about focus on getting game, and being able to ignore the little "unimportant" discomforts is just part of that.

I was not joking about putting boots in the bottom of your sleeping bag, frozen boots are no joke, and potentially one of those small issues that cascade into a serious problem. They won't get dry in the bottom of your bag, but at least you can still get them on and get going.

I have discovered boots and a method for treating them that keeps me from experiencing a wet boot on the inside (minus the moisture from sweat). If my boots get soaked from a creek crossing, as in water fills the boot from the top, I am making a fire and drying them as soon as possibe no matter the delay in the trip. I have hiked too much and learned too many lessons the hard way not to know what will happen to my feet when in the mountains and bandaiding damaged feet. This year I fell in a creek on day one of a sheep hunt and filled both boots with water, I hiked another mile or so before the signs of what would be a catastrophic trip would soon become if I didn't do something to mitigate the current situation. I told my partner this is as far as I go without building a fire and drying my boots, and thats exactly what I did. The rest of the trip was great, had I ended up with badly blistered feet the trip would have been a nightmare. Good boots with GoreTex gaitors goes a long ways in the back/high country and even a little duct tape has its place too. Handwarmers may help warm a boot a bit but if its wet wet, it aint drying nothing when your talking about insulated Gore Tex boots that are soaked. If I am gonna intentionally cross a deep creek or river I am not doing it in my boots, glacier socks or a pair of aqua socks, or cheap lightweight sneakers will do and be left behind only to be collected on the way out. This is also one of the reaosns athat some guys like the plastics for alpin hunts.Cant see how guys could hike all over the mountains with wet feet and make a trip of it.

I rarely hunt where the daytime temps get to freezing, but do hunt in alot of wet on the wet coast of Oregon these days.

I'll second the above on getting good quality leather boots with GoreTex booties firmly inside and treating the boots well with waterproofing..I use Huberd's grease and renew it often.9-10" minimum height with completely gussetted tongues.

I DON'T wade streams of small rivers that are above the ankle deep..:) unless it's absolutely critical and there's no other way across.....

IF I do need to cross,... boots, socks and trousers come OFF and stay dry until I'm on the other side..Yep the water can be cold but bare skin dries alot faster than wool and leather..:)

In western Oregon there are down trees and logjam-ups pretty often on many streams and creeks so I use them with a walking staff also.

There is no 'fast way' to dry leather boots without damaging the leather...and wearing wet leather boots will get ya crippled up fast and probably wrack up the boots and stretch them badly as well.Jim

Well it must be either down to what you are used to or socks or something.

If you hunt here in NZ (South Island at least) you will be walking with wet feet, taking off boots is just not an option (the rock in our rivers would just kill your feet, and no boots would make river crossings very dangerous).

I have had blistered feet occcasionally when boots have not been sufficiently "broken in" but generally wearing two pair of wool socks is all we do (one thick pair, one thinner is usual)and blisters are very rare.

rost495

How do those Wiggys waders work. I've been thinking of getting a set?

They go on over you boots and yet have a rubber sole. Heres a brand that I like, though they have a very specific purpose and surely dont go on every hunt.

http://www.overshoe.com/recreational/products/detail.php?s=RTK

Tentman,
I've never been to New Zealand, but of all the countries it is up near the top for me to see and maybe hunt.
Not sure what temperatures you encounter when wading rivers, but a pair of good river sandals or kayaking slip on shoes..work to protect the feet when the bottom is questionable, feet are tender..:) and also can give better footing on slick rocks.Jim