Another Winter Question....

[OLD_Astar]

Having spent the last three weeks in camp trying to stay warm i have been reading old threads about dressing for the weather and wanted to know what was meant by "bunnies", obviously some kind of insulated boot. I am presently wearing Sorels and two pair of wool socks and dry out the liner and insoles every night but still my feet get cold. Could someone please give me some info on "bunnies" and other kinds of extreme weather boots that they have worn, which you like and which not? Many thanks! L3driver.

L3driver,

I've been in this business for almost 30 years, and I'm still trying to find a way to keep

my feet warm! The rest of my body! Never a problem. But my feet,always cold.I tried

about every type of boots. No luck!

I'm with you L3, we need help from everybody on this forum.

How can we keep our feet warm. Please.

 

OLD_Astar.

[wcobra]

Cayenne Pepper...works great! Use the capsules if ya can't handle it straight up. Take it with food if ya must. The BTU's will surge thru to the extremeties...all of em.

[teabagger]

Hey Guys, fortunately I don't generally have problems with cold feet, but there are a couple of things that may help you. Remember the old Hot Shots that you could put in your mits to keep your hands warm in the good old days? They now make something similar for inside your boots. They are super thin and you really don't notice that they are there other than the fact that there is heat radiating from them.

 

There is also another option. There is now ski boot technology in which there is a pad that is placed at the end of your foot bed that has a wire running out of them and there is a rechargeable battery that they plug into. Depending on the quality you purchase you can have some that either turn on and off or others that have a temperature control. Google boot heaters and it gives you a few options.

 

Enjoy

[Billy Hill]

Click here!

 

When I first went to the north all the "Oldtimers" wore nothing but these. Went and got a pair for myself and love them. There flexible and not bulky unlike your usual Sorels and good in the extreme cold situations (believe me!). The only drawback is when the snow starts to melt they do get wet but by that time you'll be switching back to the rubbers. Heard a few complaints about the bunnies, too stiff and no feel for the pedals. Most army surplus stores might have a used pair available for cheap too.

[coastdog]

Electric socks ... ohhhh yeah. You can find them at any decent sporting goods store. A small battery (get a couple), slip those suckers on ... now you can do the hotfoot, baby!

Really, they work well, not too expensive either.

 

[old dog]

Click here!

 

When I first went to the north all the "Oldtimers" wore nothing but these. Went and got a pair for myself and love them. There flexible and not bulky unlike your usual Sorels and good in the extreme cold situations (believe me!). The only drawback is when the snow starts to melt they do get wet but by that time you'll be switching back to the rubbers. Heard a few complaints about the bunnies, too stiff and no feel for the pedals. Most army surplus stores might have a used pair available for cheap too.

 

Yup, I agree, ya gotta go with these puppies.

 

And I can say this after 8000 hrs of year round operations in the Beaufort and high Arctic.

 

Still got mine, too. They are a bit scruffy, but they are the same ones I started with.

 

And no batteries, Hot Sticks, or whatever.

 

Trick: Always carry two sets of liners and two sets of mesh inserts - that's it!

 

Then alternate them each day. This is especially important when doing long duty days.

 

And you will have toasty toes to -50C and more.

 

Finally, they are easy to fly with on the 212, 61 and 76, but I don't know about the other types.

 

 

[CoolHandLuke]

Having spent the last three weeks in camp trying to stay warm i have been reading old threads about dressing for the weather and wanted to know what was meant by "bunnies", obviously some kind of insulated boot. I am presently wearing Sorels and two pair of wool socks and dry out the liner and insoles every night but still my feet get cold. Could someone please give me some info on "bunnies" and other kinds of extreme weather boots that they have worn, which you like and which not? Many thanks! L3driver.

 

 

Hey L3D,

 

I have spent the last 3 years in the Arctic and have gone as high as Eureka and have done Arctic Expedition training. The trick is to keep your core warm!! If your core cools down your peripheral blood vessels constrict in order to shunt blood to your vital organs and in an attempt to preserve a normal temp. Once your body starts to shunt from the periphery you start to get cold.

 

Another major point is preventing yourself from sweating too much. Work slow and methodically, I have heard many people that have done North and South Pole expeditions say, "You sweat...you die!!"

 

Wear layers and always wear a base layer that wicks perspiration away from your skin...conduction is a major cause of heat loss. If you hate wearing layers or are looking at a certain all-round material. Buy merino wool sweaters and socks as they will keep you warm even when wet.

 

In your quarters, beware of excess condensation, make sure you vent your sleep area. Otherwise your sleeping bag or gear will be damp in the morning. Even under decent circumstances a sleeping bag can gain about half a cup of water per night!!

 

I guess the key is to stay dry and keep your core warm.

 

Take care and stay safe.

 

Cheers,

CoolHandLuke

[gwk]

Yup, those Chimo winter boots are the cats meow.

Like the others said, extra liners with the mesh insoles, rotate as needed.

Also, most important, florescent orange shoelaces, so you know which way is down in a real whiteout, and which boots are yours when there are a bunch of them at the door!!!!

 

 

[SBRM]

Hey Guys, fortunately I don't generally have problems with cold feet, but there are a couple of things that may help you. Remember the old Hot Shots that you could put in your mits to keep your hands warm in the good old days? They now make something similar for inside your boots. They are super thin and you really don't notice that they are there other than the fact that there is heat radiating from them.

 

There is also another option. There is now ski boot technology in which there is a pad that is placed at the end of your foot bed that has a wire running out of them and there is a rechargeable battery that they plug into. Depending on the quality you purchase you can have some that either turn on and off or others that have a temperature control. Google boot heaters and it gives you a few options.

 

Enjoy

I believe you can obtain both of those items at Crappy Tire, including the batteries.

[treetopflyer]

The store owner also pointed out the "bunnies", white medium high boots with a small air (?) valve on them. Is that what a bunny is?

 

Yep, that's a bunny boot. They come in a couple different versions/colours. I have a white pair and I swear by them. I've never been cold in them even at -45C. I wouldn't think of heading to the north again without them.