evan_w
member
Reged: 10/15/09
Posts: 36
Loc: Chittenango, NY
|
|
My best performers in really cold and snowy weather are my Kamik Cody Extreme boots.
I usually wear a pair of insulated hockey socks (thin, silky, very warm!) and then a pair of SmartWool socks over the hockey socks. Slip on the Kamiks and I am good for as long as I want to be outside.
The boots are "certified" to keep you comfy down to -100 degrees F or -74 degrees C.
- evan
--------------------
Orion SkyQuest XT8i with 25mm and 10mm Sirius Plossl EPs.
Steiner 7x50 Marine
and a 3.5 year old son who loves the stars!
-------------------
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." - Earl Weaver
Below is the whitest sky chart going! Let's hear it for Syracuse!
|
panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5378
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
|
|
Quote:
Lots of good advice but I will add one important thing that most people forget. You need a layer of air around your feet to keep them warm. If your boots are tight and you add extra layers which makes them tighter then you are defeating the purpose. The boots you get should be nice and roomy even with the layers of socks. This room allows a warm layer of air to develop around your feet that keeps you warm. Beyond that, the layering, heated socks, heated insoles, etc... all will help but without this you really have little chance of keeping your feet warm.
Daren I agree with what you say about larger sized boots but that is not possible for some people. Me for example I have larger sized feet size 13+. There are very few size 13 shoes that I can fit in. You go to the shoe store and select by style. I go in and ask what have you got in size 13 or better.  Believe me it is a real pain. Once and a while I get a size 14 but not too often. 
--------------------
|
evan_w
member
Reged: 10/15/09
Posts: 36
Loc: Chittenango, NY
|
|
Quote:
Quote:
Lots of good advice but I will add one important thing that most people forget. You need a layer of air around your feet to keep them warm. If your boots are tight and you add extra layers which makes them tighter then you are defeating the purpose. The boots you get should be nice and roomy even with the layers of socks. This room allows a warm layer of air to develop around your feet that keeps you warm. Beyond that, the layering, heated socks, heated insoles, etc... all will help but without this you really have little chance of keeping your feet warm.
Daren I agree with what you say about larger sized boots but that is not possible for some people. Me for example I have larger sized feet size 13+. There are very few size 13 shoes that I can fit in. You go to the shoe store and select by style. I go in and ask what have you got in size 13 or better. Believe me it is a real pain. Once and a while I get a size 14 but not too often.
Refer to the link in my post above... Those beauties go to a size 14. I got a pair larger than what I typically wear and they fit just great with the bulk of my socks in there.
|
panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5378
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
|
|
No store up here carries that boot to begin with and the winter boots that they carry only go to size 13. I have been down this road many times before. Stores just won't stock a size 14 periond.... And to ask them to order it they want payment up front.
--------------------
|
Darenwh
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/11/06
Posts: 1470
Loc: Covington, GA
|
|
Both Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops will ship to Canada and carry an assortment of boots up to size 14. Bass Pro Shops even has a store in Ontario:
1 Bass Pro Mills Drive
Vaughan, ONT L4K 5W4
Phone: 905 761 4000
GPS Coordinates:
43.8249ºN, 79.5437ºW (WGS84/NAD83)
Regular Store Hours
Mon - Sat 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sun 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
--------------------
Daren
Covington, GA
|
panhard
Mongo
Reged: 01/20/08
Posts: 5378
Loc: Markham Ontario Canada
|
|
I am glad you mentioned Pro Bass I have a friend who works there in the boot dept. I hate bringing anything across the border it is expensive and a hassle in general.
--------------------
|
KRS1
sage
Reged: 02/02/09
Posts: 221
Loc: Anglesey, UK
|
|
Thats a lot of ideas, the only problem is we don't have such extremes of weather as you guys over in North America and because of that I am not sure there are many places that sell clothing for really cold weather but I could always buy some from the US. I sure I can get some heated socks over here though and I think I will try them first.
My boots are not Gore-Tex they are leather but I'm sure they are designed to loose moisture and keep the feet dry whilst walking rather than keeping feet warm whilst standing or sitting still. So if the socks don't work alone then maybe I'll look for some well insulated boots.
Thanks for all the tips. Its a common problem by the look of it. Clear skies and warm feet everyone 
--------------------
Chris
Skywatcher Heritage 130p
Orion XT10i
28mm Skywatcher Nirvana
19mm Panoptic
Nagler 12T4
8mm Ethos
x2 & x3 Televue Barlows
Skywatcher UHC filter
|
Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 2043
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
|
|
A quick heads up too-- the Dollar Tree ( yeah! ) has been selling thick winter socks sort of like the nice Columbia ones for a $1 a pair. I picked some up last year and 4 more pairs this year. They are really comfortable, and at a buck a piece you can't beat it. My pairs from last year (even after alot of wear) still feel as comfortable as when I first bought them. Go grab some at your local Dollar Tree!
--------------------
Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
|
planet-beaver
sage
Reged: 11/03/08
Posts: 290
Loc: Middletown, NY
|
|
Lacrosse Alpha Iceman boots. Nothing else comes close. Super warm, almost 3/4" of insulation all the way around and 2" on the bottom. I tried so many boots from North Face and Columbia which all gave me cold feet till I got Iceman boots. Get them two sizes bigger than your gym shoes. I observe on the coldest nights which give the clearest air and my feet are always nice and warm.
--------------------
Garrett Gemini 30x100
Barska 30x80
Garrett SS 15x70
SkyMasters 15x70
Regal LX 10x42
Nikon 7x35 Action Extreme
Orion XT8 dob
C11
LX200 8"
WO Binoviewers
|
MRoedel
sage
Reged: 11/10/06
Posts: 459
Loc: Michigan
|
|
When the ground is really cold, I've been surprised at how much warmer my feet are when I stand on a pallet. The air gap makes a big difference.
--------------------
Mike Roedel
Homo sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 1938)
|
Radiostar
sage
Reged: 10/16/08
Posts: 350
Loc: Thunder Bay, Ontario
|
|
If it is just your feet getting cold, you are probably losing heat via conduction to the ground. Try standing on some kind of insulating mat. Cold concrete seems to be the worst thing for sucking the heat out of your feet. The above suggestions are good but I think you are going to have a tough time finding most of the products mentioned in Wales and your European products are unlikely to have the cold weather technology that we enjoy in Canada (Sorel boots with removable felt liners for example) and the US, unless you can shop in Finland or Norway. Fifty six Canadian winters have taught me the importance of staying warm and dry.
Cheers
Eddy B
|
planet-beaver
sage
Reged: 11/03/08
Posts: 290
Loc: Middletown, NY
|
|
This is why I recommend Lacrosse Alpha Iceman boots. The bottom of the boots have thick lightweight foam that keeps the cold from reaching your feet. Do not buy boots with solid rubber soles or those that have the rubber all the way around the sides and the bottom. They are the worse kind you can get as the solid rubber conducts all the coldness from the ground. The lighter the boot the better. Piece of plywood is all you need under your feet if standing on snow or ice.
--------------------
Garrett Gemini 30x100
Barska 30x80
Garrett SS 15x70
SkyMasters 15x70
Regal LX 10x42
Nikon 7x35 Action Extreme
Orion XT8 dob
C11
LX200 8"
WO Binoviewers
|
csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 44022
Loc: montana
|
|
The boot companies forget that women also need this type of protection. Most of the excellent cold weather boots are in men's sizes only. I went with the Sorels, as they do have sizes for women. I looked up the Lacrosse Alpha Iceman boots; and they start with Men's size 7.
--------------------
Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
Garrett 20x80 TWP setup
DreamCatcher Dobservatory
|
Radiostar
sage
Reged: 10/16/08
Posts: 350
Loc: Thunder Bay, Ontario
|
|
"This is why I recommend Lacrosse Alpha Iceman boots." - probably a great boot but they come from Oregon, which puts our chilly friend on the wrong side of the ocean. Shipping costs would be a killer.
cheers
Eddy B
|
7331Peg
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 969
Loc: North coast of Oregon
|
|
Quote:
"This is why I recommend Lacrosse Alpha Iceman boots." - probably a great boot but they come from Oregon, which puts our chilly friend on the wrong side of the ocean. Shipping costs would be a killer.
cheers
Eddy B
No, definitely not from Oregon. All it does here is rain. Great place to buy rain boots and arks.
Four weeks of this stuff and still more coming.
John
|
senske
sage
Reged: 01/10/09
Posts: 401
Loc: Spokane, WA
|
|
My Sorel Caribou boots have kept my feet warm for many very cold and snowy winters. They're excellent for observing. If they ever wear out I'll probably get another pair.
--------------------
Andrew
Orion SkyQuest XT10 Intelliscope with Orion 9x50 and Telrad Finders
Orion WorldView 10x50 Binoculars
Celestron NexStar 8 SE with GSO 8x50 and Red Dot Finders
Galileoscope
|
izar187
sage
Reged: 09/02/06
Posts: 402
Loc: 43N
|
|
"So if the socks don't work alone then maybe I'll look for some well insulated boots."
================
Before going the new boots route, try warmer head gear. A "good hat" is often just not enough. The ones we use for when doing stuff outdoors are not really what's needed for when sitting still.
Try finding a hooded something for over the hat. Not just a sweatshirt hoody. But something more substantial, multi layer, and flexible for ease of movement. Doesn't have to be expensive nor name brand hunting gear. Any street wear will work, and last if kept for stargazing only.
--------------------
4 thru 13 inch scopes.
30 years observing.
You just read this on the internet, so.....
|
Galaxyhunter
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/02/06
Posts: 1529
|
|
The recommendations for the Name Brand boots, wearing good head ware are good. BUT they will do you NO GOOD if your feet are damp from perspiration. If your feet are wet, your all done, period, end of story. 
--------------------
Carl
Equipment List
My lousy skies at Hawkeye Observatory
Edited by Galaxyhunter (11/21/09 06:02 PM)
|
Tony Flanders
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/06
Posts: 3934
Loc: Cambridge, MA, USA
|
|
Quote:
The recommendations for the Name Brand boots, wearing good head ware are good. BUT they will do you NO GOOD if your feet are damp from perspiration. If your feet are wet, your all done, period, end of story.
I disagree completely. With boots like Sorels -- ones with thick wool-felt liners -- the liners will easily soak up more perspiration than anybody's feet could possibly produce, and their insulating value is essentially unaffected.
My favorite warm boots are Korean Boots, affectionately known as Micky-Mouse Boots. They were developed by the U.S. Army for use during the Korean War, and are considered by many to be the warmest boots ever made. And cheap, too, if you can find them at all.
These boots have a thick felt layer with rubber both outside and inside the felt, so that the insulation is guaranteed to stay dry no matter what. While hiking in the winter, I have occasionally broken through ice into water that's higher than the boots. When I get to the far side, I take the boot off, pour the water out, and within a minute my feet are as warm as they ever were.
What socks you wear in either kind of boot is completely irrelevant, since all the insulation comes from the boot itself and not the socks.
--------------------
Tony Flanders
First and foremost observing love: naked eye.
Second, binoculars.
Last but not least, telescopes.
And I sometimes dabble with cameras.
|
mdcantor
member
Reged: 09/24/09
Posts: 89
Loc: Central Virginia, USA
|
|
One other suggestion, and it may have already been mentioned. You may want to go to the Runner's World website, or do some searches online for insulated running gear. I know that when I ran more (i.e. at all), there is a definite method in terms of what to layer and when, especially in sub zero temps.
The gear, per se, may not be applicable, but you may find some good ideas in terms of materials, layering, etc.
--------------------
Mike
Meade LXD75 SN-8AT
Meade 3000 Series eyepieces
2x Barlow
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
[Re: 
Edit
Reply
Quote
