My night of cold toes


Outsoul

Outsoul

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Nov 3, 2011
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Central Assachusetts
Hey gang,

Did a little gear test last night, seeing where I am in relation to the bag rating. Went very well. My toes got a bit cold, but I think it may have been my slightly damp wool socks to blame. I will bring an extra pair out next time. Otherwise I slept quite well. 20 degree bag, wore plain clothes, and it was anywhere from 25-22 degrees with a slight breeze.


Cold night ahead? by Outsoul, on Flickr
 
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Very cool literally haha, yeah goin to bed with the same socks you wore during the day will do that haha good stuff though
 
Maybe pulling the wings of the tarp in a bit to trap the heat better and wearing either camp mocs or a thick pair of dry wool socks...
Thanks; looks like you had a fine time!

Regards,

ezra
 
OK...so here's something to try.

Other than new socks just before you hit the fart sack, take off your socks and get your feet cold. If you have snow or a stream or cold water that works better.

If you use water, dry them off and put your new socks on.


Your feet will feel like they are on fire once you get settled in.
 
Good test Outsoul. Glad the bag works at it's rated temp. My feet sweat like crazy, I switch socks out at night which seems to help.
 
Thanks everyone! It was also my first go at my USGI shelter half, and I replaced all the lines with 550. I love this thing, it goes up in no time!! I feel better informed for my next outing, next time a bit farther out than my backyard!

I have spent nights out before in tents as a kid, but it was cold and consequently very clear out. I don't think I could go back to a tent! It was beautiful!!!
 
When I'm winter camping I look for solid rocks to warm by the fire. I like to have a few pocket/shoe size ones and a few larger skillet sized ones. They're great for wrapping in natural cloth (no synthetics allowed or they'll melt) and sticking in the bottom and middle of my sleeping bag. Well wrapped they'll stay warm all night. A cotton towel works very well for this. The smaller ones slip into a cotton or wool sock and into my pocket as hand warmers. The larger ones are great for resting your feet on around the campfire. A caution though, if you pick up rocks from the riverbed put them on the opposite side of the fire from you until they've had a chance to heat up. Start them a bit away from the fire then move them closer as they heat. Some sedimentary rocks have a lot of water in them and they can explode as the water turns to steam! Once you have your supply of rocks you can not only use them for extra warmth but also they work well for heating dishwater and such. Just keep replacing cooler rocks with hot ones and in no time you'll have good hot water.
 
Hey gang, has anyone used the shelter half to make a super shelter? I noticed the back is approximately the size of my casualty blanket, and also affixing the plastic to the front would not be too tricky. Wasn't sure if anyone had done this before me? I helped my father arrange some pretty good sized wood piles from the Irene/October blizzard damage so I believe I could try this soon. Just needs to get cold again! Your thoughts?
 
Outsoul said:
Hey gang, has anyone used the shelter half to make a super shelter? I noticed the back is approximately the size of my casualty blanket, and also affixing the plastic to the front would not be too tricky. Wasn't sure if anyone had done this before me? I helped my father arrange some pretty good sized wood piles from the Irene/October blizzard damage so I believe I could try this soon. Just needs to get cold again! Your thoughts?
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It would work just fine. We do it with our standard 10x10s all the time.

Just remember, you need to be at lest 6-10 inches off the ground. Also make it shallow enough so that there is just enough room for you. That can be done by putting a log down on the back to close it off.


Post up your results.
 
Sweeneyguy said:
It would work just fine. We do it with our standard 10x10s all the time.

Just remember, you need to be at lest 6-10 inches off the ground. Also make it shallow enough so that there is just enough room for you. That can be done by putting a log down on the back to close it off.


Post up your results.
Click to expand...


Thanks! For the elevated platform I want to try the standard bough bed and stacked/lashed wood base. I will be sure to document my findings and share them here.

I love this stuff! Bushcraft is great. I want to do a natural shelter too.

I think of the shelter half as a mini-Whelen. It's pretty versatile, and a rugged piece of kit. I look forward to using it more.
 
Outsoul said:
Thanks everyone! It was also my first go at my USGI shelter half, and I replaced all the lines with 550. I love this thing, it goes up in no time!! I feel better informed for my next outing, next time a bit farther out than my backyard!

I have spent nights out before in tents as a kid, but it was cold and consequently very clear out. I don't think I could go back to a tent! It was beautiful!!!
Click to expand...

Yea! for the shelter half. It is a versatile and traditional piece of gear. The wings are a great improvement over a standard tarp if there is wind. You can adjust the wings and block those shifting breezes. I noticed on my recent January overnighter, that the wind never blows from the same direction for more than 5 minutes. When I set up my tarp, all was well, but throughout the night, I fould feel the wind creeping in on the sides. That was when I missed my shelter half!

I got a USGI bivy recently and it helps a lot to block wind from your feet, even it they're sticking out from under your tarp or half. Like others have said, extra clothes, your towel, or even one of the fleece throws would help keep your feet warm.

It was a good idea to test out the system close to home, before getting clear out in the woods somewhere and finding the weaknesses in your shelter system. Thanks for the photo; I love shelter halves!
 
Outsoul,
Don't know how traditional you go, but there is an awesome remedy. Change out your socks and place a chemical hand warmer against the sole of your foot
and cover it with a second wool sock. I have had people with circulatory problems have warm feet in 17 deg. below zero using this method.
Mike
 
I get cold feet too and there are two things that I do that really help.

1. Dry socks (I keep a complete set of dry sleep wear that I only wear to bed, including socks)
2. Boil some water and put it in a waterbottle (Nalgenes work great). Throw it in a wool sock and put it in the bottom of your bag by your feet...it will still be warm in the morning (and you have water ready to boil for coffee!).

Works really good for me :)
 
SteveE said:
I get cold feet too and there are two things that I do that really help.

1. Dry socks (I keep a complete set of dry sleep wear that I only wear to bed, including socks)
2. Boil some water and put it in a waterbottle (Nalgenes work great). Throw it in a wool sock and put it in the bottom of your bag by your feet...it will still be warm in the morning (and you have water ready to boil for coffee!).

Works really good for me :)
Click to expand...

I have bad circulation in my feet & they're a constant battle to keep warm in the winter. I'm a big believer in thick merino wool socks, and boots that aren't too loose or to tight. One of the best things on the market I've tried are Toasty Feet Insoles. Have a pair in my 1600gr thinsulate boots & will be buying another pair for my new 1200gr thinsulate Rockies... Hot packets work great in sleeping bags! :3:
 
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