May 19, 2022

The Secret To Warm Feet While Backpacking

One of the WORST things to ruin a backpacking trip is getting cold feet. Unfortunately it happens all too often.

The thing is, if backpackers knew just a few little secrets/tips, they could totally avoid the problem & enjoy their trips much more!

These secrets will help you keep your feet warm on the trail, which will lead to better sleep, more confidence, & an overall better experience!

Here's what you should know:

1. Bring Dry Socks

If you're the hiker that crawls into your sleeping bag with the same pair of socks on that you've been hiking in all day, this is for you.

As you hike, your body produces moisture that your socks wick up. Even if they seem "dry" to the touch, there is typically enough moisture in them to suck the heat out of your feet in the night.

It's like sticking your hand in a bucket of cold water. Your body heat isn't enough to heat that water up; you just end up with a cold hand!

By bringing a fresh pair of socks to switch to for sleeping, you'll be 100% confident that your feet will stay dry & have a better chance of keeping warm.

But this secret on its own is probably NOT ENOUGH to keep your feet warm.

That brings us to the next secret:

2. Warm Up Your Feet BEFORE Going To Bed

There is a BIG misconception out there where people think, "If I get in my sleeping bag, my feet will warm up."

WRONG.

Unless you have some pretty incredible circulation abilities, you are going to have a hard time getting your feet to warm up if you go to bed with them cold.

This is because your sleeping bag is an insulator, not a heat source. It is impossible for your sleeping bag to actually produce any heat! All it does is keep whatever is inside of it at the same temperature. Coolers work in a similar way. Whatever you put inside an insulated container, that object (or your feet) will stay at the temperature it was at when it went in for longer.

Your body is what produces all the heat inside a sleeping bag. That sleeping bag will trap heat from your body & core and keep it from escaping. It's going to take a long time for the body heat from your core to get down to your feet.

So, to solve this issue, do everything you can to warm up your feet before bed, and then get right in your sleeping bag. Jumping jackets, wiggling your toes, running in place, & other activities to get your blood flowing can all help.

Let's say you've done all that.

You've switched your socks, you've made sure your feet felt warm, & you've crawled into your sleeping bag for the night. What happens if your sleeping bag isn't warm enough or gets damp from condensation?

That leads to our 3rd secret:

3. Use Insulated Booties

By following this last tip, you'll gain a lot of confidence in your ability to stay comfortable on any trip! Having a pair of ultralight insulated booties in your back can ad a level of mental reassurance that no matter what - at the end of the day you've got something to help you keep your feet warm.

Now, you need to be aware that there are pure down-filled booties, and there are hybrid-fill booties. We recommend the hybrid-fill booties.

Hybrid insulation combines down (great for warmth at a very ultralight weight) with a synthetic insulation (great for moisture management or resistance) to give you a bootie that won't fail or stop working even if it gets wet!

Unlike down, hybrid fill booties will stay lofted and warm even if your bag gets damp from condensation or other misfortune, & they don't hardly weigh anything!

Our LoftTek Hybrid Booties meet all of the criteria. They're warm, they're water resistant, & they only way around 3 oz! To grab a pair for yourself (yes, we have different sizes), just Click Here.

They really are worth checking out!

To learn more about how to keep your feet warm & what booties can do for you, we share more details in this video: