Heated socks and gloves?

[arctictom]

I have gear that keeps you warm/hot at -60 with a big wind, it's the gear, if you need additional heat you have a problem with your gear.

[SeekHer]

My grand-uncles et al said this:

If your feet are cold put on your hat!

Your body, when cold, moves the blood to keep the inner core warm so your have to keep stimulating the area believing that it requires warm blood to flow through it, again.

I wear proper winter boots with sufficient insulation for the temp I'm expecting and have found that you really have to buy two different sizes of the same socks if you're going to wear both at the same time which also means that you had to have worn those same socks when you went to try on your boots otherwise your feet are too cramped...I wear a pure silk inner sock under a heavy wool Ragg sock in boots that have a bit of wriggle room so you can keep circulation going...I've also got a silk blended with merino wool inner sock that I've been using this last year and it works quite well.

I wear silk inner gloves inside wool ones and inside mittens and remove the mitts to shoot--this way bare skin doesn't contact cold metal...Mitts again, as they allow you to move your fingers and like little kids they are on a heavy sting around my neck...The ones I'd been wearing for years were down with leather palms and the backs had fleece on them so you use them to rub your face to again get circulation going into the area...The new ones are built the same but use synthetic down as the insulator.

I wear a silk balaclava under a heavy wool toque--what you call a watch cap--Day-Glo orange if hunting whatever else for work.

I received as a birthday present last spring a set of buffalo/bison wool gloves, socks and a toque and have worn them the past couple of weeks since it's gotten cold -- about what Denis experienced and the are amazing and all without silk beneath except the socks since I had to wear a different boot since they're so thick...Granted this was just to clear the snow off the cars, walk and driveway and to walk to and from the post boxes up the road and I was warm, nice and toasty warm...I've ordered three more pair of socks for myself.

Denis, Sorel makes some excellent winter pac boots rated to -40C that aren't these huge things hanging off your feet...The Glacier and Trac, I believe.

You can also try moccasins, actually mukluks go higher on the calf--these moosehide ones made by Steger are not the cheap Minnetonka stuff you wear around the house--these are real mocs that I've used snowshoeing and snowmobiling and they kept me very warm--order a second liner and interchange them daily...The Yukon are nice but I favour the traditional...I also have their Icelandic Tall wool socks that I wear in the muks...I've also got some native made ones that go over a felt liner with beaver fur on the calf but are getting very thin on the bottom and will have to have them resoled.

I wear moccasins year round, short triple soled ones in summer, and either Steger or native made in winter except when I'm having to do physical work, I then prefer a boot so I can have some support to the ankle.

[Denis]

Thanks, SeekHer! Those moccasins look really warm and comfortable - they remind me a bit of Dubarry boots (something else on my wish list, Santa).

You don't happen to have one of your famous lists for cold-weather-gear-suppliers, do you? (In your copious free time, of course.)

[Netpackrat]

My grand-uncles et al said this:

If your feet are cold put on your hat!

+1

[Termite]

Riding a motorcycle in the winter, even in Louisiana, will test the quality of your gear.