# My wife's feet are cold



## DanOrion

Does she wear wool socks under her booties? It's a little trick that keep my feet toasty.


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## sarahkonamojo

Best way to keep your feet (and you) warm is to keep your feet dry.
Drysuit.
Boots.
waders.


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## David L

Get her a pair of muck boots like the concrete workers wear. She will need to wear good splash pants with a semi-open cuff that goes over the top of them. Or, gaiters like skiers wear for the tops of the boots.

If any water gets in, her feet will be wet, so also get a spare footbed for the boots.

I got mine at Sportsmans Warehouse for $35 or so a few years ago.


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## kazak4x4

She doesn't wear wool socks, I will try that.

We were thinking of getting those rubber mud boots as well. I am afraid if she ever fell in though those would be like anchors, no?


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## wasatchbill

A drysuit is the best, as long as it doesn't have ankle gaskets. Assuming it has goretex socks, then try the wool sock trick. She could carefully trim a bit (one ring at a time) from the wrist and neck gaskets.


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## David L

kazak4x4 said:


> She doesn't wear wool socks, I will try that.
> 
> We were thinking of getting those rubber mud boots as well. I am afraid if she ever fell in though those would be like anchors, no?


Yes, absolutely. I don't wear mine when the flip risk is there. Don't flip! Keep her in the boat!


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## wildh2onriver

Chota makes a great knee high, neoprene boot with rubber soles that cinches at the top of the calf. I use them on cold weather trips as well as in Alaska, along with smart wool socks. Keeps the feet toasty. 

Because they fit relatively snug around the feet and calves, not much water could get in them if they were submersed so it wouldn't add any problems getting back into the boat.


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## dirtbagkayaker

DanOrion said:


> Does she wear wool socks under her booties? It's a little trick that keep my feet toasty.


x3 ^^ I use high end "smartwool" brand socks and 1/2 size big on the booties. The plus is, if ya drink from the bootie. a 1/2 size gives you a whole extra gulp! easier to stay hydrated.


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## summitraftgirl

I've got a women's Kokotat drysuit that has the Goretex booties. I always wear a pair of wool socks underneath, not only for warmth, but to help keep the insides of the booties somewhat clean (they don't stink as much as when you go barefoot in it). I also wear NRS booties on the outside to protect the drysuit booties from snagging on something and ripping open. I'm very cold-natured and this system works well for me.

I understand her issue with the gaskets, however the drysuit is SO much nicer than splash gear. Getting a little wet with the splash gear most likely isn't helping her feet to stay warm either. The more I wore my drysuit, the more comfortable the gaskets got. I have heard of people cutting them down, but I was told just to tough it out until they got more comfortable. I would have been pretty upset if I cut them and then they stretched too much. FWIW...


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## okieboater

*I have had good luck with these*

Amazon.com: Seirus Neosock: Clothing

size XL is really big so if you order get the right size for her

wear thin capaline liner socks inside and they fit ok in either neoprene river shoes or Keen's.

I have also had good luck with thick merino wool socks in standard neoprene river shoes. If you do dunk your feet, wring out the socks and they may not be as warm as they were dry, but unless it is really cold it works ok.


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## Bilge Rat

We did Lodore Oct 5-8 this year in horrible weather. The first day I just wore splash gear because I thought I would get sweaty and then eventually cold rowing hard against the wind. Needless to say I just got wet anyway and froze my ass off the whole day. The next day switched to the dry suit with wool socks under the built in gore-tex booties and was toasty warm and comfortable for the rest of the trip, even in the snow. My wife, like yours did not have that option and was very uncomfortable for the whole trip, hands and feet mostly. I am a little claustrophobic and had a hard time with the dry suit gaskets at first but trimmed them down one ring at a time, as was mentioned, and finally got to that happy medium where I felt like I could be comfortable and also keep the water completely out.


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## Bilge Rat

Oh yeah, I forgot to say thanks to those on this board who have recommended muck boots or similar in the past. They are now a permanent part of the gear. Made life around a sloppy wet camp a whole different experience for the better! At least my wife's feet were warm when we were on land.


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## David L

Bilge Rat said:


> Oh yeah, I forgot to say thanks to those on this board who have recommended muck boots or similar in the past. They are now a permanent part of the gear. Made life around a sloppy wet camp a whole different experience for the better! At least my wife's feet were warm when we were on land.


Your welcome - I never do a trip, at anytime, even in summer, without them.


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## H2UhOh

Chota Mukluks with thin wool socks inside. The mukluks are snug around the lower legs so even if she steps in deeper water, they don't flood badly. 

The socks are not totally necessary, but they add warmth and comfort, and like all footwear they get less smelly if socks are worn. The mukluks have sort of a shearling-like synthetic lining. I found that wool liner socks worked better than synthetics.

I have worn the mukluks over 2mm neoprene fullsuit and (at other times) over a drysuit with long undies inside. Even with my biker's calves, they fit over those, though snugly. There is a simple little trick to removing the mukluks if they fit snugly: RELAX your calves and feet. Then the calf muscles go slack enough to let the boots slide off.


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## Randaddy

wasatchbill said:


> She could carefully trim a bit (one ring at a time) from the wrist and neck gaskets.


This is really bad advice. The only way to enlarge gaskets is to stretch them. Even cautious trimming can cause tearing and you're replacing gaskets before you know it.

If her dry suit doesn't have booties, add some. If the gaskets are tight, stretch them a bit. Wool socks under dry suit booties are way better than anything else in my experience. I tried neoprene socks on the outside of my dry suit booties and my feet were freezing, probably because it just kept the cold water around my dry feet and the water never warmed. 

You could buy her dry pants with built in feet, but I'd be cautious about "drowning pants."


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## cataraftgirl

+1 on wool socks inside gortex dry suit booties, and on the muck boots. I got the Kamik brand of muck boots. They were less expensive than the Bogs or Muck brands, and just as sexy cute !!!!!!!


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## catboatkeith

Put a football in the neck of her drysuit, and some mid sized water bottles in the wrist gaskets. I would't trim anything. Just streach them some for a week or so.


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## briandburns

kazak4x4 said:


> She does have a dry suit, but prefers to wear splash gear because of tight gaskets on the dry suit......
> What can I get her to keep her feet warm during wet/cold runs?
> Thanks,
> Alex


I always hated wearing my drysuit because the latex neck gasket was so uncomfortable. A raft guide friend of mine recommended the Kokotat Super Nova drysuit which comes with a neoprene neck gasket, breathable fabric, relief zip, and fabric socks all for under $500. It's by far the most comfortable of the four drysuits that I've owned. They don't recommend it for heavy whitewater, but I've had several rough swims in it and the neoprene neck gasket held the water out pretty well.


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## solboater

Some great advice so far, but I think there are some key ingredients to check on in helping mitigate cold feet. Many times if the feet are cold the body is shunting blood to the extremities when the core temp. drops. So, get that core temp. cranking, especially if she is not rowing. Add a layer of insulation over the core and put on a beanie(as a disproportionate amount of heat is lost through the head), and a thermos of hot drink goes a long way. 
Stretch those gaskets on the drysuit , for the more stout runs, to make it a desirable piece of gear to have on.


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## shonuffkayak

Nrs Boundry socks exspenive but worth it


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## wasatchbill

Randaddy said:


> This is really bad advice. The only way to enlarge gaskets is to stretch them. Even cautious trimming can cause tearing and you're replacing gaskets before you know it...


"Neck gaskets are designed to be trimmed to fit." (not the Kokatat wrist gaskets though). 
Kokatat | FAQs

You can certainly try stretching the gaskets, but they don't stretch much, in my experience. The reason gaskets have rings is for trimming. Sure, its better not to, but if the gasket is too small, and stretching efforts don't do enough after a week or two, there are not many options, if the neck gasket is choking you, or the wrist gaskets are making your hands fall asleep: sell the drysuit, or leave it in the closet; or trim the gaskets. Here is a video on trimming gaskets: 
http://youtu.be/icQXfEEbXsU


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## kazak4x4

Wow, thanks for great feedback guys! Very helpful.

My wife does have Kokata SuperNova dry suit, neoprene gasket is too tight on her. She still wears it, but complains about it.

We will purchase the boots you guys recommended. I found these on Amazon:

Amazon.com: NeoSport Wetsuits Explorer 5mm Explorer Boot: Clothing

Are these any good?

I will also get a few wool socks for her and I. 

Thanks all for advice!

Alex


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## kazak4x4

Also, is Merino Wool socks different than wool socks you guys recommend?


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## Bilge Rat

If you dont mind paying $22 for socks, I received a pair of these for christmas a couple of years ago and love them. They don't itch either. I know they make a heavy weight sock as well but I've never tried them.
Midweight Merino Wool Crew Socks | Filson


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## GC Guide

These socks are great for in camp, they keep my feet super warm! Check them out.... Sol Socks - Fleece flip flop socks!


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## cpollema

*Bogs*

We have several pairs of 'Bogs' for the family. Very nice when loading/unloading in cold weather and water. High enough they seldom get water over them but a close enough fit that splash pants pull over them easily. Haven't swam with them yet, but when I've gotten them filled with water they don't seem to hold much water. Had them for several years now and all the family members are very happy with them. Keep the fit nice and warm. My wife also uses them for muck boots during the off season.


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## Randaddy

Another thought: If your wife is like mine any sort of Christmas rafting gear is a mistake. She may love river trips, but might think of the gear as a gift for you....

I recommend jewelry and flowers, with the rafting gear as a random gift before your next trip.


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## okieboater

*I have had 4 dry suits over the many years I have been boating*

and lost count of the dry tops.

I have tried the stretching deal and it does not work for me, never has.

I carefully cut rings off the neck latex gaskets and very carefully cut maybe 1 / 8 inch width or less from the tapered wrist gaskets or in the old days before sewn in footies, the ankle gaskets.

I believe latex will stretch a bit and that is a good thing. I think excessive stretching is gonna stress the latex more than it designed to do and is a bad thing. Especially if you have to stretch the neck gasket a lot on a cold morning.

What has worked for me for decades is trimming for a snug but not blood constricting fit and then letting the stretch factor take over for that last little bit.


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## kazak4x4

My wife recommended the boots for her for Xmas and 4" Silverback double pad for our family Xmas present. I think she is a keeper


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## wildh2onriver

kazak4x4 said:


> My wife recommended the boots for her for Xmas and 4" Silverback double pad for our family Xmas present. I think she is a keeper


Sounds like a keeper to me. Also, those boots look almost identical to the Chota's i bought in 2001--looks like they'll do nicely--plus the price is much better.


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## MikeG

Some of the advice in this thread seems a little sketchy. Muck boots, waders, and drysuits with neoprene neck gaskets but latex wrists and ankles and/or goretex, attached feet all present the risk of filling with water and pulling you under, particularly in a long swim. Accounts of people not drowning with these does not negate the risk. I haven't heard of drownings specifically with these but there are definitely cases of "semi-dry" pants leading to that end- same concept really. there is definitely a difference between falling in class II riffles and getting recirculated in a hole, caught in a strainer or other situations where the integrity of your clothing and your own strength are compromised. I certainly don't think its worth the risk. Muck boots are great for loading/unloading rafts and wearing around dreary camps but they are definitely enough to negate your pfd. 

being a rafting passenger is brutally cold business if its chilly out. I bought my wife one of those old-fashioned rubber hot water bottles that is her best friend on cold weather rafting trips. We can put hot water in it morning, noon, and night and it can be applied to cold extremities, core, whatever. A nalgene bottle can be used in the same way but is less flexible and not comfortable in a sleeping bag. definitely the gore-tex booties on a dry suit are a god-send too, just don't pack them too tight or they'll lose effectiveness. Most importantly, my wife is much warmer kayaking (me too I guess) despite being down in the water than she is rafting. The lesson here is to get the cold person moving through rowing, hiking, whatever. It gets cold and people want to ball up but that's counter-productive.


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## Randaddy

Another thought: sell the semi-dry suit and buy her a proper dry suit with booties. I got my wife a used Stohlquist for $200, washed and revitalized the fabric, replaced the wrist gaskets, and am adding booties. For about $250 total she will be warm and dry next trip.

I agree with MikeG, booties can be dangerous, but they're probably fine on a dry suit with latex gaskets.


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## lhowemt

Excuse me if someone's said this (I've not read the entire thread), but get her a drysuit with neoprene gaskets. Then wear 2 prs of thick wool socks. WAY more comfy and still waterproof. OS will size it to her neck size. Very nice, comfy, non restrictive, and not bad to get on and off. I have OS, love it, and have had more than my share of swims to put it to the test.


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## H2UhOh

I trimmed the neck gasket on my first drysuit and it worked out great.

When I bought the replacement for that drysuit (just plain wore it out overall), the New England Kokatat rep trimmed one ring off for me. That is the official way to make the neck gasket fit better, as someone else pointed out. They're made superscrawny because there is no such thing as making them smaller from a too-big size.

Chota Mukluks are not wide-topped mucking boots. I have a pair of the latter, and there's no comparison in terms of flooding.

Socks can be Merino or other wool. Merino's nice because it's softer and not scratchy. Besides SmartWool, Wigwam's over-the-ankle thin Merino wool socks are great, and they cost less than SmartWool. I like both brands equally well.


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## kclowe

I used pringles cans in the wrist gaskets and Folgers coffee cans on the neck. It took a couple of weeks, but it worked. Every time I got home on Sunday, I put the cans in the gaskets until I packed up for the weekend. That fixes the suite, but fleece socks and hot tea are also a must for me. I'm always cold, so I wear fleece socks under the gortex booties and then Neo booties on top of those. Even after a swim my feet are usually warm. A thermos of anything hot in my raft or kayak does wonders too. Oh, and a warm hat or skull cap really does help. If my head is warm, then my feet seem to be warm.


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