C-C-Cold feet: Heated socks recommendations?

Buzzy

Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
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I woke up to rain and 37°F air temperature -so being the "smart" guy I sometimes think I am, I pulled my pant waders on and laced up my wading boots in the garage. I got to the north end of the Lahontan lake, the breeze was from the north but barley a whisper and there was only one angler.

I fished for about a half hour before I got a take. My hands were cold (nitriles) and my feet were COLD. Took a shore break to rerig and waded back out. After about an hour, my feet were beyond cold, I couldn't feel them. I walked up to my truck to get a few more clothes on and by the time I got back to the lake my feet were only cold, not COLD.

I lasted about 45 minutes before I called it a day. Fishing was not bad and I would liked to have stayed and fish but man, my feet were C-C-C0LD. I don't know what the water temperature of Lenore is right now but it's cold enough to sap heat quickly.

I've never tried heated socks. I'm considering buying a pair and wondering about successes and failures with heated socks. Recommendation?
 
Buzzy said:
I woke up to rain and 37°F air temperature -so being the "smart" guy I sometimes think I am, I pulled my pant waders on and laced up my wading boots in the garage. I got to the north end of the Lahontan lake, the breeze was from the north but barley a whisper and there was only one angler.

I fished for about a half hour before I got a take. My hands were cold (nitriles) and my feet were COLD. Took a shore break to rerig and waded back out. After about an hour, my feet were beyond cold, I couldn't feel them. I walked up to my truck to get a few more clothes on and by the time I got back to the lake my feet were only cold, not COLD.

I lasted about 45 minutes before I called it a day. Fishing was not bad and I would liked to have stayed and fish but man, my feet were C-C-C0LD. I don't know what the water temperature of Lenore is right now but it's cold enough to sap heat quickly.

I've never tried heated socks. I'm considering buying a pair and wondering about successes and failures with heated socks. Recommendation?
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The specific ones I bought on amzn a couple years ago (just a generic Chinese brand) are no longer on there, but I love them. They've kept my toes toasty for hours on 40° days in the kayak, inside unlined rubber boots, but not sure I ever used them inside waders.
The rechargeable battery pack and on/off button is at the cuff. Easy to press the button therough multiple pant layers, but would be tough to turn them off with your legs in the water in a float tube.
 
Bambooflyguy said:
My short answer Pat is P-R-A-M! Pontoon boats for warmer temps……we’re older and colder!
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"We're older and colder...."
Need a hat for that!

There's a reason you haven't seen too many winter musky posts from me over the last few years. I just can't handle it for more than an hour or two these days.

I do have a pair of electric socks from Amazon, and while they worked very well, the batter packs were always a little incomfortable.
 
When i float tubed in frigid, aka COLD water at ice-out, I inserted a plastic bag secured with rubber bands between 2 wool socks on each foot. I couldn't walk very far (socks would shift around), but I could do 4-6 hours kicking/feet dangling in the water versus the measily 1 - 1 1/2 without the bag vapor barrier. My inner socks would be damp when I removed the bag but my feet were warm.
 
Can't give a sockeye review, but will advocate for electric hand warmers placed in pants pockets under waders. If the blood doesn't find the cold spot in the thighs/groin region, I've found the body has no problem sending the blood down to the toes and keeping them toasty.

Stop the shrivel, stop the shiver!
 
clarkman

Thread 'Electric Socks for fishing....'

...Does anyone use them? Any specific things to look for or specific recommendations?

I'm thinking more along the lines of lake stuff in really cold water (like the 41 degrees that Merwin was today). I've gotta be able to last longer to take full advantage of potential feeding windows.

Cheers!
  • Like
 
Light polypropylene liners under the nitriles. Wicks the moisture away and you can still tie knots. Bike and running stores are a good sources for the glove liners.
Light polypropylene liner socks under merino wool socks.
I’d recommend blue nitriles to increase your possible catch rate. 😉
SF
 
RCF said:
clarkman

Thread 'Electric Socks for fishing....'

...Does anyone use them? Any specific things to look for or specific recommendations?

I'm thinking more along the lines of lake stuff in really cold water (like the 41 degrees that Merwin was today). I've gotta be able to last longer to take full advantage of potential feeding windows.

Cheers!
  • Like
Click to expand...
Hehe.....there it is!
 
I used to fish from my float tube a lot and have tried battery heated socks for winter fishing at Pass.
They have wires running up from each legs to hook up to a battery in your wader pocket. I wore boots and flippers, the whole setup felt like a medical experiment :)

They did help to keep my feet tolerable for a couple of hours at most at max setting. It was still cold mind you, but not the painful numbness you normally get without them. After a couple of hours that pain comes back, is it worth it? Not really, depends on how long you're fishing for I guess.

You could try a double layer of socks, I've found that to make a big difference under rubber boots when I fish dry from a boat.
 
See above.... toe warmth isn't about the temperature the toes are sitting in! It's about circulation. If your body encounters cold in the thighs, eventually it's gonna slow circulation downstream of that area. Takes an hour or... sound familiar? That's when my toes would get cold, regardless of my insulation my body stopped sending blood to the extremities.

Heaters on the thighs and elbows and im cooking standing thigh deep in the sauk in 30° rain, all day. Electric type, not the shake n bake kind cuz they won't get the oxygen they need. No electricity in a place where water pools in leaky boots. I'm never going back.
 
i wear 2 pairs of socks. Alpaca ones with a light pair of wool one over them. No wires and you can hike and fish in them all day.
 
Some takeaways - Use blue nitriles with light poly liners, make sure your thighs are warm - electric is good, wear two pair of socks (you might add a garbage bag between them, wear a warmer hat, wires running from your socks makes you feel like an android, @RCF is a search engine-meister, this thread has potential and @Billy likes warm water (BS!). Thanks everyone.
 
I’ve never found a better solution than waiting it out. Eventually, the fingers and toes go from numb to fine as the body adjust blood flow to the appropriate appendages and all is centered again.

I get concerned when the core gets cold to the point I am shivering uncontrollably. If I don’t have more clothes or shelter to get me out of it, I know I am in for a miserable day. I start doing jumping jacks and jogging in place…and start contemplating life decisions.
 
Buzzy said:
Some takeaways - Use blue nitriles with light poly liners, make sure your thighs are warm - electric is good, wear two pair of socks (you might add a garbage bag between them, wear a warmer hat, wires running from your socks makes you feel like an android, @RCF is a search engine-meister, this thread has potential and @Billy likes warm water (BS!). Thanks everyone.
Click to expand...

Thank you @Buzzy . I just remembered it was discussed before. 'Electric '? Whodathunk....

Lasting Battery powered systems seems to be one of the issues.

Who is going to MacGyver a solution to a long lasting external lithium battery?
 
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