Dry Feet Save Lives And Attitudes

Dry feet save lives and attitudes. Mostly attitudes. But sometimes lives.

The truth of this isn’t always obvious during a day on the beach, or when you do some walking on nice groomed trails. It becomes really clear when you’re outside for extended periods during bad weather or doing the kind of hiking that requires wet-foot stream crossings. Since emergency situations may require one or both of those things, let’s talk about it.

Isn’t your choice of tactical knife more important than dry feet?

Only in Hollywood. All tactical knives have a sharp edge; they’ll get the job done. Wet feet suck the heat from your body. If the situation gets dire the blood retreats to the warmer core, and frostbite stalks your toes.  Blisters bloom where they’ve never lived before. Hard-won calluses slough away. If it’s warm enough down there between the toes, fungi thrive. 

To keep your dry feet, don’t step in water. 

Brilliant, I know. This one only makes sense from a “Why bother to say this?” point of view if you’ve been there: Walking long, maybe carrying a pack, and you come to a stream. Your footing would be better in the shoes. You wouldn’t have the stop, depack, deshoe, cross, remove sand and muck from between toes, reshoe, repack, and go on. Splash splash and you’re good!

Do not listen to the call of the Dark Side. That plan would feel great crossing the stream, and for a little while afterward. But every step will squelch as your socks hold the water and the slow disintegration and rapid cooling of the feet will begin. 

It seems like such a hassle to de-shoe for every five-step river crossing, but the consequences last a long time.

Some hikers, even the long-distance folks who are seriously against extra weight, carry water sandals (easy don and doff) for water crossings — because they fell for the lure of the Dark Side before and don’t want to go there again. I’ll splash across in warm weather, but do the rigamarole of off and on if it’s at all cool.

Buy waterproof, or waterproof your own boots?

My friend Doc favors waterproofs. I don’t, but I would if hiked much in cold weather. When you opt for waterproof, you have to trade in “cheap” and “light”; you get “expensive” and “dry” in return. Watch the wording on the boots! My light and not too expensive hikers, excellent in most ways, advertised as “WATERPROOF” (then in tiny type) “to an first inch and a half”. And they are; the impervious sole material reaches up an extra inch or so. Useful in puddles but not much else.

But if you spray a normal pair of boots with waterproof spray, they’re waterproof, Right?? Nope, sorry. Each fiber of the boots will repel water. If they are a stiff, tight weave, the boots May be waterproof. If they’re light and breathable boots, the water goes through the breathing pores. No more dry feet.

Silicone sprays are an easy waterproofing method. Creams are said to work better but take a little more effort to apply.

I love the waterproofing sprays, don’t get me wrong. They let your boots repel light to moderate dew and rain and do well against snow, so well worth the money. Their powers are limited, though.

Life happens, so wear wool

If you can’t have dry feet, the next best thing is to have wool socks. Sheep make their own lanolin oil and coat every hair with it to produce waterproof sheep. Weave those hairs into a cloth and it can’t keep actually dry, but still traps enough air to provide insulation. There are also some ‘technical’ fiber types that will hold heat even when wet too. They’re good mixed with wool for reducing weight and improving wear, but the skin feel is not as good without the wool, in my opinion.

Cotton socks are fine when dry feet. Wet, All the No. They don’t hold heat but do rub blisters.

Life happens to be better when you get your feet dry, so carry spare socks.

Wool socks. In plastic (I use ziplocks) so they’re still dry if the pack’s been soaked by rain, dropped in a creek or infiltrated by blowing snow. Then when life gets bad, you can improve it with dry feet.

Don’t forget snow

Snow doesn’t make your feet immediately wet. You are a little motor though, and your heat will melt the snow in contact afterwhile afterwhile. Also, there are often slush piles or thin-ice puddles under some of that snow. Stepping in those is an Awful surprise.

Cheap old gumboots/chore boots with multiple layers of wool socks do the trick on the coldest day or deepest slush. Not good for long walking though.

This is where the ‘saves lives’ part is most likely to be a real thing. Hypothermia kills. Frostbite cripples; and that can kill too.  The “Miserable” part is pretty much guaranteed with wet, cold feet.

May your feet be dry and your spirits high!